Fish-Man Island, Shopping Street, a jewelry store.
"You bastard, go to hell!"
With Flare's furious shout, a burly man was blasted out through the double doors like a cannonball. His body was scorched black and smoking as he flew backward, his eyes rolling up before he collapsed unconscious on the ground.
Two merfolk quickly followed him out, moving with practiced efficiency as they locked handcuffs and shackles onto the human man.
"If you run into something like this again, don't be afraid. Just come straight to us."
As the words fell, Flare stepped out carrying a massive hammer nearly as large as her own body. The hammerhead glowed with a scorching red heat.
Behind her stood a mermaid girl with tears in her eyes and gratitude written all over her face.
"Thank you so much, Flare-san! Please accept this!"
As she spoke, the mermaid pulled out a colorful bracelet made of pearls from her arms.
"No… no, that's not necessary…"
Flare hurriedly waved her hands in refusal, and the giant hammer in her grasp shifted, transforming into the shape of a human hand.
But the mermaid's expression remained firm.
"No, please accept it. I understand your intentions, but don't worry. I gathered these pearls myself from the sea. I made this bracelet specifically to thank you for protecting Fish-Man Island. It's just a small token of my gratitude."
"Well…"
Flare hesitated.
Over the past half month of constant work, she had seen scenes like this many times. Every time, she had refused.
She understood that once she accepted something even once, it would become difficult to refuse the next time.
But since this was the mermaid's heartfelt gift, and it didn't involve money, rejecting it outright felt a little too cold.
At that moment, the surrounding merfolk watching the scene also began speaking up, their faces full of grateful smiles.
"Flare-san, please accept it."
"That's right. You've all worked so hard protecting Fish-Man Island these past days. You deserve it."
"We're truly grateful. If it weren't for you, Flare-san, my daughter would… sob…"
"Please accept it…"
As more and more merfolk joined in, Flare realized there was no point refusing further. She accepted the bracelet and slipped it onto her wrist, though she still added a precaution.
"Alright then. Just this once. No next time!"
The surrounding merfolk immediately broke into cheerful laughter.
"Flare-san is so beautiful!"
"That bracelet looks perfect on Flare-san!"
"Flare-san isn't just beautiful, she's incredibly strong too!!!"
"What a stunning woman with such a kind heart!"
"The peace Fish-Man Island has today is all thanks to Flare-san and her companions!"
.....
Flare grew a little embarrassed from all the praise. Her cheeks flushed red as she said goodbye to the gathered merfolk.
On the way back, many merfolk greeted her warmly.
For Flare, this brought a sense of accomplishment and belonging she had never felt before since joining the Sky Pirates—something beyond simply cooking.
Just then, as she reached the coral-lined street ahead, something at the entrance of a café caught her attention. A strange expression appeared on her face as she quietly walked closer.
But her presence clearly couldn't escape the perception of the swordsman in front of her.
Erik turned around, looking a little awkward and embarrassed.
"Flare, you're here too!"
"Mhm."
Flare nodded, then looked at the beautiful mermaid beside him who was tightly holding Erik's hand. A teasing smile spread across her face.
"Erik, you're pretty impressive. Looks like you really know how to charm the ladies."
At that, both the young man and the mermaid instantly flushed bright red, unable to say a word.
Fortunately, a voice suddenly rang out from the sky and saved them from the awkward moment.
It was Baby-5.
Her feet had transformed into flaming rockets, blasting fire as she flew through the air like Astro Boy, spinning before landing nearby.
"Flare-sister! Erik-brother! Captain brother is gathering everyone back on the ship!"
"I still need to notify the others, so I'm leaving now!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she shot away in a flash.
Seeing this, Flare quickly guessed what was happening.
"Are we leaving already?"
When Loralei heard that, her expression darkened. Still clutching Erik's hand, her body trembled with nervous tension.
At that moment, Erik's face turned red as he tightened his grip on Loralei's hand and spoke firmly.
"Don't worry. Once the Captain and I establish ourselves in the New World, I'll come back to Fish-Man Island and take you with me!"
…
When the Sky Pirates returned to the port where the Twin Goddesses was docked, they spotted Yemu, Enel, and Tiger standing beside the ship from a distance. The three of them were talking with a fishman wearing a dark hat, thick-rimmed glasses, and earrings. He had thick hair, a sharp, angular face, a slightly hooked nose, and a beard on his chin. Clover patterns decorated both his arms and his shirt.
Seeing everyone return, Yemu spoke and pointed toward the fishman as he introduced him.
"You're back. Let me introduce you. This is Tom-san's younger brother, Den. He's an outstanding shipwright."
Everyone greeted Den warmly. Den responded just as warmly, removing his hat and bowing politely like a gentleman.
"Thank you, everyone from the Sky Pirates. These past two weeks, your efforts have truly changed Fish-Man Island."
"You're too polite. Tiger-san is our companion. This is only what we should do."
After the greetings, Flare turned to look at the Twin Goddesses, which had already been coated. She looked at Yemu with a puzzled expression.
"Are we leaving Fish-Man Island already? It feels a little sudden."
Yemu shook his head.
"Not that soon. We'll still be here for a while. At the very least, we need to wait for Tiger to finish arranging the Sun Army and teach Jinbe and the others how to train Haki. Probably another week or so."
"Then what are we doing now...?"
"We're going out to have some fun."
"Go out and have fun!?"
Everyone froze in surprise.
Yemu pointed upward toward the massive roots encircling Fish-Man Island.
"I've received permission from King Neptune. Next, Den-san will act as our guide and take us to see the scenery of the Sunlight Tree Eve up close."
...
As the ship slowly set sail, the people of Fish-Man Island soon noticed the Twin Goddesses heading toward the exit.
Some looked pleasantly surprised, while others wore expressions of sadness.
"No... no way. Are Tiger-san and the others leaving Fish-Man Island?"
"What are we supposed to do now?"
"Finally! Those meddlesome Sky Pirates are leaving..."
"My mermaid darling, here I come..."
At Ryugu Palace, atop a massive black whale, King Neptune of the Fish-Man Kingdom sat together with Queen Otohime.
Listening to the voices in the hearts of the island's people, Queen Otohime looked somewhat lost in thought.
Noticing this, King Neptune tried to comfort her.
"Don't worry, Otohime. Just as they said, they're pirates after all. They won't stay in Fish-Man Island forever."
But Otohime shook her head, concern written across her face.
"That isn't what worries me, my dear. There's something I haven't told you before..."
King Neptune suddenly had a bad feeling. Scratching his head, he asked,
"What is it, Otohime?"
"My Observation Haki cannot hear that man's heart."
"Eh?!"
This time, King Neptune was truly shocked.
He understood Otohime's Observation Haki well. It was an ability even more frightening than hearing the Voice of All Things.
Because through her Observation Haki, Otohime could even influence and change a person's values and way of thinking.
"Just who exactly is that man..."