Restless Night

The mermaid ladies chattered to Bright, explaining what had happened today.

It was actually quite simple.

Mermaid Cove was the most scenic place on Fish-Man Island, with blue skies, white clouds, and beaches. It was a place where a large number of mermaids often gathered, a paradise for them.

But today, several female mermaids had gone missing there. Their friends said they had only separated for a moment, but they never saw them return.

The news instantly spread throughout the entire Fish-Man Island.

Fish-Man Island had a population of five million, and the reason the news of a few disappearances reached everyone's ears so quickly was that the incident severely challenged the nerves of both fishmen and mermaids.

Slavery, human trafficking.

These were things Fish-Man Island absolutely could not tolerate.

For hundreds of years, too much blood had been shed because of them.

"The army is mobilizing immediately."

Miss Mirian's mermaid tail transformed into human legs. She hugged her daughter tightly, saying with lingering fear, "They're immediately launching a search of all human ships that have just entered Fish-Man Island."

Mermaid Cove, where the incident occurred, was near the mermaid apartment where they lived, so it was no wonder they were so frightened.

"What was the result?"

Bright asked.

"They didn't find anything."

Sharly shook her head. "Instead, there were quite a few conflicts with the humans, nearly coming to blows on the spot. While restraint is being maintained overall, the situation is tense."

"Mom, will we see Sister Dyna again?"

Nana pouted, her eyes still red, clearly having just cried.

Miss Mirian's expression turned somber, and she silently held her daughter a little tighter.

One of the mermaids who disappeared today was her friend.

Bright frowned. "Were they hidden away?"

He looked at Sharly. "Sharly, what about divination?"

If they couldn't find the mermaids through scientific means, then they would use mystical ones.

This was where Sharly's divination abilities could come in handy.

"I already tried."

Sharly said, "I could only see them locked in some dark room. I couldn't see anything clearly, only hear their cries."

"I see."

Bright frowned.

This was the downside of Sharly's divination. Normally, even when divining a specific matter, the result obtained was only a random fragment of the future.

For example, in the original story, she mistakenly believed Straw Hat Kid would destroy Fish-Man Island.

Furthermore, she needed a catalyst to pinpoint a target in the vast future. She could divine for the missing mermaids she knew, but she couldn't directly divine for kidnappers whose identities she didn't know at all.

This made things troublesome. A dark room? That wasn't a clue at all.

"I can't help."

Sharly was a bit dejected.

"No, at least we can be sure that they won't be harmed for a while."

Bright said, "Fish-Man Island should be under lockdown. The kidnappers can't leave. As long as they are rescued in time, it will be fine."

"Bright,"

Sharly pursed her lips. "Four mermaids went missing today, but the crying I heard was more than that number."

"..."

Bright frowned deeply.

In other words--

"More mermaids are going to be kidnapped!!"

A mermaid lady exclaimed in terror. "Who will be next!"

"Humans, why do they always do such things!! Do they only bring fear?"

The mermaid ladies were no longer their usual cheerful and lively selves.

At this moment, all they showed was panic.

They were right, more mermaids would be kidnapped.

Kidnapped while the entire Fish-Man Island was under strict surveillance.

What were the soldiers of Ryugu Palace doing?

Or, was there another hidden reason?

Bright intended to speak with Jinbe.

He couldn't just stand by and watch this happen, could he?

He had promised Brother Arlong he would protect Fish-Man Island.

But when he looked at the mermaid ladies, they were all terrified and trembling.

It wouldn't be good to leave now.

The Mermaid Cafe was indeed famous throughout Fish-Man Island.

"Bright,"

Sharly called him. He turned his head and saw the young woman speak earnestly, "Just do what you need to do. Do you remember that fortune-telling session we had before?"

"I told you, I saw a wonderful future."

Bright paused slightly.

Then he smiled faintly, "I understand."

Meaning, in that wonderful future, everyone in the shop is present?

He stood up. "Well then, I'm going to Fish-Man District to find Brother Jinbe first."

"Huh? Are you leaving, little brother?"

The mermaids exclaimed in alarm.

"No, please don't go! We're scared when you're not here."

"That's right, that's right! We only feel safe when you're around..."

"Alright, let him go."

At a crucial moment, Sharly said sternly, "He has things he needs to do. Everyone will rest here tonight. The army has been patrolling, and I don't think anyone would dare cause trouble on Coral Hill."

Coral Hill was the most prosperous port town on Fish-Man Island.

Prosperity usually meant importance.

"Okay."

The mermaids nodded reluctantly, their faces full of grievance.

"Then, I'm off."

Bright looked at Sharly.

Sharly gently nodded, "Have a safe trip."

Leaving the Mermaid Cafe, Bright didn't run to Fish-Man District; he took the water road.

This was a network of pipes built by Fish-Man Island's bubble craftsmen above the island. The pipes carried fast-flowing water, allowing for rapid travel across Fish-Man Island.

Using the water road, Bright quickly returned to Fish-Man District and went to find Jinbe immediately.

When he arrived at Jinbe's home, the place was brightly lit, and members of the Sun Pirates had already gathered there.

"Bright! You're here at the perfect time!"

Jinbe said with pleasant surprise upon seeing Bright, "I was just about to look for you!"

"I already know what's going on, Brother Jinbe. What do you plan to do?"

Bright got straight to the point.

"Before we talk about what to do,"

Jinbe took a deep breath, "Just now, we received news that two more mermaids have gone missing."

Bright's eyes widened.

They're this brazen?

"The entire Fish-Man Island is in an uproar now, almost every mermaid feels endangered."

Jinbe said with some worry, "We need to find the culprit as soon as possible."

Bright nodded.

It was like when he heard about child traffickers near his home in his past life; he felt like anyone he saw on the street could abduct him.

Before Bright could ask Jinbe about his next plans, a Fishman ran over in a panic.

"Something's happened outside, Brother Jinbe!"

"Humans are running rampant on Fish-Man Island!!"

A blue Fishman stood on a rooftop and shouted loudly, "Our kin have been harmed by them again!!"

"There are always those among us who call for peaceful treatment of humans, for peaceful coexistence with them!"

"But the truth is, in their eyes, we are nothing but slaves and commodities!!"

He spoke passionately, he cried out loudly, his words almost dripping with blood, "Our dignity is trampled, our loved ones are violated!!"

"But the soldiers of Ryugu Palace are like decorations! Just now, two more pitiful compatriots were kidnapped by humans! And the soldiers are tolerating humans everywhere!"

"Compatriots—"

Bright and Jinbe stood in the distance, watching the man's speech.

Below the speaker, the Fishmen gathered there were filled with rage, roaring like a mountain tsunami, venting their emotions.

One thing that must be understood is that the Fishmen from the Fish-Man District have very low levels of education, and they are all quite hot-tempered.

Centuries of hatred, coupled with the current rampant kidnappers, only needed a little incitement, and the powder keg would instantly explode.

Many Fishmen didn't care which Mermaid was kidnapped; they were simply angry because despicable humans were running rampant on Fish-Man Island!

"It's Hody's people."

Bright said.

He was no stranger to the blue Fishman; he had beaten him up many times since childhood.

He was one of Hody's subordinates.

"That guy, does he want to seize this opportunity to provoke conflict with humans?"

Jinbe frowned.

From Fish-Man Island's perspective, although this behavior was extreme, it wasn't entirely wrong.

Is he really just seizing this opportunity?

Bright's eyes were solemn.

Hody, could it be that you've been behind all of this from the very beginning?

"Make the humans pay the price!!"

The blue Fishman roared.

"Make them pay the price!!"

Someone in the crowd responded first, followed by a roaring chorus like a mountain tsunami.

Under the guidance of certain individuals, a group numbering in the thousands was about to surge out of the Fish-Man District and head towards the port.

"Brother Jinbe, things are going to get a bit troublesome now."

Bright said.

Although he didn't know what Hody was up to, it certainly wasn't anything good.

If Hody appears today, he must be killed.

"Contact Ryugu Palace!"

Jinbe said worriedly, "At this time, King Neptune must personally intervene."

It's not easy to stop this situation. Should he step forward and tell them to leave it to the soldiers of Ryugu Palace with confidence?

The current situation is that Mermaids are still being kidnapped even after increased security!

Only the leader of this country can stand up and give a promise.

Above the Fish-Man Island bubble, in a place surrounded by another smaller bubble, stood the royal palace of the Ryugu Kingdom, Ryugu Palace.

"What?"

The enormous Fishman with a thick orange beard, the king of this country, the man known as the Knight of the Sea, Neptune, exclaimed in shock, "There's a riot in the Fish-Man District? The Fishmen are heading towards the port?"

"Bad things really come one after another!"

The King shouted, "Mobilize the soldiers to maintain order, and I will go there personally!"

His Majesty the King, along with the soldiers, rushed out in the middle of the night.

Even the entire Ryugu Palace fell silent.

"Jahahaha, finally, it's quiet. It seems this level is enough; there's no need to go any further."

Then, someone who had been hiding quietly for a long time skillfully made their way to a hidden part of the palace.

"It's done."

Please give some votes at the end of the month, big bosses