Life Is Full of Surprises

Chapter 112: Life Is Full of Surprises

Fish-Man District

Aladine led Rodney and his group to the most upscale area of Fish-Man Island, Fish-Man District. Due to the prestigious status of Rodney's group, Aladine had arranged for them to stay here.

The scenery was indeed beautiful, with excellent lighting that allowed them to overlook the breathtaking ocean below.

Hmm, there was even another sea within the sea. It was incredible how there was a blue sky, sunlight, and white clouds beneath the water's surface. In the bay below, mermaids were playfully swimming.

Rodney, Brook, and Leicester leaned on the railing, admiring this rare sight.

"Ah, the beautiful mermaid ladies! I feel my heart beating, even though I'm a skeleton without a heart. Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho!" Brook looked at the beautiful and graceful mermaids, feeling alive once again.

"Leicester, your eyes are glued to them. Do you want to go down and take a look?" Rodney asked with a smile.

Leicester blushed deeply, stammering, "N-no, Captain, what are you saying? I wouldn't do that."

"Is that so? Mermaid ladies are all very lovely, aren't they? They must be understanding and kind-hearted. Well, Brook, take Leicester to the Mermaid Cove, but please don't bother them, alright?"

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho, I understand! Let's go, Mr. Leicester, and witness some youthfulness together! Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho! Mr. Rodney, we're off!" Brook grabbed the blushing Leicester, and Leicester reluctantly followed as they left.

With only a few girls left behind, Rodney sensed trouble brewing. He said, "Mr. Aladine, we're just going for a stroll. We won't provoke the Fish-Men intentionally. Please don't worry." He glanced at Aladine and his companions, who were floating in the air with their bubble-coated suits.

"Very well," with Rodney's assurance, Aladine felt more at ease.

Then Rodney leaped out of the window like a whirlwind.

The three women exchanged glances, wondering why he was in such a hurry.

Suddenly, Perona clapped her hands and said, "Rodney and the others have all left. How about we go shopping? Time to buy some things?"

Robin and Reiju fell into silence. They had been shopping a lot in the Sabaody Archipelago, and the Thousand Sunny was already filled with various items. Rodney had strongly requested that they not be wasteful, but girls couldn't resist buying things they liked, even if Robin and Reiju weren't particularly materialistic.

Meanwhile, to avoid any potential trouble, Rodney had taken the opportunity to escape and quickly left with Brook and Leicester. Otherwise, things could get uncomfortable.

Aladine noticed Rodney's departure, and he didn't think it was appropriate for his group to linger with the girls. He bid them farewell and, before leaving, advised them to be cautious around the Fish-Men and not cause any trouble.

After all, Rodney had killed Arlong...

Uh-oh!

Aladine suddenly realized something wasn't right. When they were discussing Arlong earlier, there were several Fish-Men nearby. Arlong's reputation in Fish-Man District...

This was bad.

Aladine quickly realized the potential trouble. They had been discussing Arlong while surrounded by Fish-Men. They needed to find Rodney as soon as possible; if he ran into that group, it could be problematic.

It wasn't because he was worried about Rodney's safety; on the contrary, he was concerned that Rodney might go on a rampage! 

Regarding this human, Aladine didn't know much, but he knew enough. This guy had become one of the Shichibukai and shortly after took out Moria, another of the Shichibukai. 

Such a formidable individual, if angered by those idiots, who knows if he'd pay any attention to Whitebeard's flag and start a conflict in Fish-Man District. The situation might get out of hand even if Jinbei himself intervened.

"Quickly, find Rodney, and don't let him get close to Fish-Man District. Also, send someone to inform Captain Jinbei, and let him know that Rodney killed Arlong," Aladine urgently instructed.

"Understood, sir Aladine."

Several Fish-Men hurriedly left, and Aladine went to find Robin and the others, explaining his concerns. Robin pondered for a moment and said, "It's best to find the captain quickly. He's usually easy to talk to, but if he's really provoked, I don't know what might happen." 

As the crew member who had been with Rodney the longest, Robin's words carried weight.

Perona nodded vigorously. "Yes, what Robin said is true. Rodney is a very scary man." She thought for a moment and added, "If he's not angry, that is."

"The man isn't that easy to anger. Aladine, please don't worry too much," Leyte chimed in, and Aladine felt a bit relieved. "Whatever makes the captain angry must be something he can't stand. Your Fish-Man District should still be fine, right?"

"Not yet. Captain Jinbei is still there, and he can keep those guys in check," Aladine wiped the sweat from his face, feeling fortunate that Jinbei was still around. Without Jinbei's suppression, the Fish-Men in Fish-Man District might clash with Rodney, and it would be challenging to resolve. Nevertheless, they couldn't afford to be complacent.

So, Aladine asked Robin and the others to find Rodney and warned them not to approach Fish-Man District.

Fish-Man District was underwater, and ordinary humans couldn't enter it. But if they got too close, they might attract the attention of the Fish-Men, which could lead to trouble.

Meanwhile, Rodney had caught up with Brooke and Leicester, and the three big men were happily heading to the Mermaid Cove. Due to their unfamiliarity with the area, they had to ask for directions multiple times. 

Rodney, in particular, had a poor sense of direction. While not as bad as Zoro's straight-line navigation through a maze, he had a tendency to wander aimlessly when the surroundings got complicated. Unlike Zoro, who was passive in his navigation, Rodney was actively zigzagging.

Fortunately, they had Brook, who had a good sense of direction, to guide them. Otherwise, they might have gotten lost.

As the three of them reached a somewhat dark and damp cave, Leicester asked, "Um, Captain, is there really a Mermaid Cafe here? It doesn't seem like it."

"Yeah, I feel the same way," Brook agreed. Rodney scratched his head and said, "But we followed the directions given by the Fish-Men, didn't we?"

"Wait a moment," Rodney turned his head and looked at the cave, saying, "Let's be prepared to retreat. There might be something unexpected. Brook, Leicester, things don't seem right here; let's get ready to leave."

"Understood."

"Got it."

They turned around, but several Fish-Men had already blocked their way. These Fish-Men had tattoos on their bodies with a sun symbol and a decapitated head, the insignia of the New Fish-Man Pirates. They were armed and, at the same time, more Fish-Men emerged from the sea in the damp cave.

"Oh my, it seems we're surrounded," Rodney squinted his eyes, tilting his head, and chuckled, "Brook, protect Leicester, and leave these guys to me."

"Yo-ho-ho-ho-ho, then leave it to me, sir." 

Brook emitted his trademark laugh, propping himself up with his cane, ready to draw his sword from within it whenever needed for battle.

He didn't even think of opening his Soul Solid eye. This group didn't seem particularly threatening to him, except for the slightly troublesome octopus Fish-Man who was drunk.

But that was just a minor inconvenience.

The octopus Fish-Man had blue circular spots on his body, indicating that he was a Blue Ring Octopus, a famous and highly venomous member of the octopus family. With no natural defense against poison, Rodney found this troublesome.

Well, he just needed to keep his distance.

"Watch out for the Blue Ring Octopus; it's poisonous. The others, you don't need to worry about." Rodney pointed out the only thing they should be concerned about, much to the Fish-Men's indignation.

He had completely underestimated their abilities, treating them like mere small fry.

"Shut up, human! We're from the New Fish-Man Pirates, here to avenge Arlong, our former captain! You're the murderer who killed Arlong!"

Someone shouted suddenly, and instantly, all the approaching Fish-Men raised their weapons, clearly agitated.

Rodney looked puzzled. Did Arlong have such a huge reputation on Fish-Man Island? If he knew he was this famous, he probably wouldn't have gone to the East Blue, right?

Life truly was full of surprises!