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Chapter's Events:
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[Ryugu Kingdom, Mermaid Cove. A few hours ago…]
"It's so tightly sealed…!!"
"What on earth could be inside…?"
"If it was treasure, surely it would be in a chest? Since it's a barrel… Perhaps some expensive liquor?"
"It's so… tight…!!!"
As the beautiful mermaids from Mermaid Cove did their best to open the tightly sealed barrel, they heard a human voice from inside.
"All right, … That's enough…!!" It was Caribou's voice.
"Keheheheheh!! No need to open it any further, that's mooore than enough!!"
"What….?! Is there a person inside?!"
"No way!!"
"Thanks so much, ladies!!!" As soon as he emerged from the barrel, Caribou lunged at the three mermaids.
"Don't try running away, now!!"
"Quickly! To the water!!"
"Ohhhh no, you don't!! It's too late for you girls!!"
Caribou transformed into a swamp-man, causing the three mermaids to sink into his body, which resembled a bottomless swamp.
…
After some futile resistance from the mermaids, Caribou succeeded in kidnapping them.
"Hahahahaha! This body of mine's a bottomless expanse! Now, let's see… How much are mermaids going for these days?!"
Caribou was elated as he thought with a wicked expression.
"If I remember right… They auction for around 70 million each… So with three of them… Kehihihi!! I've got a lot to thank those Straw Hats for!!"
"Thanks to them, I made it all the way to Fishman Island without even going through any inspections!! I can hunt all the mermaids I want!! Now this is what I call a Treasure Island!!! Kehihihihihi!!!"
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On Jaya Island, pirates stared at the manga scene with disgusted eyes, wanting to tear that scumbag Caribou to pieces.
"What a vile bastard! I hate seeing his face!"
At that moment, a pirate with a face even more wicked than Caribou's yelled out in frustration at seeing the beautiful mermaids fall helplessly into Caribou's hands.
"If I were in his place, I'd do the same, but I wouldn't sell them even for 100 million each—I'd keep them for myself~"
Another pirate expressed his desire, ignoring the sharp glares falling upon him.
"Seriously, who in the world would treat such soft, delicate mermaids so roughly? What a rude villain!"
A female pirate expressed her strong discontent with Caribou, also wishing she could tear his annoying face apart.
"Looks like Luffy and his crew brought this villain here unintentionally and caused a disaster."
"He's got a bad reputation now that's hard to shake off."
"Luffy will surely defeat him one way or another and save the kidnapped mermaids."
"Or maybe Caribou will go on a rampage and kidnap even more all over Fishman Island."
"The Fishmen reading this must be absolutely furious…"
The pirates' whispering quickly turned into a heated, loud discussion—but everything remained under control inside Art Store.
However, even though he was inside the Art Store, Caribou didn't feel safe at all. So he tightly covered his face, and his brother Coribou did the same.
"Damn it, looks like my counterpart's causing me a lot of trouble!"
"The older brother knows how to live…"
"Shut up! Don't call him the older brother! I'm your big brother, not him!"
"But he's your counter—"
Caribou quickly slapped a hand over his dumb little brother's mouth.
"Stop spouting nonsense, damn it."
…
Back in Ohara, the general mood was gloomy. After all, Caribou's actions—kidnapping the mermaids from Mermaid Cove—had made Luffy and his crew the prime suspects.
"Also, Madam Shyarly's prophecy seems to be making things even more complicated…" said Olivia as she looked toward the next scene in the manga.
Toki stared closely at Madam Shyarly in the manga before saying, "She seems very sure of her prophecy and believes it to be true. I have the power of foresight too, so judging by her expression, I'd bet that the prophecy is real."
Hearing Toki's confirmation, Olivia, Sora, Bell-mère, Glora, and even Otohime stared at her in amazement.
"How can that be!?" Otohime asked in disbelief.
"One way or another, it will happen—but not now, at least. Maybe it won't even be out of malice or with the intent of destruction."
Toki's words eased everyone's expressions, but Otohime still couldn't shake the worry in her heart.
To her, Luffy was the kindest man in the world—well, alongside Rob. It was impossible to imagine Luffy doing something cruel like destroying Fishman Island.
"The Fishmen have always dreamed of living under the sunlight. Wasn't it Joy Boy's promise to the princess at the time that he'd fulfill their dream and give them a home under the vast sky?"
Rob said this while leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.
No one was surprised by Rob's sudden appearance—they were all used to it by now.
But what did surprise them were his words. Most of them didn't even know who Joy Boy was… even Otohime didn't know. Only Olivia knew a little from her historical research, and Toki, who lived in the same era as Joy Boy.
Toki wanted to speak, but Rob gestured for her to stay silent. She nodded lightly and returned to her indifferent expression.
"Luffy might be the one who fulfills Joy Boy's promise—and in doing so, maybe that means Fishman Island will be destroyed."
Truthfully, even Rob didn't know the truth behind the prophecy. After all, it hadn't happened yet. As far as he knew, Luffy was still fighting demons in Elbaf. Whether or not Fishman Island would be destroyed remained uncertain.
"But it's not that hard to guess either," Rob thought to himself.
Even though they didn't know the backstory, or who Joy Boy or the princess was, Rob's words brought them real comfort.
After all, Luffy wasn't evil.
…
Fishman Island:
Just as the surface readers expected, the readers here were furious about Caribou's vile act.
Fisher Tiger crushed the cup in his hand as he watched the scene of Caribou successfully kidnapping the girls. It was clear he viewed Fishman Island as a hidden treasure—and Caribou as the hunter!
"Don't worry. There's no way he'll get to do whatever he wants forever. He'll run into Luffy sooner or later," said Jinbe, who was also angry about the situation.
"It's disgraceful how the Straw Hat Crew is being accused like this…" Fisher Tiger added, expressing his displeasure.
"They were the last to visit Mermaid Cove, so obviously, they'd be the main suspects," said Arlong.
"The reaction time is pretty slow. Looks like Caribou's already left Mermaid Cove. They just arrived!?
But these humans… I hope my counterpart tears that wicked bastard to pieces!"
Hody Jones was also annoyed by Caribou, as were his future crew, who unconsciously clustered around him after reading the manga.
…
The mermaids—whether staff at the Art Store or customers—glared angrily at Caribou for kidnapping the three innocent mermaids in the manga, intending to sell them at a human auction for 70 million Berries each.
"So despicable! So evil! They freed you from the sealed barrel, you bastard, and this is how you repay them?!"
"Not all pirates are like Luffy and his friends, after all…"
"Sigh~ It looks like that villain stored them in his muddy body! Won't they die like that?! How are they supposed to breathe?!"
More and more mermaids grew anxious, imagining themselves in the same situation. The sadness and dread in their hearts only deepened…
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 924: The Fated Meeting of the Two Rulers!
Chapter 925: Vander Decken IX's Obsession!
Chapter 926: Hody & Decken Alliance
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