Arthur: "So this is what the seabed is like."
Isis: "I can't help but feel a little scared in this situation."
Sulli: "If the bubble bursts, not only will we drown, but the water pressure will crush us in milliseconds, so we won't feel a thing."
Arthur: "Good to know."
Isis: "What are you talking about? It's scary just thinking about it."
Dante: "If your body is tough enough, it won't crush you, so you can drown easily."
If I remember correctly, Luffy pulled his arms out of the water without any problem, so we shouldn't suffer from the water pressure.
Arthur: "That's not good to know."
Trini: "You want to keep quiet; you're driving me crazy; the talk of spontaneous deaths ends here and now."
Everyone: "Yes, Mother."
Trini could be heard clicking her tongue at our response.
We're currently in the depths of the ocean, on our way to Fishman Island. This is because Fisher Tiger invited us to come and discuss specific matters.
Isis: "Why do you think they asked us to come to this place?"
Dante: "I have no idea; it was probably something about slaves and all that."
Sulli: "If I'm not mistaken, fishmen suffer greatly from slavery, especially from celestial dragons."
Arthur: "Don't forget that mermaids are in high demand these days; don't you remember how high those mermaids sold for at the last auction we ruined?"
Dante: "Exotic races have always suffered from the same thing, both in the past and today, and will continue to do so in the future."
Isis: "I wish we could have that."
Dante: "It's impossible. It's like asking for the end of pirates. As long as it makes a lot of money, selling slaves will continue, regardless of whether we arrest or kill those already doing it. Eventually, someone will replace them."
As long as there's money involved, there will always be someone who gets their hands dirty.
Isis: "What a pain."
Arthur: "Just a question. How far away are we?"
Dante: "..." "No idea."
Sulli: "Maybe we're lost."
Arthur: "Well, we can always eat Hun to survive."
Hun: [Danger, danger, annihilation mode activated]
At that moment, Hun started attacking Arthur with pecks and scratches.
Trini: "That's the way," she said, pointing to a specific spot while looking at a fashion magazine.
Not without hesitation, I steered the boat in that direction. I could see an ocean current there.
...
We finally arrived at the place, very pretty and all, but there was no one there.
Sulli: "Now what?"
I shrugged, indicating that I had no idea.
Trini: "Let's walk southeast. There's a city with people—sorry, fish people."
And so we followed; it didn't take long to encounter some mermaids and fish people.
Some looked at us cautiously, others with indifference, others with lust, and most of all, at me. I know who not to approach.
Out of nowhere, a large-looking fishman approached us, quite recognizable.
???: "It's a pleasure to meet the people who helped Fisher Tiger rescue our brothers. My name is Jinbe, and let me express my gratitude for the aforementioned."
He was already bowing when I quickly stopped him.
Dante: "Don't worry, you don't need to bow. Fisher did almost everything, so we can't accept that much gratitude." I said, extending my hand.
Jinbe looked a little surprised, but after a few seconds, he accepted the fist shake.
Jinbe: "You can say that, but without his help, he couldn't have gotten so many people out of here without knowing how to do it and where to go. Well, let's not stay here. Follow me; they're waiting for you at the palace."
And so we continued our tour. At one point, we had to put bubbles on our heads to get into the water. We used a giant one that covered almost all of Arthur and Isis's bodies so they wouldn't faint from having almost their entire bodies covered in water.
As we passed by, I saw a lot of staring at us; now I felt like a monkey in a circus. Some were looking at us because they were seeing humans for the first time, others because we were humans; there were also those who recognized us from the group of heroes, and then there were the others.
After walking and listening to Junbe's speech about Fishman Island, we arrived at the palace.
The place was already designed so there was no water in it, so we were able to get rid of the bubbles. And finally, we arrived at the royal hall.
King Neptune was there, along with his wife, Otohime; also present were Fisher Tiger and some guards.
Dante: "It's a pleasure to meet the royalty of this kingdom." I said, bowing; the others did the same, as this isn't the first time we've met a king of some island or place. "How long, Fisher? You look well."
Fisher: "Likewise, I see you're feeling better now." "Let me introduce you to the kings of Fishman Island, Neptune-sama and Otohime-sama."
Neptune: "It's a pleasure to see such kind people from above."
Otohime: "Likewise, with this in mind, we can achieve the peace I so long for."
Isis: "Peace?" I ask.
Otohime: "Yes, the union between Fishman Island and the rest of the world."
Fisher: "Otohime-sama, if you'll excuse me, I don't think that's a good idea, knowing what I know."
Otohime: "Why do you say that? We must seek freedom and harmony between ourselves and the people above."
It seemed like they were about to argue, but at that moment Neptune intervened.
Neptune: "Calm down, both of you. We brought you here for this very situation."
Jinbe: "What do you mean, Neptune-sama?" He said, standing there behind us.
Neptune: "We brought the five of you, specifically Dante-dono, to be the mediator of this situation. Knowing his exploits and the fact that he has some awareness of Fisher, in addition to his situation and deeper knowledge of the outside world, he's the best entity for this job, not to mention what he can contribute to the conversation."
When he said "situation," he meant being a celestial dragon.
Dante: "I don't mind being the mediator of this conversation, but looking at everything in general terms, it would be best to find a place to focus and eat something, since this could take a long time."
And with that, we moved to a more comfortable place and began to talk/discuss.
There was Otohime's position, which was the healthy coexistence between humans and fishmen, which she wanted to achieve through conversation and mutual understanding. On the other hand, there was Fisher Tiger's position, which said the fishmen were safe here and that he and his group of pirates would guard the island from above, saving more trapped brothers along the way.
And there I was, explaining real life to them.
The conversation ended with the idea that both were right and wrong at the same time.
Otohime's position wasn't bad; it could be achieved in a certain way, but the problem was eliminating the hatred between species and the celestial dragons. I made her understand that, although humans are free, they are still chained by the world government and the celestial dragons.
Fisher Tiger's position can cause problems, such as being persecuted and wanted to be killed, crew and all, in addition to giving him a bit of a bad reputation. But it's good that he continues to advocate against slavery, at least in general; Regardless of the species, what they're doing isn't bad at all; it's even a noble and heroic act.
Basically, something can be achieved, but only if both of them are of the same mind. In the end, I recommended that they continue with their own business, with the Sun Pirates being less aggressive, especially toward civilians if they encounter them. Meanwhile, Otohime was going to seek support and gradually eliminate the fishmen's hatred for humans with the help of the king.
Jimbe was going to leave with Fisher Tiger, as he felt he would be more helpful there than staying on the island.
Once the meeting was over, a party was held. Several fish people came; I met several of them. Among them were the children of the kings, including Shirahoshi, who was just a few months old. The Sun Pirates were also there; most treated me well, acknowledging who helped them be rescued or rescued their siblings, but there were always exceptions.
There was a tall fishman with a fish-like nose, close, glaring at me. That was Arlong, the one who would be defeated by a pathetic Luffy before G2.
Arlong: "Why are you looking at me so much, human?" he said with venom in his voice.
Dante: "Your nose is something I've seen more than once up there; somehow, it makes you look human."
Arlong's eyes turned red with anger upon hearing what he said.
Arlong: "Say that again, weak human."
Dante: "Weak, human, you can't put that together lightly, tiburocin. Whether you've been to the surface or not, the people who conquer the seas are a human, an oni, or a giant, or so I think it is, and there are also those from the navy who fight with them, and curiously, among all that, there are no fishmen or mermen, so I don't know where the "weak" comes from, shark bait."
He was about to say something, but someone came to stop him.
???: "Arlong, behave yourself, will you? Can't you see these are guests of royalty and of Tiger himself?"
There was a mermaid there, also resembling a shark; she had short black hair that covered one eye. She turned around to look at me.
???: "Forgive my brother's rudeness; let me introduce myself. My name is Shyarly."
Dante: "His sister? They're nothing alike. You're as beautiful as a work of art, and he's as ugly as stepping in poop."
She laughed a little, blushing at my compliment, while Arlong was even redder with anger.
Seeing that I wasn't getting anywhere, Arlong changed tactics.
Arlong: "Fishmen are still superior; let's do this: let's have a drinking competition." "If you manage to beat me, I'll admit that humans may be better than fishmen in some ways, but if I win, you'll have to say otherwise."
I don't like this. I'm not allowed to drink in public places, and the others are far away, so they can't help me.
Dante: "I can't. I'm not allowed to do something like that." I had turned around to leave until I heard him speak.
Arlong: "I didn't know the great hero Dante was a chicken; a baby can't even drink a drop of alcohol, what a loser."
I don't know why, but that insult somehow got to me. I turned around to where he was, sat down in a chair, and looked at him.
Dante: "What are you waiting for, shark bait?" He just smiled at me as if I was already going to win.
Arlong: "Shyarly, you can bring the strongest beer in the place." He said, still staring at me.
She just looked at us and obeyed.
Arlong: "I hope you don't regret it, chicken."
Dante: "Neither is your shark bait."
*20 minutes later*
Arlong: "Not bad for a weak human and chicken."
Dante: "Neither are you, a cross between a fish, a pig, and shit."
I already felt dizzy and like I was going to faint. Shyarly and other mermaids kept bringing us drinks. Other fishmen were around us, encouraging us to keep drinking; some were making bets on who would win.
All I saw was that my glass was full, so I took another sip, and suddenly, my world went black.
...
I felt like someone was beeping next to my ear, along with an incredible headache and a feeling of confusion.
I wanted to get up, but I felt a weight on top of me. I felt an immense panic.
I opened my eyes to see...
A giant shark sleeping like a cat or a dog.
My head went blank; I thought I'd be used again as a sex toy by some woman with some problem. At the moment, I thought, just so it wouldn't sound so bad, only to think something much worse: bestiality.
At that moment, Shyarly entered the room.
Shyarly: "I see you're awake. Come on, I'm making something to eat."
Dante: "Before you go, can you tell me what happened last night?"
Shyarly: "You beat Arlong; he fell unconscious; you fainted too. Some mermaids tried to take advantage of you, so I brought you to my house, took off your clothes, and put you to sleep in this room. Sharky came in to sleep with you since you were warm."
Dante: "Nothing else happened."
Shyarly: "Nope."
Dante: "So I beat Arlong." I said, jumping up, waking up the giant shark with a bubble on its head. Only to realize I was naked. "What? You undressed me?"
Shyarly: "Minor details. Hurry, the food's getting cold," he said with a blush that seemed to him to be as bright as a tomato, before heading to the kitchen.
I grabbed a pair of pants, since that was all I could find. I went to the kitchen to find out where my other clothes were.
Dante: "Where are my other clothes?"
Shyarly: "She messed up trying to snatch you from the other mermaids' hands," she said, still blushing.
I was about to say something, but at that moment the door opened.
Arlong: "Shyarly, I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It's just that—" his words upon seeing me at his sister's house, me half-naked, and her blushing bright red. He, with lightning speed, approached me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and began shaking me. "Bastard, you slept with my sister. She's only 15; you're a bastard."
Dante: "I didn't sleep with your sister; she can corroborate it herself." And so began a new day on Fishman Island.
After explaining what happened, Arlong didn't admit defeat. The day continued normally, except that a rumor spread that I slept with Shyarly.
It wouldn't have bothered me; Shyarly is a gothic mermaid, what more could I ask for? But the problem was her age; she's too young.
When Otohime found out, it was as if another child of hers had been born; she was even making preparations for our marriage.
And she didn't do much to deny the incident; I even felt a little like she lied to me and took advantage of me, based on her behavior and denials. I didn't remember anything, so I'll never know the truth.
I received scoldings from many people for sleeping with Shyarly, for doing stupid things, or for drinking. The ones who spoke to me the most were Jimbe and Trini. One for the responsibility of the fishmen, and the other for drinking herself into unconsciousness.
At the end of the day, we went to sleep at the royal palace and then headed back to the New World. Something had happened while we were in Sabaody.
*flashback*
While I was waiting alone in a health food store for the Skíðblaðnir to finish coating itself before heading to Fishman Island,
I had a sign on my head that read "Danger, Radioactive" to keep anyone from approaching me. Despite that, there were still two women, one about 17 and the other about 30, trying to talk to me, with some success; perhaps they were mother and daughter.
Everything was going like a normal day until a small lion in a suit approached me.
???:"Good afternoon, Dante-dono, my name is Pekoms and I'm from the Big Mom Pirates. May I have a moment of your time?"
I looked at the two women, who, upon hearing "Pirate Big Mom," stood up and left.
Dante: "I think there's a seat available; please sit down."
He just nodded and sat down.
Dante: "Well, what brings you here? If I'm not mistaken, I haven't messed with any members of your family or pirate gang."
Ever since I faced Whitebeard, I've been avoiding those big three, specifically Whitebeard, Kaido, and the aforementioned Big Mom.
Pekoms: "You don't have to worry about that. I didn't come to settle a score or anything like that. The captain has a great interest in you and has invited you to her next tea party, which is in three months." He said as he handed me an invitation.
Dante: "Tea party?" I said, accepting the invitation.
Pekoms: "I recommend you go; it's best not to anger the captain. I'll see you on Port Island to go to Totoland." And with that, he stood up and left.
I stared at the invitation to a tea party sponsored by Big Mom.
*End of flashback.*
Arthur: "So we're going to Big Mom's territory?" I wonder.
Dante: "No."
Arthur: "So what?"
Dante: "I'm going alone."
Arthur: "WHAT, ARE YOU CRAZY?"
Isis: "Isn't it safer for us all to go?"
I didn't say anything, just took the invitation I had saved and threw it to Trini. She picked it up to read it and understood everything.
Trini: "I see."
Arthur: "What are you seeing?"
Trini: "It's just an invitation for one person, with Dante's name on it." "Even if we wanted to, we couldn't go."
Isis: "I wanted to see a country made of candy."
Sulli: "Isn't it better not to go?"
Dante: "And suffer the wrath of that woman and her crew." "We should be thankful Whitebeard didn't chase us after what we did; I don't want Big Mom to start."
I'm not interested in getting into a conflict with some Yonkou. No, thank you very much.
Arthur: "So what?"
Dante: "Let's separate for a few months." "You, Arthur, can go flirt with that Marine woman named Doll," I said, making him blush, before turning to look at Trini and Sulli. "You two can do things like couples without having to hide, and everyone, except Arthur, knew," I said, making them both blush and leaving Arthur with his mouth open.
I set my sights on Isis; I could take her with me just to see the Dulce Islands, but if things get dangerous, I'm sure I could escape alone, but with someone else, it's already difficult.
Dante: "What do you want to do?" I asked Isis.
Isis: "There's an island full of flowers; I'd like to go there."
Dante: "So it's settled: when we reach the surface, we'll separate for four months; then we'll return to the same island we started from to continue our journey, understood?"
All: "Understood."
And so we decided what each of us would do with this mini-vacation. It was also decided that Hun would go with Isis, since she'd be the one most alone, and Hun is a good danger detector.
And so, once we arrived, we divided up the money we had and went our separate ways.
Before leaving, I bought a full-body suit, which was Bondrewd's; I thought the design was good. I had no idea what Made in Abyss was, but I don't care.
(Note: The protagonist has never seen Made in Abyss; I have. That's what I want to convey, so the comments don't give away information that has happened to me.)
Which cost me 1,000,000 LP, and which reminded me of two things: that I haven't earned any achievement points in the last few years and that I have the Fountain of Youth in my inventory.
The first makes sense, since I haven't done anything, literally. And the second, I haven't taken, since at this point, I'll be here until I'm 50, and that thing rejuvenates, makes me look 21 again, and will stay there forever. I started thinking it would be weird if I didn't age, so I decided to take it when I left this universe.
The only thing I'll say is that the suit is very hot, but being able to walk around the streets in peace makes up for it.