The next morning, Fish-Man District lay shrouded in the faint light of the deep sea, tiny bubbles drifting between its mottled coral buildings.
Between the dilapidated houses, several young fish-man children chased one another, their laughter ringing especially clear through the quiet seawater.
Yet the moment Gern and his two companions appeared at the end of the street, the atmosphere throughout Fish-Man District froze.
"Humans!" A little fish-man hiding behind a coral reef widened his eyes, his finlike fingers clutching the edge of the reef.
"What are they doing here?" Another child nervously shrank back, his fish tail beating uneasily against the water.
"Shh! Keep it down! Boss Fisher Tiger is with them!" Another child anxiously tugged at his fin.
Lipo's rabbit ears twitched, keenly picking up the whispers all around them. She leaned toward Gern and murmured, "Gern, they seem really scared of us."
Gern swept his gaze over both sides of the street. Behind half-closed doors and windows, wary eyes watched them in secret.
"They're not scared. They're on guard."
Gern walked at the front, calmly surveying the street.
Fish-Man District was even more run-down than he had imagined, but compared with the chaos of its future, it was now more like a shelter for orphans.
Although Fisher Tiger spent most of his years traveling abroad, his standing in Fish-Man District remained unmatched.
His appearance therefore put the residents somewhat at ease, though their puzzled gazes still lingered on Gern's Marine uniform.
Suddenly, the water ahead rippled.
"Boss Fisher Tiger! Big Boss Fisher Tiger!"
Two booming voices suddenly came from the side.
Gern glanced over and saw a blue-skinned whale shark fish-man striding toward them, followed by a tall, thin fish-man with a serrated nose.
"Jinbe, Arlong." Seeing his younger comrades, Fisher Tiger stopped and gave a slight