"Because this time, aside from escorting the Celestial Dragons back to Mariejois, I also want to prove something."
As Queen Otohime spoke, her eyes seemed to shine with determination.
"I want them to see that even someone like me, with a body weaker than an ordinary person, can travel to the surface and return safely. At the very least, I hope this will help our people no longer fear humans."
Otohime was a goldfish mermaid, fragile by nature. Her body was so delicate that even slapping someone could easily fracture her own wrist.
"But if anything happened to you, things would only become worse, wouldn't they? And Mariejois… even though you're a queen, those people wouldn't show you any mercy."
Zhang Da Ye admitted to himself that he could never be so reckless.
If he were just an ordinary fishman, he would probably stay put on Fishman Island, practicing Fishman Karate quietly. When the time came that he could casually throw out ten thousand punches, then maybe he'd think about wandering the surface.
"But I did return safely, didn't I? If we want fishmen and humans to live in peace, it has to begin with mutual understanding and trust. But separated by ten thousand meters of ocean, we can't just wait for humans to make the first step. So why not let me be the one to show trust first?"
Otohime's smile was radiant. Her speeches on Fishman Island had already reached their limit. This journey to Mariejois meant everything to her.
If her attempt failed, many would ridicule her as naïve or foolish. But if she succeeded—or even years later when people remembered her—they might instead say she had courage and foresight, that she bravely opened a path for the future of her people.
"Amazing," Zhang Da Ye said quietly. He didn't necessarily agree with her methods, but he would never belittle someone willing to risk their life for the future of their race.
"I'm only fulfilling my duty as queen," Otohime replied with a gentle smile. Then she asked, "More importantly, I noticed something… you don't seem to dislike fishmen?"
"We don't hate any race. We only hate bad people," Zhang Da Ye said with a laugh. "Actually, we have a friend named Camie. She sometimes sneaks out from Fishman Island to come play with us. But she's just a little over ten years old, and her scatterbrained nature always worries us."
Artoria nodded in agreement. "Race isn't what defines someone. It's their heart."
Rui Meng Meng quickly chimed in. "Yes, that's right! Camie is very kind and really adorable."
Shark Chili stayed silent. He didn't know Camie, and besides, he was a robot. He had been created to help his doctor find the Planet of Peace, and as one of the B-series robots, he had always been treated no differently from humans. He had no other ambitions.
Otohime didn't know Camie personally, but she could imagine the child sneaking off to the surface and by chance meeting this group. Curious children like that weren't rare on Fishman Island. But her focus was elsewhere.
"Friends… You're willing to be friends with fishmen? That's wonderful!" Tears nearly welled up in her eyes. She had always believed that among humans there were those full of evil, but just as firmly, she believed there were even more kindhearted ones who would accept them.
"Well… I wouldn't celebrate just yet. The few of us don't represent the majority. In truth, most ordinary humans have no clear concept of fishmen. And if they do, it usually comes from pirates. Like you said, it's because of a lack of understanding that people fear."
Zhang Da Ye remembered how Uncle Goodman had explained it when they'd talked about Jinbe becoming a Warlord of the Sea: most people only ever heard about fishmen as pirates, never about ordinary fishmen.
"That's enough. Just knowing people like you exist is enough!" Otohime's heart swelled with hope. Everything she had done suddenly felt worthwhile. The future of Fishman Island was surely filled with light.
Once she managed to compose herself again, she asked expectantly, "I know this is sudden, but… may I invite all of you to visit Fishman Island as my guests?"
Everyone froze. Just a few days ago, they'd joked about visiting Fishman Island by riding on the giant shark. Who would have thought today they'd receive a personal invitation from the queen herself?
"Would that… be convenient?" Zhang Da Ye wondered aloud. Otohime must have plenty of things to handle upon returning.
"Of course it would. In fact, it would be a huge help. Until now, most of my people have only seen terrifying pirates, which is why they resist. I want them to meet kind people like you."
Zhang Da Ye felt tempted. After staying here so long, he really did want to go out and see the world. With the queen's ship, safety was guaranteed. And even in the worst case, the giant shark could bring them back to the surface quickly.
"Well then… Raise your hand if you want to go to Fishman Island."
Artoria was the first to raise her hand. She wanted to see what kind of country produced such an exceptional queen.
Shark Chili raised his hand as well. "I want to see what real fishmen are like."
After all, he'd once been beaten up because of a misunderstanding about fishmen. He had to see the truth for himself.
Rui Meng Meng raised her hand too. She wanted to see Camie's hometown.
Tom bounced around energetically, raising one paw, then both—worried they'd leave him behind.
Zhang Da Ye made a show of counting. "Alright, unanimous. Then let's accept Queen Otohime's invitation."
"It's my honor to host you!" Otohime said with joy.
"Could you wait here for a bit? I need to prepare a few things before we leave." Zhang Da Ye figured they should at least head back and pack.
"Of course. I can escort you," Otohime offered, noticing the distance to Sabaody Archipelago.
"No need. This island isn't too friendly for you," Zhang Da Ye declined politely. "Shark Chili, stay here and protect the queen. I'll bring your things along."
"Leave it to me," Shark Chili agreed. His belongings amounted to little more than toothpaste anyway, and he knew Zhang Da Ye understood.
"Boss, what about this guy?" Rui Meng Meng pointed at the unlucky Sea King lying nearby.
"Cut off a portion and store it with me—it'll stay fresh. The rest I'll sell to the fish market later for some extra cash." Zhang Da Ye wasn't entirely sure the little seafood shop could even handle something that massive.
Before leaving the ship, Zhang Da Ye glanced at Otohime, who watched them with a warm smile. "Aren't you trusting us a little too much? Us taking down that Sea King to help you was just a coincidence. What if we were bad people tricking you?"
Otohime placed a hand on her chest and smiled. "I can feel your sincerity."
Zhang Da Ye blinked, suddenly remembering her special form of Observation Haki. Curious, he asked, "Mind reading?"
Otohime explained, "Nothing that exaggerated. I can only sense people's strongest emotions deep in their hearts."
And often, she resonated with those feelings herself. She had once scolded a man driven to crime by poverty, weeping as she struck him, saying, "I feel your sorrow as if it were my own." And it wasn't just words—she truly felt his grief.
Because she always spoke from the other's perspective, those she rebuked often accepted her words and reformed.
Perhaps it was thanks to this very gift that she'd been able to touch even a Celestial Dragon's heart.
A/N:
(The term "fishmen" here includes both fishmen and mermaids. Writing them separately every time is too clunky.)
(And just to be clear: I'm only a novelist. Everything in this story is fiction. Please don't drag this into strange political debates. If I see any, don't blame me for deleting posts or muting.)
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