When King Mars and Prince Neptune saw the familiar rman Tom, they hurried over to chat with him, eager to learn about the current situation in the ocean.
Fishman Tom was widely regarded as one of the most successful fishn on Fishman Island. He was also a famous shipwright in Water 7, and his reputation had spread across Fishman Street. Many fishn—and even rmaids—dread of traveling to Water 7 to work under Tom, hoping to live under the sun and experience life on the sea.
The future Granny Kokoro was still a beautiful rmaid at this ti. She had chosen to live with Fishman Tom and would eventually beco the stationmaster of the Sea Train.
Even the rmaid royal family sotis wished to live freely on the sea like Tom, earning respect from humans through the power of shipbuilding.
"Tom, aren’t you supposed to be in Water 7? Don’t tell you’ve turned into a pirate too?"
King Mars found it hard to believe. Tom was one of the rare fishn who had made a na for himself in the human world. He was a role model to many, proving that fishn could thrive without resorting to piracy. So why was he now standing among those who had abandoned their holand in search of the sun, willing to beco pawns of a pirate crew?
"Your Majesty, I am indeed a pirate now, but I have no regrets. I believe my captain will soon help the fishn find a new path forward!"
Tom spoke with a hint of embarrassnt but remained firm in his belief. Then, lowering his voice, he whispered:
"Our captain and combatants are the ones who dared to kill a Celestial Dragon. I think we should let them in quickly. They won’t be staying long—we’re heading for the New World soon!"
The mont King Mars heard those words, he staggered backward, nearly falling off his whale mount. Even Redfield, who had been watching from a distance, smirked in amusent.
Without hesitation, King Mars ordered his soldiers to welco the Hell Pirates into Fishman Island. He also arranged for the coating craftsn to reapply the ship’s protective bubble so they could leave as soon as they had their fill of fun.
Prince Neptune, still eager to fight, was abruptly slapped aside by King Mars’ massive tail. There was no point in provoking such dangerous individuals—anyone who dared to kill a Celestial Dragon was an enemy no one could afford to cross.
"The rmaid King, we’d like to visit the Sea Forest and read the Poneglyphs. Is that alright?"
Brook jumped off the Erebus, his Seven-Star Sword in hand. His only interest was the Poneglyph—he had no need for anything else at the mont.
"My powerful captain, are you a historian? Can you read the ancient language?"
Over the centuries, the rmaid royal family had lost the true aning behind the two ancient stone inscriptions. There was little point in taking Brook and his crew there if they couldn’t even decipher the texts.
The Poneglyphs were made of an incredibly durable material, nearly indestructible and extrely heavy. Moving them was a difficult task.
"I can’t read them—I just want to make copies and study them later!"
Brook replied casually. He considered bringing the inscriptions back to Skypiea for safekeeping, but for now, they were too bulky to carry around. The added weight would slow down the Golden Ship.
"No problem. I’ll send soone to escort you there imdiately!"
King Mars had no desire to remain in the company of such dangerous individuals. Without delay, he and Neptune retreated to Ryugu Castle, distancing themselves from the Hell Pirates to avoid any potential consequences from the Celestial Dragons.
Though he secretly admired those brave enough to challenge the Celestial Dragons, the reality was that the world was still under their rule—defiance was simply not an option.
"Captain Brook, what do you even want with all that history? You said yourself you can’t read it!"
Shakky asked curiously. In this era, there was no talk of the One Piece treasure or the legend of Laugh Tale. Being a pirate was all about plundering and fighting for dominance in the New World.
"This could involve so shocking secrets about the World Governnt and the Celestial Dragons. I’m not entirely sure, but I want to gather as much information as I can!"
Brook answered nonchalantly. However, Redfield’s expression changed upon hearing those words. Anything that posed a threat to the Celestial Dragons and the World Governnt was worth investigating. If there was even the slightest chance of bringing those tyrants down, he would take it.
From that mont on, uncovering the secrets of the Poneglyphs beca one of Redfield’s primary goals. In fact, he seed more invested in it than Brook himself.
Guided by the Sea King’s soldiers, they traveled through Fishman Street and entered the Sea Forest. There, beneath the glowing corals and swaying seaweed, stood two massive stones—Poneglyphs—covered in ancient script. Moss had grown over the areas closest to the seabed.
"What the hell is this thing made of?"
Brook ran his fingers over the Red Poneglyph. It didn’t seem to be seastone, since he didn’t feel any weakness from touching it.
In the original story, Robin had interacted with many Poneglyphs—both red and ordinary—without showing any signs of exhaustion, further proving that the material wasn’t seastone.
The Poneglyphs were said to be indestructible. While seastone was renowned for its hardness, it could still be broken and reshaped if refined properly. But this material? No one had ever managed to scratch it.
With the help of Antonio and Shakky, Brook quickly copied the inscriptions.
"The Kozuki Clan really wasted this material. They polished it into a perfect square, yet they only engraved text on one side—and in such huge letters! How much information can they possibly fit like that?"
Brook grumbled as he examined the script. How much history could really be recorded in just a few hundred words? There was so much wasted space!
"Captain Brook, since these Poneglyphs contain secrets about the World Governnt and the Celestial Dragons, why don’t we take them with us?"
Redfield traced his fingers along the carvings, his mind racing with possibilities. These stones could be the key to bringing down the Celestial Dragons.
"They’re too damn big and heavy. I’ll take them back to Skypiea when we return. I’m not hauling these things around while heading to the New World!"
Brook sighed, watching Redfield closely. The man looked completely enthralled—had he just awakened a new obsession with ancient history? Maybe soday, he’d even want to visit O’Hara to study old texts.
"It’s a deal then, Captain. Next ti we co back, you’re taking them!"
Redfield was satisfied with Brook’s response. He then turned to the soldiers guarding the Sea Forest.
"Listen up! Tell your king to protect this place properly. Build a damn shelter if you have to—no one should co near these stones! If anything happens to them, I’ll be back, and trust , you don’t want that."
Lightning crackled in the sky as Redfield spoke, his aura sending chills down the spines of the guards. They frantically nodded, vowing to follow his command.
anwhile, Fishman Tom and his crew returned to their hos in Fishman Street, where they reunited with friends and family. They were treated to a feast—though the rmaids refrained from eating fish and at, preferring shellfish instead.
According to the rmaid Camie, the oysters from the rmaid District were far tastier than those from Fishman Street.
Unlike rmaids, the rn couldn’t communicate with sea creatures, which ant they had no issue eating fish and sea beasts. To them, Fishman Street was a wild and unforgiving place—a world apart from the peaceful rmaid communities.
----
If Ryugu Castle is the crown jewel of Fishman Island—built from massive coral reefs, shells, and other exotic materials—then Fishman Street is its complete opposite. A place of poverty, hunger, and desperation, it’s where wandering orphans and outcast fishn struggle to survive. Darkness and resentnt are the only constants here.
"Haha! Tom, look who finally decided to beco a pirate!"
A fishman thug sneered as he spotted Tom returning. "Didn't you say you'd earn the respect of humans through your own skills? And now what? You turned into a pirate, hated by everyone, and a lapdog for human pirates!"
"Hey! I won’t let you talk about Senior Tom like that, you bastard!"
A young red fishman, no older than seven or eight, stepped up and scolded the gang. He was small but stronger than these street thugs.
"Fisher Tiger, you damn orphan, this ain't your business! Get lost!"
The fishman thug wasn't afraid this ti. He had seven or eight brothers backing him up, unlike their last fight when Fisher Tiger beat him black and blue.
Brook perked up when he heard the na. Fisher Tiger? The legendary fishman who scaled the Red Line with his bare hands and freed countless slaves?
Even at eight years old, Fisher Tiger was already over two ters tall, almost reaching Brook’s height of 2.7 ters. He had the build of a warrior, another natural-born fishman powerhouse.
"You’re looking for a beating!"
Hearing them call him an orphan, Fisher Tiger clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury. Here on Fishman Street, words ant nothing—fights settled everything.
Fishman Karate: 300-Watt Straight Fist!
He charged forward, slamming a powerful punch into the thug’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground.
"What the hell are you guys waiting for? Get him!"
The thug groaned, clutching his chest. He hadn't expected Fisher Tiger to throw hands so fast. Realizing he was in trouble, he shouted for his gang to jump in.
"Enough! This is a waste of ti!"
Before the thugs could move, Tom stepped in, grabbing one of them with one hand and tossing him aside like trash.
"You're all still so damn useless—bullying your own kind instead of doing sothing with your lives. Why don’t you go out to sea and make sothing of yourselves?" Tom scolded.
Despite Fishman Island’s population of four to five million, barely any fishn had the courage to leave. Other than a handful of pirates, most fishn never dared to venture into the outside world.
It wasn't entirely their fault. With slave traders swarming the seas, a single fishman was worth millions of berries on the market.
Brook had noticed sothing odd about fishn: they were born with ten tis the physical strength of humans, yet most of them never seed to grow stronger. It was as if fate had set a limit on their potential.
Humans, on the other hand, started weaker but had no ceiling. Through training, they could surpass even the strongest fishn, becoming the true rulers of the sea. Maybe it was because of their overwhelming numbers, or perhaps it was the influence of their civilization.
Still, among millions of fishn, only a rare few ever beca true powerhouses. Instead of fighting back, most lived in fear, hiding away on Fishman Island.
A Dangerous Secret
With Tom’s overwhelming strength, the street thugs scattered, and Fishman Street returned to its usual uneasy peace. Tom led Brook and the others back to his ho, where his brother, Den, ca out to greet them.
Den was an oriental wolf-fishman, wearing a dark hat, thick-frad glasses, and earrings. He had wild hair, a pointed face, and a slightly hooked nose. Like Tom, he was a skilled shipwright, but he also spent much of his ti researching the Sea Forest.
He found it funny how humans judged family ties by appearance. Among fishn and rfolk, ancestry played a bigger role. Even though he and Tom looked completely different—one a fishman, the other a rman—they were still biological brothers.
"Brother Tom… are you really becoming a pirate?" Den asked hesitantly. His brother had never shown interest in piracy before. He had always wanted to prove that fishn could earn respect through their skills.
"Den, listen to . Don’t go out to sea anymore. I’ll be wanted by the Navy soon… and not just any bounty. It’s an order from the Celestial Dragons."
Den expression darkened. "Brother… what happened? Did you attack a Celestial Dragon?"
Tom hesitated, then nodded.
"A Celestial Dragon is dead. The news should spread soon. You need to be careful and look after yourself."
Den's eyes widened in shock. "You… you killed a Celestial Dragon?!"
His voice rose in disbelief, drawing attention. A red fishman standing nearby overheard and froze, his mind struggling to process the revelation.
"Keep your damn voice down, idiot!"
Tom smacked Den on the head. Den yelped in pain, rubbing his head frantically, much to Shakky’s amusent.
Den swallowed hard, but after a mont, his fear turned to admiration. "Brother… I won’t lie, the Celestial Dragons scare the hell out of , but… to Fishman Island, you’re a hero."
His words struck a chord.
"Uncle Tom, did you really kill one of those bastards?"
Fisher Tiger burst in, his fists clenched. He had grown up hearing horror stories about the Celestial Dragons and their countless fishman slaves. His hatred for them ran deep.
"Tiger, go back and train in Fishman Karate. This isn’t sothing you should be getting involved in," Tom said firmly.
Whenever he returned to Fishman Island, Tom always made ti to teach the orphaned kids on Fishman Street. Out of all of them, Fisher Tiger was his most promising student.
"Uncle Tom, take with you! I want to join your crew! I’m not weak anymore—I’m stronger than any adult fishman!"
Fisher Tiger flexed his muscles. He had already started venturing beyond Fishman Island, hunting sea beasts to train himself and stay well-fed.
Tom looked at him, impressed by his determination. If he hadn’t been so passionate about shipbuilding, he might have considered taking Tiger as an apprentice.
But Fisher Tiger had his own dream—to beco strong, explore the world, and carve out his own destiny.
Brook watched the young fishman closely. Even as a child, Fisher Tiger had already established himself as the dominant force on Fishman Street. His talent was undeniable.
And one day, that talent would change the world.
Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?
Visit this link:
Påtreon/Fanficlord03
Change (å) to (a)
User Comments
0 comments from readers