Chapter 79: Prophecy
Roger's laughter rolled through the Sea Forest, scattering the fish that had gathered near the Poneglyph. He held the rubbing of the Road Poneglyph high, the ink still fresh, his voice carrying to every corner of the quiet graveyard.
"Three! Only one more and we'll have the whole map!"
The crew cheered. Even Rayleigh allowed himself a rare smile. Jabba clapped Oden on the back, nearly knocking him into the coral. Shanks and Buggy were already arguing about what they would find on the final island.
Neptune watched the chaos with a resigned sigh. He had known Roger long enough to expect nothing less.
A small voice cut through the noise. "Your Majesty?"
The crew turned. A young mermaid, no older than ten, hovered at the edge of the clearing, a crystal ball clutched to her chest. Her eyes were wide, darting between the strangers.
Neptune's expression softened. "Shyarly. You shouldn't be here."
She did not answer. Her gaze had moved past him, fixed on the Poneglyph that held Joy Boy's words. Her hands trembled.
"The promise," she whispered. "It will be fulfilled. In ten years… our king will be born."
Neptune's brow furrowed. "King?"
"The mermaid princess." Shyarly's voice was distant, as if she were speaking from somewhere else. "The one who can speak with the sea kings."
The crew went still. Rayleigh and Oden exchanged a glance. They had read the words on Skypiea, the power that slept beneath the waves. Poseidon.
Roger's laugh broke the quiet. He threw an arm around Neptune's shoulders, nearly staggering the king. "Ten years, Neptune! You're going to have a daughter!"
Neptune's face went red. "I'm not even married!"
"Then get married!" Roger's grin was infectious. "You don't want to keep the world waiting!"
The crew laughed, the tension easing. Neptune sputtered, but he was smiling.
Shyarly watched them, her grip on the crystal ball loosening. Roger crouched in front of her, his voice gentler now. "You see things, don't you? The future. Tell me mine."
She hesitated, then closed her eyes. The crystal glowed faintly.
"I see… cheers. A crowd, endless. And a quiet end." Her brow furrowed. "But it is not an ending. It is a beginning. The sea is boiling."
Roger only laughed. "Sounds like a good story."
He pulled Rayleigh forward. "Now him. What does the future hold for my first mate?"
Shyarly looked at Rayleigh. The crystal shifted, and her face became confused. "I see… an old man. Grease on his hands. He is working on a ship. Coating it."
Shanks and Buggy tried to hide their laughter. Rayleigh touched his chin, considering. "A coater. That sounds peaceful."
Jabba pushed forward. "Me next! What do you see?"
Shyarly studied the crystal. "A battle. Your opponent is huge, a mountain of shadow. You have no weapon."
Jabba's grin widened. "Now that's a fight."
"You… pin it with your bare hands." Her voice held a note of wonder. "It cannot move."
The crew exchanged looks. Jabba stood taller, his axes forgotten. Oden clapped his shoulder. "A true warrior."
Finally, Shyarly's gaze fell on Kyle.
The moment her eyes met his, she recoiled, the crystal slipping from her fingers. Neptune caught her, alarmed.
"Shyarly!"
She was pale, her breath short. When she looked at Kyle again, her face held something the crew had not seen in her before: fear.
"What is it?" Rayleigh's voice was sharp.
"I can't… see him clearly." Her words came in fragments. "The earth shakes. It rises and falls like waves. The sky breaks like glass. Water… everywhere. It covers everything."
The crew stood frozen. Even Roger's smile had faded.
"And Kyle?" Jabba asked, his voice low.
Shyarly's eyes were wide, fixed on the man who had not moved from his place at the edge of the group. "He is there. In the center of it all."
She swallowed. "His back is to the world."
Silence settled over the Sea Forest. The light filtering through the water seemed dimmer, the shadows longer. Kyle had not spoken. He stood with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
Roger broke the quiet. He walked to Kyle, put a hand on his shoulder, and grinned.
"Then we'd better make sure he's facing the right way."
The crew stirred. The laughter returned, not as loud as before, but present. Jabba clapped Kyle on the back. Shanks and Buggy, though still pale, found their voices.
Rayleigh moved to Kyle's side. "You knew something like this might come."
Kyle looked at the young mermaid, still trembling in Neptune's arms. "I knew there would be things I couldn't see clearly."
"And now?"
Kyle thought of the years behind him, the journey still ahead. He thought of Roger's laugh, Rayleigh's steadiness, the boys who would carry this ship's name into the future. "Now I sail."
Roger's laugh echoed across the water. "That's the answer."
He turned to Neptune, already planning their departure. The crew began to move, gathering the rubbings, saying their farewells. Shyarly watched Kyle from the shelter of the king's arms, her fear faded now, replaced by something quieter.
Kyle met her eyes and nodded once. She nodded back.
The Oro Jackson rose toward the surface, her coating shining in the deep light. Behind them, Fish‑Man Island faded into the blue. Ahead, the last Road Poneglyph waited.
Kyle stood at the stern, watching the light grow brighter. The prophecy lingered, but so did the certainty that he had found his place. Whatever came, he would face it with the crew that had become his family.
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End of Chapter 79