Leo thought seriously for a moment."Shirahoshi, have you ever considered whether merfolk are truly suited to live on the surface? And even if you want it… would all merfolk actually accept your idea?"
"My people will agree with me. I believe everyone desires to see the outside world."
Leo turned to Tiger without saying anything. Tiger's brows tightened, his lips trembled slightly, as if he didn't know how to begin. Finally, he sighed and said to Shirahoshi:
"Shirahoshi, most of our people hold deep hostility toward humans. Every year, many of our kind go missing. The hatred between humans and merfolk has long reached the point where it cannot simply be erased."
The more Shirahoshi listened, the wider her eyes grew. Tears rolled down her cheeks."Can't everyone just let go of their hatred? When will this ever end? Don't we have the right to live under the same sun, breathe the same air as other races?"
Leo glanced at the warm evening sunlight outside the window."Shirahoshi, you know… the sun is just heat and light combined. Anyone who gets too close will get burned. If a fish approaches the sun, it'll simply dry up."
Tiger wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. His silence only deepened Shirahoshi's sadness.
Seeing them both quiet, Leo asked her again,"I asked Will earlier. He said many merfolk children dream of going to Sabaody Park. Shirahoshi, do you think the same?"
"Yes. I can't sneak out to see Shampoo Park from afar, but Tiger told me about it, and I really want to go someday."
"So this is why you want humans to accept merfolk, right?"
"Yes. I want my people to receive the same treatment humans do."
Leo understood. Compared to other merfolk, Shirahoshi truly thought farther ahead. She connected the dreams of merfolk children to ideals like freedom and equality—far more advanced than most.But her ideals were still just that—ideals. There was no plan behind them.
"To visit Sabaody Park isn't difficult. Will has already experienced it. For you, visiting the park may feel like a spiritual dream, but like all dreams, once fulfilled, the novelty fades."
"But granting equal rights to merfolk—that's not simple. And frankly, I don't think you're prepared yet."
"No, I am prepared," Shirahoshi insisted. "No matter how difficult it is, no matter what I must face, I will ensure my people are treated the same as humans."
"But have you thought about how you're going to do that?"
"I…"She fell silent. She truly hadn't thought that far.
Tiger then said, "If you have an idea, Leo, tell us. We really want to hear it."
Leo organized his thoughts and said,"Shirahoshi, the first step is for you to become the leader of the merfolk—someone the majority of Fish-Man Island truly supports."
Tiger thought Leo didn't know and interrupted,"Leo, Shirahoshi is actually engaged to King Neptune. Once they marry, she'll naturally become ruler of Fish-Man Island."
Leo shook his head."That's not enough. Status alone can only make people fear you, not truly accept you. Shirahoshi, you must become the spiritual leader of your race—their belief, their guiding light. For that, royal status alone isn't nearly enough."
Shirahoshi perked up, clinging to Leo's words like a lifeline.
"There are two things you must address right away.First, eliminate the divide between Fish-Man District and the royal city. If the merfolk can't even understand each other, racial reconciliation is impossible.Second, strengthen your defenses to prevent kidnappings. If you accomplish these two things, you'll gain enormous prestige."
Shirahoshi nodded eagerly."Yes! I'll ask Neptune to reinforce the kingdom's security immediately."
Leo chuckled bitterly."Do you really think Fish-Man Island is capable of resisting slavers right now?"
Shyarly, who had been silent, suddenly snapped:"How dare you underestimate us? Don't forget—fishmen are ten times stronger than humans! My brother and Jinbe have defeated many pirates. Humans are the weak ones. And this is the sea—how could humans ever surpass us here?"
Leo clapped slowly, then gave Shyarly a disdainful look."You really are a naïve countryside brat. Jinbe and Arlong are 'strong'? Don't make me laugh. Compared to true monsters of the sea, they're nothing. Even I could easily beat them."
As expected, Shyarly exploded in anger, rolling up her sleeves to fight. Leo casually held her forehead with one hand, letting her flail helplessly in the air.
"Fish-Man Island can't solve this alone," Leo continued."So the best option is to find a supporter who can help you through this difficult period."
Tiger frowned."Leo, you're not suggesting Fish-Man Island submit to the Sea Emperor, right? If so—I refuse."
"If you're going to rely on a 'thigh', choose the thickest one. And compared to the Sea Emperor… I prefer the Navy."
"The… Navy Admirals?!"Everyone said it in unison, utterly shocked.
"What's so strange about it? The Navy recruits giants—why not fishmen? You're even more advantageous than giants in many ways."
Tiger still resisted the idea."Leo, we have no trust between us and the Navy. I don't think joining them is a good idea."
Leo smirked."You misunderstand. Cooperating with the Navy doesn't mean joining them. Have you heard of the title Shichibukai?"
Before anyone could react, Leo turned to Tiger."Tiger, do you trust your own strength?"
Tiger was startled."What are you trying to say?"
"This year, Crocodile fought Douglas Bullet in a battle that shocked the world. Because of that battle, Crocodile was invited to become one of the Seven Warlords. The government realized they could use pirates to fight pirates. Thus, the Shichibukai system was born. Tiger—you should aim to become one of them."
Tiger was intrigued but confused."But I'm not a pirate. How would I become a Warlord?"
"Why not become a pirate? You have strength and followers. A fishman-only pirate crew isn't hard to form."
"But I don't want to rob others. I won't oppress people with force."
"Who said pirates must steal from civilians? Don't you hate pirates and slavers? Then hunt them. You'll showcase merfolk strength, train soldiers, and work toward becoming a Warlord—all at once. Three birds with one stone."
Tiger looked thoughtful. Shirahoshi then asked,"And becoming a Warlord… will that help us achieve our dreams?"
"Of course. The Warlords are given tremendous authority. And aside from having legitimate plundering rights, they can also choose an island to guard long-term. Fish-Man Island would be a perfect choice."
Everyone's eyes lit up. The idea was tempting.
"Whoa, whoa—don't start dreaming yet," Leo said, waving a hand."Tiger, first go ask the fishmen in the district how many are willing to sail with you, and explain your real purpose. Don't accidentally train a group of thugs."
"Shirahoshi, you too. You don't understand your people well enough yet. You need to go among them, see their lives, observe the darkness as well as the sunshine. Only then can you represent them."
Shirahoshi nodded firmly, then smiled again."I'm glad I met you, Leo. Thank you for your advice."
Leo waved dismissively."No need to thank me. We're friends. But you better hurry—don't lag behind the rest of us."
"Hehe, what about you? What are your future plans? Will you continue being a bounty hunter?"
Leo shook his head. He had already crafted a rough plan for his crew."I intend to form a sea rescue team. Money isn't the priority—reputation is."
"Rescue team? What does that mean?"
"It's basically a group that saves people at sea. I just gave it a fancy name for convenience. Maybe one day, Will and I will be famous because of it."
Suddenly, Leo stopped walking. A new idea flashed into his mind. He had been helping Fish-Man Island so much that he nearly forgot his true goal. His enemy was the World Government. If he could use this opportunity to create ties with Fish-Man Island, he might one day bring the island firmly under his influence.
He had almost let that slip.
Leo grinned."Shirahoshi, would you like to invest in me?"
"Invest? Leo, are you short on money?"
"No, no. What I need is for you to grant me a special royal-issued citizenship certificate."
"A royal citizen certificate? What's that? Are you planning to live on Fish-Man Island?"
"No. I want Fish-Man Island to publicly acknowledge my achievements—the help I've given your people—and award me a special citizenship title. This will show the world that Fish-Man Island is willing to cooperate with outsiders. And if one day Will and I become famous, we'll become symbols of friendship between humans and merfolk."
The moment she heard that Leo wanted to promote Fish-Man Island, Shirahoshi agreed without hesitation. She offered her hand and said:
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "One Piece: Shadows of the Throne" is 30 chapters ahead there