Chapter 172 - 168 Negotiation Is Not The Only Means.
Who really cared about the reasons for waging this war or whether it was justified?
Had it not been for the military might of Atlantis, the Navy Department's Admirals wouldn't have minded throwing a bag of laundry detergent into the Atlantic Ocean and saying that these undersea people were hiding weapons of mass destruction and justice must be done to defend world peace! ??
"The land world had caused serious damage to marine ecology for many years, which made Atlantis suffer greatly."
Namor was oblivious to the change in atmosphere in the conference room.
With a massive weapon such as the Continental Frame Oscillator as a bargaining chip, he felt he should be able to make a demand.
And as a King, it was only right that he should show his negotiating skills.
"The marine life in the four oceans belongs to the people of Atlantis in a sense, the over-exploitation of whales by the land world has affected the ecosystem."
Namor spoke in a deep voice, "The same thing happened to my fellow mutants, who were captured by the military, persecuted, subjected to inhumane and illegal detention, and abuse."
"I hope that this public negotiation would not only solve the problem of war between the land world and Atlantis but also make all of you aware of the mistakes you made …"
The conference room was silent, and Admiral Nimitz scratched his head, unsure if he should speak up.
He wasn't impressed by Namor's sincere speech and his decision to turn over a new leaf and become an environmentalist who called to preserve marine ecology.
Rather, they believe that Atlantis will sooner or later come to an end. Often, a naïve-minded King may be worse and short-lived than a cruel King.
'I wonder if the people under the sea have the traditional habit of conducting a big revolt?'
Otherwise, maybe they could look forward to Namor walking toward a guillotine.
"His Majesty the King has a good point."
Nimitz took the lead in applauding. After the sparse applause, he continued,
"Where were we? Oh, the specifics of the war treaty, the peace summit, and the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the clumsy Shazam often beat… Let's continue."
The Atlantis' representatives looked embarrassed and glanced at the young King, who was acting confidently.
Then kept up with the rhythm and got the negotiations back on track.
Only Namor stood alone, his face flushed.
If Superman weren't here and forcing him to keep calm, the negotiation would certainly turn into a fight.
"I also have some words to say."
At that time, Luke cleared his throat, and the noise stopped abruptly.
Everyone kept their mouths shut, and their eyes turned to the head's seat.
Even the Atlanteans held their breaths and showed a dignified complexion.
Although Luke was just a General of a country in the land world, his right to speak and his decisions would inevitably affect the follow-up of the negotiations.
Seeing this, Namor looked like he had been greatly humiliated.
He's the King!
He was treated worse than a General!
"His Majesty, and the King of Atlantis, just mentioned the unfair treatment of mutants, and I should have a certain say in this."
Luke smiled gently and said, "First of all, the military has never persecuted or abused mutants, at least not S.H.I.E.L.D. On the contrary, we have always guaranteed their basic rights and personal safety."
"As I said before, I am a pacifist. I believe no one should doubt this."
The Navy Secretary, Admiral Nimitz, sitting on the left-hand side, was the most responsive and was the first to say, "It was Major General Cavill who ended World War II, liberated the free world, and resisted the Axis Power! Therefore, he sincerely yearns for peace and is firmly against war!"
The rest of the group echoed the sentiment.
The undisguised bootlicking boasted Luke as if he were the embodiment of justice and the spokesman of love and peace.
The Atlantis representatives were silent, pretending that they didn't hear anything.
"But if His Majesty the King says so, then perhaps there's a very special case. Therefore, with the mentality of solving problems and preventing such a situation from happening in the future, I would like to have a discussion on mutants at the upcoming peace summit."
Luke's tone was sincere, as he said so. It was like the speech of a pacifist.
Namor frowned. He wondered if there was something wrong with his ear.
What does this guy want to do?
"But---"
Luke uttered the single most annoying word no matter when or where it appeared.
"Before that, I need to solve another problem."
The gentle and calm tone of voice suddenly became heavy and powerful.
Luke's calm eyes, without the slightest emotion, swept over the Atlantis representatives and solemnly said, "As far as I know, His Majesty has a mutant named Sebastian Shaw on his side."
"In case you didn't know, he served the Third Reich during World War II and ran Auschwitz, the concentration camp."
"This man has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands and is a war criminal in every sense of the word."
"Therefore, I think Atlantis should hand over Sebastian Shaw -- or stop protecting him before ending this negotiation."
Luke faintly said. His cold eyes, as sharp as a sword, stabbed at the silent Namor.
The latter looked a bit pale, his sober consciousness struggling with the psychological suggestion imposed by the White Queen.
"What if I refuse?"
Namor squeezed this sentence out of his gritted teeth.
The psychological suggestion from the White Queen still prevailed.
"I'm sorry about that. Peace needs to be promoted by both sides, not just talked about."
Luke's voice cooled down, but his face kept smiling, "Negotiation is only a means, but not the only means."
"Your Majesty, don't make a hasty decision. I am willing to give Atlantis some time to think about it seriously. Not as a threat, but as a kind reminder."
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