Your Name

Among the slaves dressed in splendid clothing, one beautiful woman stood out in particular.

She was confined inside a glass sphere filled with water. Her fair skin shimmered faintly, soft blue fabric covered the top of her head, and her limpid eyes were heartbreakingly lovely. Her slender tail swayed gently. She was clearly a young mermaid.

Jin An was startled, but he quickly calmed down. He had not expected there to really be a mermaid at this auction. He studied the scene before him thoughtfully.

So... that Celestial Dragon outside came here because he received news about a mermaid?

The mermaid remained bound in place, her gaze revealing both a longing for freedom and helplessness. But Jin An did not linger on her beauty. After using Finger Pistol to shatter the glass enclosure, he opened all the cells without discrimination.

Then he left the area. He still had to remove everyone's restraints.

Freed from the glass sphere's confines, the mermaid took a deep breath of air. Though it reeked, she savored it as though it were sweet.

She swam freely through the water, then supported herself with her hands and lightly swept her tail across the surface. She left the water she had once been unable to escape, broke free of her restraints, and headed toward freedom.

The mermaid looked at Jin An gratefully, silently conveying her thanks.

Having done a good deed, Jin An felt a wave of satisfaction rise within him. He had always acted according to his own wishes. As long as it gave him peace of mind, he could do anything.

He freed these slaves only because he wanted them to live freely and choose their own lives. As for their safety after being released, that was beyond Jin An's concern.

"You're so weak. Get behind me and behave!"

"But..."

"No buts. Get out of the way like a good little girl! Otherwise, I'll break your legs."

The order of the line determined the order in which collars were removed. In their desperation to escape the threat to their lives, many people began entertaining crooked thoughts.

Hearing the discord coming from the queue, Jin An immediately frowned.

He could understand the thinking of such people, but understanding did not mean approval. He remembered the troublemaker, along with those who shared the same thoughts.

Someone behind the girl who had been cut in line pulled her back, signaling for her to endure it. "Don't provoke him. We can't beat him."

"We were all captured and brought here. Why is he still bullying people like this?" the girl asked in confusion.

They had all been imprisoned together, yet before they had even escaped this hellhole, people had already begun bullying one another.

This world did not care about any notion of shared hardship. To survive, the people here would do anything.

"Little girl, I'll remember you. Just wait until we get outside!" Under Jin An's gaze, the man left behind a threat before scurrying sheepishly toward the back.

"What you did was dangerous. Remember this: once you get out, run as fast as you can. That man definitely holds a grudge against you," the person behind the girl warned.

"..."

The girl stood there blankly. She did not know what she had done wrong. Since she was little, her father had taught her to be polite and obey the law.

She had always done exactly that, so why had she been captured and brought here? Why had that man been so vicious just now? Why...

Jin An began removing everyone's restraints.

The collars were not complicated in design. After studying the ones around Dragon and the others' necks, he had already grasped the method. Though there were many people here, once he became familiar with it, he finished nearly all of them in little time.

Those whose collars had been removed remained where they were. It was not that they did not want to leave, but that they did not know what was happening outside and did not dare to go.

"You can leave now." Jin An continued working. Only a few people remained.

"But... the guards outside..."

"As for the guards, they're all gone." Through his Observation Haki, Jin An could sense that only a handful of people in the auction house still had any presence.

One slightly braver person cautiously stepped out of the area where the slaves were held. After finding no danger, he quickly ran outside.

Two minutes later, the man ran back, unable to conceal the excitement on his face.

"Everyone, we can leave! All the guards outside are gone!"

After hearing him, those who had still been hesitating said nothing more and rushed straight for the exit, terrified that something might happen if they were too slow.

Once nearly everyone had fled, Jin An looked at the last person before him. "You're the last one. Be careful after you get out. Don't get captured by slave traders again."

"May I ask... could you tell me your name?" The mermaid who had remained until the end looked at the man who had saved her, anticipation gleaming brightly in her eyes.

Afraid that he might have concerns, she quickly added, "My name is Selena. I run a coffee shop on Fish-Man Island."

"Do you know what it means that I smashed this auction house?" Jin An asked in return.

Selena thought for a moment before answering, "You'll become a thorn in the side of the auction house and the people backing it."

Jin An rolled his eyes and teased, "You know that, yet you still ask my name? Are you planning to trade it for money?"

Selena became so anxious that tears nearly welled up in her eyes. She said aggrievedly, "I... I didn't mean that. I just really wanted to know your name."

This man had saved her life and left a deep impression on her heart. They might never meet again, but if she knew his name, then at least she would know who had saved her.

Jin An looked at the beautiful mermaid before him and felt somewhat moved. He had saved so many people, yet in the end, she was the only one willing to ask his name.

"Jin An." Jin An gave his name. Mermaids might dislike humans, but they cared deeply about keeping their word, so there was nothing wrong with revealing his real name.

Besides, he had a certain fondness for mermaids who ran coffee shops. The people of Fish-Man Island twenty-some years later had left Jin An with a good impression. They valued loyalty and friendship and were always willing to help others.

Moreover, the shop owner and the woman before him were both great blue shark mermaids. Perhaps they were related.

Maybe if he passed through Fish-Man Island in the future, he could even have Shyarly tell his fortune for free. Unfortunately, Shyarly did not seem to have been born yet. Otherwise, taking a trip to Fish-Man Island now would not have been a bad idea.

"I will remember your life-saving grace for the rest of my life. If you ever come to Fish-Man Island, please be sure to visit me at the coffee shop. I will do my best as your host."

After Selena bowed to Jin An, she leaned forward and rested her head against his leg, waiting for him to remove her shackles.

Jin An located the collar and skillfully removed it from Selena's neck. Then he gave a light cough.

"So soon?" Selena lightly moved her head away, her face faintly flushed.

Jin An rubbed his nose. "The air here is bad. Let's get out first..."

"You go ahead." Selena looked at her tail. "I'll leave later."

Jin An also realized that mermaids found it very inconvenient to move on land, but it would be unsafe to leave her here alone.

"I'll carry you out." Determined to see the good deed through, Jin An gritted his teeth, crouched down, and asked Selena.

Selena wrapped her arms around Jin An's neck and curled up in his embrace.

She let out a whisper as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Mm... please..."