"Daphne, it's not time to show off just yet, is it? Did you put on makeup?"
Daphne looked up and saw Madam Shyarly. Hastily, she replied, "Good morning, Madam Shyarly. There's a handsome guest outside, and I want to look my best too!"
Shyarly sighed, said little, then sprawled casually on the bed and picked up the receiver from the table.
"Madam Shyarly!"
"Mina!! Thank goodness, you're all right!"
Before Shyarly could say anything else, Daphne—who had been applying makeup—hugged Mina, her face lighting up with relief as she asked through tears, "Mina, where did you go? We were all so worried!"
"I was kidnapped by human traffickers! But I was lucky—Rear admiral Karl saved me, and I came back with him!"
"Rear Admiral Karl? Wait, do you mean Karl?"
Daphne seemed to recall that the handsome guest earlier had introduced himself as Karl.
"I'm just glad you're back. Don't run off again, do you hear me?"
Mina nodded vigorously. "Of course, I'll never leave Fish-Man Island again!"
"Aaah! Mina! "You're back!"
A cry rang out, and the mermaids working at the Mermaid Cafe surrounded her...
Mina was bombarded with questions for a long time, and only then did her sisters finally settle down.
"By the way, that handsome customer outside, I think his name is Karl. He's still in his navy uniform. He must be Rear Admiral Karl, the one who saved you!"
Mina's eyes sparkled. "Yes, yes, yes! Rear Admiral Karl is so handsome. People say he's the most handsome man in the world!"
The mermaids exchanged glances, then rushed into the cafe so suddenly they nearly scared Karl to death.
One, two, three, four... No, there are far too many of them. He's still young and can't handle it!
"Thank you, Rear admiral Karl, thank you for saving our Mina!"
Karl cleared his throat. "Ahem, I'm with the Navy; it's just my duty!"
The delighted mermaids immediately surrounded Karl, and Ain—who had originally been sitting across from him—was pushed back five meters.
Ain: ???
"All right, that's enough. Why make such a fuss? The other guests are waiting for you!"
After Mrs. Shyarly's remark, the mermaids calmed down and reluctantly moved away from Karl.
At that moment, Karl's face was covered in lipstick marks, and he was breathing heavily. He'd nearly suffocated, but, enjoying the pleasant scent and soft touch, Karl decided not to bother figuring out who was responsible.
"It's him!"
Shyarly's eyes trembled again—she couldn't believe that Karl matched the image of the sailor she'd seen in her crystal ball. That man who would bring disaster to Fish-Man Island—it was him!
The man who, according to prophecy, would bring death and destruction to Fish-Man Island!
Noticing that Karl was about to look her way, Shyarly quickly covered her mouth and slipped into the shadows, breathing hard.
A long time passed before she was able to calm down.
"No, I have to report this to King Neptune as soon as possible and get this man off Fish-Man Island!"
While Karl was still distracted by the mermaids, Shyarly quietly left the Mermaid Cafe...
Ten minutes later.
"Sorry, Rear admiral Karl. When the girls heard you saved me, they probably got a little too excited."
Karl took the handkerchief Mina handed him and wiped his face. "I understand. By the way, do you have some time later? How about giving us a tour of the Dragon Palace Kingdom?"
Mina nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, right now?"
Karl scratched his head. "Hold on, let's at least enjoy our coffee before we go!"
Just then, Ain—still looking displeased—sat back down across from Karl and said with a sly smile, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a spectacle!"
Karl shrugged and spread his hands. "Can you blame me?""Hmph~ I don't want to talk to you!"
The blue-haired mermaid, Daphne, brought coffee over to Karl and Ain's table and handed it to them. "Here you go, guests, enjoy your coffee!"
"Thank you!"
Daphne smiled. "You're welcome. By the way, guests, there will be a dance performance soon! Don't miss it!"
Karl's eyes lit up. They had all the shows he had been hoping to see. It was truly worth coming here! So Karl eagerly agreed.
An hour later, Karl reluctantly left the Mermaid Cafe, bidding farewell to two large groups of mermaids.
"Take care! Please visit us again, guest!"
Ryugu.
"Shyarly , are you saying that the navy that arrived today on Fish-Man Island will bring about a massacre?"
Madam Shyarly nodded solemnly. "Yes, King Neptune, my prediction cannot be wrong!"
Neptune frowned, rubbed a sore spot at his temple, and let out a long sigh.
"I understand. I'll notify Jinbe immediately and discuss a course of action with him. Don't let this news spread publicly—we don't want to start a panic."
"I understand!"
Outside the Mermaid Cafe.
Ain stood next to Karl, arms crossed, surrounded by an air of gloom. He had never been so silent in his life.
"Didn't you say we came to Fish-Man Island for a mission? I think you just came here for this, didn't you?"
Karl shook his head. "Wrong, completely wrong. We don't know our way around this place—we can't just run around like fools, can we?"
"That's why I'm gathering intelligence!"
Just as Ain was about to say something, Mina, who had put on a bubble swim ring, chimed in, "It's still early, how about we take a walk?"
"Ain, didn't you want to buy some clothes? Let's go now!"
And so, led by Mina, Karl and Ain ended up visiting nearly the entire Fish-Man Island.
The Marine Shopping Center, the Fish-Man Cultural Center, Fishfore Villa, Mermaid Cove, and Princess Otohime's Tomb at Gironcourt Square.
Even without using Observational Haki, Karl could sense that someone was watching them from the shadows the entire time, especially him.
Are the security measures on Fish-Man Island really this strict now? Have we been under surveillance since our first day here?
But after thinking it over, Karl figured this might be a good thing. If he didn't make any moves, would Hody Jones, who lurked in the shadows, really come out and attack?
"Mina, it's getting late—you should go get some rest!"
"And you?"
Karl waved it off. "Don't worry, we're not children."
Mina thought for a moment, then pointed at the nearby Mermaid Cafe and said, "I work at the Mermaid Cafe "If you need my help, just come see me!"
Karl replied seriously, "Of course. You're our only friend on Fish-Man Island!"
After Mina left, Ain's smile gradually faded. He looked around carefully and whispered, "Why do I keep feeling like someone's watching us?"
"You're right," Karl replied. "More accurately, we've been under surveillance since the moment we arrived on Fish-Man Island."
Ain covered his mouth in surprise. "Who?"
Karl shook his head. "Does it really matter? I'm not making a move until the enemy does. Let's go for now!"
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