The Difference Between Mermaids and Fish-Men

"Solving this isn't difficult." Miming sat with all the airs of a Celestial Dragon, one leg crossed over the other. "What matters is their attitude."

"Even for a Celestial Dragon, it won't be that easy." Crocus knew Miming was young and might underestimate the problem, so he warned him seriously. "Celestial Dragons like collecting Fish-Men as slaves and keeping beautiful mermaids to look at. They won't change because one of them thinks differently. Go against most Celestial Dragons, and they'll all want you gone."

"I believe that. It just makes me even keener to do things that make them angry." Miming laughed. "Putting those boring positions aside, the real question is whether Fish-Men and mermaids are people worth protecting by Saint Sanming, isn't it?"

"What's the difference between mermaids and Fish-Men?" Chopper asked with interest.

Miming explained. Mermaids had fish tails for lower bodies, though their tails could turn into legs after they turned thirty. They could talk to some ordinary fish and did not eat fish. Fish-Men had human lower bodies, ate fish, and could not communicate with them. Marriages between the two could produce four kinds of offspring, making them a remarkably diverse people.

"That's so interesting!" Chopper pleaded. "Miming, can we help them?"

"Depends on my mood," Miming said lazily.

"Look! Is that Fish-Man Island up ahead?" Brook pointed at the image from the periscope. "Yohohoho! How wonderful!"

A gigantic bubble appeared before them. Even the Island Whale looked like a little animal passing by a front door beside it.

No one wanted to settle for the periscope's image. They hurried out to the whale's blowhole and admired the beautiful sight from inside their bubble, exclaiming together, "It's gorgeous!"

The Island Whale family parted ways with Laboon there, reluctant to say goodbye. But they promised to meet