Curse or Prophecy, the Fate of Miners

However, no one complained either, after all, it was thanks to Wallace that they even had this opportunity.

"Um… is there any suitable island nearby?"

Deuce asked Lola. Right now, their crew had nothing. Wallace did his best to save the people, but the treasures on the ship were long gone.

Although they still had some things which they were carrying on themselves, it probably wasn't enough to buy a single ship.

They were pirates without a ship now. To set sail again, they'd either have to steal a ship or buy one. Regardless, returning to Fishman Island wasn't an option.

The risks of stealing a ship at the bottom of the sea were too high, and Sabaody Archipelago wasn't stable either. Besides, none of them wanted to start over again, so they planned to disembark nearby instead.

"Oh? You don't want to return to Paradise?"

"Of course not. We're aiming to become the world's strongest pirate crew!"

"Such courage, I like it. So, does no one really want to marry me? I can give you all one more chance, you know."

Lola has seen many pirates who failed in the New World. After their failures, most of them would develop a fear of the New World and flee in panic.

There were also some pirates who couldn't even handle the first half of the Grand Line, ultimately only daring to act tyrannically in the Four Seas.

She admired such a courageous character.

"No, thank you. We're not interested."

Unfortunately, no one responded to Lola's proposal.

"You all, Big Sister Lola's mother is a famous pirate in the New World! How could you pass up such an opportunity?"

"Then why don't you take it?"

"..."

Deuce's words silenced the rest of the Rolling Pirates. While it's true that love isn't necessarily about looks, outward appearance can create a first impression. For Lola to find true love while skipping past this step would admittedly be a challenge.

However, Lola didn't mind. She changed the subject to another matter.

"If you're heading to Fishman Island…there's only one island along the way, New Fishman Island. Dropping you off there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No problem. Any island will do. But New Fishman Island… what kind of place is that?"

Ace didn't care which island it was, but he was still quite curious about its situation.

"I don't know. I've never heard of it before…"

Seeing his companions' expectant gaze, Skull gave a negative answer. He has some understanding of the New World, but it was very limited. As for this newly emerged island, he knows nothing about it.

Lola also couldn't explain what kind of island it is; she only knows that it exists.

In the end, all eyes finally turned to Wallace. New Fishman Island—it clearly had something to do with the Fish-Men. As a Fish-man, Wallace should know something about it.

"Wallace, do you know anything?"

"I do, actually. But when I left Fishman Island, that island was still a concept. Have they really moved that fast?"

Wallace went on to explain Otohime's ideals and the theoretical significance of the New Fishman Island. However, he didn't know much more than that.

The fact that he could join Ace's crew indicated he wasn't one of the extreme Fish-Men. Before he set sail, he also agreed with Otohime's ideals, though not entirely, as her views were too idealistic.

In the end, Ace and his crew decided to head to New Fishman Island, planning to get a new ship there.

...

New Fishman Island was open to outsiders. With Wallace, a Fish-Man, among them, they encountered no resistance. The Rolling Pirates also came along, as their goal was to get coating.

The Fish-Men boasted many outstanding coating craftsmen, and coating was an essential step for leaving Paradise. Since they could get it done here, they naturally didn't refuse.

However, within the inland lakes of the New Fishman Island, the Spade Pirates encountered something terrifying—Gyarados.

"Why are these monsters here too...?"

Previously, Nereus hadn't revealed her true form, but there were other Gyarados accompanying her. Moreover, during their journey on the Grand Line, they had also encountered other Gyarados and knew how difficult they were to deal with.

It seemed as though the Gyarados had heard their murmurs because they turned their gaze toward them.

At that moment, a singing sound drifted down from above, followed by a voice.

"Humans, there is no need to be nervous. They won't take the initiative to attack you."

A blue figure jumped down from the back of a Flygon.

Due to environmental factors, the Trapinch living here had grown to various sizes, and their evolved forms reflected that.

The blue figure was none other than Jinbe, who had been patrolling atop a massive Flygon. And that singing sound? It was none other than the sound of Flygon flapping its wings.

As Trapinch's final evolution, Flygon achieves a leap akin to a carp transforming into a dragon, gaining the Dragon type.

Flygon was primarily green with two green antenna-like structures on its head, resembling a dragonfly—hence its nickname, the "Dragonfly Pokémon."

Its eyes were protected by red, semi-spherical coverings that shielded them from external harm.

The sound of its wings flapping was incredibly melodic, akin to a maiden's singing. This beautiful sound acted as a special trap to lure prey, earning Flygon the name "The Desert Spirit." However, this "spirit" could be deadly.

Like a siren's song, anyone enchanted by its melody would struggle to escape.

New Fishman Island wasn't entirely peaceful. Occasionally, there were intruders—human traffickers and other outsiders. These instances gave Trapinch opportunities to fight, and over time, some evolved into Flygon, becoming protectors of New Fishman Island.

Aside from them, Jinbe occasionally patrolled to prevent unnecessary conflicts.

If someone had entered illegally, they wouldn't have made it this far, which was why Jinbe knew they weren't intruders and sought to defuse the tension.

"Captain, that's one of the Shichibukai, Knight of the Sea Jinbe..."

"Brother Jinbe! It's me, Wallace!"

Among the Fish-Men, almost everyone knew Jinbe and Fisher Tiger. Seeing Jinbe appear, Wallace greeted him excitedly. Jinbe's stern expression softened into a smile upon recognizing his fellow Fish-Man, though the smile didn't last long.

...

"You're looking to buy a ship?"

"Yes, we ran into some trouble earlier, and our ship sank. We had to hitch a ride here."

"Getting a ship isn't a problem, but… do you have the money for it?"

If it had been Hachi or Arlong asking for a ship, Jinbe could have made the decision to give them one. However Wallace can only be considered someone he knows; the relationship is not deep enough for such a big favor. He couldn't break the rules for that.

Judging by their expressions, Jinbe guessed they were penniless. Out of consideration for his fellow Fish-Man, he offered a suggestion.

"We've discovered some mines nearby. The pay for mining is decent. Why don't you consider it?"

Hearing Jinbe's words, Ace suddenly recalled something Isuka had said. For some reason, he felt that there must be some kind of connection between them...

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