XX-level Hokage

I am Izumi. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I will be leaving for a long time. During my absence, apart from Tiger, Jinbe, and Arlong, no one else in this world will know or remember my existence.

All information about me will be destroyed, and all my deeds will be erased. Therefore, please do not try to spread anything about me. If all goes well, we will meet again in the future.

We initially thought it was a joke, but suddenly a beam of light struck us, followed by a wave of dizziness.

Once we recovered from the dizziness, the whole world changed, and even the letter was gone. But everything was just as described in the letter: you no longer existed in the world.

When Jinbe was on his deathbed, he specifically sought out me and Arlong.

He told us that although he would no longer love humanity, he would always respect and cherish you.

"Because you saved him more than once, because you proposed forming the Sun Pirates, because you gave him the ambition for the rest of his life. Because of these words, Arlong and I have never hated you."

“Tiger, he really is an idiot,” Mashiro said with a somewhat complicated tone.

In her eyes, Tiger was originally just an ordinary pawn, but after hearing Jinbe's story, her impression of him changed.

"Jinbe, how did Tiger die?" Mashiro suddenly asked.

"After you left, Boss continued to uphold the principles of the Sun Pirates. In the West Blue, we organized a slave ship and found a slave girl named Koala on the ship. Then, Boss helped the local residents escort Koala, who had been a slave, back to her hometown."

While at sea, the leader saw that Kerra remained subservient out of fear, so he took her to a room and removed the stigmata from her. After several weeks, we arrived at Kerra's hometown, the island of Forchart.

However, after completing the escort mission, they were betrayed by local residents and the Sun Pirates were ambushed by the Navy who had been lying in wait. On the island, their leader was also attacked by the Navy Rear Admiral Stobelli's forces.

The leader was seriously wounded in the battle and was rescued by us and taken to a warship we had seized from the navy.

Because the only blood stored on human warships was human blood, and because of the betrayal, the leader became extremely disgusted with human blood, refused blood transfusions, and ultimately died.

Before he died, he told me and Arlong about you, and then pointed out that Queen Otohime's peace policy was the fundamental solution to the future of fish-men and humans. He believed that only by ensuring that the ignorant next generation was not influenced by hatred and discrimination could humans and fish-men truly achieve reconciliation and coexistence.

Finally, to protect the leader's reputation and to cover up the fact that he had been a slave, Arlong claimed to the fishmen that the leader died of blood loss because the humans refused to give him a blood transfusion.

"And I acquiesced to it because of my hatred for humans, but that led to the leader's death becoming one of the reasons why fish-men are hostile to humans," Jinbe replied.

Chapter 105: Noah

"That really suits Tiger's death." Mashiro said softly after listening to Jinbe's account.

Upon hearing this, Jinbe was taken aback at first, but then instantly understood what Mashiro meant and nodded self-deprecatingly.

Shirahoshi had been silently observing the plaza. She didn't understand the meaning of Mashiro and the god's conversation, so she didn't interrupt.

"Um, Mashiro-sama, Jinbe-sama, let's go to the next place. A lot of people are looking at me, and I'm a little scared," Shirahoshi said timidly after Mashiro and Jinbe finished talking.

Mashiro looked down and saw that most of the fish-men and mermaids in the square were looking up at them with excited eyes.

"Looks like Shirahoshi-chan is really popular," Mashiro said with a light laugh. "No, no, don't tease me, Mashiro-sama," Shirahoshi said shyly. "Alright, let's go to the next place."

Soon the three arrived at a huge network of pipes.

"Where is this place? It's so strange." Looking at the sprawling, overlapping giant celestial pipes ahead, Shirahoshi asked curiously. "I don't know either. Let Jinbe answer that," Mashiro said, shrugging.

"This pipe system is called WATERROAD. It was specially built by the bubble craftsmen on Fishman Island. It's an extra-large transparent pipe filled with seawater, allowing fishmen, mermaids, and sea creatures to travel between different areas," Jinbe explained to the two.

"Using the same pipes in different ways is really novel. I'd love to ride one," Shirahoshi said with a smile. "Given your size, Shirahoshi, it's probably difficult, no, impossible," Mashiro poured cold water on the idea.

"Of course I know that, Mashiro-sama is so annoying." Shirahoshi snorted and puffed out her cheeks.

Bai Xing has always been troubled by her body shape, because she was unable to snuggle in her mother's arms when she was very young.

As she grew older, she had almost no other friends; for an ordinary mermaid, her size made her too vulnerable to danger. "No, it's not impossible," Mashiro suddenly remembered something and whispered.

"Hmm? What is Mashiro-sama saying?" Shirahoshi asked. "Nothing," Mashiro shook his head.

After circling Waterroad once, the three continued towards their next destination. Soon, they arrived near an apartment building.

This is where mermaids live. Although it is a deep-sea area, you can still see blue skies, sunshine, and white clouds.

"This place is so beautiful!" Bai Xing exclaimed, gazing at the sky. "This seems to be the mermaids' apartment building," she added.

"That's right, this place is called Mermaid Bay, a place where mermaids live. Although it is a deep-sea area, after several modifications by the mermaids, coupled with its special geographical location, it is now possible to see blue skies, sunshine, and white clouds. It is as dreamy as a fairy tale world."

"To be honest, I really longed to live here when I was a kid," Jinbe said with a light laugh. "So Jinbe has this side to him too?" Mashiro laughed as well.

“Fish-men were quite vain when they were young.” Jinbe just smiled at this. “Alright, let’s continue.”

The three of them then visited several places.

Located in the first-class area of ​​the Ryugu Kingdom, and also the most luxurious area on Fishman Island, is an incredibly huge private mansion, Fishfoli Manor, a town with many fishmen and a giant waterwheel.

The Fishman Culture Center records the history and development of Fishman Island. The Marin Shopping Center, which flourished due to tourism.

Unfortunately, due to Shirahoshi's size, the three of them could only observe these places from the outside.

Even so, Shirahoshi was very happy. She had been to these places when she was a child, but because of her nine years in the Hard Shell Tower, her memories of these places had become blurred.

This return visit brought back memories of Shirahoshi's carefree childhood. "Alright, where does Shirahoshi want to go next?" Mashiro asked with a smile.

“I want to go to a place I’ve wanted to go to all these years,” Bai Xing said, her expression shifting from happy to downcast.

"Where?" "The Forest of the Sea."

Located northeast of Fishman Street, the underwater forest is also known as the Ship Graveyard because many shipwrecks are transported here by the tides.

Because "Sun Tree Eve" transmits sunlight from the sea surface to Fishman Island, many beautiful corals grow here, and fish and whales also feast here.

After arriving at the Sea Forest, Mashiro learned through Jinbe's perception that the Sea Forest was not only a "ship graveyard" but also a burial ground for fish-men. The dead fish-men were buried here, including his leader Tiger and Princess Shirahoshi's mother, Queen Otohime.

Upon arriving at the Forest of the Sea, Shirahoshi found an enormous tombstone. Touching the tombstone, Shirahoshi silently wept.

Seeing this, Mashiro didn't choose to disturb Shirahoshi. She followed Jinbe to Tiger's gravestone.

It was an extremely ordinary tombstone, no different in size or material from the other tombstones around it. The only difference was that there was a flame-shaped mark in the very center of the tombstone.

Looking at the inscription on the tombstone, Mashiro gently raised her hand, and a bouquet of flowers appeared out of thin air in her palm. Mashiro placed the flowers in front of Tiger's grave; this was her belated tribute.

Looking around the Sea Forest, besides the beautiful scenery, Mashiro saw a huge shadow.

"Jinbe, what's that?" Mashiro asked Jinbe, pointing to the huge shadow in the distance. "That's a shipwreck," Jinbe replied.

A shipwreck? Are there really ships that big? "Mashiro continued to ask,

"The ship is called Noah. It was built by the residents of Fishman Island hundreds of years ago and placed in Fishman Street. It is known as the 'Boat of Puyo' and the 'Ship with an Unfinished Mission.' It is an ancient giant ship with a volume equivalent to half of Fishman Island, but its manufacturing technology remains a mystery."

"Now, even the best shipbuilders on Fisherman's Island can't explain how Noah was built," Jinbe replied. "Noah?"

Upon hearing this name, Mashiro's expression suddenly turned strange. She had heard this name before, in the Poneglyphs of Maria.

Based on the interpretation of Olvia's inner workings, it is imagined that the Sea Kings once made a pact with a person, and together with fish-men and mermaids, they built a giant ship called "Noah". However, because that person "deceived" the mermaid princess, Noah ultimately failed to play its role.

For centuries, Noah has remained submerged at the bottom of the sea, waiting for the promise made to that person long ago. Because its enormous ship shape was designed with multiple giant chains so that sea kings could pull it along, and because only the "D" race can repair the ship, it is considered a ship that cannot be touched or damaged in the slightest until "the day will come".

Chapter 106: Mrs. Charlotte

When the topic of the Poneglyphs came up, Mashiro suddenly remembered that there was an intelligence Poneglyph on Fishman Island.

"Jinbe, if my sources are correct, Fishman Island should have a Poneglyph, right?" Mashiro asked Jinbe suddenly.

“There is indeed one, but it’s an intelligence Poneglyph, and it’s deep within the Sea Forest,” Jinbe replied. “That’s quite a coincidence. Can you take me there? I’m very interested in Poneglyphs,” Mashiro said softly. “Sure, please follow me,” Jinbe nodded in response.

Jinbe is not interested in the Poneglyphs, not even the Road Poneglyphs, because his goal has never been to become the Pirate King.

His sole purpose in becoming a pirate, and now a Shichibukai, is to protect Fishman Island and achieve peaceful coexistence between humans and fishmen.

Led by Jinbe, Mashiro arrived deep into the Sea Forest. On a hillside deep within the Sea Forest, a huge black stone monument covered in moss stood silently.

"Another Poneglyph." Mashiro reached out and stroked the Poneglyph, muttering to herself, before the massive black stone tablet vanished instantly. [Poneglyph +1]

Seeing this, Jinbe was somewhat puzzled, but he didn't say anything. He wasn't interested in how Mashiro had caused the Poneglyphs to disappear.

“Alright, let’s go find Shirahoshi. She should have said everything she wanted to say to her mother,” Mashiro said softly. Then Jinbe led her towards the group of gravestones.

"By the way, Jinbe, the fishman you brought with you to the banquet hall today is named Hody Jones, right?" On the way, Mashiro seemed to have thought of something and suddenly spoke up.

“That’s right,” Jinbe nodded.

"What's wrong?" Jinbe asked, puzzled as to why Mashiro would suddenly bring up Hody Jones.

"He's a risky factor, you know. Be careful he doesn't take advantage of your absence and turn Fishman Island upside down," Mashiro said softly.

Upon hearing this, Jinbe paused for a moment before saying, "Jones is one of Arlong's men. Perhaps because of Arlong, he has an extreme aversion to humans. In the years since I went to the mainland, he has grown very quickly and has become the new boss of Fishman Backstreet. He has also established a so-called new Fishman Pirates to plunder cargo ships and tourist boats heading to Fishman Island."

Although I warned him many times after I found out, he only made verbal statements, and I don't know what else to do.

Jinbe did consider killing Hody Jones directly, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to do it, just like he had only banished Arlong instead of killing him.

"Is he one of A-Long's men? That makes sense, but I advise you to get rid of him quickly, otherwise he'll end up like A-Long sooner or later." Mashiro said softly.

"What's wrong with Arlong?" Jinbe asked in unison.

Although he and Arlong had developed a rift due to their differing ideologies and hadn't been in contact for many years, he still couldn't help but care about Arlong, the guy he had grown up with in Fishman Backstreet.

"After you were separated, A-Long launched his plan to dominate the East China Sea. He then attacked more than 20 villages of all sizes in the East China Sea and established the 'A-Long Empire' in a village called Cocoa West Village. Under the pretext of establishing the empire, he charged fees to the humans he ruled. Those who did not comply would have their entire village wiped out."

My orange-haired companion was one of the many humans who suffered under Arlong's brutal rule, including her mother, who also died at Arlong's hands. Later, Arlong and the entire Fishman Pirates were wiped out by another group of pirates passing by, and only Hachi was saved by chance. "Mashiro is calm."

Jinbe's expression was somewhat complicated. When he heard that Arlong was dead, he felt a little sad about the passing of his old friend, but when he learned that Arlong died because of his tyrannical rule, the sadness disappeared, leaving only complexity.

"It's good that he's dead; at least he didn't cause any more trouble for Fishman Island," Jinbe said.

"That's why I said we should take care of Hody Jones before he does anything further," Mashiro said softly.

"I understand. Let's go to Fishman Backstreet together later. On the way, we can also stop by the Mermaid Cafe and see Shirley."

Tell her the news of Arlong's death. "Jinbe began,"

"Shirley?" Mashiro was a little puzzled by the name.

"You should know that Ah Long was abandoned by his parents in Fishman Street when he was a child, but Ah Long was not the only one abandoned at that time; there was also Ah Long's half-sister."

When Shirley was 3 years old, she was abandoned by her father and went to Fishman Town to live with Arlong. Later, she prophesied that the Sea Kings were waiting for the birth of the mermaid princess. When she was 4 years old, she prophesied the coming of the Great Pirate Era.

After growing up, she opened a mermaid café in Coral Hill and became its manager.

As the most famous fortune teller on Fishman Island, she has accurately predicted many major events and is now respectfully called Lady Shirley by the mermaids and fishmen. Even Neptune consults Shirley on many matters.

Unlike Arlong, Shirley did not reject humans; she even encouraged the children of Fishman Island to see for themselves what humans looked like, rather than listening to others. "Jinbe explained."

"Such amazing abilities? Foresight? I'd really like to meet this Mrs. Shirley now," Mashiro said with a light laugh.

"Aaron did a lot of bad things when he was young, and many times, Neptune didn't do anything to him because of Shirley." It seemed he wanted to...

"Thinking back to the past," Jinbe said with a touch of melancholy.

Unlike Shirley, Arlong didn't have any special talents. After being abandoned by his parents in Fishman Street, Arlong slowly began to go astray.

As he grew up, he often caused trouble in the sea, which made him a hooligan and hated by the residents of Fishman Island. Arlong's only good point was that he cared deeply for his companions.