Could You Come Alone?

The fury in Shyarly's eyes as she stared at Miming suddenly softened. She said reproachfully, "It's nothing. I was just surprised to see Lord Miming at Ariel's doorstep."

"Uh..." Miming froze, his expression turning a little strange as he stammered an explanation. "Ariel invited me over for clam soup. She said she wanted me to taste the most authentic kind. But for some reason, she isn't home."

Ariel was a fiery red-haired Mermaid, her beautiful red scales making her lively and alluring. From Miming's perspective, she definitely had not invited him over today just for soup—or at least, not merely that kind of clam soup. After all, Ariel had made herself quite clear. It was the first time she had invited a man into her bedroom, and she had been very serious about it...

"If you want to try some local delicacies that badly," Shyarly tentatively asked, somewhat uneasily, "coming to my home would be the same."

"That sounds good too." Miming's eyes lit up. Shyarly was being so forward today—was it because she had returned to Fish-Man Island and had started trusting him?

"Could you come alone?" Shyarly asked shyly. "My home is very small."

"We understand. You only want to entertain Lord Miming alone." Tesoro burst into laughter and slapped Cairns on the shoulder, signaling for him to take the hint.

"But if we go to Shyarly's place again, will there still be enough time?" Stella leaned close to Miming and reminded him softly, "Over at Queen Otohime's... that important moment you mentioned might very well be today. That Hody Jones..."

"That's true." Miming hesitated, and a trace of strange emotion accidentally leaked out—killing intent.

Though it was faint, Shyarly detected it with her innate Observation Haki. Perhaps no human knew that she possessed considerable strength, sharp senses,