Underworld and Snowflakes

Perhaps because of Roger's influence, although Scopper Gaban was intelligent most of the time, he would occasionally let his mind go blank.

After handing Loki's matters entirely over to Mobius, Scopper Gaban simply dusted off his hands and left, dragging Rayleigh off for another round of drinking and sparring, leaving only the two of them behind.

Shyarly hugged the incomplete book and looked at Mobius tentatively. "So, are we going to find that Loki now?"

"Yes."

Mobius nodded, already considering how to fool—well... persuade Loki.

"Together?"

"Mhm."

Shyarly nodded. Her long fish tail floated in the air within its bubble coating, swaying back and forth.

Setting aside that cursed prince, Shyarly herself was also very interested in Elbaf, especially the so-called Underworld.

"Mobius, Scopper Gaban said the Underworld is covered in wind and snow. What is snow? Is it like those huge chunks of ice we saw at sea a few days ago?"

"Yes, but not exactly."

"Snow is frozen water too, but it's much softer and lighter, and the wind can carry it away."

"Oh~"

Having spent her whole life on Fish-Man Island, Shyarly had never seen snow before. She was filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Mobius patiently explained it in a way Shyarly could understand.

Then he reached into his body and pulled two thick sets of cotton clothing and a map of the Giant Kingdom from the darkness.

"Shyarly, put on more clothes. Snow is very cold, and there's wind down there too~"

"Mhm."

The Dark-Dark Fruit was useful for sealing ability users, but what Mobius liked even more was this storage ability he could use anytime, anywhere.

Holding the map he had taken from the giant earlier, Mobius led Shyarly toward the Underworld.

After growing up, Loki had built himself a room in the Underworld and settled there. Other than occasionally visiting Ida, he basically lived amid the ice and snow.

The reason was simple. Only in the Underworld did Loki have a group of friends.

Crunch... crunch...

The Underworld truly lived up to its name. It resembled the legendary realm of the dead, with thick snow piled into a white plain that made loud sounds beneath their feet.

Cold, snow, gale-force winds.

Those were the first three labels that sprang to Mobius's mind upon arriving.

Shyarly had been excited when she first touched the icy snowflakes, but after a while, her body was nearly curled into a ball, and even her shark tail had coiled into a mosquito-repellent spiral.

"I told you, snow is beautiful, but it's dangerous too, especially in a place like this."

Mobius patted Shyarly on the head. Earlier, she had claimed she wasn't afraid of the cold, saying merfolk could swim swiftly even through the freezing deep sea, and she had not even wanted to wear extra cotton clothes. Now she was practically freezing into a salted fish.

"I-I didn't expect this... I thought snowflakes would be like the deep sea..."

Shyarly sniffled, her little face pale. The heat loss brought by the wind and snow had far exceeded her imagination.

"Don't freeze~"

After warning her, Mobius raised his hand, and a faint warm orange glow lit up.

"Huh!?"

Shyarly abruptly looked up. Sensing the warmth, she immediately leaned closer.

"What is this!?"

The Heat-Heat Fruit's power activated. Mobius became a furnace, generously radiating warmth in every direction.

Shyarly's fish tail immediately relaxed, winding around Mobius as though circling him. She basked in the light and heat, the cold driven away as delight appeared on her face.

"So warm~"

Thanks to the fruit brought by the Charlotte brothers, the power of fire and heat was simply too useful.

"Feeling better now?"

Mobius smiled at Shyarly and handed her a handkerchief.

It was not just the chill on her body that had melted. The frozen snot on her face had melted too, and now it was dripping down in clumps.

Shyarly took the handkerchief with an embarrassed laugh and hurriedly wiped her face clean, her cheeks flushing red.

On the frozen earth, a tiny spark appeared abruptly. Its warmth not only pleased Shyarly, but also attracted more prying eyes.

"Roar..."

Heavy breathing sounded out. Some enormous creatures seemed to have been drawn over, making the air far more stifling and dense.

Shyarly had still been comfortably warming herself when she suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

Looking up, she saw gigantic beasts, each as large as a mountain.

Woolly mammoths, enormous three-horned snakes, giant apes with pointed heads, massive white bears, and colossal black wolves with lion-like manes...

They emerged from the wind, snow, and frozen ground. The ordinary trees of the Underworld could not even cover their calves.

The giant ape could casually uproot a tree like pulling weeds, then crush it between its hands as easily as kneading paper.

The scent of beasts surged toward them in unison, mingling together in strange harmony.

All kinds of gazes settled on Mobius. Some were filled with curiosity, some with faint hostility, but all held the same trace of prying desire.

The pursuit of light and warmth was etched into the genes of most living creatures, especially these giant beasts that almost permanently dwelled in the Underworld.

Shyarly's breath caught slightly, but her mind had not entirely stopped working. She could not be afraid. She had seen Sea Kings before while swimming.

Mobius swept his gaze over them, amusement in his eyes. He could sense Loki's presence on these giant beasts.

"Shyarly."

"Huh?"

He reached out and pulled Shyarly into his arms. Scales appeared over Mobius's body, while several crimson Flame Clouds appeared beneath his feet.

In his dragon-man form, Mobius flew toward the giant beasts. His pressure spread outward and struck directly at their auras, making them reveal alarm.

Shyarly froze. She blankly looked at Mobius, then at the terrified giant beasts nearby. Quietly lowering her head, she leaned against the reassuring chest.

At this moment, she was nothing more than a heartless crystal-ball decoration.

"I can sense Loki's presence on you. You're Loki's friends, right? Can you take me to see him?"

Mobius smiled. Upon hearing that familiar name, the giant beasts instantly stopped trembling.

Boss Loki!?

After exchanging glances, the giant beasts showed intelligence no less than that of ordinary humans.

In the end, the black wolf standing in the middle, with a vicious scar over its left eye, lowered its body and indicated for Mobius to climb onto its back.

"Alright, thank you."

Mobius leaped over, carrying Shyarly onto the black wolf's furry head before setting her down securely.

The black wolf set off. After sniffing the air a few times, it ran toward Loki.

The remaining giant beasts looked at one another before ultimately following the enormous wolf away.

Their pace became much faster. Shyarly, seated atop the black wolf's head, recovered her senses. She discreetly arranged her fish tail before asking,

"They're Loki's friends?"

"They're probably Loki's underlings. You know, it's not only merfolk who can communicate with fish. Some fish-men can drive fish away too, except..."

Because merfolk did not eat fish and could communicate with, command, and befriend them, Shyarly subconsciously believed that anyone loved by animals could not be a bad person. Loki should have been the same.

But after hearing Mobius say that, Shyarly realized that fish-men could also drive fish away, though their methods were mostly different from those of merfolk.

There were people like Jinbe, who could command sharks through sheer charisma, but Shyarly had seen far more people who violently drove fish around, like her bastard brother.

With that thought, the favorable impression Shyarly had just formed of Loki quietly vanished.

Soon, as the black wolf moved onward, a tall figure gradually came into view before Mobius.

The clanging sounds of hammering soon followed, and the figure seemed to be making something.

Suddenly, the figure stopped moving, as though sensing something, and a vicious aura erupted.

"Who!?"