One Piece: Capitalist Brook's Crew Expansion Plan-Chapter 63: The History of Fish-Man Island

King Mars and Prince Neptune, upon seeing the familiar bull-horned fish-man, Tom, hurried over to greet him. They wanted to catch up and learn about the current state of the sea.

Among the fish-men who had ventured beyond the island, Tom was one of the most successful. He had made a name for himself as a renowned shipwright in Water 7, and his reputation had even spread to Fish-Man Street.

Many fish-men, and even merfolk, dreamed of following in his footsteps, heading to Water 7 in search of a life under the open sun, experiencing the vast wonders of the ocean.

Kokoro, the future stationmaster of the Sea Train, was once a mermaid who sought refuge with Tom, hoping to carve out a new life for herself.

Even the royal family of the merfolk sometimes envied Tom's freedom, longing for the ability to roam the seas freely and earn the respect of humans through extraordinary shipbuilding skills.

"Tom, aren't you supposed to be in Water 7? Don't tell me... you've become a pirate too?" King Mars asked in disbelief.

Tom had always been a rare example of a fish-man thriving in the human world without resorting to piracy. He was an idol to many among their kind. Had he now fallen, just like those desperate fish-men who joined pirate crews in pursuit of the sun?

"Your Majesty, King Mars, I am indeed a pirate now. But I have no regrets. I believe that my captain will soon lead the fish-men to a new future!" Tom said with a hint of awkwardness before lowering his voice slightly.

"Our captain and fighters have killed a Celestial Dragon before. I suggest you let them in quickly. We won't stay long—we're heading for the New World soon!"

Tom's words made King Mars stagger backward in shock, nearly falling off his whale mount. In the distance, Redfield overheard the conversation, a faint smirk forming on his lips.

Without hesitation, King Mars ordered his soldiers to allow the Hell Pirates into Fish-Man Island. He also arranged for Fish-Man coating specialists to reapply the protective bubble around the Golden Ark, ensuring they could depart smoothly when the time came.

Prince Neptune, who had been ready to fight, found himself abruptly swatted away by King Mars' tail. Provoking these Celestial Dragon-killing maniacs was the last thing he wanted to do.

...

"Hey, Fish-Man King, can we visit the Sea Forest to check out the Poneglyphs?" Brook asked as he hopped off the Golden Ark, the Shichiseiken in hand. His interest lay solely in the red Poneglyph—everything else was secondary.

"A powerful captain like you... are you a historian? Can you read the ancient script?" a royal fish-man guard inquired.

Over the centuries, even the merfolk royal family had lost much of their knowledge about the two Poneglyphs on the island. Letting Brook take a look didn't seem like a big deal.

The two Poneglyphs, massive and nearly indestructible, had been resting in the Sea Forest for generations. Even attempting to move them would be a daunting task.

"I can't read them, I just want to make a copy for research later," Brook replied casually. If he ever returned to Skypiea, he might bring them back as a keepsake. For now, carrying them on the ship would only weigh them down.

"That's fine. I'll send someone to escort you." King Mars, eager to avoid any unnecessary entanglements with these dangerous pirates, quickly excused himself. He and Neptune headed back to Ryugu Palace, hoping to keep their distance and avoid drawing the attention of the Celestial Dragons.

Though he admired these pirates for their defiance against the World Nobles, the reality remained—this was still a world controlled by the Celestial Dragons. Resistance was futile.

...

"Captain Brook, why do you even care about those weird Poneglyphs? You said yourself that you can't read them!" Shakky asked curiously. In this era, the legend of the One Piece and Raftel didn't even exist yet. Most pirates sought the New World purely for its lawlessness, plunder, and conquest.

"They might hold secrets about the World Government and the Celestial Dragons. I don't know for sure, but I want to collect them just in case," Brook replied nonchalantly.

Redfield, who had been listening nearby, suddenly perked up. Anything that could potentially undermine the World Government and the Celestial Dragons piqued his interest. He made a mental note—unraveling their secrets had just become his new obsession.

From that moment on, Redfield became even more enthusiastic about finding and studying the ancient script—perhaps even more so than Brook himself.

...

Led by several royal guards, they navigated through Fish-Man Street, eventually arriving at the Sea Forest. There, the massive Poneglyphs stood tall, their bases covered in moss from years of undisturbed rest.

"What kind of material is this? It's incredibly tough..." Brook muttered as he ran his hand across the red Poneglyph's surface.

Unlike Seastone, it didn't drain his strength upon contact. In the original timeline, Robin had frequently touched various Poneglyphs—both red and standard—without showing any sign of Seastone-induced weakness.

Praised as indestructible, Poneglyphs were leagues beyond Seastone, which, despite its famed hardness, could still be broken or reshaped under the right conditions.

With Antonio and Shakky's help, they quickly made rubbings of both Poneglyphs.

"The Kozuki Clan really wasted potential with these things," Brook muttered. "This material is ridiculously durable, yet they only carved on one side? And in massive letters, no less! They could've fit so much more information!"

Brook estimated that each stone contained only a few hundred characters—a frustratingly inefficient use of space.

"Captain Brook, if these Poneglyphs hold secrets about the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, why don't we just take them with us?" Redfield suggested, his fingers tracing the ancient inscriptions.

"They're way too big and heavy. If we ever return to Skypiea, we'll figure out a way to move them. For now, we set sail for the New World. I'm not dragging these lumps of rock onto our ship!"

Brook glanced at Redfield, who looked utterly captivated by the stones. Had he just awakened a latent historian within the infamous pirate? Maybe someday, he'd have to send him to Ohara for formal lessons in ancient history.

"It's a deal then, Captain! Next time, we bring them!" Redfield declared, visibly pleased with Brook's answer. He then turned to the fish-man guards, waving them over.

"Go tell your king—protect this place well. Build a structure around these stones, keep others away. If they go missing, I'll personally come back to make your lives miserable!"

Lightning crackled around Redfield as he spoke, his eyes gleaming dangerously. The terrified fish-man guards nodded frantically, not daring to refuse.

...

Meanwhile, Tom welcomed his crew into his home on Fish-Man Street, treating them to a proper meal.

Fish-Man Island's cuisine relied heavily on seafood. Merfolk, who could communicate with sea creatures, refrained from eating fish or marine mammals, instead favoring shellfish and other mollusks.

According to mermaid Camie, the oysters and clams from the mermaid district were considered far superior to those found in Fish-Man Street.

Fish-men, on the other hand, lacked such connections with sea life and had no qualms about eating fish and sea beasts. This was one of the reasons why the merfolk viewed Fish-Man Street as a savage and frightening place.

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