Many years ago, Fishman Street wasn't called Fishman Street; it was home to the orphans of Fishman Island at a national orphanage. However, after things got out of control there, most of the Merfolk left because the scum of Fishman Island all gathered there.
This included those Fishmen who sold their own kind. Although Fishmen were priced higher than humans in the slave market, it was a world of difference compared to the Merfolk.
In the eyes of humans, Ah Long wasn't a good person, he was even seen as a villain. Racism had a significant impact on him. Although he wavered slightly under Tiger's influence, Tiger's death shattered everything.
Tiger was the belief in many Fishmen's hearts, especially for Ah Long, who grew up on Fishman Street. Although Jinbe was equally strong, he could only forcibly suppress Ah Long but could not make him convinced.
However, Ah Long had no problem with his kind. He was very greedy, but he had never sold his own kind.
The relationship between the brother and sister couldn't be said to be harmonious, because Ah Long and Sharley originally had different views. But it was undeniable that when Sharley was abandoned at Fishman Street, she did rely on Ah Long.
Aside from Tiger and Jinbe, the remaining people on Fishman Street basically listened to Ah Long. Fishman Street was an unlawful place on Fishman Island; if something happened there, seeking the official would be far less efficient than finding the biggest boss locally.
If they laid hands on Sharley, Ah Long could find them quickly.
"Feish, we're back."
"Hmm, I have something to go out for, why don't you come with me?"
The year 1507 was a special year for Mandefish because not long ago Rushaka celebrated her 30th birthday. The thirtieth birthday of a female Mermaid is otherwise known as the Divided Tail Festival. On this day, they gain the ability to split their tails.
The division of a Mermaid's tail isn't like magic where the tail directly turns into legs amid a flash of light. Instead, a slit opens down the middle, the difference in the legs is not significant, and the position of the feet still resembles tail fins.
However, by then, the Mermaids could step on land under the cover of skirts and shoes.
Mandefish's situation was related to the new base he was planning. Due to his recent lack of funds, Kojiro lent him a lot of money before leaving.
But he was a veteran of the Hundred Beasts Pirate Crew, a regular member within the crew who was among the first to receive the abilities granted by Arceus. Actually, his savings were exceptionally abundant, and unlike other pirates, he was always thinking about retiring safely or something like that.
So he had savings, but now it's completely depleted. The main reason was that he invested in an island.
Originally, the bridgehead of Hundred Beasts in the New World was primarily for military purposes, but there was not just one island there. Apart from the main island, there were other scattered small islands around.
In the past, those islands served as shooting ranges, warehouses, and such. He transformed the largest one nearby for better living. While others buy new homes, he directly bought an island.
Moreover, it was to transform an uninhabited island into a residential area suitable for amphibious living. Under this large-scale investment, his savings naturally got exhausted to the point he even threw in his last penny.
Originally, he had a second option. According to Otohime's idea, if he told the other party that the purpose of this island was to live with the Mermaids, the Dragon Palace Kingdom absolutely wouldn't mind investing, but he didn't.
The place was defined as his private residence, and letting others invest would change its nature.
The infrastructure capability in this world was quite strong; now that island had been mostly transformed, with the basic water and electricity facilities completed, it was ready to move in at any time.
Genesect had already reached the designated location; one of them was stationed on the island where he was located. He needed to go back and make some arrangements.
The place was just a two-day journey from Fishman Island; if he hurried, he could get back in half a day. As for why he wanted to bring Rushaka back with him, he believed that although the island he was stationed on had certain risks, it was definitely much safer than Fishman Island.
"But Sharley..."
"It's okay, just come along with me. I won't be at ease if you stay here. Although that place is on land, it's my territory, no one dares to cause trouble there."
The initial hype of the Sea Emperor had passed. Nowadays, many people on the sea understood a truth—the pirates who are called the Sea Emperor are not their stepping stones but an insurmountable mountain.
So situations where accidents occurred in the emperors' territories became increasingly rare, especially after that lone hero made them realize that giving offense to those Great Pirates would result in retribution they couldn't afford.
"Mandefish brother, your trip this time... may not be so smooth..."
Although not very fitting, Sharley still spoke the topic she saw looking at the scene in the Crystal Ball. Her divination accuracy was exceedingly high, so looking at it as a reference before going out was fine.
"Not smooth?"
"Though there is no issue with the result, you may not be too happy..."
After thinking for a while, Sharley still revealed what she saw.
"It's alright, Sharley, don't get too caught up with fortune-telling things. Our philosophy is not to believe in fate. If you are not satisfied with the foresight, what you need to do is change it rather than sitting like a cloud-watcher waiting for it to happen."
The philosophy of the Hundred Beasts Pirate Group was never to believe in that illusory fate; it was one of the beliefs Kaidou adhered to. It's impossible for the words of prophecy to make the Beasts abandon some thoughts.
Although Sharley's divination prophecy success rate was very high, there was a strange problem here. It might be exactly because she spoke out the prophecy that the person who heard it wanted to change the outcome, which finally caused the divination result to happen.
It's also possible that because she didn't say it out, everything proceeded according to the original trajectory, thus leading to the occurrence of the result.
In the end, Mandefish still took Rushaka to his new home. Even if the divination result was true, it would only make him less happy. After the incident last time, he increasingly distrusted the security environment of Fishman Island.
The Merfolk had a convenience that they didn't need to wait for ships; they could directly swim to the destination along the preset direction.
...
Beneath the sea, Mandefish, transformed into a Gyarados, was swimming towards the target island, with Rushaka keeping pace beside him. If it were not for the Eternal Pose in Mandefish's hands, and because Rushaka hadn't been there before, she could even go ahead; the speed of Mermen was not inferior to Gyarados.
However, they couldn't match him in stamina. After swimming for a while, he let the two ride on his back.
As the night was about to fall, Mandefish also brought Rushaka back to his area, marking the first time the two Mermaids stepped on land.