Chapter 123
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Mihawk bought quite a few items before leaving: MooMoo Milk, universal water-type PokéBlocks, a set of small Pokémon beds, baby bottles, diapers, various baby toys, and more.
By the time Mihawk finished shopping, Dak was bewildered. Buying diapers for water-type Pokémon was unprecedented, even in the Pokémon world. It was evident that Mihawk was treating Psyduck and Slowpoke like children.
However, Dak didn't comment. Every trainer had their own way of training and bonding with their Pokémon. Some saw Pokémon as partners, some as children, and others even saw Gardevoir as their master… ahem.
In any case, Dak was open to all kinds of unique methods. Mihawk's approach was relatively normal in comparison.
Three days after Mihawk's departure, a new guest arrived at the Breeding House. This guest was previously unseen and had stumbled upon the Breeding House by chance, making them a lucky visitor.
On this particular day, Robin was, as usual, engrossed in reading the Pokémon encyclopedia in the store's main area. Occasionally, Rotom would chime in with information not found in the encyclopedia. Meanwhile, Miltank was napping on the grass, her ears perking up at the sound of the door opening.
"Huh? Where am I, Mama?" a soft, sugary voice called out, waking Miltank. However, Miltank wasn't annoyed. She could tell the voice belonged to a child, and Miltank adored playing with children.
Miltank got up, excited to meet the new guest, only to be startled by what she saw. It was indeed a child, a cute, pink-haired girl. However, this girl was over four meters tall.
"Miltank?!"
Miltank's eyes widened as she saw the massive yet adorable pink-haired girl peering into the store, her eyes filled with tears. Miltank turned helplessly to Robin, who was also frozen in shock at the sight of the girl.
Robin wasn't stunned by the girl's size—though it was surprising, she had seen giants like Saul before. What stunned her was the girl's pink fish tail.
"A mermaid?"
Robin recalled the term. The mermaid caught her attention not just because of her large size, but because she was a mermaid—a creature Robin had read about but never seen in person.
"A mermaid? How fascinating! It looks a lot like a Seaking," Rotom, full of curiosity, floated over to the giant mermaid girl.
"Who-who are you?" Shirahoshi, the mermaid princess, clung to the doorframe, shivering but holding back her tears. This Shirahoshi was not as timid as she would be ten years later, as her mother, Queen Otohime, was still alive, and she hadn't been marked by Vander Decken yet.
"I am Rotom, a partner of Nico Robin. Hello, mermaid," Rotom greeted her with its electronic voice.
"I-I'm Shirahoshi," the mermaid princess corrected, emphasizing her name.
"Welcome. Would you like to come in? You seem a bit uncomfortable," Robin stood up, addressing the half-hidden Shirahoshi.
From Robin's perspective, Shirahoshi's lower half was submerged in a dark sea outside the door, her tail swishing in the water. Just looking at the ocean made Robin uneasy, given her Devil Fruit abilities.
"O-okay," Shirahoshi hesitated, but the inviting scenery and the warm atmosphere inside drew her in.
As Shirahoshi's tail left the water and touched the ground, her mouth opened in surprise.
"Grass?"
"Yes, do you not have it where you live?" Robin approached, now fully realizing Shirahoshi's immense height.
Although Shirahoshi's tail was partly folded, she still towered over Robin, who only reached Shirahoshi's chest. Shirahoshi's head was disproportionately large, making up about a third of her body.
"We do have grass in the underwater forest, but it's different from this," Shirahoshi explained, clearly fascinated by the terrestrial grass but too shy to bend down for a closer look.
"Underwater grass? That's seaweed. It's different," Robin clarified. She hadn't visited Fish-Man Island but assumed it wouldn't have terrestrial plants due to its deep-sea location.
"I see. I once secretly watched the surface. The ground there bubbles a lot," Shirahoshi's initial nervousness faded as she spoke more freely with Robin.
"That's the Sabaody Archipelago, directly above Fish-Man Island. Normally, other islands don't have bubbles," Robin explained.
"Oh," Shirahoshi nodded obediently, standing still like she was being punished.
Robin couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth.
"Why are you laughing, big sister?" Shirahoshi asked, confused.
"It's nothing. Do you want to see a real surface? A vast grassland," Robin offered.
"Me? Can I?" Shirahoshi's eyes lit up but dimmed quickly.
"Just tell me if you want to," Robin said, gently touching Shirahoshi's face. Her skin was soft and slightly damp, likely due to her mermaid physiology.
"I… I want to," Shirahoshi whispered, clenching her hands.
"Alright, let me ask Dak. Normally, outsiders aren't allowed there," Robin said, planning to get permission.
"No, that's okay. I don't want to cause trouble," Shirahoshi said, waving her hands.
"It's no trouble. And, Fish-Man Island…" Robin paused, her eyes flickering with consideration.
As a member of the Breeding House, Robin often thought about how various places might benefit the Breeding House and Dak. Mentioning Fish-Man Island made her consider its potential value.
Currently, the Breeding House didn't have a route to Fish-Man Island, but Shirahoshi's arrival provided an opportunity to establish one. However, the outside world was the deep sea, making it a complex situation for Dak to analyze.
"Miltank, Rotom, look after Shirahoshi. I'll be back in three minutes," Robin instructed before heading into the Pokémon Island to find Dak.
Dak had been at the entrance of the alliance base, planning the layout of the Pokémon Academy and its surroundings.
Hearing Robin mention Shirahoshi's name, Dak's expression turned peculiar. He had considered Fish-Man Island when he first arrived in the One Piece world but had since been too busy to pursue it.
"Fish-Man Island, huh? That's good," Dak thought about its unique location and current situation, smiling.
Many inhabitants of Fish-Man Island hoped to move to the surface, but human acceptance was a major hurdle. Despite Queen Otohime's efforts, it was a distant dream.
The World Government's approval didn't guarantee other humans wouldn't harm the Fish-Men and Mermaids. The World Government wasn't an official organization and couldn't make decisions for all humans, only influencing a few allied nations.
Given human nature, moving to the surface would only hasten their demise, as pirates and slavers would exploit them.
Otohime's intentions were noble, wishing for her people to live under the sun and children to explore the world. However, she underestimated the hostility humans had towards other races.
Fish-Man Island couldn't achieve equal status in the One Piece world. But Dak's smile hinted at a solution.
"In the One Piece world, it's impossible. But on Pokémon Island, it can work."
(End of Chapter)