The Mermaid Cafe consisted of several adjoining buildings, each one several storeys high and topped with a colourful, gigantic shell. Above the front entrance was a sign with the words "Mermaid Cafe" in ornate script. There were dozens of windows, many of which showed a bustling scenery.

So many humans…

Arlong had never been to this cafe before. He'd heard of his sister establishing this cafe, and some—well, quite a lot of his men had come here at some point, some would probably be in here now. However, he'd never seen it with his own eyes. As a result, he was disgusted to learn just how much his brethren had discarded their principles for profits.

Still, he'd already made up his mind. After a moment of hesitation, Arlong pushed open the double doors and went in.

The first things Arlong saw were about twenty tables surrounded by chairs. Every single table was packed to the brim with customers of the cafe. Against the opposite wall was a bar and shelves stacked with bottles. Mermaids, wearing only bikini tops and parongs, hurried around with plates of food or worked behind the bar.

A flight of stairs led up from the main area to a second level, for those who had more in their wallets. The tables here had top-quality dishes, the scent of which made Arlong's mouth water despite his will. Additionally, each individual table had a mermaid waitress dedicated to it.

Lastly, there were doors leading out from the main area into private rooms. These were presumably for the most expensive—and more mature—kinds of entertainment.

The cafe was initially filled with the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses. It rapidly quietened down as people noticed Arlong, someone who quite visibly wasn't in the mood for fun.

"Oh, Captain Arlong!" called out one of Arlong's crew, who was sitting at a table. "You won't regret comin' here, it's even better than when we left the island—"

"Thanks, but that's not what I'm here for," Arlong said. He looked at the nearest mermaid waitress, who flinched yet kept a smile on her face. "Is Shyarly here? If she is, tell her that Arlong is here."

"Y-Yes, Madam Shyarly is here, sir! I'll let her know right away!"

The mermaid hurried off as fast as her tail could carry her.

After the mermaid was gone, the cafe soon returned to its previous atmosphere. No doubt this was thanks to someone here recognising Arlong and calling out to him, allowing the others to relax. However, Arlong himself couldn't relax.

About half the customers are fish-men and mermen, half are humans… but that's still too many humans.

Don't they remember? Are they all too young to remember what humans would do to them if they had the upper hand? How can they serve them with smiles on their faces!?

Soon enough, the first mermaid waitress returned. "Madam Shyarly will meet you, sir," she said. "Please follow me."

Arlong silently followed the mermaid between the rows of tables and to a door.

The staff area of the Mermaid Cafe had a sunken floor flooded with water, making it easier for the mermaids to move around. Arlong thus climbed down a short staircase and began wading through the water.

Arlong followed the now-swimming mermaid down a corridor, around a corner and to another door.

"Madam Shyarly is here…"

"Thanks," Arlong said. "You can get back to your work now."

Without another word, Arlong pushed through the door. He immediately had to tilt his head upwards.

"It's been more than a decade… Arlong."

Sitting on a red couch was a mermaid with short black hair and a deep blue shark tail, the latter mostly submerged in the water. Even sitting, she was a head taller than the standing Arlong. She wore a dark purple blouse with long sleeves and a hood. A belly chain was looped twice around the junction between her upper body and her shark tail.

"You've gotten bigger than before, Shyarly," Arlong said. He spotted a chair in the room but didn't bother sitting down.

In truth, Arlong and Shyarly didn't know for certain if they were truly siblings. When the former was fifteen, a man claiming to be his father had approached and given a little mermaid brat to him. Supposedly, this mermaid was Arlong's sister from a different mother, presumably one of the mermaid prostitutes in the Fish-Man District.

I still don't know if that bastard was telling the truth… All I remember of my father is him tossing me away, too early for me to remember his face… Never knew my mother either, not sure if she abandoned me first or just died young.

The Arlong of that time had been ruthless and focused on survival, but he still hadn't been willing to just abandon that girl. So he'd fought to protect her, given her some of his scraps of food, taught her how to survive as well. And now they'd both moved up in the world… but the relationship they'd forged in that dark slum had never been completely forgotten.

That didn't mean said relationship was warm, however.

"I thought you were all fancy and cultured now," Arlong said. "Aren't you going to offer me refreshments?"

"Would you accept even if I did?" Shyarly said. "Let's get right to business. So… what has the mighty pirate captain returned to Fish-Man Island for?"

"My men and I just needed a break," Arlong said defensively. "We'll be back to the open sea soon enough."

"Back to pillaging from those too weak to defend themselves?" Shyarly asked sardonically. "Just what would Fisher Tiger think of you now?"

Arlong stepped forward with clenched fists. There was no mirror around to check, but his current expression could make the average person faint in terror.

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME!" Arlong roared. "YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BROTHER TIGER!"

"Almost… it's true I know less about him than you did," Shyarly said calmly. "So, Arlong, what would he say if he was still alive? How would he, the fish-man who famously fought to free slaves and avoided killing, react to what you're doing?"

Arlong felt a tremendous pressure inside his chest, the sort that could only be relieved by breaking something. There were plenty of targets around: a table, a chair, the couch Shyarly was sitting on, the walls and ceiling and floor of the room itself…

Instead of doing that, Arlong forced himself to sit down on the chair. He breathed in and then out three times. The pressure in his chest remained, but he could keep it from going anywhere for now.

"No, he wouldn't like it, but…" Arlong clenched his fists tightly enough to draw blood with his nails. "Brother Tiger… wasn't always… right."

"...If it hurts you that much to say it, maybe you should—"

"It has to be said!" Arlong insisted. He breathed in and continued, "Brother Tiger was the best fish-man I ever knew, but he… he was always too soft on humans. For fish-men to be truly respected, we have to show our strength to the surface-dwellers! To… To..."

When he said that, the memory of a certain Marine flashed across Arlong's mind. He lowered his head and began trembling.

I couldn't even land a hit… except when he just stood there, on purpose, and let my sword pass through him… I might as well have fought the sun, it would've been easier...

"...Alright, let's stop arguing for now."

There was the soft sloshing sound of something moving through water. Arlong looked up to see Shyarly now next to him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Just what happened while you were away, Arlong?" Shyarly asked, gentler than before.

Arlong remained silent for a few moments. Memory after memory crossed his mind, along with the accompanying emotions.

Raiding a human ship, striking off the chains of the slaves on board, celebrating with the crew afterwards…

Attacking Foolshout Island alone, hoping to take revenge on those who'd betrayed Fisher Tiger, only to encounter a Vice Admiral of the Marines…

Being freed from Impel Down, moving to a bright and comfortable life in the East Blue…

Returning to find everyone at Arlong Park beaten up, which was just a prelude to what happened next…

"You're right, Shyarly…" Arlong said. "I became… a coward… I lost to a Marine and got captured, then when…" he shook his head, "when Jinbe got me out, I ran off to the East Blue because it's filled with weaklings… And..."

"And then?"

"And then I lost again!" Arlong said, looking right into his half-sister's eyes. "I thought there were only weaklings, but some—some punk I'd never even heard of came up to my home, and he kicked me all the way through it! I actually got captured again, along with all my men, and if those Marines had been smarter, we would've all been locked away!"

Arlong breathed as heavily as if he'd just fought a great battle. He looked down at his hands.

"We broke out… but that loss still affected us," Arlong admitted. "That's why we've all come home. And… some of us may never leave."

"Will you?" Shyarly asked.

"I'm not done just yet!" Arlong shouted. "I… I plan on staying and training myself… just enough to never lose again. Then I'll go back out, with anyone who's still willing to come with me."

Shyarly sighed. "I won't stop you… I can't stop you, just like I couldn't all those years ago. But if you never want to lose again, you'll be training for a very long time."

That was undeniable. If he wanted to be truly strong, Arlong would need a way to injure Logia users, as well as certain kinds of Paramecia users. That was one of the reasons he planned to see if anyone on Fish-Man Island could teach Haki.

"You're not going to cause trouble here, are you, Arlong?" Shyarly asked.

"Of course not," Arlong said. He thought for a moment. "Well, there's a chance I might get into a fight or two when I go back to Fish-Man District, but that's nothing much. Speaking of Fish-Man District, have you heard anything about it lately?"

"I still have some contacts there… it's hard to get away from your roots," Shyarly replied. "For the most part, it's the same as always… except for one disturbing rumour. There's a gang who are preaching war against the humans."

"That's nothing new," Arlong said. "The district's been like that since we were there."

Shyarly looked at Arlong coldly. For a moment, he feared she'd bring up his contribution to such ideas in the Fish-Man District. However, that didn't happen.

"It sounds like it's worse than ever before," Shyarly said, clearly worried. "I hear that they want to attack all of humanity, killing those who resist and taking the rest as slaves. They don't have the power to follow through, obviously, but they could still cause trouble."

Arlong was silent. He'd be lying if he claimed to have never had such thoughts himself. However, he'd known for years that it could never happen. Not only did the humans have far greater numbers than fish-men and merfolk combined, they had multiple individuals powerful enough to destroy Fish-Man Island… quite literally, if tales of humans like Whitebeard were true.

Furthermore, he also remembered how he had done that, just on a smaller scale. And even that had eventually led to his humiliating defeat.

"Arlong?" Shyarly said. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

"It's nothing!" Arlong lied. He stood up from his chair, silently cursing his sister's ability to see through him. "I'm heading off now! I'll look into that rumour in Fish-Man District, when I feel like it!"

Arlong stormed out of the room and then out of the cafe entirely, ignoring his sister's protests.

Dammit… that didn't help me at all, Arlong grumbled. All that did was… was…

Arlong shook his head and walked down the street, wondering where he should go next.

For now, I've had enough of talking to others. Maybe I'll just find an inn and sleep 'til morning.

-ooo-

Shyarly spent the next few hours sorting through the Mermaid Cafe's accounts. At least, she tried to… her mind constantly drifted off into other topics.

Eventually, however, she heard a faint noise in the distance. This was something that required her attention, so she dropped her work, swam rapidly down a few flooded corridors and arrived at one of the private room.

Inside the private room was a male human pirate tugging on the arm of one of the cafe's mermaids.

"S-Sir, I'm afraid our services don't include that!" protested Lulis, a mermaid with curly orange hair.

"Come on, just for a little while!" the pirate said.

Then they both noticed Shyarly's entrance. Both looked happier, though for entirely different reasons.

"Oh, you're even more mermaid than I was expecting!" the pirate said. "How much would it cost for—"

In the next instant, Shyarly grabbed the pirate by his neck with one hand. She slammed him against a wall.

"Guahh!?"

"The rules of the Mermaid Cafe are quite clear," Shyarly said coldly. "You, and everyone else in your crew, are now banned for life. Not just from this establishment, but from the entire island"

"You—guh—you don't get to tell us what to do!" the pirate gasped. At this close range, he gave off the stench of alcohol. "I'm Peterson, captain of the Redprow Pirates, and my bounty's—eep!"

"Apparently, you've forgotten whose flag flies above Fish-Man Island," Shyarly said, now digging her fingernails into the pirate's skin, just a few millimetres away from the carotid artery. "Or are you so brave that you have nothing to fear from Whitebeard?"

Judging from how the pirate's eyes widened, he wasn't. When Shyarly then let him go, he scrambled to his feet and ran out of the cafe, not even caring about appearances.

Though how much longer will Whitebeard's name be able to protect us? Shyarly wondered.

After making sure the pirate was well away, Shyarly returned to the private room. "There's always a few idiots…" she grumbled. "I'll pass on his name and appearance to the border patrol as well. And, Lulis, are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you, Madam Shyarly!" Lulis replied.

"I agreed to the private dances because you girls said you could handle them," Shyarly said. "We'll have to discuss that again at our next meeting… For now, Lulis, you have the rest of the day off. Take a week off, if you have to."

Once that incident was settled, Shyarly looked down at her own hands. During her days growing up in the Fish-Man District, she would not have hesitated to go for the kill—after all, Arlong couldn't be around all the time to protect her. However, making a corpse now would have cause more problems than it solved.

It would be nearly impossible to hide it from Arlong, and he'd start going on about this proving the true nature of humans, even though there are drunk idiots among mermen and fish-men as well.

And speaking of Arlong… yes, I'd better do that.

Shyarly made her way to the main area of the cafe. Now the cafe had reached a less busy time of day, with only half of the tables occupied. At this time, the one behind the bar was blue-haired Mero.

"Mero, I plan to go home for no more than half an hour," Shyarly said. "Can you manage the cafe while I'm gone?"

"Yes, it's no problem, Madam Shyarly," Mero replied.

"If any problems do occur, you can call on some of our regulars to help. Now, I must be off."

Shyarly left the Mermaid Cafe. She inflated a bubble and then swam through the air until she reached her home, a one-story building also in Mermaid Cove. However, due to being built for someone of her size, it was just as tall as the multi-storey buildings around it.

I don't normally take breaks during work… but this is something I have to do.

Shyarly entered. Her home contained relatively little furniture, and what was present was purely functional. She'd always been frugal in her personal life—that, together with determination and no small amount of luck, was why she'd been able to move out of the Fish-Man District and into her current position.

Now, where did I put it…?

After a few minutes of searching, Shyarly found an orb of clear crystal with a cloth covering it. She removed the cloth and set the crystal ball down on a round pedestal. She took a deep breath.

I put this away because my sight usually reveals terrifying things… But after meeting him again, I can't help myself.

Shyarly placed her right hand on top of the crystal ball and closed her eyes.

Now, crystal ball, what will you show me today?

Shyarly waited patiently. The crystal ball felt increasingly cool to her touch, as if it was draining her body heat. But even that sensation was nothing compared to her fear at what she would see.

Everyone admires my ability… but if they actually possessed it, they would realise just how much of a burden it really is…

I might not even see anything related to Arlong, instead seeing something else. Still, I can't help but try.

Finally, Shyarly took her hand away and opened her eyes. "What… is this…?" she gasped.

Within the crystal ball were several moving silhouettes. The one in the middle was tallest and had a serrated snout, making his identity clear. It was also clear that these silhouettes were fighting a battle, brandishing weapons in their hands.

Shyarly sighed in disappointment. It was clear that her brother would never learn to settle down.

He'll find an early grave one day, like most warriors—hm?

Then Shyarly noticed something else. The other silhouettes in the crystal ball appeared human, which wasn't a surprise when humans were the most populous race in the world. However, Arlong didn't seem to be fighting against them…

Shyarly continued staring into the crystal ball for some time. She eventually took her eyes away, covered the crystal ball again and put it back into a cupboard.

I could tell him this, but would he even believe it? ...From how he left earlier today, the answer's obvious.

Even Shyarly herself had trouble believing it. She'd seen many incredible visions with her unique ability, including the birth of Princess Shirahoshi, the start of the Great Age of Piracy and—most recently—the death of a certain Emperor. But all of those things had some logic to them, if she thought about them carefully.

She couldn't see any path that would lead her brother to this future. Yet her sight had—much to her sorrow, at times—never once been wrong.


AN: I didn't plan to include non-Arlong perspectives at first, but Shyarly's prediction is something that couldn't really be shown otherwise.