Led by the little girl, Jin An slowly walked through Fish-Man Street, the surrounding darkness and suffocating feeling becoming more intense.
The narrow alleyways were lined with dilapidated buildings, the graffiti on the walls appearing particularly distorted in the dim light, as if lamenting the residents' helplessness and despair.
This place was perhaps a prison, carefully constructed by some.
Imprisoning not the body, but the mind.
It was to make the fish-men and mermaids living in the depths of Fish-Man Street hate the world from birth.
As the girl continued to guide him forward, Jin An noticed her shoulders twitching slightly, obviously trying to remain calm.
In her heart, although filled with fear of the unknown, she didn't want to come to this place, but facing Jin An, she had no way to refuse.
This place was a nightmare for many of the lowest fish-men, a place where their pasts were tormented.
Jin An also noticed the girl's abnormality, but some things, no matter how terrifying, needed to be faced.
When they finally arrived at Vander Decken IX's residence, Jin An pushed open the dilapidated door, and a pungent smell assaulted his senses, making him feel nauseous.
The room was extremely messy, with debris piled up like a mountain, almost obscuring the floor.
This place was like a fallen kingdom, revealing endless decadence and despair.
"This is where he lives?"
Jin An frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. He had originally hoped to find some valuable information, or something that reflected the root of all this.
But what could be found in such a messy place? He didn't hold out much hope.
Just then, Jin An's gaze fell on a corner where some strange bottles were scattered. He walked closer and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.
The bottles were filled with the very same dangerous drug that Arlong had mentioned.
This was a drug considered taboo by others, enough to cause chaos and terror.
"It seems Vander Decken IX was indeed prepared," Jin An murmured to himself.
He realized that this was not only Arlong's conspiracy but also the hidden dark side of Fish-Man Island.
He turned to look at Shirahoshi, seeing the fear and confusion in her eyes, and couldn't help but feel a sense of pity.
The environment really does shape people, it's not just lip service.
Growing up in the pampered Ryugu Palace and living in the depths of Fish-Man Street, the two reflect completely different realities.
"Don't worry," Jin An smiled gently, his tone gentle, "We will bring these things to an end."
The two girls looked at him simultaneously, feeling the warmth he exuded, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Continuing to rummage through Vander Decken IX's residence, Jin An actually found something interesting.
Jin An slowly flipped through the documents, the dim light of Fish-Man Street shining through the dilapidated windows onto the pages, barely illuminating the obscure and complex writing on them.
Shirahoshi stood beside him, her brow furrowed, trying to understand the complicated content, but every word seemed like an unknown symbol to her.
After all, it was Vander Decken IX's gibberish and things she had never understood.
She gently scratched her head, looking at Jin An with confusion: "Are these things... really that important, Jin An-sama?"
Jin An looked down at her, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
Shirahoshi was pure and kind, and although she was the princess of Fish-Man Island, she had never been exposed to the conspiracies and manipulations hidden behind the world.
He said softly: "These documents are far more important than you think, Shirahoshi."
His fingers caressed the edge of the documents, feeling the subtle bumps on the paper—these were not just ordinary records, but traces behind power struggles.
Shirahoshi blinked her eyes in confusion: "But why are there so many complicated things? Those people... what do they want to do?"
Jin An did not answer immediately.
His gaze fell on the documents again, each line of the paper seeming to silently tell the dark side of this world.
These documents not only revealed the cooperation between CP and Vander Decken IX, but more importantly, they showed a long-term maintained balance—a disgusting, unjust balance.
This world seemed orderly, but behind it was a mountain of corpses of countless victims.
"Balance..."
Jin An murmured, his voice with a hint of indifference and contempt.
Over the years, the World Government, in order to maintain the so-called 'balance', did not hesitate to collude with forces in the dark, and even helped villains like Vander Decken carry out their dirty plans.
These documents showed that they had long planted the seeds of unrest in Fish-Man Island, and this place was just a chessboard they controlled, and every innocent resident was a chess piece they could discard at any time.
Of course, these documents contained not only things related to the World Government but also other darker things.
Although Shirahoshi didn't understand all the details, she could feel the chill in Jin An's tone.
She looked up at him, feeling a little worried: "Jin An-sama, will this... have any impact on Fish-Man Island?"
Jin An was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "These documents prove that Fish-Man Island has always been treated as a sacrifice. The World Government and characters like Vander Decken profit from it, and you... are just a link in their maintenance of the so-called balance."
Shirahoshi gently bit her lower lip, her brow furrowing even deeper.
Although she was kind and innocent, her sense of responsibility made her realize the seriousness of the situation.
She clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly: "Then... what can we do?"
Jin An smiled slightly, he saw the courage hidden in Shirahoshi's eyes. He reached out and gently patted her on the shoulder: "Don't worry, Shirahoshi. Although these things are disgusting, now, we have the key in our hands. The balance of this world should be changed."
He paused, carefully folded the documents, and put them in his arms.
Then, he turned his head, his eyes firm: "Next, I will deal with the people on these documents. The World Government's conspiracy will not exist forever. And you—Shirahoshi, your task is to protect Fish-Man Island and let the voices of those who truly want to change be heard."
"......"
Shirahoshi looked at Jin An's firm gaze, feeling a strange power in her heart.
She nodded, her voice still trembling slightly, but full of determination: "I understand, Jin An-sama. I will do my best!"
Jin An nodded with satisfaction. He knew that Shirahoshi's purity and sense of responsibility would become the hope for the future of Fish-Man Island.
The world's "balance" was already precarious, and he would be the storm that broke this silence.
The girl watched Jin An's conversation like it was all gibberish.
But from their words, she learned an unbelievable message, "Arlong and Vander Decken IX have been caught?"
...
