[Mermaid Transformation Physique Card] For women only, the user will transform into a mermaid. Not only has the ability to survive under the sea, but also the quality of all aspects of the body will be greatly improved. (You can switch between human body and mermaid body at will!)
[Ocean Star] The wearer can manipulate the water element at will, and can deprive any merfolk of its natural ability. (Effective when used by Mermaid.)
Note: When depriving a mermaid's ability, the deprived person's consent is required before it can be used smoothly."
Rodin's first reaction after reading the introduction was that the trip to Fish-Man Island was worth it! The Mermaid Transformation Card, even though he couldn't use it, was perfect for one of his female crew members. He was curious to see what they would look like as mermaids.
And the Ocean Star... if it allowed the manipulation of water, wouldn't that give them an innate advantage against Devil Fruit users at sea?
Wonderful!
Rodin looked at his crew. "Who among you wants to become a mermaid?"
The girls stared back at him, puzzled. He explained the benefits of the card. To his surprise, all of them seemed uninterested, even with the promise of increased strength.
"You can just give us the order, and we'll obey," Mihoko said.
But then, Crocodile interrupted her. "Let me do it!"
Everyone looked at her. The other girls weren't interested because they couldn't accept the appearance after the transformation. What kind of weak body is she in? It has no manliness at all! How can you even fight like that?
Crocodile, however, looked indifferent. This body isn't mine, anyway. She didn't care what it looked like.
"But… I have a request," she said.
"A request?" The corner of Rodin's mouth twitched slightly. Giving the card to Crocodile was a good idea to make up for her lack of strength, but why was she making a demand?
Tashigi, whose body it was, stood by, unsure of what to say. Shouldn't they at least ask for her opinion?
"You kiss me, and I'll agree."
The moment she said this, the faces of all the girls, except for Akainu, changed. Good heavens. How dare she openly take advantage of the captain?
Tashigi couldn't hold back. "Ms. Crocodile, that's my—"
"It's mine now." Crocodile didn't mind at all.
"If you don't want it, forget it." Rodin pulled his hand back.
"Of course I want it." Crocodile snatched the card, a look of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. "I was just joking. How do I use this?"
It was as if a boyfriend was testing his girlfriend.
"Crush it."
"Snap!"
The card shattered, and groups of dark blue tentacles quickly emerged, wrapping around Crocodile until she was encased in a cocoon-like object.
"It seems it will take a while," Rodin said, looking away. He wondered what Tashigi's body would look like as a mermaid.
He took out the Ocean Star, a beautiful pendant shaped like a deep blue gemstone, and placed it in his storage ring for the time being. He would give it to her once the transformation was complete.
The introduction to the item stated it could deprive mermaids of their natural abilities, but what kind of talents did a mermaid have?
Wait.
Rodin suddenly had a thought. Princess Shirahoshi, as the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, had the ability to summon the Sea Kings. Was that a talent? Could it be taken away? After all, this was an Ancient Weapon, an existence said to be able to destroy or save the world!
The more he thought about it, the more he felt the idea was feasible. He couldn't wear the pendant himself since he wasn't a mermaid. But Tashigi was, and she wouldn't betray him anyway. As for the requirement for consent? That wasn't a big problem.
At that moment, the ark had passed through the bubble shield and was now in the open space above Fish-Man Island. Below, coral buildings of different shapes were visible, with faint lights shining from their windows. Scattered mermen were walking about, but their quiet night was shattered when they saw the ark.
Voices of discussion erupted, their faces filled with shock. They had recognized the Rodin Pirates. This proved that even 10,000 meters below the sea, the mermen were well-informed about the surface world.
The residential areas were in a commotion, and lights turned on all at once.
"Is that… the Rodin gang who's causing all the trouble?"
"Are they finally entering the New World?"
"But didn't the Battle of Water 7 just break out a few days ago? Why did they arrive at Fish-Man Island so soon?"
"Could they be looking for the Warlord of the Sea, Jinbe?"
"Shh, be quiet!"
"Look, the palace people are coming!"
From the dark depths of Fish-Man Island, clusters of dazzling lights ignited. A royal Chariot appeared, pulling a tall mermaid wearing a crown. It swam quickly, followed by a pair of mighty merman soldiers. Some of them moved to evacuate the residents, their expressions solemn. It was unclear if this solemnity was a good or bad sign.
"The merfolk army of Ryugu Kingdom is here?!"
"And the Great King Neptune!"
"Should there be a fight?"
Neptune, with his left and right ministers and the merfolk army, arrived at the ark. To everyone's surprise, he gave a slight, very polite salute. "Captain Rodin has come a long way. We didn't come out to greet you in advance, so we ask for your forgiveness."
His respectful tone surprised his soldiers, who had rarely seen their king like this.
"It's so late, I'm sorry to trouble you," Rodin replied. The other party was so polite that it felt wrong to attack them directly.
"You and your crew probably haven't had dinner yet. Why don't you come to my palace and sit down for a bit?" Neptune showed a sincere smile. "I can order people to prepare everything immediately."
In his heart, Neptune knew Rodin's purpose. Besides accessing the New World, he was probably here for Jinbe. He knew Rodin was too powerful to be offended easily. It would be better to build a good relationship first.
As he thought this, he saw a beautiful woman of various imposing auras walk onto the bow. Their faces were all ones he had recently seen in the newspapers, which made Neptune even more cautious.
Baki came up and smiled. "Hey, Mermaid King, there should be a lot of treasures in your palace, right?"
"You're being too polite. Are you trying to kill us with poison?" Dove said with a playful face.
Treasure? Poison? Is this really what pirates always think about? Neptune shuddered.
"Everyone, rest assured, we on Fish-Man Island have always been warm and friendly…"
Just then, a subordinate came to his ear and whispered something. For a moment, Neptune's expression changed. He struggled a bit, then said with difficulty, "I'm really sorry, everyone, but Fish-Man Island may… may not be able to let you stay for long."
"Oh?"
"I'm so sorry." Neptune wanted to explain but couldn't. How could he bluntly say, "You will bring destruction to Fish-Man Island, so please leave as soon as possible?" To outsiders, that would sound ridiculous. But Madame Shyarly's prophecies had never been wrong. He just wasn't sure when it would happen. The longer the Rodin Pirates stayed, the more danger they posed to Fish-Man Island.
Just as Neptune braced himself for Rodin's questions, Rodin's answer exceeded all his expectations.
"Very good, I like your honesty. This way… I don't have to worry so much." He smiled.
Neptune was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, "Your Excellency, you are here for Jinbe, but he is not here right now."
"I don't care whether he is here or not." Rodin had just checked with his Mantra. Indeed, he hadn't noticed Jinbe's presence and didn't know where he had been sent by the Tyrant Bear. But it didn't matter. He was here for something else.
Neptune swallowed, a bad premonition gripping him. "Then, Your Excellency, you've come for…"
"For your precious daughter, of course," Rodin finished.
"Daughter?" Neptune was taken aback. He took a hard look at Rodin, sizing him up and down. He shook his head. "Sorry, Your Excellency, the physical difference is too great, so I cannot agree." Leaving aside the issue of intimacy, he doubted they could even have a child.
Rodin smiled. Shirahoshi is 17 meters tall? When can't I turn on my Thor state?
Wait.
What am I thinking? How did Neptune brought me to this topic?
Rodin coughed, his expression turning serious. "Your daughter is the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, right?"