One Piece: Deriving All Things

Neptune, seated in Ryugu Palace with his ministers and sons, listened intently to the recent report on the arrival of the Thunder God Pirates. The king, a massive merman with wild crimson hair and a trident in hand, wore a grave expression as he shared the news.

"The border guards reported the suspected landing of the Thunder God Pirates on Fish-Man Island," he began solemnly.

"Thunder God Pirates?" asked the eldest son, Shark Prince Fukaboshi, looking puzzled. He held a trident in one hand, his ocean-blue hair framing his thoughtful face.

"They've only appeared in the past six months," explained the right minister, a seahorse fish-man. "Their captain, Thunder God Sanders, is a former Marine prodigy who, due to certain circumstances, was imprisoned in Impel Down. He escaped from the undersea prison months ago and has since been responsible for several world-shaking incidents. He's currently a notorious pirate with a bounty of 2.86 billion Berries. His first mate, the Blind Swordsman Issho, is also a dangerous pirate with a bounty of over a billion. They're extremely powerful, having repeatedly eluded Marine capture."

"A bounty of 2.86 billion Berries?!" Fukaboshi exclaimed, his face tense. "If such a pirate wreaks havoc here, Fish-Man Island couldn't possibly withstand it. Should I lead the Sea King Army to drive them away?"

"Absolutely not!" the left minister quickly interjected. He was a catfish merman with a monocle over his left eye and a longhorn cane. "According to the border guards, the Thunder God Pirates have shown nothing but friendliness. They even saved one of our residents from slave traders and captured some of Hody Jones's New Fish-Man Pirates to hand over to us. They don't seem to pose any threat. Sending our forces to expel them could provoke them."

Neptune's sons, though still worried, visibly relaxed upon hearing about the pirates' goodwill.

"What should we do, then?" Fukaboshi asked.

"Has Jinbe arrived?" Neptune inquired, looking toward his ministers.

The right minister replied, "We've already sent for him; he should be here shortly. It might be wise to hear his thoughts. Jinbe has experience dealing with pirates."

Moments later, Jinbe arrived and was quickly briefed. Neptune turned to him. "Jinbe, the Thunder God Pirates have entered Fish-Man Island. What course of action should we take?"

"Your Majesty, although the Thunder God Pirates are infamous across the seas, I've never heard of them harming civilians. I don't believe they'll cause trouble here," Jinbe replied firmly. "And should conflict arise, I vow to defend Fish-Man Island with my life!"

Hearing this, Neptune let out a sigh of relief.

"Should the palace officially welcome them?" Neptune wondered aloud. "They're important figures on the seas, with a captain carrying a 2.86-billion bounty."

Jinbe pondered this. "Your Majesty, if I may speak frankly, Fish-Man Island is already under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates. Inviting another pirate crew to protect the island could create unnecessary tension."

Neptune shook his head. "You misunderstand, Jinbe. We are deeply grateful to Whitebeard and have no intention of changing our allegiance. I simply wish to establish good relations with the Thunder God Pirates."

Neptune quickly clarified his stance. "Whitebeard has been a great benefactor to Fish-Man Island, offering us protection without demanding anything in return. Changing our allegiance is unthinkable. But Sanders, a super-rookie pirate not yet twenty, is someone we'd be wise to befriend. After all, having more allies can only benefit Fish-Man Island."

Jinbe nodded in understanding. "Understood. Perhaps I could go personally to invite the Thunder God Pirates to Ryugu Palace?"

Neptune hesitated. "That might not be wise. You're still a member of the Seven Warlords, part of the World Government's forces. Getting too close to pirates—especially someone like Sanders, who has killed Celestial Dragons and has a hostile relationship with the government—could be problematic. Better to let Fukaboshi and his brothers handle it."

Accepting the decision, Jinbe nodded in agreement. Soon after, Prince Fukaboshi and his two younger brothers set out to extend an invitation to the Thunder God Pirates.

Meanwhile, at the Fish-Man Island harbor, the arrival of the Thunder God Pirates sparked mixed reactions among the fish-men. Some looked on with open hostility, while others were more curious. The harbor was bustling with both pirates and traders—humans and fish-men alike. The unique goods of Fish-Man Island, brought up from 10,000 meters beneath the sea, were highly valuable on the surface.

On the deck of the Thunder God Pirates' ship, Sanders turned to his crew. "It's not every day we make it to Fish-Man Island! Make the most of your time here—enjoy yourselves because it might be a while before we come back," he declared with a grin.

"Got it, Captain! Long live the Captain!" cheered Pekin, who had been eagerly anticipating this visit. The thought of countless mermaids on Fish-Man Island had him grinning from ear to ear.

With the captain's permission, the crew dispersed, eager to explore. Nami and Robin quickly disembarked, heading toward a nearby town, while others set off in groups, eyes alight with excitement. Sanders himself decided to explore as well, after making sure his prisoners, including Wapol, were safely escorted off the ship.

His first destination was clear—the legendary Mermaid Café. Madame Shyarly, the café's owner, was rumored to possess the power of prophecy, and Sanders was curious to see what she might divine for him.

As he stepped into the café, he noticed several members of his crew already there.

"Captain, you made it!" Nami called out as she spotted Sanders walking in. She was sitting with Robin, sipping coffee and sampling local delicacies, while Pekin and a few others were mingling with some mermaids.

At a nearby table, a mermaid was thanking Law and the others profusely for saving her from slave traders. The café was warm, filled with laughter and the murmur of excited voices, as both pirates and locals enjoyed this rare moment of peace and camaraderie.

She must be the mermaid rescued by Law and his crew from the Fish-Man auction house.

Hearing Nami call out "Captain," quite a few mermaids turned to look in their direction. They already knew that this group of newcomers were members of the Thunder God Pirates, and that their captain was a terrifying pirate with a bounty of 2.8 billion berries. Many were curious about what such a pirate looked like.

"Hello, everyone," Sanders greeted warmly as he noticed the mermaids looking over. Seeing so many beautiful mermaids dressed in cool, airy outfits improved Sanders' mood. This place really was a man's paradise. No wonder Peckin was thoroughly captivated.

"Hey, hello there," said a mermaid with brown hair in a ponytail, who approached him on a floating bubble. "Are you really the 2.8-billion bounty pirate? You look different from what I expected."

"What did you imagine?" Sanders asked, smiling. "Someone seven or eight meters tall, with horns on his head, big and burly with a fierce face?"

This mermaid had appeared in the original story—an outgoing character who thought Monkey D. Luffy's wild entry to Fish-Man Island was pretty cool. She liked pirates.

"Haha, you're funny! That's nothing like what Hachi told me." The mermaid laughed and introduced herself, "Your name's Sanders, right? I'm Sera, a sawshark mermaid who works here at the Mermaid Cafe. Would you like to try some of our specials?"

"Sure, I'll have the house specialty. What did Hachi say about me?" Sanders replied, glancing over at Hachi, who was standing with a green-haired mermaid and broke into a cold sweat upon realizing Sanders was watching him.

Sera soon brought over a cup of coffee and a small cake. "He didn't say much," she said.

"You don't seem afraid of me," Sanders observed, noticing the mermaids around them showing curiosity or apprehension. He smiled at Sera.

"Why should I be? You seem pretty friendly, and so do your crew members. They even rescued Ishilly, who's a friend of mine." Sera replied with a smile.

"And besides…" Sera leaned in, lowering her voice. "None of us like Arlong. He's nothing like Boss Jinbei." Arlong had a terrible reputation on Fish-Man Island, especially among the peaceful factions of fish-men and mermaids.

"Where's your manager?" Sanders asked suddenly.

Sera's expression stiffened. "Why do you want to see our manager?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just heard that Lady Shirley is an accomplished fortune-teller, and I wanted to see her skills in action," Sanders laughed. "I hope she won't hold it against me for taking down her half-brother."

"Lady Shirley and Arlong aren't close at all. Their beliefs are very different," Sera said, shaking her head. "Although, Lady Shirley rarely does readings anymore." Then, looking surprised, she asked, "How did you even know Arlong was her brother? Did Hachi tell you that?"

"No, I heard it somewhere else," Sanders replied, shaking his head.

At that moment, a mermaid in a purple, hooded robe, holding a pipe, entered the cafe.

"The manager's here," Sera whispered.

The mermaids around the cafe watched tensely as Lady Shirley approached Sanders.

"Lady Shirley won't start any trouble with Sanders, right?"

"She probably won't…"

"Hello, Sanders," Lady Shirley greeted him.

Sanders smiled as he looked at her.

"My name is Shirley, the manager of the Mermaid Cafe and the half-sister of the fish-man Arlong," Shirley said expressionlessly.

The Mermaid Cafe fell silent, and everyone felt the atmosphere freeze.

"Are you here to avenge your brother? Or to demand some sort of justice?" Sanders took a sip of coffee and asked.

"No." Shirley shook her head. "Arlong's fate was entirely his own doing. I'm only here to see for myself the person who caused my prophecy to fail."

"Prophecy failure?!" Sera gasped softly.

Madam Shirley's predictions were famously accurate, a perfect record—until now.

"I once did a reading for Arlong," Shirley continued. "His outcome wasn't death; he was supposed to be defeated and then taken into custody by the Marines. But your existence caused his death instead." She took a puff from her pipe.

"Is that so?" Sanders replied with a smile. "Or maybe there was a mistake in your prophecy."

Arlong's original fate indeed was to be defeated by Monkey D. Luffy and later taken into Marine custody. Shirley's prophecy wasn't wrong; however, Sanders, being an outsider to this world, had altered certain events with his arrival.

"Do you know what this means? The future can change!" Shirley's tone held a hint of excitement. She had witnessed many disasters in her visions, growing frustrated at her inability to prevent them. But now, sitting in front of her was someone who could defy prophecies. How could she not be moved?

"So, have you ever foretold anything about me?" Sanders asked softly. Although he didn't believe in predestination, he was somewhat curious about Shirley's possible vision of his future.

"My crystal ball shattered. The prophecy failed," Shirley admitted, revealing she had indeed tried to read his future.

"Didn't you see anything at all?" Sanders asked, curious.

She fell silent for a long time before finally saying, "I… can't say."

"Alright." Sanders shrugged, deciding not to press further. Her reaction suggested she'd likely seen something, but didn't wish to share it. He respected that. After all, his own future wasn't something he was particularly concerned about. With his ability to calculate and foresee countless possibilities, his future was inherently unpredictable.

Much like Shirley's prophecy about Whitebeard's death—if Sanders wanted, Whitebeard's fate could easily change. His arrival had already altered the destinies of many individuals in the world of pirates, such as Issho, Nami, Robin, and Law. Their paths had diverged from the original timeline.

"You're here to take her, aren't you?" Shirley asked again.

Sanders knew whom she was referring to: Princess Shirahoshi.

"Yes," he admitted.

"And if her father doesn't agree?"

"She will become my companion. It's a predetermined fact—it's the future."

"No one can change that!" Sanders said firmly.

He was determined to obtain the power of the Sea Kings. Even if the Whitebeard Pirates tried to stop him, they couldn't change his course! If Neptune didn't agree, he would simply have to take what he wanted by force.

"Alright then, I hope you'll treat her well. She's still just a child," Shirley said, her tone tinged with sadness. "A poor, innocent child."

"Of course, I'll treat my companions well," Sanders replied with a smile. "Besides, isn't she curious about the outside world, eager to see it?"

Shirley didn't respond further. She finished the smoke in her pipe, then turned and left. Sanders watched her go, thoughtful. This mermaid with the gift of prophecy was indeed remarkable. She even seemed to know exactly why he had come to Fish-Man Island. Yet what, he wondered, had she seen when she tried to read his future?

Outside the Mermaid Cafe, Shirley encountered the three princes of the Ryugu Kingdom.

"Your Highness, are you here to see the Thunder God Pirates?" Shirley asked with a slight bow.

"Yes, Madam Shirley," Prince Shark Star replied. After a brief hesitation, he looked at her and asked, "I know your prophecies are always insightful. I want to know if the arrival of the Thunder God Pirates is good or bad for Fish-Man Island."

"They will solve many of the troubles that Fish-Man Island is currently facing," Shirley replied. "But as for you all… that remains to be seen."

--------------

T/N:

Access 30 chapters in advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/OneFic