Sal, casting aside the bloodied blade, sheathed his sword. At that moment, Katakuri, breathing heavily, collapsed to his knees, clutching his wound with one hand. The mighty sea warrior struggled to lift his head and fixed his gaze on the young man standing before him.
"Roger... What is this power? It... has deprived me of the gift to see the future..." Katakuri rasped, his voice full of disbelief and defeat.
Sal nodded to those around him, directing them to aid the three adversaries. Even though Katakuri had conceded defeat, it was better to be cautious.
"I call it the Observation Slayer," Sal explained, "it uses Conqueror's Haki to neutralize the ability to foresee the future."
"… Yes, I concede defeat," murmured Katakuri, bowing his head. He understood that if Sal had attacked with full force from the start, his gift would have been useless, and he wouldn't have lasted more than thirty seconds.
The strength of the Vice-Emperor was concentrated in one or two aspects. His greatest weapon was not the Devil Fruit, nor his physique, and not even the Conqueror's Haki, but the Observation Haki that allowed him to see the future. Deprived of this gift at the very beginning, what remained for him to counter such an opponent?
"Neptune, please detain Big Mom's pirates. I plan to use them for negotiations with Charlotte Linlin," ordered Sal.
"Roger, executing," Neptune responded briefly.
On the marketplace street of Fish-Man Island, Sal and Rayleigh strolled leisurely. The island's architecture had changed significantly from what they remembered. It seemed even Fish-Man Island was evolving day by day.
"A lot of changes," Sal remarked.
"Yes, Roger, you've changed even more," Rayleigh smiled. "It's been ten years since I last visited Fish-Man Island. I recall when you first arrived here, declaring your desire to see the beautiful mermaids and even expressing a wish to take one aboard."
"Ha-ha, Rayleigh, it seems you had no fantasies about mermaids in your youth," Sal teased.
"...," Rayleigh merely shook his head.
Indeed, what young man, full of life and vigor, wouldn't dream of mermaids—symbols of purity and beauty? Otherwise, they wouldn't be the most expensive slaves. On the slave market, they could be sold for an outrageous price—200 million Berries, equivalent to a superstar pirate's bounty or the cost of an entire warship.
After walking a bit further and laughing with each other, Sal suddenly shifted to a serious tone.
"Rayleigh, you need to return. I'm afraid Linlin might despair and try to act on her own. Marco and the others won't be able to stop that crazy woman, and at the same time, they'll take back Big Mom's people."
"Leave it to me. I can't say I'll overpower Charlotte Linlin, but I can hold her off. You don't want to return to avoid Rouge, do you?" — Rayleigh smirked.
Hearing that name, Sal involuntarily blinked. Recently, a message had appeared from the system:
[Character Level S Lu Jiu harbors negative emotions towards you — moderate anger, experience gained: 2000]
He didn't know why Rouge was so angry. Maybe he had an idea, but he didn't want to think about it.
"Rayleigh, enough joking. How can I hide from Rouge? It's just unthinkable," Sal brushed it off, but his nervous laughter gave him away.
"Ha-ha, you know what you're doing, and I won't interfere."
Suddenly, their attention was drawn to an unusual place — "Mermaid Cafe." The name reminded them of young mermaids.
"Let's go in and have a look," Sal suggested.
"Alright," agreed Rayleigh.
Sal was the first to push the door open and saw the interior of a typical cafe. The only striking feature was the presence of three mermaids working as waitresses. Sal was surprised to see that even on such a restless day, the cafe was bustling with customers, with almost every seat occupied.
"Waiter, could we have something to eat and drink, please?" Sal asked.
From behind the counter came the reply of a mermaid with twin black tails.
"Right away, please wait."
A moment later, their order was brought not just by any mermaid, but by the very one who had been sitting at the table! Yuzu was shocked. The girl was dressed in a dark purple hoodie jacket, buttoned only in the middle, revealing her neckline and stomach. Her short black hair partially covered her face, and her piercing cold blue eyes, pale skin, and ample bust made quite an impression.
The delicate beauty of the mermaid left no doubt about her attractiveness. Or perhaps, mermaids simply did not have unattractive women. Thanks to their racial traits, every young mermaid possessed stunning looks, barring the elderly.
Thinking about the mermaid's age, Sal remembered his acquaintance — the elder mermaid Kokoro. She had been very beautiful in her youth, but now...
While Sal was lost in memories, Rayleigh had already started talking to the visitor.
"Shyarly , long time no see," Rayleigh said.
The mermaid named Shyarly calmly replied while holding a pipe in her hand.
"It's been ten years since our last meeting, Rayleigh, and with the 'lost' Pirate King Roger, or should I now call you Sal?" she asked.
Sal's silence spoke volumes. He realized an old acquaintance stood before him. Looking again, he remembered who she was. She was mentioned both in the original novel and in Roger's memories—Arlong's younger sister, known on Fish-Man Island as Madam Shyarly, a respected fortune-teller.
During Roger's last two visits to the island, this mermaid had still been a little girl of three or four years old. Dressed in a purple cloak, she played with Roger, even predicting the Pirate King's future.
Now, Sal recalled just how cute Shyarly had been back then.
The most important thing is that she predicted the beginning of the Great Pirate Era. She had extraordinary abilities, and her predictions were very accurate.
"Call me whatever you like, Shyarly," Sal joked, breaking Charlie's cold tone. She quickly retorted.
"I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm much older than you look, Uncle Roger."
"Yes, yes, I look older. I've become lighter than you. It's so awkward," Roger said, embarrassed.
"You're old, you're 75, and I'm still very young."
"Ha-ha..." Sal laughed.
An hour later, Sal and Rayleigh, smiling, left the cafe. It was quite amusing to tease the old friend known for her coldness and detachment.
After Sal and the others left, Shyarly involuntarily returned to her room, where the long-unused crystal ball lay. It was because of one prediction that she began to hate her ability to foresee the future.
Twenty-five years ago, she predicted the Great Pirate Era, and now she unintentionally wanted to glimpse into the future that Roger would bring.
Eagerly, Shirley began to divine. At first, she was relaxed, but suddenly she panicked and screamed:
"How is that possible" How is that possible?
At that moment, horror was reflected on Mrs. Shyarlys face.