This story is completed and available for free on p@reon. And There will be A Mega release of 10 chapters every 2 days.
[email protected]/Heroicverse
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Just then, Auguro remembered something. Fish-Man Island possessed a Poneglyph, didn't it?
Perhaps he could have Robin come over to examine it. However, since it was considered a national treasure of Fish-Man Island, he needed to get King Neptune's permission first.
He mentioned the matter to Jimbei, who, unwilling to act on his own authority, immediately left to inform Neptune.
Auguro wasn't bothered by the delay. He felt Neptune would most likely agree. After all, the Poneglyph held no practical value for Fish-Man Island.
While waiting for Jimbei to return, Shyarly led the group to a pavilion to sit down. Merfolk gathered around, curiously observing the visiting humans, inadvertently creating a beautiful scene of diverse styles and vibrant beauty.
Auguro took a sip of the local bay-side beverage—sweet and sour, perfectly refreshing.
He glanced at Shyarly and spoke slowly, "Madam Shyarly, there is something I must inform you."
"Your brother, Arlong, is dead. He died by my hand."
An immediate silence fell over the scene.
Nami's eyes widened instantly. The Arlong who had oppressed her hometown was Madam Shyarly's brother!
Nami looked at Auguro with concern. This was the murder of a relative! She desperately hoped Madam Shyarly would be rational. If she sought revenge, the consequences were obvious: Fish-Man Island would face disaster.
To Nami's relief, Shyarly did not display an expression of grief or seething hatred. Instead, her face held a look of quiet affirmation, as if saying, "I knew it."
Shyarly spoke slowly, "When Arlong left home all those years ago, I already foresaw this ending."
Nami's mouth twitched. She just accepted reality that easily?
Shyarly continued, "Arlong's ideology was too dangerous! He preached the supremacy of Fish-Men, but he never considered: if that were true, how could we have been trapped on Fish-Man Island for centuries?"
"When he went to the surface, he was bound to provoke people he shouldn't have. This fate was sealed long ago."
Auguro secretly marveled at her composure. It truly was the mark of someone who could foresee the future; she accepted certain outcomes incredibly fast.
Of course, a very important factor was that Shyarly's relationship with Arlong was quite distant. Their philosophies had always been polar opposites.
Shyarly had always strongly disapproved of the violent atmosphere of the Fish-Man District. Thus, once she grew up, she moved to the Coral Hill, where the merfolk lived, completely separating herself from Arlong. Though they were blood relatives, their bond was only slightly stronger than that of strangers.
"If the people in the Fish-Man District understood that logic, Fish-Man Island wouldn't have so many problems," Auguro commented.
Once he officially took Fish-Man Island under his wing, the Fish-Man District would definitely be demolished. If anyone resisted, he would make sure those Fish-Men understood why they were restricted to living in a dark trench.
Soon after, Jimbei returned. Just as Auguro had predicted, Neptune had agreed to the request to view the Poneglyph.
In fact, it was more accurate to say he was secretly delighted for Auguro to go see it. The Poneglyph was located deep within the Sea Forest, very far from the port!
Neptune instructed Jimbei to stall for as much time as possible. If they could keep Auguro there until the Big Mom Pirates left, so much the better!
The Sea Forest was a secluded, rarely visited area of Fish-Man Island. It originally held two Poneglyphs: one was the apology letter from Joy Boy, and the other recorded the coordinates for the Final Island, Laugh Tale.
Sadly, now only Joy Boy's apology letter remained. Auguro asked Jimbei about the location of the Road Poneglyph, but Jimbei didn't know anything, saying it had simply disappeared one day. Since the Sea Forest wasn't heavily guarded, no one knew who might have stolen it.
Auguro wasn't particularly concerned. He held little interest in the so-called Final Island.
Opening a Senkaimon (World Gate), Robin stepped out. Knowing there was a Poneglyph here, she was incredibly excited.
Upon seeing the Senkaimon, Jimbei and Shyarly were both startled. Was that a Devil Fruit ability?
To be able to transport someone directly from the surface world to the deep sea!
If someone used this ability to attack Fish-Man Island, their strategic advantage of being ten thousand meters underwater would be completely nullified!
Auguro saw their apprehension and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry! This is a unique power mastered exclusively by our Holy Spirit Empire!"
"And without the host's permission, we would never just barge into someone's home."
Jimbei felt a slight sense of relief with Auguro's assurance. Since he used the ability openly in front of them, it likely meant he had no ill intentions.
Not long after, Robin finished interpreting the Poneglyph. It was indeed Joy Boy's apology letter. It rambled on about apologies and regrets but contained no concrete information.
She reported to the group, "This is a letter of apology signed by Joy Boy. But the specific contents are very vague; it doesn't specify who he is or what he is apologizing for."
"Joy Boy? Apology?" Jimbei and Shyarly blinked, confused. Even the Fish-Men were mostly unaware of this historical period.
Auguro shrugged, taking over the explanation.
"It's simple! This Joy Boy promised to lead Fish-Man Island back to the surface, but he failed, so he wrote this letter of apology."
"How do you know that?" Robin was stunned. The apology letter was extremely vague about the events of that time, containing no specifics!
Once again, she was reminded of the incredible depth of Auguro's knowledge about the world. Even the scholars of Ohara would pale in comparison!
"Returning to the surface? Easier said than done!" Jimbei shook his head, clearly dismissing Joy Boy's promise.
Auguro shook his head in response.
"No! In fact, that era was the best opportunity for Fish-Man Island to return to the surface! It was Joy Boy who ultimately ruined it!"
"What?" Jimbei and Shyarly were shocked. Hadn't Joy Boy apologized because he failed to keep his promise? How could he have ruined the opportunity for Fish-Man Island to rise to the surface?
Auguro considered this. These two were not outsiders, so telling them wouldn't hurt.
"The reason Joy Boy made that promise to the Mermaid Princess was that the Princess of that time wielded a power capable of shaking the world!"
Auguro looked at the others, emphasizing every word:
"One of the Three Ancient Weapons: Poseidon!"
Poseidon, the Sea King, belonged to Fish-Man Island! Jimbei and Shyarly were deeply shaken by this revelation.
Auguro then dropped an even bigger bombshell:
"Because of the connections to Pluton and Uranus, the world believes Poseidon is also a weapon. But in reality, Poseidon is the Mermaid Princess herself! Because she possesses the ability to command the Sea Kings!"
"And Joy Boy's agreement, which seemed to be helping the Mermaid Princess, was actually a way of restricting her!"