An Eternal Bond

Beautiful

"You sure you don't want to come right now?" I asked. Marco shook his head. "I have some things I need to do here. Besides, I'm sure you'll be able to handle yourself for the time being."

I gave him a hug and buried my face in his shoulder. "Whatever you say."

I stepped back and followed Nekomamushi to his boat. "You're planning on going to Wano in this?"

"Yes, but I'm making a quick stop somewhere."

Why does no one tell me anything specific? 'I'm just going somewhere' or 'I'm just finding something.' The only time I allow that is when I truly don't need to know. But I'm on this boat. So yes, I do need to know.

But did I ask him where? No. No I did not.

I let my feet dangle from the figurehead, looking down at the water. It had been so long since I felt this exhilarating feeling. The water rippling beneath my feet as I let my feet dangle from a large ship, the salty scent of the sea filling the air and the ocean breeze blowing through my hair.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

A smile formed at my lips. "Of course... it's been a while since I've gotten to do this." I got to my feet and spread my arms. "Have you ever done it, Nekomamushi-san?"

"I haven't. I don't think I'd be able to on that small figurehead anyways."

I tilted my head back and looked at the sky. The passing clouds. The birds. Everything was so beautiful when there was nothing I needed to worry about at that time.

"Do you like to sing?"

"Huh?"

"You're humming."

"Ah..." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Sorry, I guess it's just a habit." He laughed. "It's not a problem."

I smiled down at him and looked back down at the ocean. "Nekomamushi, I read somewhere that cats were afraid of water. Sorry if it's rude, but it isn't the case for Minks I presume?"

"That's right. Minks are half human beings, so animal instincts like those are taken away."

"Cool!" I thought for a moment. "Mermaids are technically half human too, right?"

"Yes. Half fish, half human."

The moment I heard that, I jumped off the figurehead and into the ocean with a loud splash. My feet turned to a tail and I took a long, deep breath. It smelled just like a beach beneath the water, the salty smell of the ocean combined with the smell of fish and seaweed.

It was one of my favourite feelings.

Ace and Luffy showed me the beach for the first time when we were younger, and I honestly fell in love in an instant.

The look of the ocean, the sound of the waves, the smell of the beach, the salty taste when I inhaled, the sand between my toes. It was amazing.

I looked up at the sky from beneath the surface. It looked like crystals, or like Jozu's Devil Fruit power.

"Hey, Jozu!" I ran over to him and pointed at one of the words in a book that Thatch got me. "What does this word say?" He looked at the word. "Oh, that word? Ace uses it all the time for you. It's pronounced..."

"Beautiful...."  I whispered with a smile. My tail disappeared and instead, fish scales scattered around my arms and legs, but not my whole body. (That means it's a Fishman's power).

I shot up into the sky and landed on the deck. "Sorry, I should've told you I wanted to go swimming."

Nekomamushi looked back at me. "Oh, you startled me there." He added something under his breath, but he didn't bother telling me what he said. Well, I also didn't ask.

"Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, but I read somewhere that there's this thing called 'Sulong' in Minks. When I asked Bepo about it, he said it's better to ask someone from Zhou. You're from Zhou, right?"

He nodded. "I have no problem with you asking questions. Sulong only happens to Minks on a full moon. It's a bit like a power up where our speed, power, and agility is enhanced."

I leaned forwards. "What does it look like? Or is it different for each species?"

"Everyone's fur turns white and grows longer, and their eyes turn a blood red."

"Wow..." It was a scary sight to picture in my head, but it was also really cool. Like picturing Ace firing a fire fist at the enemy. Scary, but really cool. And really, really beautiful.

I looked up at the island that Nekomamushi was leading the ship to and quietly gasped. "Is that... Izo's place?"