No wonder future Shyarly once said it:
The future… is something better left unknown.
Because if you knew everything ahead of time, wouldn't that be far too boring?
At least for now, no matter what name Shyarly mentioned — whether it was Pirate King Luffy, Buggy, or any other random nonsense —
Orin wouldn't be happy about it.
He'd just feel bored, knowing his fate had already been decided.
That rebellious part of him would even start acting up.
For example, if Shyarly said Monkey D. Luffy would become Pirate King, he'd be tempted to see if he could put everything on the line to stop Luffy from achieving that goal.
Maybe even…
Killing young Luffy outright, just to see if it was possible.
"How boring…"
Orin sat lazily on the couch, looking at Shyarly — who was almost the same height as him — and couldn't help but throw out some seemingly random questions.
After all, since he was already here, why not?
"Hey, Shyarly, in the future… will I die?"
Hearing Orin's question, Shyarly slowly exhaled a ring of smoke. Her eyes showed a trace of helplessness,
But still, she turned toward the crystal ball before her.
"At least, in the future I can see, you'll still be alive and well."
She gave her answer after a short pause.
Orin wasn't surprised. After all, at this point, very few things could truly threaten his life.
And besides, he wasn't the kind of fool who would try to prove fate wrong by doing something suicidal, like some cliché "fate-defying hero" from a cheap story.
"Then what about Fishman Island? Will it be destroyed?"
Orin thought for a moment, then threw out another question.
But this time, the effect was immediate — Shyarly, Jinbei, and Hachi all stiffened, their expressions turning serious!
For Orin to ask that…
Could it be…?
Shyarly frowned. Truth be told, she had never tried divining this before. But faced with Orin's question, she slowly began to probe the currents of fate.
"This is strange… Fishman Island will almost be destroyed… by someone wearing a straw hat… but in the end, it will be saved…"
The fragments were hazy, unclear — something that didn't happen often to her.
"I see…"
Orin wasn't particularly surprised. After all, he had traversed worlds with memories intact, and he'd even glimpsed the so-called greatest treasure of all.
There were very few secrets left in this world that could escape his grasp.
He turned to his companions, casually slinging his arms over Mihawk's and Crocodile's shoulders.
"Hey, you two, don't you have anything you want to ask?"
He smirked, looking at Mihawk specifically.
"Especially you, Mihawk. Don't you want to know if you'll become the world's strongest swordsman?"
Unexpectedly, the two icy-faced figures barely reacted. Mihawk, in particular, was blunt as always:
"So what if I know?"
"If she divines that I am the strongest, I won't slack off. If she divines that I'm not, I won't believe it anyway. I'll simply cut an even stronger strike."
Confident and razor-sharp as ever — exactly like Mihawk.
As for Crocodile, her answer was even simpler.
"I don't have time for stupid questions like that."
A cigar perched between her lips, Crocodile exuded the aura of someone far above petty concerns.
"Futures are meant to be seen for yourself, not handed to you."
No wonder they'd become such influential figures. Neither had a weak heart. Their reactions were exactly what Orin expected.
Even though he didn't really believe in destiny, Orin still found ability-based divinations fascinating.
"Hey, Shyarly."
He looked at the delicate yet mature-looking girl in front of him and smiled faintly.
"If you're ever interested, you should come sail with us. I'll leave you a Den Den Mushi — you can reach me anytime."
Shyarly took the little snail carefully, knowing full well just how much weight that gesture carried.
Orin didn't push further. He'd only asked a few random questions out of curiosity anyway. After giving Shyarly's shoulder a friendly pat, he smiled and took his leave.
"Alright, next…"
Leaving the Mermaid Café, Orin rubbed his chin thoughtfully before glancing at Hachi.
"Hey, let's head to Fishman District. There are a few people there I'm interested in."
Orin's light, casual remark instantly made both Jinbei and Hachi stiffen.
They couldn't have misheard him, right?
Fishman District?
That Fishman District?
The slum full of violent street punks?
Jinbei's face darkened slightly, but Hachi immediately stepped forward, his voice trembling.
He knew exactly what kind of fishmen lived there — impulsive, violent, and deeply hostile toward humans.
One careless word could provoke Orin's wrath.
And if that happened…
The entire Fishman District might not have a single survivor left!
"T-that place is just full of insignificant gangs and small-time thugs, Orin-san… There's nothing worth seeing there…"
Hachi tried to block his path, but suddenly a flash of cold light stopped him in his tracks.
Startled, he glanced down.
A golden hook gleamed threateningly before his chest.
"Hey, fishman… Should I take this as you disobeying us?"
Crocodile's temper was the shortest among them. Ever since she'd acknowledged Orin, the one thing she couldn't stand was anyone failing to recognize his authority. To see someone daring to question Orin just because he was being polite?
If Orin hadn't spoken yet, she would've already unleashed her Desert Spada.
"Gulp…"
Hachi didn't dare move another muscle.
"Enough, Hachi. Lead the way."
In the end, Jinbei was the one to read the room properly. Orin's gaze was steady, and if he'd specifically said he was interested in some people there…
Then they had no choice but to comply.
All they could do now was pray for the Fishman District.
...
"I'm Arlong! Captain of the Arlong Pirates!!!"
...
Bang!
A Neptune Army soldier flew backward, collapsing unconscious on the ground. A young shark-fishman stood arrogantly, surrounded by cheering lackeys.
Not far away, a group of fishman kids were watching with bright, excited eyes full of admiration.
"Tch… I don't get why Queen Otohime wastes her time on all this 'signature petition' crap. They're just a bunch of lowly creatures anyway…"
"Oh? Really?"
A calm voice suddenly rang out from the far end of the street, immediately drawing Arlong's attention.
"Who the hell is that?!"
Arlong's sharp, predatory gaze shot toward the sound. At this point, he was overflowing with pride, believing himself invincible within Fishman District.
Aside from Fisher Tiger and Jinbei, he thought no one could match him!
But before he realized it, a tall figure had appeared silently behind him, hands in pockets, looming over him.
"Go ahead… Say it again. Say that humans are all lowly creatures."
There was no Conqueror's Haki unleashed, yet the sheer oppressive presence crashed down instinctively — primal, biological — suffocating Arlong in an instant.
As a shark-fishman, a natural predator of the sea, his instincts screamed danger louder than ever.
The light was behind the figure, making his face hard to see. Arlong slowly turned, cold sweat pouring down his back.
When his eyes finally focused on the man's face, his earlier arrogance froze solid. His pupils trembled violently.
I-it… it couldn't be…
T-that monster?! The one who nearly destroyed Fishman Island with a single strike?!
"Did you not hear me?"
Orin stood there, hands still in his pockets, his cold gaze locking onto the drenched-in-sweat Arlong.
"I said… Repeat yourself."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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