"Big Sister, where are we going next?" a short-haired woman with an elegant demeanor asked Nero.
"Hmm, I plan to go to Water Seven. For the upcoming voyage, I still need my own ship." Nero stood at the bow, already having clear plans for the journey ahead.
"Huh? Water Seven, I remember it's in the first half of the Grand Line, isn't it?"
"Hmm, so I need to go to Fish-Man Island first, and then proceed to Water Seven."
Nero walked towards the deck. Yesterday, she discovered that there was an open-air swimming pool hidden beneath the ship's deck.
After tidying up, everyone decided to have a pool party today. Preparations were almost complete, and it was time to go back and enjoy.
"Fish-Man Island! I heard it's a dreamlike kingdom, with many beautiful mermaids living there." The short-haired woman showed an expectant expression.
Due to its geographical location, Fish-Man Island was still a mysterious, fairy-tale-like kingdom in the eyes of most people.
During this period, slave ships were more rampant. Every mermaid could be sold for a sky-high price around the world, so mermaids were rarely seen active on the surface.
"Hmm, Fish-Man Island is indeed a beautiful place, but it's quite unfriendly to humans." Nero showed a mischievous smile.
"It's a place where Fishmen and mermaids coexist. Fishmen mostly rely on their strong physical strength to survive, while mermaids use their beautiful appearance to lure passersby, causing them to drown forever at the bottom of the sea."
"Is, is that so? Are mermaids such evil creatures?" The black-haired woman shivered, suddenly not as excited about going to Fish-Man Island.
"Hmm, all creatures have their innate advantages. Beneath a beautiful exterior, there is often more deadly danger."
Nero's eyes narrowed slightly, and her tone was faint: "Compared to fairy-tale legends, don't you think this is more in line with biological development?"
"Ha..." The black-haired woman's reply was forced. The shock of a fairy-tale kingdom turning into a dark fairy tale was something she couldn't quite accept for a while.
"Pfft, hmm, I was just kidding!" Nero laughed out loud, patting her on the back: "Don't worry, it's even more beautiful than you imagine, truly a nice place."
"...Big Sister!"
"Hmm, my apologies! Your expression was just too amusing, I couldn't stop myself." Saying an insincere apology, Nero walked over to the temporary bar set up by the pool... About a month passed, and Nero and the others finally arrived near Fish-Man Island again.
There were still people on the ship who understood the coating process, and a few individuals had visited Fish-Man Island before, saving them the trouble of finding a coating master, making the journey much simpler.
As the pirate ship submerged, the sunlight gradually disappeared, and the surroundings suddenly became quiet.
"Although sailing on the surface usually feels very lonely, it's not on the same level compared to being underwater!"
"Yes, it's like two different worlds. Instead of quiet, it's more like silence."
"Ah, it's the deep sea after all. If there's any movement, things will likely go bad."
"We'll see mermaids soon! Will they be as beautiful as in the picture books?"
"Hmm, they definitely won't disappoint you." Nero interjected, but then suddenly thought of the mermaids led by Neptune, and quickly added: "Female mermaids!"
"Are there male mermaids? Aren't all males Fishmen?"
"Hmm, strictly speaking, I also believe mermaids and Fishmen are two different species." Nero frowned, a little confused.
Although both are intelligent creatures that can survive underwater, mermaids and Fishmen look fundamentally different. The only thing they should have in common is blood, but their blood is also compatible with humans'.
So the question arises: did mermaids and humans intermarry to produce Fishmen, or did Fishmen and humans breed mermaids? It can't be that mermaids and Fishmen created humans, can it?
No matter what, the premise of having the same blood means that in the distant past, their ancestors must have had some common interaction.
For Nero, these special races other than humans all possessed a unique aesthetic and were not disliked.
"Big Sister! There's light below!"
"Hmm, this is the legendary Eve, the Treasure Tree. It transports sunlight from the surface to the seabed and is the unique sun of Fish-Man Island." Nero explained to everyone.
"Wow! I can see it already! Such a big bubble, is that Fish-Man Island?"
In front of the pirate ship was Fish-Man Island, with many other pirate ships anchored around it.
Ever since Roger became the Pirate King, most pirates on the sea had been in a very active state.
It was as if Roger just needed to rally them, attack the World Government, and pull the Celestial Dragons from their pedestal, and it would be just around the corner.
After successfully entering Fish-Man Island and just mooring the pirate ship, she heard someone calling her.
"Nero? Isn't that Nero? What are you doing here?"
"Hmm, it's you! Neptune! I'm just passing through to rest a bit before leaving." Nero turned around and greeted him, stopping him from potentially asking about Roger.
"Ah, that is indeed a problem. You members of the Roger Pirates are now considered the most dangerous people in the world." Neptune pondered with his arms crossed, looking down.
"But that's not what I wanted to say. Didn't the Roger Pirates just disband? I thought it would be a while before you came over."
"Hmm, what did you say? What happened to the Roger Pirates?" Nero grabbed Neptune's fluffy beard and asked incredulously.
"No, your Roger Pirates have already announced their disbandment. Most of the crew have been dismissed, with only a small number remaining on board, but their numbers are also gradually decreasing."
Finally, Neptune asked Nero curiously: "Didn't you know?"
"Hoo... hoo..."
Taking two deep breaths, Nero, you are already a mature emperor, you can't lose your temper when things happen. Releasing Neptune, Nero patted her full chest, constantly admonishing herself... Haoshoku swept through, and the people around instantly fainted. Neptune also felt dizzy.
Bang! Bang!
She stomped her foot heavily on the ground, creating a small pit in the hard surface.
"Fools! Those idiots!" Nero felt a pang of sadness along with her anger; her first journey seemed to have truly ended.
"Is this your choice, Roger!" Nero muttered to herself.
Her gaze seemed to penetrate the deep sea, seeing the distant oro jackson. Those idiots were saying that her adventure was over.
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