Chapter 287: The Hero's Carnival! A Shy Invitation and a Tsundere Fortune Teller
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Silence fell over Gyoncorde Plaza.
As the blood transfusion continued, the slender, transparent tube seemed to become a bridge spanning the chasm between races.
The once glaring radiance of the "Sunlight Tree Eve" gradually softened at this moment, like a sacred golden veil, quietly draped over the two figures still connected by the transfusion tube.
Tens of thousands of Fishmen and merfolk in the square held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
All eyes were fixed intently on that gaunt figure, waiting quietly for the hero who had saved their nation to awaken.
In the deathly silence,
Luffy's complexion, which had been deathly pale from excessive blood loss, finally began to regain its rosy color, visible to the naked eye.
"It's served! This is a specially prepared, super-sized portion of Sea Kings nutritious rib soup!"
Just as Sanji brought out a platter of the specially prepared meal, still steaming hot and emitting a rich, meaty aroma, and walked quickly to the front,
Lying on the ground, Luffy's extraordinary nose twitched violently in the air twice.
The next second, Luffy snapped his eyes open.
His clear black eyes were once again filled with infinite vitality. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was not the platter of roasted meat within arm's reach, but Jinbe, who was sitting quietly beside him, silently donating blood.
Luffy looked at the Fishman before him, grinned, and revealed that iconic smile: "Hehe, Jinbe... thank you, your blood is really powerful! I feel filled with strength all over!"
Amidst Chopper's joyful cheers, Luffy yanked the needle from his arm and sat up, full of vigor.
He raised his hand, firmly pressing down on the Straw Hat he treasured above all else, and looked straight into Jinbe's surprised eyes: "Hey, Jinbe! Come be my crewmate! Let's go to the New World and raise some hell together!"
This impromptu invitation was like a bombshell, throwing the already breathless citizens of Fish-Man Island into unparalleled shock once again.
A human Captain who had led his crew to defeat an army of one hundred thousand rebels had, in front of all the island's citizens, so sincerely invited a Fishman hero to join his crew!
There was no condescending charity, no calculation of benefits, only the purest camaraderie.
Jinbe's eyes widened slightly. He quietly felt the blood flowing through his veins, as if it were now infused with the inextinguishable, warm passion of the Straw Hat in front of him.
He looked deeply at Luffy, remaining silent for a long time.
As a man who carried the heavy title of "Knight of the Sea" in the deep ocean and had spent his life striving for the greater good of his race, Jinbe had, deep down, long been completely won over by Luffy's fearless charisma during the Marineford War and this incident.
But he could not accept.
Jinbe slowly lowered his head. His tone carried a hint of undisguisable regret, but more importantly, an unshakable firmness: "Luffy, my friend... thank you for your regard; I am truly honored. But for now... I still have a duty of honor I must fulfill."
Jinbe took a deep breath and confessed his current situation to Luffy.
He mentioned the complex relationship of dependency he had with the "BIG MOM" Pirates, one of the Four Emperors.
For the future safety of the one hundred thousand citizens of Fish-Man Island, he had to go and personally sever these dangerous chains and settle all grievances.
Upon being rejected, Luffy showed no sign of disappointment; instead, he threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh.
He reached out with his powerful hand and slapped Jinbe's broad shoulder heavily: "Alright! Then it's a promise! When you've finished dealing with all those troublesome matters, you must come find us somewhere on the sea! Remember, there will always be a place for you, Jinbe, on our ship!"
King Neptune, not far away, watched this group of incredibly sincere heroes who had saved the entire nation. His aged eyes were filled with an indelible gratitude and deep respect.
The ruler of the deep sea took a deep breath and swung the golden trident in his hand, a symbol of royal power, high into the air.
His powerful voice, amplified by a special snail, clearly reached every corner of Gyoncorde Plaza: "Everyone! Do not let the hatred of the past blind you any longer! Thank them, show your gratitude! The Straw Hat are the true heroes of our Fish-Man Island!"
Following the King's resonant proclamation, the Fishman civilians in the plaza who had previously harbored grudges against humans finally let go of all their defenses and shackles.
"Thank you! Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Heroes! Lord Luffy is our hero!"
The square, suppressed for so long, instantly erupted, exploding with deafening cheers and cries of gratitude.
This wave of sound was like a raging tidal wave, rushing straight to the dome of Ryugu Palace, completely sweeping away the despair and fear of the past period.
Watching the square fully immersed in the carnival, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates looked at each other and finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
The fatigue accumulated from days of continuous fighting and running around was perfectly released at this moment.
On the deck of the thousand sunny, Robin, Nami, Sanji, and Chopper were gathered together, "diligently tending" to their newly awakened, severely injured Captain.
However, this so-called "tending" scene looked exceptionally intense.
In reality, Sanji was cooking frantically in the kitchen like an octopus.
Robin smiled elegantly, using the Hana Hana no Mi ability to manifest countless arms, passing stacks of plates like an assembly line.
Nami and Chopper were on the side, waving their fists and loudly cheering for Luffy's eating speed.
Luffy himself had completely transformed into a bottomless pit. Opening his abyssal mouth, he could swallow a plate several times larger than his face in one bite.
As for the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, Zoro, Usopp, Franky, and Brook had completely cast aside their burdens as wanted criminals and pirates.
Holding huge mugs of ale and various musical instruments, they excitedly jumped off the deck and joined the ocean of joy among the Fishman civilians below.
They linked arms and danced with everyone, enjoying this hard-won victory celebration.
On the edge of the commotion, Princess Shirahoshi had already wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.
Under the gentle and encouraging gaze of Tatsuya, this princess, who had been trapped in the Hard-Shell Tower for ten whole years, for the first time took the initiative to flick her beautiful pink fish tail and swam bravely toward the civilians in the plaza.
She smiled, accepting the heartfelt cheers and adoration of the people with an awkward yet sincere demeanor.
Watching Shirahoshi's transformation, Tatsuya looked at her with a smile and said softly: "See, Shirahoshi. The outside world really isn't that scary, right?"
Hearing Tatsuya's words, Shirahoshi turned her head, her huge, beautiful eyes filled with excitement and gratitude as she looked at him.
Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something extremely important, Shirahoshi lowered her huge head, her two massive index fingers twisting together rapidly in front of her chest, appearing restless.
A charming blush instantly flew across her formerly fair cheeks. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz, filled with endless shyness, as she gathered her courage to extend an invitation: "Um... Lord Tatsuya... If you have time later... could you, could you go to the Sea Forest with Shirahoshi... and accompany me to pay respects to my mother?"
Facing this cautious anticipation, Tatsuya looked at the massive yet incredibly pure and kind-hearted girl before him, and a small smile slowly curled at the corners of his mouth.
Without any hesitation, he smiled and agreed immediately: "Sure, it would be my honor."
Receiving this affirmative reply, Shirahoshi snapped her head up, the shyness on her face instantly turning into endless joy.
She blossomed with a beautiful smile, like sunshine, capable of healing everything.
At this moment, on a very high ridge above Gyoncorde Plaza, the number one fortune teller of Fish-Man Island—Madam Shyarly, was standing quietly alone on a protruding, massive coral reef.
She looked down, overlooking the incredible scene below.
Humans and Fishmen, who were originally like water and fire, had now set aside all prejudices, linking arms and mingling joyfully together.
She brought her long pipe to her lips, took a deep puff, and then slowly exhaled a wisp of curling blue smoke.
Who would have thought... her own fortune-telling, which had always been hailed as "absolutely accurate" on Fish-Man Island and had never made a single mistake, had actually been wrong this time.
That crystal ball, which had predicted that "Fish-Man Island would surely be destroyed by a human wearing a Straw Hat," was broken, and so be it.
Just as that unreasonable Straw Hat had said, the future is not something that should be boxed in by a piece of broken rock.
Recalling the unmasked, bold words Luffy had spoken in the cafe earlier, and the soul-shaking Conqueror's Haki he displayed on the battlefield, Madam Shyarly whispered softly: "Pirate King?"
This fortune teller, who had always watched the world with a cold eye, suddenly found herself feeling very curious.
Her long-dormant heart even began to faintly look forward to this group of miracle-filled young people.
Where would their future lead, and what kind of storm would they stir up on this great sea?
Unconsciously, a heartfelt smile curled at the corners of Madam Shyarly's mouth.
Just as Madam Shyarly was rarely immersed in such soft thoughts, a carefree, crisp voice suddenly came from below.
"Madam Shyarly! So you're here!"
Camie, holding the starfish Pappag who was wearing sunglasses, happily flicked her fish tail and swam up from below.
"Didn't you say in the shop earlier that you absolutely wouldn't come to join in this kind of excitement?"
Caught red-handed by her subordinate, Madam Shyarly's body stiffened slightly.
She immediately retracted the smile from her lips and, within a second, returned to her usual cold, lazy proprietress persona.
She averted her gaze and looked elsewhere: "Ah... it's nothing. I was just bored staying in the shop, came out for a walk, and accidentally ended up here. Don't overthink it."
However, the naive Camie did not understand the proprietress's clumsy cover-up at all.
Instead, she covered her mouth and giggled on the side, and even dared to reach out and point at Madam Shyarly's mouth: "Madam Shyarly, stop trying to fool me! I saw it very clearly just now, you were smiling very happily!"
The air suddenly quieted down at this moment.
Madam Shyarly glanced at Camie with her eyes slanted.
She slowly brought her pipe to her lips, took a deep puff, and then exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke toward Camie's face, speaking in a flat, emotionless voice: "Camie."
"Yes! Here!" Camie immediately stood at attention like a reflex, her expression serious.
Madam Shyarly looked at her, her red lips parted slightly, pronouncing the death sentence: "Your bonus for next month is gone."
"Eh?!?!?"
Accompanied by Camie's miserable scream, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
This great incident of Fish-Man Island, which shook the entire deep sea and nearly overturned the nation, finally came to a most perfect conclusion in an atmosphere of joy and harmony.
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