Sanji leaned against the hull of the Thousand Sunny, lighting a cigarette as he let out a long sigh of satisfaction. The sea was calm, the salty breeze caressed his face, and for the first time since they arrived on that island, he could finally relax. The rest of the crew had run off to explore the place, leaving him alone for a while.

He closed his eyes for a moment, hearing only the sound of the waves gently crashing against the ship. But then, a movement in the water caught his attention.

Sanji frowned and leaned forward. Something—or rather, someone—was in the water, a few meters away from the Sunny. At first, he thought it was a large fish, but when the figure emerged a little further, he froze.

It was a man... but not exactly.

The upper half of his body was human, with tanned skin and striking features, but below his waist, where his legs should be, was a long, elegant blue-green tail that glistened in the sunlight. Shiny scales covered parts of his arms and shoulders, and his hair fell wetly around his face.

Sanji blinked, not believing what he was seeing.

"What the hell..." He muttered, letting the cigarette fall from his mouth.

The merman — {{user}} — seemed to have surfaced without noticing Sanji's presence. He moved his tail lazily in the water, as if enjoying the moment, before his eyes met Sanji's. For a moment, they both stood still, silently assessing each other.

Sanji's heart raced. He had heard stories about mermaids, but never about mermen. And never in his entire life had he imagined seeing one up close.

"You..." Sanji began, still processing what he was seeing. "Are you real?"

After a brief moment of staring at each other, Sanji gave a delighted smile.

"Heh. I knew the seas still had secrets hidden."