The Mermaid Cafe was a sanctuary of pastel colors and soft light, tucked away in the lower district of Fishman Island. Inside, the air smelled of kelp tea and expensive perfume.
Sanji was currently undergoing a spiritual experience. He sat on a plush cushion, surrounded by five mermaids who were feeding him grapes and fanning him with large coral leaves. His visible eye was rolled back so far it was almost entirely white.
"This is it," Sanji whispered, his voice trembling. "This is the pinnacle of existence. If I die now, tell the marimo he died of envy."
"He is definitely going to die," Usopp said, slurping a bowl of clam pasta at a nearby table. "Should we call a doctor?"
"I am a doctor!" Chopper panicked, checking Sanji's pulse. "His heart rate is vibrating! It is not beating, it is vibrating!"
Luffy sat at the head of the table, ignoring the chaos. In front of him was a mountain of seaweed salads, fried shellfish, and sea-king steaks. He ate with mechanical efficiency, swallowing plates whole.
"More meat!" Luffy demanded, slamming a stack of empty plates onto the table.
"Coming right up!" Camie chirped, swimming past with a tray of drinks. "The owner is treating you guys since you are friends of Hacchin!"
From the back of the cafe, a tall, elegant mermaid with dark hair and a pipe slithered into the room. She had an aura of mystery that chilled the air slightly. Madame Shyarly.
She stopped at Luffy's table, looking down at him through hooded eyelids.
"Monkey D. Luffy," she said. Her voice was smoky and deep.
Luffy paused mid-bite, a lobster tail hanging from his mouth. He looked up. "Do you have meat?"
Shyarly did not smile. "I have sight. I see things others cannot. And when I look at you, I see fire."
The cafe went silent. The mermaids stopped giggling. Sanji snapped out of his trance, his expression hardening.
"Fire?" Usopp gulped. "Like... a barbecue?"
"Like destruction," Shyarly said, leaning closer to Luffy. Her eyes glowed faintly. "I see Fishman Island in ruins. And I see you standing in the center of the flames."
Luffy swallowed the lobster tail. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He did not look scared. He did not look confused. He looked bored.
"Is that all?" Luffy asked.
Shyarly blinked, taken aback. "Is that all? I just predicted that you will destroy this country."
Luffy stood up. He adjusted his straw hat.
"Prophecies are boring," Luffy said calmly. "If the island gets destroyed, maybe it needed a renovation. Or maybe you just need better glasses."
"You—" Shyarly started, offended.
"Jamamon!"
A booming voice shook the cafe walls, interrupting the tension. The front doors burst open, and a massive coelacanth merman with a flowing white beard and a crown floated in. He was riding a giant whale named Hoe.
"King Neptune!" The cafe patrons gasped, bowing low.
Neptune laughed, his belly shaking. "I heard the commotion! The humans who crashed through the gate! Are you the Straw Hat Pirates?"
Luffy looked at the giant King. "You are big. Are you the boss?"
"I am the Great Knight of the Sea, King Neptune!" He beamed. "And you must be Luffy! I have come to invite you to the palace! We have a banquet prepared!"
"Banquet?" Luffy's ears perked up. "Does it have meat?"
"The finest Sea King meat in the ocean!" Neptune declared.
"I'm in," Luffy said instantly. "Let's go."
"Wait, Luffy!" Usopp hissed. "This is suspicious! First the Princes try to arrest us, now the King invites us to dinner? It is a trap!"
"It is food," Luffy corrected. He jumped onto the back of the whale, sitting next to Neptune. "Come on, guys!"
Sanji floated up, tears of joy streaming down his face. "A palace... that means... Princesses! The Mermaid Princess!"
Zoro sighed, walking out from the back where he had been drinking sake. "Fine. As long as there is booze."
The journey to Ryugu Palace was breathtaking. The palace hung suspended in the water near the top of the bubble, bathed in the light of the Eve Tree. It was a sprawling complex of coral towers and pearl bridges.
As they entered the main hall, the aroma of food was overwhelming. Servants scurried about, carrying platters of delicacies.
"Eat! Drink!" Neptune roared, taking his seat on the throne. "Zoro-dono! We have the legendary sake from the West Blue!"
Zoro's eye glinted. "Now you are talking."
The crew scattered. Sanji went hunting for maidens. Usopp and Chopper marveled at the architecture. Zoro started a drinking contest with the King.
Luffy stood in the middle of the hall. His nose twitched. But it wasn't the food he was smelling. It was a scent of salt and tears.
He looked toward a massive tower in the distance. The Hard-Shell Tower. Its door was thick metal, covered in dents and scratches.
There she is, Luffy thought.
He grabbed a giant shank of meat from a passing waiter and casually walked away from the party.
"Where are you going, Captain?" a guard asked.
"Exploring," Luffy said, his mouth full.
He moved fast. Before the guard could protest, Luffy turned a corner and vanished. He utilized Soru to slip past the patrols, moving like a phantom through the coral corridors.
He arrived at the Hard-Shell Tower. The door was enormous, meant for a giant, but it was locked from the outside with heavy chains.
"Locked up in her own home," Luffy muttered. "Decken really is trash."
He didn't bother with the lock. He jumped up, scaling the rough surface of the tower until he reached a high window. It was small for a giant, but huge for a human. He slipped inside.
The room was dark. It was filled with giant furniture—a bed the size of a ship, a dresser as tall as a building.
"Who... who is there?"
A timid, trembling voice echoed from the shadows.
Luffy landed on the soft carpet. He looked up.
Hiding behind the bed was a mermaid. She was colossal. Her pink hair flowed like a waterfall, and her tail shimmered with rainbow scales. But she was shaking. Her massive eyes were filled with terror.
Shirahoshi. The Mermaid Princess. The Ancient Weapon Poseidon.
Luffy walked into the light, taking a bite of his meat.
"Yo," Luffy said.
Shirahoshi screamed. It wasn't a loud scream, but a high-pitched squeak of pure fear. She covered her face with her hands.
"Please don't kill me!" she sobbed. "I have nothing! Take the jewelry! Just don't kill me!"
Luffy chewed his meat, swallowing loudly. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm a pirate."
"A p-p-pirate?" Shirahoshi peeked through her fingers. "That is worse! You are here to kidnap me!"
"You are too big to kidnap," Luffy stated bluntly. "I can't fit you in my pocket."
He walked closer. To her, he was the size of a doll. He jumped up, landing on her bed. She flinched, shrinking back against the wall.
"Why are you crying?" Luffy asked. "You are huge. You should be brave."
"I am not brave," Shirahoshi sniffled, giant tears rolling down her cheeks like water balloons. "I am scared. Someone is throwing axes at me. For ten years!"
"Axes?" Luffy tilted his head.
Whiz.
A sound cut through the air. A sharp, whistling noise coming from the window Luffy had just entered.
Luffy didn't turn around. He raised his left hand, still holding the meat in his right.
CLANG.
A massive battle axe, easily larger than Luffy's entire body, slammed into his open palm. The impact shook the room, but Luffy didn't budge. His hand was coated in black Armament Haki. He caught the blade by the edge, stopping it dead inches from his face.
Shirahoshi gasped. Her eyes went wide.
"You... you caught it?" she whispered.
Luffy looked at the axe. It was enchanted with Decken's devil fruit power. It had flown for miles just to kill this girl.
"This is dangerous," Luffy said calmly.
He squeezed his hand.
CRACK.
The steel blade of the axe shattered into fragments. Luffy dropped the handle to the floor.
"You have been dealing with this for ten years?" Luffy asked, looking at her.
Shirahoshi nodded, stunned. "Yes. I cannot go outside. I cannot see the sun. If I leave, the axes will find me."
Luffy frowned. He hated cages. He hated people being trapped. It went against everything he stood for.
"That ends today," Luffy said.
He walked up her arm, standing on her shoulder. He looked her in the eye.
"My name is Luffy. I am going to be the King of the Pirates."
"King?" Shirahoshi blinked.
"And you," Luffy pointed at the window. "You are going for a walk."
"W-Walk?" Shirahoshi panicked again. "No! I cannot! The axes! Decken-sama will kill me!"
"Let him try," Luffy grinned. His smile was infectious, radiating a confidence that made the air in the room feel lighter. "I just broke his axe. If he throws another one, I will break that too. If he comes himself, I will kick his butt."
"But..." Shirahoshi hesitated. "I am scared."
"It's okay to be scared," Luffy said. "But it is more fun to be free."
He poked her cheek. It was soft, like a marshmallow.
"Do you want to see the Sea Forest? There is a grave there you want to visit, right?"
Shirahoshi froze. "How... how do you know about that?"
"I know a lot of things," Luffy said mysteriously. "So? Are we going? Or are you going to stay in this dark room crying forever?"
Shirahoshi looked at the shattered axe on the floor. Then she looked at the tiny human standing on her shoulder. For the first time in ten years, the fear in her heart was replaced by something else. Hope.
"I... I want to go," she whispered.
"Good," Luffy laughed. "Shishishi! Then let's go! But first, do you have any food in here? This meat was just an appetizer."
Shirahoshi giggled through her tears. "You are strange, Luffy-sama."
"Just Luffy," he corrected. "Friends don't use titles."
"Friends?" Shirahoshi's face lit up. "Are we... friends?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "You gave me a ride on your shoulder. That makes us friends."
Suddenly, the heavy metal door of the tower shook. Someone was banging on it from the outside.
"Princess!" It was the Minister of the Right. "We heard a noise! Is everything alright?"
Luffy put a finger to his lips. "Shh. We are sneaking out."
"Sneaking?" Shirahoshi looked nervous. "How? I am too big!"
Luffy looked around the room. He saw a massive stuffed shark toy.
"Put that in the bed," Luffy instructed. "Then we go out the back window."
"The back window is too small!"
"Not for long," Luffy said. He jumped to the window. "Gum-Gum... Gigant Pistol!"
He punched the wall. Not to destroy the tower, but to widen the opening. The coral crumbled quietly under his control, creating a hole just big enough for the princess.
"Let's go, Cowardly-hoshi!" Luffy teased.
"I am not a coward!" Shirahoshi puffed her cheeks, crawling toward the exit. "And my name is Shirahoshi!"
"Sure, sure," Luffy laughed.
As they slipped out into the ocean currents, leaving the safety of the tower behind, Shirahoshi felt the water rushing against her scales. She looked up. The light of the Eve Tree was brighter out here.
"It is... so bright," she whispered.
Luffy sat on her head, looking out for axes.
"Just wait," Luffy said. "The sun on the surface is way brighter."