Fukaboshi walked out of the mirror and was stunned by the scene before him.
This was also a square.
A mirror identical to the floor-length mirror on Fish-Man Island stood in the center of the square.
If that were all, it wouldn't have been enough to shock him.
What shocked him was that the square was surrounded by hanging corpses, and even the air carried an indescribable, strange odor.
What was even stranger was that despite the square being crowded, no one seemed bothered by this. Instead, they appeared to enjoy it.
What shocked him even more was that the people in the square showed little interest in his arrival. They merely glanced his way before ignoring him.
"They're all tourists visiting Loguetown."
Jinbe noticed Fukaboshi' confusion and smiled, offering a brief explanation. "The corpses hanging here are all pirates who tried to plunder this place. Well, and a few who violated Lord Reddy's laws."
Fukaboshi was momentarily dumbfounded.
"Ugh, it smells so bad here."
Shirahoshi stepped out of the mirror and immediately covered her nose.
Fukaboshi' expression changed, but it was too late to stop his sister.
Jinbe didn't mind and chuckled, spreading his hands. "Can't be helped. Even though the corpses have been treated, they're still corpses. The smell is unavoidable."
After a pause, Jinbe added with emotion, "The air here really isn't great, but to the town's residents, this is the most beautiful sight."
"Why?"
Shirahoshi asked curiously.
Jinbe smiled. "Because the people here have long suffered from pirate attacks. It was Lord Reddy who gave them a peaceful life."
As he spoke, he pointed to the execution platform in the distance. "That's the platform where the Pirate King Gol D. Roger was executed. Hanging these pirates here is Lord Reddy's way of paying tribute."
Jinbe laughed as he spoke.
At first, he hadn't understood why Reddy insisted on hanging the pirates' corpses here. But then Reddy had said that if even the Pirate King could die here, these scum deserved to feel honored.
"Lord Reddy is really..."
Fukaboshi looked at Reddy, who was talking to a green-haired, mohawked man, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He couldn't find the right words to describe Reddy's dark sense of humor.
"Why don't these humans... uh, pay any attention to us?"
Jinbe's teasing had put Fukaboshi at ease, so he took the opportunity to ask another question on his mind.
In his past interactions with humans, even if they showed him respect due to his status, he could still sense their underlying indifference or even disgust.
But the people in the square didn't care at all about the sudden appearance of a giant mirror or his arrival as a fish-man.
This confused him deeply.
Jinbe laughed heartily and motioned for Fukaboshi to observe for himself.
Fukaboshi didn't understand but did as told, carefully studying the humans in the square. However, he couldn't figure it out and had to look back at Jinbe for an answer.
Jinbe didn't keep the future king of Fish-Man Island waiting. He glanced around and sighed. "This is Loguetown, the territory of the Fifth Emperor of the Sea, Dr. Reddy."
Though it was just a short sentence, Fukaboshi seemed to grasp something.
Jinbe continued, "To most people, Loguetown is dangerous. Those who dare to come here aren't ordinary folks. Seeing fish-men isn't strange to them."
Fukaboshi added solemnly, "And in the eyes of the world, Fish-Man Island is also Lord Reddy's territory, so fish-men appearing here is normal."
"Exactly."
Jinbe nodded approvingly.
Now, the number of outsiders in Loguetown was nearly equal to the local population.
These outsiders were either merchants, adventurous nobles, or the bodyguards protecting those nobles.
In short, none of them would find a fish-man's presence noteworthy.
There was one more thing he didn't say.
That was because Reddy himself was present.
Who would dare show disgust toward a subordinate race in front of an Emperor of the Sea?
At that moment, Bartolomeo walked over, looked Fukaboshi and Shirahoshi up and down, and frowned in disdain. "Reddy boss said you'd be responsible for managing your people. Who does he think he's looking down on?"
Fukaboshi was baffled.
What was the connection here?
Who was being looked down on?
Lord Reddy?
Or this green-haired, mohawked man in front of him?
For the first time, Fukaboshi truly understood the difficulties his father, King Neptune, faced.
No matter how confident he had been before, encountering such a situation made him feel unprecedented pressure.
"I... I'm sorry."
Shirahoshi was even more flustered, on the verge of tears.
No matter who was being looked down on, apologizing first couldn't be wrong.
Bartolomeo was also stunned.
If she really cries, will Reddy boss make me comfort her?
He looked up at the giant, childlike girl and was quickly defeated by the tears welling up in her eyes.
Scratching his head, Bartolomeo awkwardly explained, "I meant that since your people are here, there's no need to manage them... Well, that's what Reddy boss said."
"Really?"
Shirahoshi looked at Bartolomeo with teary eyes.
This was the first time Bartolomeo had encountered someone who cried so easily. It was beyond his ability to handle. He glanced back and saw Reddy discussing something with Jinbe, not paying attention to them, so he had no choice but to confirm again.
"That's great."
Shirahoshi wiped away her tears and smiled brightly.
Though she was still young and far from Hancock's level of beauty, she was destined to be one of the world's most beautiful women alongside Hancock.
Her smile instantly drew the attention of nearly everyone in the square.
If Reddy hadn't been present, they would have already crowded around her.
Even so, people quickly gathered nearby, pointing and whispering about Shirahoshi.
"Did... did I do something wrong?"
This wasn't Shirahoshi's first time appearing in public, but it was her first time being surrounded by so many humans. She was on the verge of tears again.
"Of course you did."
Reddy had noticed the commotion and walked over, hands in his pockets. He looked up at the crybaby and said seriously, "You're a perfect representation of Fish-Man Island... Cowardly, lacking confidence, always running away..."
"I... I'm sorry."
Reddy's harsh words made Shirahoshi lower her head in shame.
"Shirahoshi is..."
Fukaboshi quickly stepped forward to defend his sister but was stopped by Jinbe, who had quietly approached.
Jinbe looked up at Shirahoshi with a solemn expression. "Lord Reddy is right. Fish-Man Island is too cowardly and lacks confidence... But Lord Reddy only wants an attitude. If you can't even do that, Fish-Man Island has no future."
"But Shirahoshi is just a child!"
Fukaboshi couldn't understand why Reddy and Jinbe were pressuring a child like this. Sure, she was big, but she was still just a kid.
Jinbe shook his head and didn't answer Fukaboshi' question. He simply looked up at Shirahoshi silently.
Reddy also stopped criticizing Shirahoshi and stood before her, waiting.
Fish-Man Island was still ruled by royalty. Compared to the adult Fukaboshi, Reddy believed Shirahoshi truly represented the younger generation of Fish-Man Island.
He could accept King Neptune's cautious nature, but he couldn't accept Fish-Man Island's youth still living in the past, still lacking confidence when facing humans.
If they didn't even believe in themselves, what use did he have for Fish-Man Island?
It wasn't like he needed them to make up numbers in a card game!
He was waiting for an answer.
An answer that would convince him to truly accept Fish-Man Island.
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