Before Barrett's reminder, Fang Yi hadn't thought too deeply about what he'd said earlier. But once Barrett pointed it out, he realized that his words to King Neptune had indeed been a little inappropriate.
But since the words had already been spoken, he could only find a chance later to explain himself to Neptune.
For now, his main goal was reaching the Sea Forest to search for the Poneglyphs. Each time he discovered a new stone, he earned points. And if it was a Road Poneglyph, the reward was even greater. At this stage, what he needed most was points.
However, the moment Fang Yi arrived at the Sea Forest, he suddenly heard strange noises.
"You hear that? What's that sound?" Fang Yi tilted his head and looked at Barrett.
"Hmm… it sounds like… someone calling for help?" Barrett replied uncertainly.
His Armament Haki was the strongest, but when it came to Observation Haki, Fang Yi was far superior.
"Let's go—quickly!" Fang Yi's expression hardened.
The Neptune Army soldiers trailing behind them hadn't noticed anything unusual at all, but hearing Fang Yi and Barrett speak, they hurried to follow.
"Stop!"
As Fang Yi and Barrett rushed toward the sound, they came upon a shocking scene: several humans were attacking a mermaid, clearly trying to capture her.
"Brats, don't stick your noses where they don't belong!" the thugs roared savagely when they saw Fang Yi and Barrett—mere teenagers, in their eyes.
They seemed convinced such a threat would scare them off.
But before Fang Yi could even reply, the men caught sight of the Neptune Army soldiers following behind—and their expressions changed immediately.
"The Neptune Army's here! Grab her now and run!" one of them barked.
"Run?" Fang Yi raised his hand, and with a flash, the Shooting Sun Bow appeared from his inventory. He drew arrows from his quiver and aimed in a smooth motion.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A volley of arrows shot out, striking the men with deadly accuracy. The attackers collapsed instantly.
"Are you alright?" Fang Yi asked softly as he approached the mermaid.
But when he saw her face and attire clearly, his heart gave a small jolt.
"Thank you, young man, for saving me!" the mermaid said with a gentle smile. "But… it seems like you already know me?"
"That… you're called Otohime, aren't you?" Fang Yi asked with a smile, recognizing her familiar face.
"That's right! So you really do know me," Otohime replied with a nod.
Barrett and the Neptune soldiers exchanged bewildered looks. Why would Fang Yi know someone like Otohime?
"Greetings, Lady Otohime. I am Fang Yi, captain of the Dragon Wolf Pirates, and this is my companion Barrett. We just arrived on Fishman Island today—never expected to meet you here!" Fang Yi introduced respectfully.
Otohime tilted her head curiously. "But how do you know me? If I'm not mistaken, we've never met before."
"Heh… that's true. This is my first time on Fishman Island. But my captain once told me about you—about a mermaid who advocates for peace between humans and fishmen, who even gave speeches about coexistence here on the island." Fang Yi smiled lightly. "Before I founded my own crew, my captain was none other than Gol D. Roger."
"Roger? The Pirate King?" Otohime froze, her surprise evident.
She was gifted with one of the most powerful Observation Haki abilities in the world. She could sense people's emotions, and with enough focus, even glimpse their thoughts.
The moment she first saw Fang Yi, she had sensed that he truly knew her. But she never expected that this human youth had once been a member of Roger's crew.
Barrett, too, was surprised by her. With her flowing, wavy hair and a traditional robe patterned like scales, she seemed delicate and unassuming—yet she was the one known for advocating peace with humans.
Up to now, every fishman and mermaid they had met displayed varying degrees of resentment or fear toward humans. She was the first exception.
"Humans, fishmen, mermaids—there's no real difference. We're all living beings," Otohime said with a gentle smile, as if reading Barrett's thoughts. "Among humans, there are both good and bad. The same is true for us."
"…Huh?" Barrett looked at her in shock. He hadn't spoken a word—so how did she know what he was thinking?
"Heh… don't be surprised," Fang Yi chuckled. "Lady Otohime's Observation Haki is top-tier. She can sense emotions—and with training, even surface thoughts. Though she doesn't seem very interested in developing that side of her ability."
Otohime nodded. "That's right. Any power, if used for evil, is terrifying. To me, whether or not I have great strength doesn't matter. It won't change my cause."
Barrett shook his head firmly. "No—strength is the foundation of everything. Only with absolute power can you enforce your will without opposition."
"That's where you're mistaken," Otohime replied with a serene smile. "The World Government's power is absolute, isn't it? And yet, there are pirates like you—seeking freedom. That alone proves that strength is not the ultimate force. Spirit is. Spirit is the flame that can be passed down eternally."
Barrett fell silent, unable to counter her words. He wasn't skilled at debates, and deep down, he still believed strength was everything.
But Otohime didn't press further. She spoke not to win an argument, but simply to share her truth.
"Then, Lady Otohime, we'll take our leave," Fang Yi said softly. He gestured to the unconscious pirates on the ground. "These men—I'll leave them to King Neptune."
"Much obliged," he said to the Neptune soldiers.
"N-no problem at all!" the soldiers stammered quickly. They had just witnessed Fang Yi shoot enemies dead with arrows from an incredible distance. Against them, he would have no trouble at all.
"May I ask, where are you two headed?" Otohime suddenly spoke again. "If you don't mind, I can guide you."
The soldiers gave Fang Yi a knowing look before hauling off the unconscious pirates.
"Our goal is right here in the Sea Forest," Fang Yi admitted, scratching his nose awkwardly. "Specifically, the Poneglyphs."
"Oh? Those two giant stone blocks? You can read them?" Otohime asked curiously.
"Not exactly. We can't read them—we just came to look," Fang Yi replied with a small smile.
Otohime gave him a questioning glance. She could tell he wasn't being completely truthful, but she chose not to press. After all, who would go out of their way just to stare at giant stones?
"By the way, Lady Otohime, may I ask—do you know of a whale shark fishman named Jinbe? Or a fishman called Fisher Tiger?" Fang Yi asked quietly.
"Jinbe? Fisher Tiger?" Otohime blinked in surprise. "I don't know the first, but Fisher Tiger—I've heard of him. He's very respected in Fishman District."
"Fishman District?" Fang Yi frowned. "What kind of place is that?"
"A place like you imagine—a slum," Otohime said with a small smile.
Fang Yi sighed.
Fisher Tiger… a great figure who changed the fate of fishmen. Yet his death would come tragically, fueled by an unyielding hatred toward humans. A death that could have been avoided.
"Would you be willing to take us there later?" Fang Yi asked.
"You want to visit such a dangerous place? Because of Fisher Tiger?" Otohime asked curiously.
"Dangerous?" Barrett's eyes lit up with interest.
"Ah… the slums are full of poor folk. And as the saying goes, 'hard lands raise hard people.' The ones from there are fierce fighters," Fang Yi explained with a grin.
"'Hard lands raise hard people'?" Otohime echoed, puzzled.
"'Fierce fighters'?" Barrett repeated, intrigued.
The two had clearly latched onto very different parts of what he said.
"Oi, oi, you two…" Fang Yi sighed helplessly. "Focus on the Fishman District itself!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Once you've checked the Poneglyphs, let's head straight there," Barrett said eagerly. "This Fisher Tiger guy sounds interesting."
"The stones are just ahead," Otohime said with a smile.
Fang Yi chuckled helplessly, then led the way toward the Poneglyphs.
But when he arrived, he saw someone already standing before them.
"Shanks? What are you doing here?" Fang Yi asked in surprise.
Captain… Shanks hesitated, then said, There's something I want to discuss with you.