Prophecy

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Mobius's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally spoke tentatively.

"Could something have gone wrong? How about we try again?"

"Mm!"

Shyarly nodded. She wanted to confirm it too!

Mobius placed his hand on it again, and Shyarly closed her eyes once more and began to divine the future.

Half a minute later, Shyarly opened her eyes, pressed her lips together, lowered her head, then shook it.

"Still... I didn't see anything."

Mobius took a deep breath. Although Shyarly was huge and carried herself with the air of a mature beauty, she was still only fourteen years old!

There was something wrong with these cards! He wanted to check the deck!!!

"Let's confirm it one last time."

Mobius made one final stand. He had suddenly remembered that people could grow up—Shyarly would grow up.

"I came here because I think Fish-Man Island might undergo some changes in the future. Could you take a look at what might happen here?"

"And Fisher Tiger—I heard he's a famous figure around here. You could divine his future while you're at it."

"Big Brother Tiger! How do you know about him? Is he coming back?"

Shyarly abruptly raised her head, excitement written across her face. Big Brother Tiger had been the benefactor of both her and her lousy brother. If not for Big Brother Tiger, she would still have been wandering the Fish-Man District.

Shyarly's voice was not quiet, and it alerted every mermaid in the Mermaid Cafe.

For a moment, numerous gazes turned toward them, the mermaids' eyes filled with concern.

Tiger was not merely the big brother of the Fish-Man District. Throughout all of Fish-Man Island, he was equally renowned and respected by both fish-men and merfolk.

Word of Tiger's return had not spread yet?

Mobius was puzzled, but when he thought of what Tiger had just done, it no longer seemed strange. Perhaps Tiger did not want to drag Fish-Man Island into it.

"He should be coming back, but it won't exactly be good news. You can try divining it first."

Come to think of it, Tiger and his group had a slight connection to Mobius's own web of relationships.

Mobius remembered that after Tiger's death, the remnants of the Sun Pirates he had formed were wiped out by his old uncle, Borsalino.

Shyarly immediately closed her eyes and touched the crystal ball. She wanted to see exactly what had happened...

!!!

A dragon roared. Pirates invaded. Tremors. A white-bearded flag fluttered over the island. The sun. A ship. Blood loss...

"No... don't let this happen..."

Shyarly had not opened her eyes, yet tears were already rolling down her cheeks in huge drops.

"Big Brother Tiger... don't die!"

She had seen it. Big Brother Tiger lay in a pool of blood, beyond saving!

"Shyarly!"

The owner rushed over and wrapped her arms around Shyarly, terror on her face.

What had she heard? Shyarly said... Big Brother Tiger was going to die!?

Mobius instinctively licked his lips. For some reason, the girl before him suddenly possessed a kind of numerical beauty. Was this the power of a prophet?

She had directly divined Tiger's death.

Tearfully opening her eyes, Shyarly's vision was blurred, but she still looked toward Mobius.

"Please, help me. Help Big Brother Tiger, and Fish-Man Island too!"

"Me?"

Mobius pointed at himself. What did this have to do with him?

"I saw it. You can help Big Brother Tiger. You're very strong!"

Shyarly said breathlessly, her words nearly incoherent. That fleeting glimpse of Tiger's death had left her feeling as though she had fallen into an icy abyss, cold to her very core.

"I'm sorry, guests. Something has happened here, so we need to close for a while. Sorry, sorry."

The owner held Shyarly while directing the girls in the cafe to clear the place out.

Mobius was the only human guest there. The other merfolk were also stunned, unable to believe what they had heard.

Only when the mermaid girls urged them did they slowly leave.

"Sir, could I trouble you to stay? We may need to ask something of you."

The owner addressed Mobius, worry spreading across her features.

Mobius looked at Shyarly, considered the future for a moment, and decisively nodded.

"Of course."

It seemed he had successfully unlocked a dungeon.

The Mermaid Cafe's doors were tightly shut. As the crowd dispersed, word began to spread, stirring up a storm.

Inside the cafe, Shyarly had finally calmed down somewhat. She left the owner's embrace, though her eyes were still red.

All kinds of mermaids gathered around her, their faces full of concern.

"Little Shyarly, what exactly happened?"

"I saw... a terrible future."

Shyarly sniffled and spoke slowly.

"Big Brother Tiger encountered an accident."

When it came to seeing the future, Shyarly could witness specific events, but she could not grasp the exact timing. She needed to divine further.

It was like the birth of Poseidon. The first time Shyarly divined it, she only learned that such a being existed. Only after further divination did she determine the time of its birth.

After sniffling for a while, Shyarly finally explained everything.

This included the pirate invasion that would happen soon, Fish-Man Island gaining a flag, Big Brother Tiger building a ship and setting sail, and then dying overseas.

These were all events yet to happen, but Shyarly could not tell when exactly they would occur.

She needed to divine further, but Shyarly's mind was in complete turmoil right now. She simply could not do it.

The mermaids' expressions changed drastically. For ordinary workers like them, this was simply too explosive a situation, leaving them utterly at a loss.

At last, Shyarly looked at Mobius with pleading eyes. He was the one she was hoping for most right now.

"Do you know what happened?"

"I know a little."

Mobius took out the newspapers and wanted poster he had prepared and placed them on the table.

News reached Fish-Man Island far later than it did ordinary islands. There was no helping it—the News Coo could not fly ten thousand meters beneath the sea.

The moment they saw Tiger's wanted poster, the mermaids went pale with fright, scarcely daring to believe their eyes.

Only Shyarly, who already knew about it, picked up a newspaper and began reading the news.

Very soon, Shyarly understood everything.

"Big Brother Tiger freed slaves on the Red Line, then the World Government put out a bounty on him. He died because of the World Government!"

Shyarly's tone grew increasingly certain. It had to be. It had to be the World Government!

"Shyarly, what should we do?"

The owner was at a loss as well. Though she was socially adept when running the cafe, she was ultimately just an ordinary commoner.

Wiping away her tears, Shyarly's thoughts were tangled. It was not just Big Brother Tiger; there was also Fish-Man Island. Fortunately, Fish-Man Island's crisis would eventually be resolved perfectly.

As for Big Brother Tiger, she could not make a decision. Her strength was far too weak, and even her lousy brother could do nothing.

The only one who might be useful...

Shyarly thought of Ryugu Palace. She knew Lord Neptune, but he probably would not be able to do anything either.

Unless...

As one of the crossroads between the New World and the Grand Line, Fish-Man Island had seen countless pirates pass through.

Over the years, Neptune had built quite a few connections.

Shyarly had once attended a banquet Neptune held for the former legends—the Roger Pirates.

If they could contact them...

Shyarly's tears dried, and determination filled her eyes. She would never stand by and watch Big Brother Tiger die!

Besides, Fish-Man Island was unstable now as well. She had to go to Ryugu Palace and report the future danger to Lord Neptune.

Mobius, standing nearby, recalled that he had not seen the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates anywhere on his way here.

In other words, it was probably around this time that the Whitebeard Pirates left their flag on Fish-Man Island?

Based on Shyarly's keywords—dragon and tremors—Kaido and Whitebeard had at least both come here.

It looked like the future would be quite interesting~

"Mr. Mobius."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Mobius ended his idle musings and looked at Shyarly, who had come before him.

"Can you come with me?"

Shyarly asked hopefully. She had seen it too—the sight of Mobius fighting for Fish-Man Island!

"I can, since I don't have anything to do right now."

"But can you tell me what you plan to do next?"

"Go meet Lord Neptune and tell him about Fish-Man Island's future danger, and also..."

"Can you help?"

"I have no reason to act, you know~"

Mobius smiled mysteriously. But just as he was about to speak, Shyarly beat him to it.

"If you're willing to help, I... I can go with you."

"You need my divination ability, right?"

Shyarly lowered her head. Though embarrassed, she still said it. That was how prophets were—true greatness needed no explanation.

"Is that so?"

Mobius briefly closed his eyes and considered the future.

Shyarly joining him, Tiger's friendship, the support of a hundred thousand fish-men from the Fish-Man District, a connection with the future Seven Warlords of the Sea member Jinbe, the friendship of Neptune, king of Fish-Man Island, and even prestige across all of Fish-Man Island.

That was quite a lot of reasons~

"If you don't mind, I'll help Fish-Man Island, as well as Tiger. I admire him too."

Mobius flashed a brilliant smile. This was exactly when power ought to be used!

However, once he had spoken, Mobius was immediately met by the strange looks of the mermaids, as if they were saying that Shyarly was still just a child.

After thinking for a moment, Mobius stepped forward and patted Shyarly on the head. Under her puzzled gaze, he gently turned her back toward the others.

"Let me explain. I only need your divination ability."

"Yes, I only need..."

"Forget it. There's no need to explain such things. Justice is in the hearts of the people."

To avoid making things worse, Mobius decisively ended the topic.

Only the owner fell into thought. If she remembered correctly, Shyarly had said that she could not see Mobius's future.

Hmm~