"What's wrong, Madam Shyarly? You look really pale, are you sick?" Camie asked her boss when she arrived at the mermaid cafe where she worked.
Madam Shyarly was on the larger side for mermaids as a shortfin mako shark mermaid and was renowned for her beauty and her ability to predict future events.
"I've seen another vision." Madam Shyarly said.
Camie looked curious and asked "You haven't had one for a while, have you? Not since-"
"Not since I predicted Whitebeard's death at Marineford, no I haven't. That dire vision of mine did not come to pass, the first time I was ever wrong. This recent vision is of a similarly dire nature, but it was very strange and unlike any I have ever had before. I don't know if I can trust my sight anymore." Madam Shyarly said with clear concern in her voice.
"Well, what did you see? Perhaps I can help?" Camie offered innocently.
Madam Shyarly considered the younger mermaid for a moment, then nodded her head. "I saw a human man wearing a straw hat. He will destroy Fishman Island. However, it was like I was watching this future through a broken window. Bits and pieces of glass would fall out revealing something else beneath, but the vision ended before I could make anything out."
Camie froze at the mention of the human man wearing a straw hat, something that the shark mermaid didn't miss.
"Perhaps the broken glass means it WON'T come true! You know, like an, uh… anti-vision?" Camie said, putting on a suspicious smile.
"What are you hiding from me, Camie?" Madam Shyarly interrogated sternly.
Camie looked around as if searching for an escape route before heaving a sigh. "Luffy wears a straw hat, but he and his friends saved me! Not just once, but twice! First from the stomach of a sea king and then from slavers! It's impossible that he's the one you saw in your vision!"
Madam Shyarly inhaled on her tobacco pipe. It didn't seem very likely that the one from her vision and Camie's human friend could be one and the same if her words were true. Still, it would be quite the big coincidence for her to have this vision only for someone matching that description to arrive the very same day.
"I'll have to report this to King Neptune, but I won't spread word of this vision around. I don't want to cause a panic for nothing or falsely implicate your friends if it turns out I'm wrong again. But there's too much at stake to do nothing at all, I hope you understand." Madam Shyarly said.
Camie nodded her little sad head.
"Take the day off, Camie. Go spend some time with your friends or just relax, whatever you want okay?" Madam Shyarly said, earning another despondent nod from Camie as she sulked away.
Now alone with her thoughts, Madam Shyarly hoped that Camie's guess was true. That the cracked vision meant it wouldn't come to pass. Not only because it meant Fishman Island would not be destroyed, but also because it meant she might be free of her visions that more often than not foretold tragic and disastrous events.
'It's better not to know what the future holds…' Madam Shyarly thought to herself, and she truly meant it.
…
King Neptune and a group of royal guards led Cherry to where the Princess lived. Along the way they passed a couple of guards carrying an oversized axe which they reported had been sent by Vander Decken, alongside another one of his "love" letters.
This seemed to firm up King Neptune's resolve in regards to Cherry being allowed to visit his precious daughter.
Still, only Cherry was allowed to visit at this time as a security precaution. Not that King Neptune could stop Cherry from doing as she pleased, but they didn't know that.
Sanji had to be held back by Cabernet to prevent him from following along, though.
"Shirahoshi, my daughter, I've come to visit you. I've brought along a guest as well." King Neptune announced after knocking on the door.
"Please come in, Otou-sama." Princess Shirahoshi answered.
Just as King Neptune opened the door, another axe suddenly came flying towards the doorway.
King Neptune and his guards were late to notice it. King Neptune tried to put himself in the doorway to block the axe, as he lacked the time to properly deflect it.
They were all shocked when Cherry casually reached up and caught the axe by the blade with a single hand. They all knew just how persistent Vander Decken's weapons were at reaching their target, which made Cherry's act of catching it so effortlessly that much more absurd in their eyes.
"What is this garbage? Does Vander Decken have them made in bulk by half-starved amateurs or something?" Cherry spoke critically, examining the axe.
Her audience's jaws hit the floor when Cherry gave the axe a light squeeze and it turned to dust, not a single piece was bigger than a grain of fine sand.
"Otou-sama? Is something wrong?" Princess Shirahoshi asked, not having seen the commotion that just happened outside her door with her giant father blocking the view.
King Neptune snapped out of it and quickly said "No, nothing is wrong Shirahoshi! Our guest just, uh, did an amazing magic trick! Yes, that's it. Jamon."
"Really? May I see it as well?" Princess Shirahoshi asked.
King Neptune panicked. He was just making an excuse so as to not increase her anxiety, but instead it blew right up in his big lying face!
"Certainly, Princess." Cherry said, waltzing past King Neptune into the room.
"Oh, may I know your name?" Princess Shirahoshi asked this newcomer.
She was inwardly delighted to meet someone new for once, as that rarely happened. In fact, the only new people she'd ever met in these past ten years had been newly assigned guards to her room and a few new staff members of the palace.
"My name is Harpin D. Cherry. You can just call me Cherry." Cherry introduced.
Cherry took in the sight of the enormous mermaid as well. She looked like such a sweet and innocent girl, which only made the fires of hate in her heart burn even hotter towards Vander Decken.
King Neptune held his breath. This Cherry might just save himself from a gentle, but firm admonishment from his daughter for treating her like a child. She was a child, but teenagers never liked to hear that, not even his gentle Shirahoshi.
Cherry picked up a large gold ornament in the room and began squeezing it into a ball. From there she molded it like soft clay using her devil fruit and raw strength. In only a few minutes, she had a lifelike gold sculpture of the three princes.
Princess Shirahoshi was positively dazzled by the display. "It's wonderful, Cherry-sama! They look just like Fukaboshi-oniisama, Ryuboshi-oniisama, and Manboshi-oniisama!"
As Cherry expected, this sheltered girl would be more pleased with it in the likeness of her brothers rather than herself like a more vain princess would prefer.
"It is quite amazing. I didn't expect a monster- er, young lady such as yourself to be so talented in the arts." King Neptune admired her work genuinely.
"Now then, Princess. I came here today to solve your problem." Cherry got to the point.
"Hm?" Princess Shirahoshi didn't really understand , until her father explained what Cherry was going to do. "Really? You can do that, Cherry-sama?"
"Of course!" Cherry said, with uncharacteristic cheerfulness. "I believe that Vander Decken marked you on your upper left arm correct?"
Princess Shirahoshi widened her eyes. It was a long time ago, but her memory of that time was still fresh in her mind due to the trauma of losing her mother at the same time. "Yes, Vander Decken did touch my left arm back then…"
King Neptune's hopes seemed to come true and he started crying tears of joy.