The group of old friends continued chatting comfortably in the bustling cafe, catching up on recent events and sharing stories of their adventures. Suddenly, Jenny's eyes lit up as though she'd remembered something exciting.
"Oh! Would any of you be interested in getting your fortunes told by Madam Shirley?" she asked enthusiastically, practically bouncing in her seat.
"She's the most famous fortune teller in all the surrounding areas. People come from distant islands just to consult with her!"
"Who's the second most famous fortune teller then?" Jerry asked without thinking, his natural curiosity getting the better of him.
Jenny blinked in confusion and stared at him for a moment. "Uh... well, there really isn't a second most famous one. Madam Shirley is in a league of her own when it comes to divination."
Deuce, who had been alternating between scribbling notes in his journal and observing the cafe's clientele, suddenly perked up with obvious interest.
"Really? You're talking about actual fortune telling?" he asked eagerly.
"I don't get it, Deuce," Ace interjected with a puzzled expression. "Since when are you interested in that kind of stuff? I never really believed in fortune telling myself."
"It's not about belief—it's about the mystery of it all!" Deuce explained, his scholarly instincts clearly activated. "The idea that someone could genuinely predict future events using supernatural abilities is fascinating from an academic perspective."
"What kind of divination are we talking about?" came a voice from behind them.
Everyone turned to see Carina approaching their table, her arms laden with shopping bags of various sizes and colors. Carrot bounced along beside her, equally burdened with packages but looking absolutely delighted with their retail expedition.
Since Jenny was familiar with most of the crew by now, she was happy to explain the situation in detail.
"Our cafe's manager, Madam Shirley, has an incredible reputation for accurately predicting future events," she began, settling back into her chair. "Though I should mention that she rarely does readings anymore these days."
"Why not?" Carina asked, clearly intrigued as she and Carrot found seats and began organizing their purchases.
"From what I understand, she feels that everything she's predicted in the past has been... well, rather unpleasant," Jenny explained with a slightly uncomfortable expression. "She's developed the philosophy that some futures are better left unknown."
Both Deuce and Carina leaned forward with obvious curiosity, and Jenny seemed happy to share what she knew about their mysterious manager.
"What kinds of things has she predicted before?" Deuce pressed, his notebook already out and ready.
"Well, the most famous example happened when Madam Shirley was just a child herself," Jenny began, lowering her voice as though sharing a secret. "She had a vision that massive numbers of pirates would arrive on Fishman Island in the near future."
"And?" Carina prompted.
"The Great Pirate Era began the very next year," Jenny finished dramatically.
"Seriously?!" several voices exclaimed simultaneously. Even Jerry looked impressed despite his usual skepticism about supernatural phenomena.
The accuracy of such a prediction was genuinely startling. Jerry found himself wondering if there was something in the local coffee that enhanced psychic abilities, since this kind of metaphysical power clearly wasn't derived from a Devil Fruit.
After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head with characteristic pragmatism.
"That's certainly impressive, but I prefer to focus on the present," Jerry declared. "My future isn't just a dream—I live every minute seriously and work toward my goals actively. I don't need predictions to tell me what's coming."
"Exactly right!" Ace agreed emphatically, his voice carrying unexpected intensity. "Even if we knew what the future held, what good would that do? Would we just lie down and stop trying our best?"
"I believe the future depends on our own actions and choices," he continued firmly.
"That's the spirit!" Jerry nodded approvingly. "When you encounter difficulties, if you don't give everything you've got, you'll never discover just how much potential you actually possess!"
Jerry's familiarity with motivational philosophy served him well in moments like these, and his words seemed to resonate with the group.
After hearing both Jerry and Ace express their views so passionately, Deuce and Carina found themselves nodding in agreement. Neither had any real intention of seeking divination—Deuce was simply fascinated by the academic aspects of supernatural abilities, while Carina had always believed that women should rely on their own intelligence and wisdom rather than depending too heavily on external sources.
Of course, if fortune telling could reveal the locations of hidden treasure, Carina might be willing to listen, but that seemed unlikely, and she wasn't personally acquainted with Madam Shirley anyway.
"Humans! Get out of here and don't contaminate our island anymore!"
The sudden sound of young voices shouting angrily from the street interrupted their philosophical discussion.
Since their table was positioned near one of the cafe's large windows, everyone instinctively turned to look outside. They saw a group of merman and fishman children marching down the coral-paved street like protesters, their small faces twisted with anger and defiance.
From their body language and aggressive gestures, it was clear they were making some kind of demonstration against human visitors.
Before anyone could comment on this unexpected display, another group of equally young voices responded from the opposite side of the street.
"Hey! Stop making trouble like that! There are good humans too—have you all forgotten Princess Otohime's ideals?"
Looking toward this second source of noise, they spotted another group of children standing firmly on the opposite sidewalk, shouting back at the first group with obvious indignation. This second group appeared to be primarily mermaids with a few young fishmen mixed in.
"Good humans? Really?" the apparent leader of the merman protesters shot back mockingly. "It's only been one day since what happened at Mermaid Bay last night, and you're already forgetting! Humans shouldn't be allowed on our island at all!"
However, the little mermaid girl leading the opposing faction wasn't about to back down from this challenge.
"Sister Isari already said that last night was just a misunderstanding!" she declared loudly, stepping forward with surprising courage for someone so young. "Stop trying to use that incident to cause more problems!"
With that exchange, both groups launched into a heated argument, voices rising as they hurled accusations and counter-arguments across the busy street.
Jerry turned to Jenny and Dora with a puzzled expression. "What's going on with these kids?"
"Oh, Brother Jerry, I know most of them," Dora explained, since she'd clearly been part of similar childhood groups in the past. "They're mostly from families who run shops around here, and some are regular playmates from the district."
She proceeded to give them the background context they needed to understand the current situation.
The roots of this conflict could be traced back to Princess Otohime's tragic assassination years earlier. During her lifetime, the beloved princess had been deeply admired by citizens across Fishman Island for her compassionate nature and progressive ideals. Hoping to secure a better future for the next generation, she had organized an island-wide petition campaign promoting peaceful coexistence with humans.
Although her efforts had ultimately failed due to her untimely death, her noble ideals had remained alive in the hearts and minds of many Fishman Island residents.
However, like most complex social issues, public opinion remained divided. While Princess Otohime's influence had convinced many kind-hearted citizens to view humans as equals and support her vision of peaceful cooperation, there would always be those who disagreed with such progressive thinking.
Some residents believed that the princess's tragic murder by human hands proved that such creatures could never be trusted, making any attempts at peaceful coexistence foolish and dangerous.
Beyond the extremist faction that had once operated in Fishman Street, there were ordinary townspeople who harbored resentment toward humans for various personal reasons—often stemming from experiences with slavery, discrimination, or other forms of mistreatment they'd witnessed or suffered.
This was precisely why King Neptune and his advisors preferred to reveal historical truths gradually rather than making sudden dramatic announcements. They understood that changing deeply held beliefs and prejudices required patience and careful handling.
Most of the children currently arguing in the street weren't yet capable of making objective judgments about complex social issues the way adults could. Their opinions and attitudes were primarily shaped by their families, education, and immediate social environment.
As it turned out, there was more to the previous night's incident than initially appeared. After thinking carefully about what had actually happened at Mermaid Bay, the young mermaid witness had concluded that the mysterious figure with the fishing rod had likely been the victim of an unfortunate misunderstanding.
Upon reflection, she remembered that the box containing her personal items had been placed near her bedroom window the previous evening. When she'd gotten up during the night, she'd opened that same window for fresh air. By pure coincidence, the thin rope attached to her storage box had somehow drifted into the water and become entangled with a fishing line that happened to be in the area, resulting in the box being pulled to the surface by the confused angler.
She also recalled that during her initial screaming, she'd heard what sounded like someone shouting about a misunderstanding, though her own noise had made it impossible to understand the words clearly.
Being naturally kind-hearted, she'd decided not to pursue the matter further, which had allowed the investigating soldiers to conclude their inquiries and return home by early morning.
But the merman children didn't care about such nuanced explanations or underlying causes. They were simply bored and had decided that organizing an anti-human demonstration would make for an entertaining afternoon activity.
Meanwhile, the opposing group—dominated by young mermaids—couldn't stand watching their peers use such a serious issue as a game, so they'd spontaneously organized to counter-protest and prevent further trouble.
After listening to Dora's detailed explanation, everyone finally understood how the previous night's mysterious incident had ultimately been resolved. No wonder the atmosphere that morning had felt completely normal despite the initial drama.
The crew members had already settled their bill and were preparing to leave the cafe when Jerry made an unexpected decision. Instead of heading back to their ship with the others, he walked directly toward the group of arguing children.
His crewmates remained standing near the cafe entrance, quietly watching his approach with curious interest.
Both groups of children noticed the human adult walking toward them, and the merman leader immediately became defensive.
"What do you want?" the young fishman demanded aggressively. "Are you planning to take revenge on us or something? Well, I'm not afraid of you!"
Jerry studied the child's face carefully, noting that despite his hostile words and disgusted expression, his eyes still held a bright, innocent light. There was stubbornness there, yes, but also the kind of pure spirit that hadn't yet been fully corrupted by hatred or prejudice.
Ignoring the boy's aggressive posture, Jerry reached out and gently placed his hand on the child's head, offering a warm smile.
"Little brother," he said softly, "if you already carry light in your heart, don't let that light fade from your eyes. Don't allow darkness to overshadow the brightness that makes you who you are."
"Even if you don't believe in Ultraman," he added with gentle humor, "you should always believe in the power of light itself."
Everyone present—children and adults alike—fell into stunned silence. Although none of them understood the reference to Ultraman, they could sense the deeper meaning behind Jerry's words and the genuine compassion in his voice.
Ace's eyes flickered with recognition and old pain as he watched the scene unfold. In the stubborn, hurt expression of the young merman, he caught a glimpse of his own childhood—the anger, confusion, and desperate need for someone to show him that the world contained more than just cruelty and rejection.