The Thousand Sunny slowly sailed into the Mermaid Kingdom's harbor.
Before they even reached the shore, an unprecedented air of bustle and prosperity washed over them.
Countless colorful ribbons and flags hung above the harbor, snapping in the sea breeze.
The flags bore the Mermaid Kingdom's national emblem.
A gull with outstretched wings and a fish-man leaping from the water symbolized freedom and equality.
At the harbor entrance stood a massive stone monument, engraved with the same sentence in several languages:
Here, merfolk, fish-men, and humans share the same sky.
"Wow! There are so many people!"
Luffy stood at the bow, his eyes wide as he took in the magnificent sight.
The harbor was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder.
Beautiful mermaids with fish tails and skin as fair as jade sat on specially designed water tracks, gliding gracefully through the crowds.
Burly, muscular fish-men carried enormous loads of cargo, cheerfully haggling with the human merchants around them.
Countless human visitors from all over the world excitedly snapped photographs of everything around them.
Here, there was no discrimination, no divide.
Merfolk, fish-men, and humans truly coexisted as equals.
"So this is... the Mermaid Kingdom..."
Nami murmured to herself, her eyes filled with awe.
The Thousand Sunny slowly docked.
The moment they stepped onto the harbor, the lively atmosphere engulfed them.
Stalls of every description lined both sides of the streets.
Mermaid vendors sold deep-sea pearls and coral jewelry, their lilting voices as lovely as heavenly music.
An older fish-man sold roasted meat from giant sea kings, its mouthwatering aroma drawing long lines of hungry customers.
Street performers in splendid outfits demonstrated aquatic acrobatics unique to merfolk and fish-men, earning wave after wave of cheers from the spectators.
Huge banners hung above the streets, reading:
"Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the