Next Bonus, 100!!
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The accommodations Jin had prepared for the Ryugu Kingdom's delegation were in the swimming hall, not far from the music pavilion.
The quarters for the giants—Broggy, Bobby, and Pogo—were also nearby, and the entire area was under heavy guard.
Merfolk were an exceedingly rare race in the world.
On the slave market, a single mermaid could fetch as much as 500 million Berries, the highest price for any race.
As a result, they were constantly targeted by slave hunters.
Hannabal was a den of vipers.
And with several mermaids in the Royal Ryugu Orchestra accompanying Prince Ryuboshi, it was inevitable that they would draw covetous eyes. There was never a shortage of desperate men willing to risk it all for a payday.
Jinbe and the Sun Pirates stood a vigilant watch.
Once they had settled in, Prince Ryuboshi went to the pool. Madam Shyarly's tail was submerged in the water as she puffed on a long pipe.
She was a Shortfin Mako Shark mermaid, and a rare one at that. At five meters and two centimeters, she was considerably larger than most of her kind.
She had short black hair that covered her right eye, cold blue eyes, and pale skin.
She also had a rather impressive bust.
Sharp teeth lined her mouth. The front half of her tail was a deep blue, the back half a stark white. A dorsal fin graced her lower back, with a pair of smaller fins near her crescent-shaped tailfin.
She wore a deep purple hooded top, fastened only by a single button in the middle, revealing an alluring hint of cleavage and her flat stomach. Her nails were painted purple, her lips a deep red.
"Madam Shyarly."
Ryuboshi was exceedingly polite. Shyarly was the most famous fortune teller on Fish-Man Island. She could use her crystal ball to see the future, and her predictions were said to be 100% accurate.
For this, she was highly respected, earning her the honorific "Madam."
Her only flaw was that she could not predict the exact time an event would occur—only that it was destined to happen.
For this journey, King Neptune himself had personally requested her presence.
On one hand, it was to foresee any dangers that might befall the delegation.
On the other, it was to divine whether this exchange with the Winter Blossom Kingdom would bring disaster to Fish-Man Island.
"Yes, Prince Ryuboshi?" Madam Shyarly's voice was calm and dignified, her words spoken in a slow, deliberate cadence.
"It's nothing, really," the prince said. "I just wanted to ask... have you foreseen anything?"
The responsibility on his shoulders was immense. The Whitebeard Pirates' "defeat" at the G-5 base had sent shockwaves through the world.
Even though they had tried to correct the narrative, the story had been set. Whitebeard had lost. It was now an established fact.
His reign was beginning to waver. And Fish-Man Island, in its precarious position, was the first to feel the effects. Several violent incidents had already broken out on the island. They were facing threats from both within and without.
In this time of crisis, the Ryugu royal family needed a powerful ally.
Jinbe wasn't enough. Not unless he and the Sun Pirates could go toe-to-toe with a Yonko's crew. He couldn't protect Fish-Man Island on his own.
Jin, however, was a perfect candidate. After all, Jinbe had said that Whitebeard wouldn't mind if they established contact. He was the king of a member nation and had no competing interests with the Whitebeard Pirates—even if they had come to blows once.
Negotiating with any of the other Yonko would be a different story entirely.
But dealing with such a powerful figure was not without its risks. That's why they needed Shyarly's foresight.
Madam Shyarly exhaled a puff of smoke. "I just performed a reading."
"And?" Ryuboshi asked eagerly.
She shook her head. "Nothing."
Ryuboshi frowned.
"Don't worry," she said. "You know that the futures I see are almost always filled with misfortune and disaster. To see nothing... is perhaps a good thing."
"Yes," Ryuboshi said, a sigh of relief escaping him. He was right.
When Shyarly was three, she had foreseen that the birth of the Mermaid Princess would cause the Sea Kings to stir. Ten years later, Princess Shirahoshi was born.
At four, she had predicted the coming of the Great Pirate Era.
She had even foreseen the Summit War and the death of Whitebeard.
After so many visions of misfortune, she had grown weary of fortune-telling. If not for King Neptune's personal request, she would have never tried to predict the future again.
Ryuboshi turned to speak with Jinbe and Maria Napole. He was taking this New Year's gala very seriously. He saw it as an opportunity for the Fish-Man race to present itself to the world.
Madam Shyarly's gaze returned to the rippling water.
'Or perhaps,' she thought, her brow furrowing slightly, 'it is simply... unforeseeable.'
Arlong's death had not been in her visions. He should have had no connection to that king. And Whitebeard's injury, the worsening situation on Fish-Man Island—she had seen no sign of these misfortunes.
It was as if a future that was never meant to be had appeared.
An unknown...
An "X" factor...
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That evening, Jin held a banquet for Prince Ryuboshi and his delegation.
The official story was that this was a cultural and musical exchange. As such, Gordon, Uta, Brook, Carina, and Porche from the music pavilion were all in attendance.
"Miss Napole! I'm your biggest fan!" Uta's eyes lit up when she saw Maria Napole. She excitedly asked for her autograph.
Carina was the same. Only those in the world of music truly understood the weight of the name Maria Napole. She was the only Fish-Man to have ever graced the stage of Elegia, the world-renowned "Queen of Sopranos." She was to the world of music what Roger was to piracy, what Mihawk was to swordsmanship.
Gordon had often spoken of her with the highest reverence when he was teaching Uta and Carina, lamenting that he had never had the chance to work with her.
Tonight, that dream came true.
"Excuse me, miss," Brook said, his timing as impeccable as ever. "But may I see your panties?"
Carina immediately pulled out her little notebook. "That's a 500,000 Berri fine," the little miser said, her foxy eyes crinkling into a smile.
Brook was speechless. Other people made money singing. He was losing his shorts.
It was a habit literally etched into his bones.
Jin watched from the side, smiling. Looking at Napole, he couldn't help but think of a world-famous song from his past life:
Vitas' "Opera 2."
A Fish-Man, with their natural ability to produce dolphin-like sounds... it was a perfect match. It would certainly give this world a little shock.
He turned his head and his eyes met Madam Shyarly's. She quickly looked away.
'She seems very interested in me,' he thought. Not in a romantic way. It was more... confusion. Curiosity.
He walked straight up to her. "I've heard of you before, Madam Shyarly. You're a fortune teller. Have you foreseen something?"
Madam Shyarly hadn't expected him to be so perceptive. To be caught staring, and to be called out on it so directly...
She cleared her throat. "No."
Jin smiled. "Well, if you do see something in the future, you can just tell me. You don't have to sneak glances. Otherwise, I might get the wrong idea and think you're infatuated with me... or that I've got something on my face."
Madam Shyarly was slightly embarrassed. "Alright. I will."
She watched him as he walked away. His every movement, his every word, radiated an immense power. Even though she was taller, when he looked at her, she felt as if she were the small one.
'Such confidence... It was the same kind of spirit Roger had. An inner strength that commanded the respect of all around him.' she thought.
Though she was Arlong's sister, her attitude toward humans was completely different. She held no animosity toward them. In fact, she encouraged the children of Fish-Man Island to see humans for themselves, rather than just believing what they were told.
The banquet ended in a lively atmosphere of song and celebration.
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