After all the shopping was done, Carl became the designated porter, carrying a massive bundle that included a great sword on a door-sized board. He and the women left Pappag's clothing shop, waving goodbye with smiles.
Camie called out kindly, "Carl, Robin, Marie, Nami, Tashigi, please come visit Fish-Man Island whenever you have time! And remember to stop by the shop again!"
Nami responded with a bright smile, "That's a definite, Camie! I'm still waiting for Master Pappag's next masterpiece!"
Hearing this, Pappag immediately rolled his eyes and fainted from distress. Nami had clearly become the nightmare of Pappag's life, but she was blissfully unaware. Even if she knew, she might simply take pride in it.
While Carl and the others were busy clothes shopping, Luffy and the rest of the group arrived at the Mermaid Cafe, led by Jinbe. Sanji and Brook had already drifted into the coffee shop, instantly melting at the sight of the beautiful, lovely mermaids shouting their welcome. The skeletons of the two perverts practically rattled with pleasure.
Even men like Usopp, Jango, and Xiao San felt a fresh, pleasant breeze. It was clear why this spot was said to be the favorite place for humans visiting Fish-Man Island. It truly lived up to its reputation, offering high-quality service for everyone, though men—especially the lecherous ones—were certainly the happiest customers.
Luffy didn't care much for coffee, and since the cafe didn't serve meat, he couldn't sit still for long. It wasn't long before he wandered away from the group and stumbled into the room of the owner, Madame Shyarly.
Madame Shyarly, the sister of the infamous Arlong, was sitting on a sofa with a cigarette holder in her mouth. When she saw Luffy, she froze for a moment. Then, her pupils abruptly shrank in shock.
"You… you're the Fifth Emperor, Straw Hat Luffy? Why are you here?" she asked, clearly terrified.
Many people with common sense knew about the terror a Sea Emperor represented, and Madame Shyarly was no exception. While she vaguely knew about her brother, Arlong, she dared not show any hostility toward Luffy because of it. Not only was a Fifth Emperor impossible to offend, but her brother had been at fault in the first place, and Madame Shyarly was not indifferent to right and wrong.
Luffy, ignoring her question, pointed at a huge crystal ball on the table. "What's this for?"
Madame Shyarly quickly replied, "That one is for divination."
"Divination? That sounds pretty cool! Can you actually see the future?"
"Yes. But I don't do it anymore. Knowing the future isn't necessarily a good thing," she said.
"Oh, really? Is that so," Luffy replied, then abruptly changed the topic. "Hey, do you mermaids poop?"
Madame Shyarly's face darkened. She hadn't expected the Fifth Emperor to be so vulgar. But then she reminded herself that a Sea Emperor was still a pirate, and it was foolish to expect elegance. To avoid annoying him, she suppressed her anger.
At that moment, Jinbe walked in. "Brother Luffy, there you are," he said.
Luffy laughed. "Oh, I was just looking around. Jinbe, this mermaid sister is a fortune teller!"
"Hahaha, I know! Madame Shyarly's divination is very famous, and it's correct every time. Her ability is very convincing," Jinbe smiled. He then turned to introduce Luffy properly. "Madame Shyarly, this is Luffy, the current Fifth Emperor and Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. But don't worry, Brother Luffy is a good friend to Fish-Man Island. He just led the Straw Hats to defeat the rebel Hody Jones. He is a benefactor to our island!"
Madame Shyarly was stunned. She had heard rumors of a rebellion, but she thought it was just idle talk and hadn't bothered to check. She never expected the rebellion was real, had been quickly suppressed, and was ended personally by a Fifth Emperor! She knew Jinbe wouldn't lie. This meant the Straw Hat Luffy standing before her truly was the savior of Fish-Man Island!
"I apologize, I was rude just now," Madame Shyarly quickly offered.
"How do you do this divination?" Luffy was still fixated on the crystal ball.
"Then allow me to do a divination for you," Madame Shyarly offered.
She walked in front of the crystal ball. After performing a few maneuvers, a projection appeared on the ball's surface. Madame Shyarly saw Fish-Man Island completely engulfed in fire, and the only figure clearly visible in the flames was Straw Hat Luffy!
Madame Shyarly was profoundly shocked by the vision.
"Well? Did the divination work?" Luffy asked, clearly interested.
"...I didn't see anything. I think I haven't practiced for a long time, and my strength has gotten weaker. I'm very sorry," Madame Shyarly chose to hide the truth.
"Hmm, alright. Then I'll go play somewhere else," Luffy said, feeling bored, and he quickly left the room.
Jinbe stayed behind, observing Madame Shyarly as she held her forehead. He knew exactly what she had seen.
Madame Shyarly whispered, "Boss Jinbe, do you believe that Straw Hat Luffy will destroy Fish-Man Island? I just saw Fish-Man Island surrounded by flames, and Straw Hat Luffy was the only one standing in the fire!"
Jinbe's eyes narrowed, but he immediately shook his head. "I believe in Brother Luffy's character. He would never do such a thing!"
"That's true. After all, he just saved Fish-Man Island!" As she spoke, Madame Shyarly deliberately shoved the crystal ball. It shattered into two halves with a sharp 'ping-pong' sound.
"Madame Shyarly…" Jinbe started.
"Divination is truly unreliable," she stated. "It's better not to know the so-called future."
Immediately after Luffy and his group left the Mermaid Cafe, soldiers arrived to announce that the welcoming banquet was ready. Luffy excitedly led everyone straight to the Dragon Palace. Sanji and Brook, who were both extremely reluctant to leave the cafe, had to be dragged away directly.
They met Carl and the others on the way, so the entire crew proceeded together to the Dragon Palace.
The details of the banquet were typical: Luffy ate continuously, Zoro drank heavily, Brook played music, and Jango danced. It was a familiar scene for the Straw Hat Crew.
The night passed quickly, and soon it was time for the crew to set sail again.
Nami checked the Log Pose and was shocked to see the main needle shaking violently.
"Nami, is the Log Pose ready? Where are we going next?" Luffy asked excitedly.
"The Log Pose seems to be broken!" Nami panicked. She quickly checked her other Log Poses and found that the situation was the same. Feeling helpless, she looked toward Carl for assistance.
Just then, Jinbe approached, holding a strange pointer in his hand. The device had a dial with three separate needles, each pointing in a different direction.
"I thought you might be troubled by this, so I brought you a new pointer," Jinbe said.
"A new pointer?" Nami took the device and examined it.
"Yes, this is an upgraded version of the usual Log Pose. The three needles point to three different islands, and the more a needle shakes, the more dangerous that island is. Generally, most people choose the most stable direction," Jinbe explained.
So that was the reason! It seemed the magnetic fields of the New World were even more chaotic, which would be a huge challenge for her navigation skills.
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