After a snack, Yuno said, "Fish-Man Island is one of the most famous islands in the world, so naturally I wanted to come and take a look."
He only explained his reason for coming, not the intent behind his previous actions.
Jinbei frowned, his tone carrying implications beyond his words. Just as he was about to press further, Queen Otohime arrived.
Her Observation Haki let her sense the tension in their emotions, and seeing the two of them, she quickly hurried over.
She knew Jinbei's character well. He was kind and cautious, but he had one flaw: his stubbornness. Once he made up his mind, it was hard to change it.
Fearing a conflict, Otohime intervened.
After a few casual words, Otohime suddenly asked directly, unbothered by Jinbei's presence—after all, he likely deserved to know as well.
"Does Your Excellency know about Shirahoshi's condition?"
Yuno had already mentioned the term "Sea King," and Otohime knew he must understand something.
If possible, she didn't want her daughter to carry such a terrifying burden.
As a mother, all she wanted was for Shirahoshi to live peacefully.
"'Sea King'?" Yuno looked at her and said slowly, "I think you already know more than you let on."
Ever since Shirahoshi's power had burst out before, summoning the Sea Kings, Otohime had secretly investigated.
The royal family of Fish-Man Island had preserved many hidden records and legends about the "Sea King."
Otohime nodded solemnly. "The Mermaid Princess who can command the Sea Kings… the legendary 'Sea King'."
Yuno asked bluntly, "Are you asking me if I can eliminate or suppress this power?"
He could see it in her eyes.
No mother would want her child to be shackled by such power, especially if the world ever learned the truth. The consequences would be disastrous.
Otohime bit her lip and nodded.
Yuno said calmly, "This is engraved into the soul itself. Even after death and reincarnation, it remains. It's indelible… an inevitable fact of this era."
In this world, there was such a thing as fate.
Even Gol D. Roger, who conquered the Grand Line and reached Laugh Tale, could not change that.
He was not Joy Boy. He could not do what only Joy Boy was destined to do.
No matter how hard he tried, fate would find ways to trip him—missed opportunities, closed doors, strange coincidences.
He was merely a key to open the next era, not the one to fulfill it.
It was the will of fate.
But Yuno himself did not believe in fate. Roger had failed because he wasn't strong enough.
Once Yuno became powerful enough to trample everything underfoot, he believed even fate would be nothing but nonsense.
Otohime whispered, unwilling to accept it, "Is there truly no way?"
Yuno shook his head slightly. Perhaps one day, when he reached greater heights and unraveled deeper truths about the soul, he might find a way.
But he would not voice such uncertainties.
Otohime lowered her gaze and said softly, "I understand, sir. I will keep this secret."
Yuno nodded and calmly finished his snack. It really was delicious—no wonder Big Mom had taken a liking to it in the future.
Just then, a soldier rushed over and reported respectfully, "Your Majesty, the petitions and signatures… they've been burned."
Otohime's face dimmed for a moment, but she quickly composed herself, smiling gently. "It doesn't matter. I'll simply collect them again."
At that moment, Yuno cut in, his words like a splash of cold water. "Although I admire your ideals, they are far too fragile. Without the strength to protect yourselves, pushing all of Fish-Man Island's people onto land will only hasten your downfall."
Otohime's eyes widened. "Why do you say that, sir?"
"Don't underestimate human greed," Yuno replied flatly. "Even now, hidden deep under the sea and protected by Whitebeard's flag, traffickers still risk their lives to invade. If you move to the surface—especially to the first half of the Grand Line, where Whitebeard's influence is weakest—how safe do you think you'll be?"
He added coldly, "Unless you have a protector on Fish-Man Island equal to Whitebeard himself, you'd best abandon this foolish dream."
Though Yuno respected her courage, in his eyes, it was naïve recklessness.
Without strength, exposing oneself was nothing but suicide.
"My lord, even so, I will not give up!" Otohime's tone was unwavering. This was her lifelong dream. She could not abandon it so easily.
Yuno's voice grew even sharper. "If you don't want your descendants to be born as slaves and toys, then stop entertaining such thoughts."
"You don't even realize there are traitors in your army. You don't even know Shirahoshi has already been targeted by a Devil Fruit ability. You can't even keep your own house in order—and you want to contend with the cruelty of humans?"
His words were merciless. Everyone present flushed with shame.
Otohime's face turned pale, paler than when she had been injured earlier.
Was her lifelong dream really nothing more than a childish fantasy?
But then Jinbei caught something in Yuno's words and spoke quickly. "You said Shirahoshi was marked by a Devil Fruit?!"
The room stirred.
Yuno curled his lip. "I sensed it long ago with Observation Haki. But you, a Shichibukai, didn't notice?"
He almost added, "Go back to farming—what business do you have being a Shichibukai?"
It wasn't entirely Jinbei's fault. Observation Haki required calm focus, and amidst the earlier chaos, it wasn't easy.
But Yuno, armed with knowledge of the story and focused entirely on Shirahoshi, saw the truth clearly.
Jinbei fell silent, face dark, realizing his grave mistake.
Yuno went on. "That one—I already knocked him unconscious. If you release him, don't blame me when trouble returns. He ate a Paramecia: the Target-Target Fruit."
That fishman had been crushed under Yuno's Conqueror's Haki.
He was a nobody. Yuno didn't even bother to remember his name.
Finally, Yuno sneered. "So I advise you to abandon these empty dreams. I don't want to see Shirahoshi on display at some human auction."
He finished his dessert, stood, and waved lazily. "Thanks for the meal. The food was excellent—have some packed for me, will you?"
The Left Minister, sweating, quickly bowed. "Yes, sir. I'll see to it immediately."
"Make sure it's delivered to my ship at the port."
With that, Yuno left, leaving behind only heavy silence.
At length, Otohime sighed softly. "Could it be… I am wrong?"
Yuno's words carried weight. A man of his caliber wouldn't speak idly.
Thinking back, she realized she had been too optimistic. She had only seen a rosy dream, not the thorns beneath it.
"Let's take it one step at a time, Princess," Neptune said gently, before his expression hardened. "Check those who fainted. Search thoroughly!"
When it came to his daughter's safety, he dared not take risks.
Soon after, soldiers descended to investigate…
And the unfortunate wielder of the Target-Target Fruit, felled by Yuno's aura, was taken away.
After leaving the banquet hall, Yuno headed toward the livelier parts of Fish-Man Island.
Coral Hill bustled with activity. If he remembered right, the fortune-teller Madam Shyarly ran her café there.
That was Yuno's second goal for this trip.
He had already enjoyed Fish-Man Island's unique scenery—so unlike anything from his previous life. Meeting Shirahoshi and warding off the Sea Kings had only been a coincidence.
But now he wanted to seek out Madam Shyarly, famed for her terrifyingly accurate predictions of the future.
Hawkins's tarot only read his own fate.
But Shyarly's divinations peered into what was to come.
Yuno wanted to see if his arrival had already begun to twist the future of this world.
He arrived at the Mermaid Café. Because of the morning's incident, there were few customers.
Yuno pushed open the door, greeted at once by a clear, pleasant voice.
He sat down casually and said, "A cup of coffee."
Soon, a steaming cup was placed before him.
The aroma was rich and unique—these coffee beans must have been cultivated specially under the sea.
Yuno inhaled deeply. Yes, it was no wonder this café had earned a name for itself even in the New World.
Adding two cubes of sugar, Yuno took a small sip and nodded. "Good coffee. The barista's technique is excellent."
"As long as the customer likes it." A sweet-looking red-haired mermaid waitress smiled warmly. This cup of coffee had been ground and brewed by her own hands.
The café's fresh and elegant environment gave people a sense of comfort. The mermaid waitresses, with their graceful figures and unique characteristics, all carried sweet smiles.
Simply sitting here was already a pleasure.
Yuno also enjoyed the atmosphere.
But he had a purpose. After quietly finishing his coffee, he looked at the red-haired waitress and asked directly, "Where's Madam Shyarly?"
One of the waitresses froze for a moment before smiling politely. "Madam Shyarly is resting inside."
"Call her out. Tell her there's a guest looking for her."
"But…"
"Just mention it to her. She'll come out." Yuno's tone was firm, brooking no argument.
The waitress hesitated. Normally, during this hour, Shyarly wouldn't accept visitors. But this guest gave off a presence that couldn't be ignored.
Just then, a figure floated out from the inner room. Shyarly, cigarette between her lips, glanced toward Yuno. "The guest wants to see me—what for?"
"I heard there's a fortune teller in Mermaid Café whose divinations are highly accurate. I want you to divine for me," Yuno said directly.
Shyarly narrowed her eyes. "And where did you hear that from?"
"Does it matter?"
"It matters very much."
"Oh? Then I'll tell you. A fish-man named Arlong mentioned it."
At the name, Shyarly's face darkened. "If he introduced you, then I'm sorry. I won't entertain you."
Yuno's voice remained calm. "Seems I'm not welcome, but understand this—I'm not asking for your opinion."
"I won't divine for you." Shyarly's tone was resolute. "I've already decided not to divine anymore."
Because she had predicted countless misfortunes, she had come to regard her ability as a curse. Now, she rejected her own gift.
"Running away doesn't solve anything." Yuno's gaze bored into her. "If you always fear misfortune, do you think avoiding it will prevent it? Knowing it in advance might give you a chance to change it."
"Fate cannot be changed," Shyarly muttered, taking a long drag of her cigarette.
"How can you know that if you don't try?"
"If you can't even determine the time of misfortune, how can you change it?"
Yuno smiled faintly. "So… you've already tried, haven't you?"
This time, Shyarly fell silent. At last, she snapped coldly, "Leave. You're not welcome here."
"I want to know my future," Yuno said firmly, his tone allowing no refusal.
"I refuse."
"There are many people in this world who could refuse me," Yuno said, his voice turning colder, "but you are not one of them."
The air grew tense. The mermaids present felt a pressure weighing on them, emanating from Yuno's presence.
Shyarly grit her teeth, wanting to reject him outright—but her instincts as a fortune teller screamed at her. If she refused again… something catastrophic would happen.
Just then, the door creaked open. A towering figure stepped in.
It was Jinbei.
He had been tailing Yuno from the shadows. As a dangerous outsider, the Quincy could not be left unchecked.
"Quincy," Jinbei said solemnly, "though you saved Princess Otohime, if you intend to cause trouble here, I will not stand idly by."
Still seated, Yuno turned his gaze on him. "My request is simple. Let Madam Shyarly divine for me. That is the only reason I came here. I said before: there are many who can refuse me. But Fish-Man Island is not one of them."
The veiled threat was clear.
Jinbei's expression darkened. He opened his mouth to speak—
—but another voice cut in.
"Jinbei, don't be reckless!"
Princess Otohime hurried in, breathless. She gave Yuno a respectful bow. "Sir, please do not be angry."
Behind her, Shirahoshi floated nervously. "Sir… please, don't be angry, okay?"
Yuno waved a hand dismissively, his eyes still on Shyarly. "One divination. In return, I'll owe you a condition of your choosing. That's my concession."
Shyarly hesitated. The weight of Yuno's identity was obvious—Jinbei's caution, Otohime's respectful address, all pointed to someone far beyond ordinary pirates.
After a long silence, she finally exhaled. "…Fine. Just once, sir."
Yuno nodded.
Shyarly approached a giant pearl oyster and drew out her crystal ball.
"All of you, leave," Yuno said calmly. "I don't want anyone else seeing this."
Though reluctant, the others exchanged looks and obeyed, leaving only Yuno and Shyarly.
"Begin," Yuno ordered, eyes fixed on the ball.
Shyarly closed her eyes and began the divination.
At once, images flickered into the crystal.
A raging golden flame engulfed the vision. Within it, two blurred figures clashed!
One wore a black-and-white haori, wielding a blazing white sword—each swing birthing boundless flames.
The other, shrouded in a white veil and crowned with three sharp points, met the flames strike for strike.
The impact shook the world. The Red Line crumbled, oceans surged, the Calm Belt exploded into storms.
It looked like the end of the world.
Yuno's eyes narrowed.
That crowned figure… Im?
And the other—was that me?
Those golden flames… Ryūjin Jakka?
The scene shifted.
Inside a vast palace, the same two figures sat opposite each other. No battle, only quiet conversation.
Two futures. Two possibilities.
Yuno's thoughts raced. Why two outcomes? Is fate itself uncertain?
Suddenly, the crystal ball cracked with a sharp sound and split in two.
Shyarly screamed and collapsed, writhing in agony, sweat pouring down her pale face.
Yuno raised a hand. A white light enveloped her, healing the worst of the damage.
At last, she steadied her breath, though her complexion remained weak and drained.
"Do not speak of what you saw," Yuno said flatly. "I'll remember this debt. If you're ever in danger, come to me."
With that, he turned and left.
Shyarly sat trembling, watching his departing back.
In her mind, the figure in the divination—black-and-white haori, blazing sword—overlapped with Yuno's own silhouette.
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