After Prince Neptune hurriedly departed, only the Jellyfish Pirates remained at the harbor.
Riberra Sami swept his gaze across the crew before clapping his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to himself.
"Alright, brothers, plans have changed. Let's reorganize the assignments."
He first looked toward the navigator.
"Hans, take a group and stay behind on the Flame Fang. That deep-sea descent earlier put the ship through violent angle shifts. The interior cabins are probably a complete mess by now. The brothers staying behind can work on getting everything sorted out."
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Hans nodded immediately and began selecting manpower.
Once the serious business was arranged, Sami's tone shifted.
"As for everyone else… we went through hell to finally reach this legendary Fish-Man Island. We can't let the trip go to waste. Come on—let's find a place and experience what the taverns of this underwater kingdom are really like!"
"OOOH——!!"
"Long live the captain!"
"I wanna drink liquor mixed by mermaid girls!"
The suggestion instantly sparked thunderous cheers.
Most of the crew's eyes lit up as they crowded enthusiastically around Sami, the slight tension brought by Neptune's departure and the unfamiliar surroundings instantly replaced by rising excitement.
"If anyone wants to explore freely, that's fine too," Riberra Sami added. "But same rules as always—an officer must lead every group. And remember what I said earlier: stay alert, watch more, talk less. We're only here briefly to restock and resupply before heading to the New World. Don't cause trouble."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Well then," Riberra Sami grinned and waved his hand, "today's drinks are on me! Let's find a good spot and drink until we drop!"
"YEAHHHH——!!!"
The atmosphere instantly hit its peak.
Yet amidst all the shouting and excitement, one tall figure silently turned away and began walking toward the Flame Fang's boarding ramp.
It was Isaac.
"Hey, Isaac."
Riberra Sami had actually been watching him from the corner of his eye the entire time.
The moment he saw Isaac trying to leave, he immediately called out to him.
"Where do you think you're going? Come with us."
Isaac stopped in his tracks and shook his head.
"You guys go ahead, Captain. I'm heading back to the training room."
Sami's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as he sighed inwardly.
He knew Isaac too well.
Ever since getting stuck at the threshold of awakening Haki during their closed-door training on Katuna Island months ago, the man had practically become obsessed, locking himself inside the training room and pushing himself relentlessly.
That wasn't healthy.
Riberra Sami understood clearly that if a bowstring was stretched too tight, eventually it would snap.
But Isaac's pride ran deep, and right now he was trapped in the frustration of desperately wanting a breakthrough.
If Riberra Sami directly told him, "Stop training and rest," or "Haki isn't something you can gain through brute-force effort alone," it probably wouldn't help.
If anything, it would provoke Isaac's stubbornness even further.
After a brief moment of thought, Riberra Sami came up with an approach.
He strode over, draped an arm around Isaac's shoulders without giving him room to refuse, and steered him toward Coral Hill in a tone that brooked no argument.
"What training room? Isaac, hasn't it been way too long since we properly drank together?"
"Back on Katuna Island, you buried yourself in training. During the voyage, you've spent half your life locked inside the ship too. I can barely even remember the last time we shared a drink."
Riberra Sami gave his shoulder a firm slap.
"Usually I'd let it slide, but we're on Fish-Man Island now. If the brothers still can't gather and relax together here, then what's the point?"
The other officers immediately caught on and crowded around laughing.
Marcus hooked an arm over Isaac's other shoulder and teased:
"Exactly! What's the point of hiding in the training room all day? Don't tell me you're afraid you can't outdrink us and want to sneak away early?"
Aldo was even more direct.
His massive palm landed on Isaac's back with a loud SMACK!
"Oi! Isaac, quit dragging your feet! The captain doesn't pay for drinks every day! We're definitely drinking you under the table tonight!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Come on, Big Brother Isaac!"
"It won't be lively without you!"
Amid the crew's endless teasing, shouting, and warm insistence, the stubbornness on Isaac's face gradually softened.
Looking at the expressions of his companions, he finally let out a helpless sigh.
"Alright, alright… I'll go, okay?"
He shook his head.
"I seriously can't do anything against you people."
A trace of amusement flickered through Sami's eyes as he gave Isaac's shoulder another hard squeeze.
"That's more like it!"
Turning around, he faced the gathered crew and pointed dramatically toward the town ahead.
"Brothers! Our target—the taverns of Coral Hill! Move out! Let's find out who'll still be standing at the end of tonight, and who'll be the first one drinking from the floor!"
"OOOOOOHHHH——!!!!"
The group surged toward Coral Hill in a massive wave, quickly finding a uniquely styled tavern whose signboard depicted glowing pearls and seashells—the Pearl Shell.
The tavern's interior was even more spacious and refined than expected.
The walls were embedded with natural coral and glowing luminous stones, while soft light spilled from decorative lanterns made of giant bioluminescent algae.
The moment Sami's group of over seventy people stormed inside, they instantly occupied over half the establishment's tables.
"Whoa! There are so many fish-men here!"
"Hurry up! There's still room over here!"
Yet the instant they entered, the once lively tavern abruptly quieted by several degrees.
Nearly every customer turned simultaneously to stare at the unfamiliar group of humans.
Most of the patrons were merfolk, though a few fish-men were scattered among them.
Quiet whispers immediately spread.
"...Humans."
"Never seen them before. More humans came in again?"
"Look at their numbers… quite the imposing group."
"This morning over at Mermaid Cove… Prince Neptune just captured a human slaver gang. And now humans are boldly walking in here to eat and drink?"
"Shh… keep your voice down. But everyone really should stay more alert lately."
"...Why do humans always come to Fish-Man Island?"
Compared to the ordinary customers, however, the tavern staff remained far more professional.
As one of Coral Hill's famous taverns, the Pearl Shell had hosted many human tourists and merchants from the surface over the years.
To them, large groups of humans weren't especially unusual.
Professionalism allowed them to maintain basic politeness and composure, treating Sami's crew like ordinary customers.
A beautiful mermaid bartender merely glanced at the size of the incoming group before quietly instructing a somewhat nervous coworker beside her.
Then she stepped forward to greet Riberra Sami at the counter with a perfectly measured professional smile.
"Please bring out all your signature drinks and specialty dishes for every table," Riberra Sami said. "And especially plenty of alcohol."
"Certainly, dear guest. Please wait a moment."
You can read extra chapters ahead on Patreon if you're interested:
patreon.com/Luna023