One Piece: Mandala Swordsman

Chapter 154 You guys are just too young

Fish-Man Island, located a meter below the surface of the Holy Land Mary Geoise, is a crucial stop on the way to the New World and the birthplace of most Fish-Men and Mermaids. It is also known as the "Underwater Paradise," a dreamlike haven. A rough estimate puts its population at 500 million.

The fish-men and mermaids on the island were once classified as "fish" by humans and suffered severe discrimination. It wasn't until 200 years ago, when the Ryugu Kingdom became a member state of the World Government, that they began to establish friendly relations with humans, and the Fish-Man Island King was allowed to attend the World Conference. Despite this, humans still harbored aversion towards the fish-men, and the problem of discrimination did not improve but instead worsened.

"That's the basic information. Do you have any further questions?"

Looking at the group of four who were learning from him, Roman once again displayed his "love of teaching" spirit.

"But if that's the case, both fishmen and mermaids will be wary of us, right? Is it really okay to go around so casually?" Sly was the first to raise the question, although his question came a little late.

They are currently aboard a coated ship, venturing 10,000 meters into the ocean.

As for the ship, just rob any pirate ship that's about to set sail.

Judging from their strength, Roman felt that even if he didn't take action, they would eventually slink back from the New World, possibly even losing their lives. Considering their contributions, Roman didn't take their lives, but instead handed them over to the naval base on the Sabaody Archipelago.

“What’s wrong with it? Mermaid Island sounds like a very mysterious place.” Gran’s eyes were full of light. As a woman, her curiosity and desire to explore were the strongest among the four.

"Don't worry too much. Although it's not exactly harmonious, it's not that bad either. The Mermaid Kingdom is also a member state of the World Federation. Although they almost never participate in the World Conference, their power cannot be erased. Moreover, the current Mermaid Queen is a peace advocate who has always advocated for harmonious coexistence between mermaids and humans and has been collecting a lot of signatures from residents. However, since the Great Pirate Era, fish-men and mermaids have been kidnapped and enslaved for a long time, so mermaids are wary of humans, which is why things aren't going very smoothly," Roman explained.

"Is that merman queen out of her mind? If her people have been enslaved by us humans for so long, she should be a staunch fighter. Yet she wants to coexist peacefully with humans. Well, if you haven't been enslaved, you don't know the pain. I actually feel a little sorry for her enslaved people. Their ruler doesn't understand their suffering and still wants to build a good relationship with those who hurt them," Patch said dismissively from the side.

Although the other three did not speak, their eyes almost all showed agreement.

"I almost wanted to applaud. I never expected that Patch, who never likes to think, could express his own insights. I was so moved that I almost cried." Roman pretended to wipe away tears.

This sight made the four of them even more terrified.

"This is so out of place!" Patch, the most fearless of all, exclaimed.

The other three thought to themselves: Agreed.

"You guys are just too young." Seeing that the four weren't buying his act, Roman gave up on putting on a show.

"Sly, Patch, Raven, Gran, haven't you ever been hurt by humans? Then why do you still come into contact with them?"

Raven frowned. "It's different. We are human beings. Besides, there are differences between people."

"So what's the difference between those fish-men and mermaids and us? Aren't they just like us humans? Whether they're fish-men, mermaids, or humans, there's a good and a bad mix, isn't there?"

"But they are not human, they..."

Why do you think they aren't human?

“They look strange, and they can breathe in water, and…” Patch was momentarily speechless, because he found himself unable to find the words to describe their differences.

"Feeling at a loss for words, right? Essentially, it's because we simply don't understand these creatures that live beneath the sea. If they're going to look strange, mermaids have beautiful tails, aren't they? And they're full of exotic charm. Even if they really are ugly, I don't think we humans have the right to laugh at them. After all, there are quite a few oddly-looking creatures in our group. Being able to breathe underwater is a very convenient ability, isn't it? I don't believe that if you had a choice, you would give up this ability." Roman's string of words left the four people speechless.

Mermaids and fish-men do have some unique appearances, but these appearances aren't particularly out of place on the much stranger and more unusual land. Roman already knew a great deal about the diversity of species when she first arrived in the world, so no one can say anything about anyone else.

“When it comes to eloquence, we are no match for you, sir. But do you really think that princess’s opinion is without fault? It seems a bit morbid to me.” Slay remained as calm as ever.

"That depends on your perspective."

"Tell me, if humans and fishmen go to war, who will win?"

"Of course, it's humans. Although I've heard that fishmen have arm strength dozens of times greater than that of ordinary humans, we have too many soldiers."

"So if it were you, do you think it's better to seek harmony or to seek war?"

"To be honest, I don't want to choose either of them." Sly hesitated for a moment before giving the most truthful answer.

He can lose even if he resists, but he also can't live in harmony with the people who hurt him.

“Yes, it is indeed a difficult choice, but that is your perspective as an outsider. However, from a political point of view, choosing peace is undoubtedly the best path. This is the princess’s love for her people.”

"And you should know that mermaids, like fish-people and humans, love sunlight, the sun, and fresh air. Even though they can still move around in the endless deep sea, if they don't establish relationships with humans, they will almost always have to live in the sea their whole lives. We who live on land also want to explore what lies beneath the sea. Can't you empathize with their longing for land?"

"Even if you are right, I still don't believe that anyone can choose to quell hatred."

"We'll have to see the Princess to find out about this."

"They are the royal family of Fishman Island after all. We can't just see them whenever we want. Besides, we're on a pirate ship, and that place is now Whitebeard's territory..."

"Believe me, I've been planning this for a while, and it's time for our lovely mermaid to play her part."