Chapter 235: Jinbe, Knight of the Sea
Madam Shirley decided to perform a divination for Rhodes, not because his words had particularly attracted her.
Rather, she sensed an indescribable, extraordinarily special quality about Rhodes—a feeling completely different from the mermaids, fish-men, or humans she usually encountered.
As Madam Shirley directed the crystal ball toward Rhodes, a strange sensation suddenly descended upon the room, as if some inexplicable force was stirring in the air.
Robin and Camie both felt their hearts sink with an oppressive pressure.
Rhodes didn't feel anything unusual himself, but he noticed that his reflection in the crystal ball was slowly blurring before finally disappearing completely.
At that moment, Madam Shirley's eyes suddenly trembled violently, and her hands holding the crystal ball began to shake uncontrollably.
Then she loosened her grip entirely, and the crystal ball slipped from her fingers, falling to the ground and shattering with a sharp crack.
"Madam Shirley...!"
Camie was visibly shocked.
She had never seen Madam Shirley so visibly distressed.
Madam Shirley was the most famous fortune teller on Fish-Man Island. Although she couldn't predict the exact timing of events, her predictions were 100% accurate without exception.
Rumor had it that she foresaw the arrival of the Great Pirate Era when she was only four years old, and had predicted Whitebeard's death before the Marineford War even began.
Rhodes was equally surprised and asked with genuine interest,
"What did you see?"
"..."
Madam Shirley fell into prolonged silence, as if she had witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
Seeing her reaction, Rhodes became even more curious about what the prophecy had revealed.
"I can help you... persuade the inhabitants of Fish-Man Island to submit to you..."
After a long while, Madam Shirley suddenly spoke these seemingly disconnected words.
Robin and Camie looked puzzled, but Rhodes smiled knowingly:
"Thank you. That's most appreciated."
He hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise. He had been concerned about overcoming the deep-seated racial hatred between Fish-Man Island and humans.
Shirley's expression was complicated with conflicting emotions.
In one of her previous prophecies, she had foreseen disaster for Fish-Man Island—a terrible calamity involving both mermaids and fish-men.
But the source of the disaster and the timing of its occurrence had remained frustratingly unknown, and she herself possessed no power to change anything.
This helplessness in the face of fate had made her disgusted with divination and prophecy, and she rarely practiced her gift after that vision.
But this time, while divining for Rhodes, she had unexpectedly discovered that the terrifying future that had filled her with dread and despair had been altered...
Shirley hadn't foreseen a very clear scene—only endless, dazzling golden light, and a majestic figure bathed in that radiance, exuding boundless divine authority.
She had only glimpsed it for a moment before her prophetic vision abruptly terminated, as if some mysterious force had intervened to prevent her from peering any further into that distant future.
"Madam Shirley, are you alright?"
Camie asked anxiously.
"I'm fine."
Madam Shirley took a long drag from her pipe and began pondering how to persuade Neptune and the others.
Merfolk would be relatively easy to convince—after all, mermaids were naturally gentle creatures. But the fish-men... she couldn't help but frown.
She was highly respected on Fish-Man Island and knew a great deal about the complex political situation.
The fish-men of Fish-Man Island were divided into two main factions: one consisted of fish-men like Jinbe who sought peaceful coexistence with humans, while the other followed Hody Jones and believed in Arlong's extremist ideology of "fish-men supremacy, human inferiority."
The latter represented the majority, and she had even heard that the fish-men of Fish-Man District had formed a sizable militant force.
"Perhaps I should let Jinbe handle this matter."
She hadn't wanted to get involved before, since it had seemed pointless—Fish-Man Island would eventually face destruction regardless. But now that she had the opportunity to change Fish-Man Island's future, Madam Shirley certainly wouldn't remain a passive observer. She was actively thinking of solutions.
"This matter is somewhat complicated. It will probably take a few days to arrange."
"Let me show you around Fish-Man Island properly today. Camie, scatter-brained as she is, probably doesn't even know where the interesting places are."
She smiled apologetically at Rhodes while gesturing for Camie to fetch a bubble ring for mobility.
Camie finally grasped the seriousness of the situation and quickly went to retrieve the bubble ring.
"Let's go. I'll take you to Coral Hill. There's a place there that serves really excellent Coral Burgers—a specialty of Fish-Man Island."
After donning her bubble ring, Madam Shirley led Rhodes and Robin out of the café.
Along the way, both fish-men and merfolk stopped and respectfully greeted Madam Shirley, then cast strange, curious looks at Rhodes and Robin.
What was going on?
Madam Shirley hadn't ventured out in a long time, and now she was personally escorting two humans?
Most surprisingly, Madam Shirley seemed to show genuine respect toward the male human.
Amidst the strange looks from the crowd, Rhodes and Robin remained perfectly composed.
One was the world-renowned Dragon Slayer Swordsman, the other a naturally calm and collected former Vice President of Baroque Works. This minor spectacle couldn't faze them in the slightest.
Seeing their composure, Shirley nodded inwardly, believing her earlier prophecy even more firmly.
The Dragon Slayer Swordsman's prowess, which had shaken the entire Marineford War, was undeniable. But his character was another matter entirely—fame at a young age could easily corrupt.
Seeing Rhodes' calm and composed demeanor made Madam Shirley feel even more reassured about this particular Shichibukai.
Soon, the three arrived at Coral Hill plaza.
"Three Coral Burgers, please."
"Oh! It's Madam Shirley! Please wait just a moment—I'll prepare them right away!"
A cheerful fish-man proprietor immediately began preparing their order.
Before long, Rhodes tasted this so-called Fish-Man Island specialty.
And he had to admit, the taste was truly exceptional.
Just like the takoyaki from the octopus fish-man vendor, it fully brought out the natural flavors of the fresh ingredients.
"Talent... this is genuine culinary talent."
Rhodes felt that even if he had the best chefs from around the world prepare this dish, it wouldn't taste quite the same—perhaps even slightly inferior.
As the three were enjoying their meal, a commotion suddenly arose nearby.
Everyone turned to look and saw a tall, whale shark fish-man with blue skin, wearing traditional wooden geta sandals, walking purposefully toward them.
"Jinbe? What brings you here?"
Madam Shirley asked in surprise.
"I could ask you the same question."
Jinbe was equally surprised.
After receiving reports of Rhodes' arrival, he had come to find the Dragon Slayer Swordsman, wanting to understand the purpose of this Shichibukai's visit to Fish-Man Island. He hadn't expected to encounter Shirley here with him.
However, although he didn't know why Shirley and Rhodes were acquainted, their interaction didn't seem tense or hostile.
This relieved Jinbe considerably.
The threat posed by the Dragon Slayer Swordsman was simply too significant.
During the Marineford War, he had personally witnessed this man challenge Whitebeard himself and overwhelm multiple division commanders. That kind of strength had definitely reached the absolute peak of the seas.
Jinbe might be able to contend with him briefly using Fish-Man Karate in the water, but on land he would definitely fall to Rhodes' blade eventually.
Jinbe wasn't afraid of death personally, but he had to consider Fish-Man Island's safety. Without Whitebeard's protection, Fish-Man Island had become a highly coveted target—everyone wanted a piece of it.
In just the past few days alone, he had already captured and driven off countless groups of slave traders and pirates.
"Don't be so tense, Jinbe."
At this moment, Rhodes finished the last bite of his Coral Burger, looked up at the First Son of the Sea with a gentle smile, and said,
"Speaking of which, you and I have a bit of history together."
(End of Chapter)
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