After leaving the tavern, Fisher Tiger invited Leo to visit a wise person. Since Will was already part of Leo's crew, he naturally wanted to go along. To Leo's surprise, Charlie also wanted to come. In the end, he couldn't persuade the little girl otherwise, so he brought her along.
"Brother Tiger, who are we going to see?" Leo asked, curious about the person they were about to meet. After all, Tiger was the leader of Fishman Street—who could command such respect?
"Haha, you'll see when we get there. She is truly wise, and many of her ideas align with yours. I'm sure she'll be very happy to meet you," Tiger said.
The group took the Mermaid Bus to the entrance of the Ryugu Palace. Seeing Tiger, the guards didn't ask for their purpose and led them directly inside. Leo observed carefully along the way, noticing details he hadn't paid attention to before in the animations. The more he looked, the more he realized the palace's architecture resembled the floral gardens. This sense of familiarity heightened his anticipation for the upcoming meeting.
In fact, when Tiger mentioned that the person was one of the few wise figures on Fishman Island, Leo already had an inkling of who it was. Though his thinking was somewhat naive, he also had a rare long-term perspective.
Passing through the pavilions and towers of the palace, they arrived at a white tower. Before Leo and his three companions reached the gate, a golden fishman jumped toward them. Seeing the figure dressed in ancient palace maid attire, Otohime, Leo immediately had a good impression of her and greeted her with a radiant, sunny smile.
"Tiger, when did you get back? Come tell me your adventure stories! I've been waiting so long," said the petite Otohime, smiling brightly as she approached the group.
"Haha, Otohime, this time I brought not only stories but also a human friend," Tiger said, pushing Leo forward.
Otohime froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up. Excited, she circled around Leo a few times. Seeing this human boy, not much taller than herself, she poked and prodded him. When Leo didn't resist, she even tried to touch his head with her tail.
Dark circles marked Leo's face. Who would have thought that the future gentle and kind Princess Otohime was so mischievous as a child? Seeing her about to grab his hair, Leo quickly said, "Hello, my name is Leo."
Otohime was startled and quickly hid behind Tiger, making herself even smaller—barely reaching Tiger's calf. She clung to his leg, half her head peeking out, mumbling to herself: "Wow, that human boy actually spoke to me! This is amazing! It's the first time I've heard a human speak. I'm so excited—wow, wow, so cool!"
Tiger awkwardly held up his pants and picked up Otohime. "Otohime wants to greet you properly," he said.
Otohime placed her hands over her chest, fingertips trembling. She wanted to look but didn't dare. Her eyes briefly met Leo's, then quickly looked away as if shocked. After several attempts, she finally mustered the courage to lift her head and speak to the boy. "Hello… I'm… I'm Otohime. Can I be your friend?"
"Whoa! Otohime, you're such a good person," Leo replied with a warm smile. He bent slightly and extended his hand. "Of course. I was taught by my mother to treat others kindly, especially a kind girl like you."
"Oh, your words are so sweet. I'm already an adult, not a little girl. Your mother must be very kind."
Leo's mind flickered to a memory of Susanna, bright-eyed, gently stroking a large fish's scales, saying softly, "What a wonderful fish."
Leo quickly reminded himself not to dwell on that memory. The following scenes required the presence of parents. If Otohime perceived them using Observation Haki, it would shatter her image of humans entirely.
Otohime warmly invited everyone into the white tower, her residence. The room was dominated by soft pink hues, exuding a distinctly girlish atmosphere. Leo sat directly across from her without hesitation. Seeing him so relaxed, Otohime smiled, feeling at ease.
"Leo, how did you get to Fishman Island? Can you tell me?" Otohime asked eagerly as soon as she sat down.
Leo pointed to Will and said with a smile, "I came to Fishman Island to bring this little guy home. During my solo travels, I heard many legends about this island. Seeing it with my own eyes is truly worthwhile."
Will added proudly, "Yes, Sister Otohime! I sneaked out to play at the seaside and got caught by some scary people. Brother Leo saved me. He even took me to the Shampoo and Political Park!"
Hearing that Will had truly been to the Shampoo Magic Park, Otohime's eyes sparkled with envy. It was a dream destination for all young mermaids, and she bombarded Will with questions.
Leo and Tiger shared gentle smiles, their expressions softening. After about ten minutes of conversation, Otohime realized she had been neglecting her guest. She turned to Leo, a sheepish smile on her face.
"Leo, thank you for helping Will and for your kindness to the fishmen. You're truly a hero of Fishman Island. I have a question I'd like to ask."
"Of course, go ahead!" Leo replied.
"How do you view the relationship between humans and fishmen?"
"That's an easy question," Leo said. "I believe all races are equal, and we should treat everyone kindly. That's the first step toward communication. Take Will and me as an example. I saved him initially, but later, when I faced pirates again, Will stood up to protect me. I was deeply moved. Brother Tiger is the same—I greatly admire his generosity."
Leo paused, then continued, "You can't judge someone by their race. My hometown was a peaceful island where we worked from sunrise to sunset and lived self-sufficiently, never fighting others. Yet even there, pirates destroyed my home, and my parents died during the invasion. That's why I never care about someone's race. As long as they are kind to me, we can be friends."
Otohime's eyes sparkled. "Really? Leo, you speak so well. The merfolk are also a peace-loving people. I've always believed that if we can understand each other, humans will accept us. Then my friends and I can leave the sea and live under the sun."
Though Leo liked Otohime, her pure and kind nature sometimes made her naïve. She would eventually wield immense influence. If things continued as she imagined, Fishman Island could be consumed by her ideals.
Leo decided to help her face reality. After all, in the original story, both Otohime and Tiger paid the price for their kindness and innocence.
With a serious expression, Leo said, "Otohime, I understand your desire for peace, but your ideas are overly idealistic, even naive."
Otohime smiled, though tears gradually welled up at the corners of her eyes. She suddenly turned away, covering her face, and cried, "Ah! Leo disagrees with me. I was too naive. I'm crying."
Tiger and Will rushed to comfort her. Tiger even shouted at Leo, "You brat! How could you make Otohime cry? Go comfort her!"
Leo shrugged helplessly and softly said, "I'm not against your ideas, Otohime. It's natural to wish for peace."
Otohime slightly opened her hands covering her face. "Really? Then why…"
Leo's voice grew softer. "I mean, your approach isn't right. Don't cry—listen slowly. Fishman Island has been part of the World Government since 1320, over 170 years ago. By law, it is recognized as a member state and should enjoy the same treatment as other members. But is that really the case?"
Otohime and Tiger knew Leo was right. Silence fell over the room. Otohime lowered her head. "Is it really that hard for humans to accept us? Fishmen have lived here for generations. We only want to breathe the sea air, bask in the sun. What did we do wrong?"
Leo could tell she was an inexperienced young girl. She thought the world was simple and tended to please others. She was willing to compromise step by step to communicate with humans.
"Otohime, do you know Will's story?" Leo asked.
She shook her head. Having lived in the palace for years, she was unaware of Will's difficult childhood in Fishman Street. Leo objectively summarized Will's past. The girl listened, tears welling in her eyes, shaking her head repeatedly. She could hardly believe that such darkness existed in the beautiful Fishman Island.
Good and evil are not determined by race. Every race has good and bad people. For example, merfolk detest slavery. They see it as a human crime. True, humans led the slave trade, but who can guarantee no fishmen were involved? Likewise, humans captured and sold the most victims. To the slavers, humans and fishmen were both commodities—the only difference was rarity, which affected price.
Otohime was visibly shocked. "How could they do this? The World Government and Navy are so indifferent! Aren't they supposed to protect everyone?"
Leo didn't answer her directly. He didn't want to shatter her hope by revealing the truth about the World Government's hidden role.
Instead, he deliberately shifted the conversation toward Otohime's aspirations. "Otohime, your dream is for merfolk to live under the sun. That's a great dream. Anyone who fights for freedom and equality is admirable. But have you thought about how to achieve it concretely?"
If Leo hadn't previously spoken, Otohime would have eagerly shared her ideas. Now, however, she sounded disheartened, her voice low. "I want to use our smiles to show humans our goodwill. Only when they realize we are not a threat can a peaceful era of communication come. I've always believed that if we understand each other, humans will eventually accept merfolk."
Leo was deeply moved. He could feel her emotions lift as she spoke, yet she remained naive. Listening to her final words, he thought: "In another world, in a place called Konoha Village, there is a young fox spirit who would become your kindred soul."
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