Joy Boy's Apology Letter

"So, Queen Otohime was actually assassinated by that guy named Hody, and then the blame was placed on a human?"

The seawater Ryugu Palace is receding rapidly.

After closing the Water Road and then opening the sluice gates, the entire Ryugu Palace immediately became dry again.

Of course, it will take a long time to clean up this mess.

Sirius and his friends were chatting, talking about the truth that Shirahoshi had finally revealed four years ago, which had been covered up.

"Yes," Sirius said, "He assassinated the Queen in order to prevent the relationship between humans and Fish-Man Island from improving."

"And before Queen Otohime died, she told Shirahoshi not to reveal this matter, until just now."

That kind-hearted Queen, who didn't even want to hold anyone accountable for killing her own people, probably never imagined that Hody would pin the blame on humanity before she died.

The hatred between the two sides not only failed to fade, but actually deepened.

Yamato exclaimed in surprise, "What a despicable fellow! Why would he do something like this?"

He seemed very confused.

"Because of hatred."

Jack said calmly, "I can understand some of it."

"Indeed, it's quite normal for Fish-Man and mermaids to harbor hatred towards humans."

Sirius patted his good brother's leg reassuringly.

He certainly wouldn't forget the story Jack told him about his past on the very first day they met.

My good brother's father and mother both died at the hands of human slave traders.

The story between humans and Fish-Man is very complex and cannot be explained in just a few words.

However, one thing is certain: the inhabitants of Fish-Man Island have reason to hate humans.

Since we have suffered immense hardship throughout our long history, there is no reason for us to act as if nothing happened, right?

We can't expect victims to learn forgiveness, can we?

"But that's none of our business."

Jack said calmly.

The slave traders who harmed his parents were already dead.

He wasn't so bored as to escalate this hatred.

He's currently just a member of the Sirius Pirates.

He didn't care about Fish-Man Island; his biggest obsession with this place was to come back and visit.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with us?"

Sirius laughed too.

Whether he persecuted Fish-Man and mermaids or not is of course none of his business.

Therefore, when attacked by the Fish-Man, Sirius felt he had every right to defend himself and retaliate.

"So, is it time to leave?" Luo asked.

"No rush, there's one more place I'd like to visit."

Sirius Road.

"Oh!"

Yamato's eyes lit up. "It's a stone!"

Sirius nodded with a smile.

Both the stories Oden told and the manga he read in his previous life tell Sirius that there are stones on Fish-Man Island.

Although he knew that the stone on Fish-Man Island contained Joy Boy's letter of apology to the Mermaid Princess, Sirius still wanted to see what was recorded in detail.

There was nothing to hide, Sirius went directly to Neptune.

Neptune was somewhat taken aback; he didn't know why Sirius knew that the Poneglyph existed on Fish-Man Island.

But since Sirius had already spoken, he couldn't very well refuse.

He said, "It just so Shirahoshi also wants to visit her mother in the Sea Forest, so please come with us, Mr. Sirius."

Sirius turned his head and saw Princess Shirahoshi hiding in the corner of the palace, looking timidly in his direction.

It seems that the little princess has never left that Hard Shell Tower since four years ago.

After being rejected by that perverted Vander Deacon, he used his abilities to harass her by throwing weapons at her every day.

To protect his daughter, Neptune had no choice but to lock her in a sturdy tower; it seems Shirahoshi was even unable to attend her mother's funeral.

Now that Vander Deacon is dead, the little princess can finally go see her mother.

"Then let's take the Sirius."

Sirius extended the invitation.

Neptune did not refuse.

So Neptune, along with his two sons, the Shirahoshi family, and Jinbe, who served as their bodyguard, boarded the Sirius.

Immediately afterwards, the large ship took off and, guided by Neptune, headed straight towards the Sea Forest.

"It's flying!"

The little princess was amazed. "Are all ships at sea like this?"

"He's handsome, isn't he?"

Yamato and said, "The Sirius is an important partner of ours!"

"Eh! Really?"

Shirahoshi was surprised.

"He's been on so many adventures with us!"

"An adventure?"

They had a very pleasant conversation.

There was a feeling of instant connection, even though Yamato was more than twice the age of Shirahoshi.

Perhaps it's because their face shapes are similar?

The Sea Forest is also located outside Fish-Man Island, and it also requires crossing a body of water.

However, this posed no problem whatsoever for the Sirius, which was capable of diving.

Soon, they arrived at the Sea Forest composed of numerous enormous coral reefs.

"Then, Jinbe, I'll trouble you to take Mr. Sirius to the stone."

Neptune said, "I'll take Shirahoshi to see his mother."

"Good."

Jinbe nodded.

So Jinbe became the one who guided them next.

The Sea Forest was quite vast, but it was clearly no match for the speed of the Sirius.

Before long, an open space appeared in front of Sirius and his group.

In the center of this open space stands a huge rock, quietly.

The Sirius landed, and everyone disembarked.

"There really is a stone?" Luo examined the Poneglyph, naturally unable to understand it at all.

"So Sirius, what's written on this?"

Yamato asked expectantly.

Sirius looked at the stone.

Fish-Man Island originally had two Poneglyph.

This stone, which contains a letter of apology from Joy Boy, is one of them.

But there is something even more important: one of the four Poneglyph is missing.

It was probably when the Whitebeard Pirates took over the island that Neptune gave it as a gift to his elder brother.

In this way, the tracks of all four stones have been located.

There's one piece with Teacher Kaido in Wano Country, one piece with Charlotte Big Mom, and one piece on the elephant's back.

Everything's ready.

While thinking about these random things, Sirius diligently translated the Ancient Text.

"Tsk."

After reading the entire text, Sirius smacked his lips.

"What's wrong?"

Maria sensed something was off about Sirius's expression.

Sirius said with a hint of smugness, "This is the apology letter Joy Boy wrote to the Mermaid Princess back then."

"Joy Boy?" Yamato's eyes lit up. "The Joy Boy that Rayleigh mentioned?"

"The Mermaid Princess? An apology letter?" Luo raised an eyebrow.

Judging from Sirius's expression, I can almost smell gossip in there.

"Etc!"

Jinbe was greatly astonished. "Mr. Sirius, you can read Ancient Text?"

People reacted differently, so what exactly was recorded on the stone?

Sirius began translating the text he had written down for his friends, word by word.

It starts with, "[My dearest Mermaid Princess, my beloved.]"

Joy Boy apologized to the Mermaid Princess primarily for two things.

The first thing was that the promise to move Fish-Man Island to the surface of the sea, so that Fish-Man and mermaids could also bask in the sunlight and coexist harmoniously with humans, could not be fulfilled.

The second thing is that they failed to fulfill their promise to stay together and spend the rest of their lives together.

The first thing was something Leus had anticipated, after all, the Ark Noah existed specifically for this purpose.

But the second thing was truly unexpected.

"So, are Joy Boy and the Mermaid Princess a couple?"

Maria exclaimed in surprise.

"More or less."

Sirius nodded.

I never expected to eat a melon that's eight hundred years old.

"Joy Boy and the Mermaid Princess are a couple?"

Luo grinned and looked at Sirius, "Well, Captain—"

"No way!"

Yamato snorted, "Sirius wouldn't!"

"Right!" She looked at Sirius.

I've never seen this idiot so perceptive before.

Sirius chuckled. "Didn't I already say I'd never become some kind of Joy Boy?"

"Then, Mr. Sirius," Jinbe asked curiously, "Why didn't Joy Boy keep his promise?"

"Because they failed."

Sirius replied, "They were utterly defeated in a war that determined the future of the world."

"At the end of the apology letter, Joy Boy said,"

"It's all over now, they're powerless, but it's not over yet. In the future, there will surely be those who inherit their will and start another war."

He said, "Let's save the appointment for that time."

"Ah, so it's really going to be that Joy Boy from this era will take his place and live happily ever after with the Mermaid Princess?" Luo said with a grin.

Then his face immediately froze.

"..."

Yamato turned her head away, glaring at him angrily.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Sirius couldn't help but burst into laughter, and affectionately put his arm around Yamato's shoulder.

"I've already said it, I'm not Joy Boy."