One tall and one short, one stout and one slender, one blue and one black—Jinbe and Lily made for a striking, contrasting pair as they walked side-by-side down the main thoroughfare of Coral Hill, drawing a great deal of attention.
From time to time, passersby would stop to greet "Boss Jinbe." Judging by their expressions of profound gratitude, the White Knight was certain that the Fish-Men and Merfolk here respected and thanked this Warlord of the Sea from the bottom of their hearts for his protection of Fish-Man Island.
The two chatted as they walked. After a brief exchange, Lily discovered that this tall, portly "Knight of the Sea" was not only upright and honorable in his conduct but also possessed a remarkable chivalrous spirit. Jinbe, in turn, held great admiration for the White Knight's own code—her devotion to equality, justice, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Despite their different races, statuses, and ages, the two found their personalities so compatible that they became mutual friends in a very short time, feeling as if they were old friends meeting at last.
"Once we pass this intersection, we will reach the Mermaid Cafe. The Madame Shyarly you are looking for is the manager of that establishment."
Jinbe smiled at the White Knight. "Her divinations are incredibly accurate, but she rarely performs them for others. However, if it concerns a 'Silver-Hair,' that might be a different story."
Lily nodded, feeling impressed despite not fully understanding the context. She thought to herself that the master she had pledged her loyalty to was truly extraordinary. Just as she was about to ask a follow-up question, she was startled by a sudden, explosive wave of sound.
"What's happening? Why is it so noisy over there?" the White Knight asked in confusion.
A vein throbbed on Jinbe's forehead. He didn't answer, simply continuing forward in silence.
As they walked, the heavy music and the clamor grew louder, and the expression on Lily's face became increasingly strange. By the time they reached their destination, the music was deafening even through the closed doors. Lily looked up at the sign that read Mermaid Cafe and knit her brows tightly.
"Jinbe, in my memory, aren't cafes supposed to be very quiet places?" Lily asked the large Fish-Man beside her with a serious expression. "Or is the style of cafes on Fish-Man Island different from those on the surface?"
"This... well..." The lines on Jinbe's face grew more prominent. If any former members of the Sun Pirates were to see this, they would surely be shocked to see what person or event could cause their Boss Jinbe to look so utterly pained.
"...You'll understand once you go in and see for yourself." With that, he pushed open the doors.
Boomshakalaka! Boomshakalaka!
"A warning voice that echoes in the middle of the night~"
Multicolored lights flashed dazzlingly. The spacious room was packed with people, all of them dancing wildly to the rhythmic music. Because the body types of Fish-Men varied so drastically, the scene looked like a chaotic dance of demons.
"Intoxicated by the harmony, at this midnight hour~"
"Rising heat, dancing at the fingertips~"
In the center of the room was what appeared to be a makeshift stage. On it, nine sweet-looking mermaid ladies in gorgeous costumes were singing at the top of their lungs, swaying their slender waists in an enchanting dance. With every gesture, the atmosphere of the audience below surged in response.
"Let the overlapping breath and sound ring out~"
"Let it resound!~"
On and off the stage, everyone's eyes were filled with excitement and fanaticism. The music seemed to possess a magical power, making everyone who heard it willing to indulge and lose themselves in this hell woven from musical staves.
This was the scene that greeted Lily.
(This cafe is way too unconventional... and what is with this song?!)
Her heart hammered in her chest. To her shock, the White Knight realized that even someone with a willpower as firm as hers felt an impulse to rush into the dance floor and let loose!
(This song is toxic!)
Lily took a deep breath, her clear emerald eyes sharpening.
Just as the two stood dazed at the entrance, an extremely clear female voice suddenly rang out from beside them. Even in the noisy environment, they could hear it perfectly.
"Oh? Boss Jinbe, what brings you here?"
Lily swore she had never heard such a beautiful voice in her life. It was like snow melting in early spring, like a mountain stream rushing in midsummer—soft and mellow, yet brimming with vitality.
Turning toward the sound, Lily looked the speaker up and down.
It was a girl as beautiful as a dream. She was about the same height as the White Knight, wearing a white shirt, a light green tie, and a black pleated skirt that revealed straight, slender legs. Her bright green twin-tails cascaded down, and her eyes of the same color sparkled with a strange light.
"You are the musician of the Silver-Haired Pirates, Kuroro?" Recalling the description Miss Hu Tao had given before they left, Lily asked tentatively.
"Mm-hm, that's right, that's me! You must be the newcomer Hu Tao mentioned. Hmm, not bad, not bad at all—excellent potential!"
The twin-tailed girl named Kuroro circled the black-suited White Knight several times, nodding incessantly. The little stars in her eyes grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly, she grabbed Lily's hands, stared into her eyes, and said with utmost solemnity:
"Become an idol, girl!"
"Huh?" The White Knight was instantly dumbfounded, the cowlick on her head standing up exaggeratedly in shock.
(Sigh... I knew this would happen...) Seeing this, Boss Jinbe could only massage his forehead helplessly. He shook his head and led the way toward the back.
Mermaid Cafe — Dormitory Area
"So, why exactly did you have my waitresses collectively change careers into singers, Kuroro?"
The speaker was a beautiful mermaid whose size far exceeded that of an average mermaid. She had a seductive face and a charming aura. Holding a tobacco pipe, she took a calm puff and asked, "What on earth were you thinking?"
"Isn't it because your staff were complaining that the cafe's foot traffic has been dropping lately?"
The twin-tailed musician waved her hand dismissively. "So, to save the Mermaid Cafe from the brink of bankruptcy, the nine of them decided to become idols~ I just gave them a few pointers, that's all."
"Your mermaid talent for music is really no joke. If those nine could perform on the surface, they'd definitely be superstars!"
In the girl's mind, it seemed that becoming an idol could solve every problem in the world...
(So it was your fault all along!) The expression on the White Knight's face beside them became incredibly vivid.
"But I run a Mermaid Cafe, not a mermaid cabaret!"
Madame Shyarly blew a smoke ring and said bluntly, "Stars cannot be seen from Fish-Man Island, and I have no interest in discussing your half-baked astrology. So please, finish writing your new song and leave."
"Wuu~~ You're so heartless, Madame Shyarly." Kuroro immediately put on a pitiful, wounded expression.
"I'm doing this to find inspiration! I have a concert in the City of Gastronomy soon. It would be super embarrassing if I didn't have a new song to premiere..."
"Hmph." However, Madame Shyarly had long since seen through her act. Ignoring Kuroro's wailing, she turned to the White Knight and asked, "Speak. What does Silver-Hair want me to divine this time? It wouldn't be about that precious brother of hers again, would it?"
"Exactly." Lily nodded solemnly and pulled a bounty poster of "The Enchanter" from her pocket. "I hope you can divine the current location of Sarsalian Sherlock."
Madame Shyarly's hand froze as she went to take a puff. Her face suddenly turned very pale. After a long silence, she let out a heavy sigh.
"Actually... actually, I don't know why, but my divination... I can't see a single scrap of information regarding her brother..."
"HUH?!" Both Lily and Kuroro were stunned by Madame Shyarly's shocking revelation.
"That can't be right, Madame Shyarly. Isn't your divination 100% accurate? Even when the Pirate King began the Great Pirate Era, didn't you successfully predict it?"
The twin-tailed musician swallowed hard. "And a year ago, didn't you..."
"I lied that time. In truth, I didn't see anything at all."
"And don't you find it strange? Even if my accuracy is 100%, how could the timing be so precise?"
Placing her pipe on the table, Madame Shyarly curled her body slightly in lingering fear and gave a bitter smile. "Red-Hair's first mate, Benn Beckman, spoke to me in advance. At the time, to stabilize Silver-Hair's emotions, I had to give a positive result regardless of what I actually saw."
"What I didn't expect was that her brother would actually return at Loguetown a year later, exactly like the nonsense I made up..."
Lily and Kuroro looked at each other, speechless.
"Wait, if we can't divine 'The Enchanter'..."
Lily had a sudden flash of inspiration and pulled two more bounty posters from her pocket. "Then try divining his companions! They should be together."
"Oh?"
Madame Shyarly's eyes lit up. She took the posters of a certain Straw Hat idiot and a certain lost swordsman, examined them, and then produced a crystal-clear crystal ball.
"I'll try. Let's see where this Straw Hat crew will appear..."
Ten minutes later.
"Uh, Madame Shyarly?"
Kuroro looked at Madame Shyarly's face, which had turned unnervingly white, and asked tentatively, "Did you see something?"
"..." Lily held her breath, a very bad premonition rising in her heart.
"A Marine Base..."
Madame Shyarly's lips twitched violently as she stammered, "The Straw Hats... are deep within a Marine Base."
"They must have been captured by the Marines!"
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