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As Otohime was about to lead everyone on a tour of Fish-Man Island's scenery, Buggy's eyes fell upon several Fish-Men behind her. Looking at their slightly more youthful faces compared to the others, Buggy knew who they were.
The leader was a red-skinned Fish-Man. Although he was missing a bit of beard compared to later, Buggy recognized him. It was the future Fish-Man hero, Tiger, the Fish-Man who climbed the Red Line with his bare hands, broke into the dangerous Mariejois, and freed the Celestial Dragon slaves.
Another Fish-Man had blue skin and a slightly chubby build. Two large teeth protruded from his mouth. This was the future one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Jinbe.
There was also a young Fish-Man with blue skin and a long, saw-toothed nose. His eyes were very gloomy. This was the young Arlong.
The other Fish-Men were Hatchan and some others Buggy didn't recognize.
Otohime naturally noticed Buggy's gaze on Tiger. She immediately introduced Tiger and the others behind him to Buggy.
Tiger and Jinbe gave Buggy a friendly look in response to Otohime's introduction. Arlong, on the other hand, was the opposite. His eyes were fierce, and when Otohime introduced him, he let out a heavy, cold snort at Buggy and his crew. Seeing Arlong's reaction, Otohime was embarrassed. Seeing that Buggy didn't react, she quickly skipped over Arlong and introduced the others.
Buggy didn't pay any attention to Arlong's attitude. Arlong was one of the most extreme representatives of the relationship between Fish-Men and humans. Buggy thought his attitude was normal. But Arlong was too weak. Buggy didn't take him seriously. Perhaps he would teach him a lesson later, but not now. This place and time weren't suitable. Of course, if Arlong continued to do evil and bully humans as he would later, Buggy wouldn't let him off the hook.
After Otohime introduced everyone, Buggy turned his gaze to Tiger and Jinbe. He smiled kindly and said, "It's nice to meet you, Tiger, Jinbe. I hope we can be friends."
Buggy admired Tiger. This Fish-Man had climbed the Red Line with his bare hands, knowing he would die. He had single-handedly broken into the dangerous Mariejois, like hell itself, and rescued countless slaves. What he had done was enough to make anyone who knew his deeds admire him. Buggy was no exception. He wanted to befriend him.
Jinbe was also very good. He was a peacemaker between Fish-Men and humans. He didn't hate all humans. He believed that there were good people among humans, and he believed that humans and Fish-Men could live together in peace. He had also done a lot for Fish-Men, even risking the disapproval of other Fish-Men to become one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. His strength was extraordinary, and his potential was enormous. Buggy also had some thoughts about him.
Hearing Buggy say this, both of them felt a little taken aback. They didn't expect a great pirate like Buggy to say this.
"Nice to meet you too."
Tiger replied on behalf of Jinbe, but he didn't agree to Buggy's suggestion of becoming friends.
Tiger's relationship with humans was actually neutral. He didn't think all humans were bad, but at the same time, he didn't have much affection for them. He didn't know Buggy, and he was wary of him. He naturally wouldn't agree to become friends with Buggy right away.
Hearing Tiger say this, Buggy knew that Tiger was still wary of him. He didn't force it. He extended his right hand.
Seeing Buggy's outstretched hand, Tiger also extended his right hand and shook Buggy's hand.
Tiger wouldn't refuse Buggy's friendliness. He naturally reciprocated Buggy's kindness.
After greeting Tiger and the others, Otohime took everyone on a tour of this deep-sea land. This land wasn't like the land on the surface. There were no trees, flowers, or even soil. There were only rocks, coral, and shells.
Some of the coral was enormous, and shells were attached to the rocks. The houses here were very characteristic of the undersea world. They were like giant seashells, completely different from the buildings on land. They were built very casually, all in different shapes. This casualness made the island even more beautiful.
This underwater land wasn't very large for Buggy and his crew. They finished the tour quickly. In Buggy's opinion, it was beautiful, but it lacked life. It was far less vast than the land on the surface, only the size of a small island. It was more like a cage for the Fish-Men.
After the tour, everyone had excited smiles on their faces. They were happy to have witnessed this different underwater scenery. They were all a little reluctant to leave.
Seeing the happy smiles on everyone's faces, Otohime also smiled. In her eyes, their smiles were a confirmation of Fish-Man Island. She understood the appeal of this underwater scenery for these outsiders. She wasn't surprised. She was happy for them.
Since the tour was over, Otohime turned her gaze to everyone. She said, "I'm sure you're all tired. I've prepared a feast for you at the Dragon Palace to welcome you. I'd also like you to try some of our underwater specialties."
There wasn't much to see on Fish-Man Island's land. After touring it once, there was no need to see it again. It was time to welcome Buggy and his crew and discuss what to do next.
After saying this, Otohime took a conch shell from one of the guards' hands. She blew into it directly towards the sea in front of everyone.
Soon, the sea reacted. A giant body slowly surfaced. There was a bubble like coating on its back.
Humans couldn't travel normally underwater. Considering this, Otohime had prepared in advance. The whale that had surfaced had a bubble made of coating material on its back.
As long as Buggy and his crew stayed inside the bubble, they would be isolated from the seawater and safe. And with the whale as their transportation, they could reach the banquet location directly.
Actually, Buggy and his crew could also reach the Dragon Palace by riding the Glory. This option was safer for them and would provide a certain level of security. But out of trust in Otohime, Buggy didn't refuse her kindness. He directly led everyone towards the whale's back, which was floating on the sea in front of them.
Seeing Buggy's unhesitating choice, Otohime smiled. She followed Buggy and his crew, walking towards the whale's back.
Otohime knew the dangers of traveling underwater for humans. She was very happy that Buggy trusted her. To completely reassure them and eliminate any remaining doubts, she decided to go with them.
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