"Kun?"
"That's something that only exists in myths."
"That fellow named Qiu, was he a third party? Otherwise, why is it called 'Cheng Quan' (Accomplishing and Completing)?"
"You don't understand that. It's called 'love unrequited, pain to the extreme, then sacrificing one's life!'"
"Tsk tsk tsk, isn't that too tragic? Was it worth it?"
"Is truly loving someone worth it?"
"Not worth it? For those who truly love, no matter what choice they make, it is worth it."
In the grand hall of the restaurant, everyone was discussing animatedly.
Balzeb and the Raiden sisters began to bicker.
"That Qiu is truly foolish. What did he gain in the end?"
"You don't understand love at all, do you? I think Qiu's choice was so romantic!"
...
"Alright, everyone, quiet down. Let me continue to tell the story."
Su Mu tapped the board again, cleared his throat, and continued.
"In this story, humans are fish living in the sea. They begin their lives from this shore and end at the other shore."
"Here, there is only the vast ocean, and other beings who are neither human nor god. They each have their own roles, managing the laws of growth for all things, and guiding the souls of humans who transform into fish after death."
"And their sky is connected to the ocean of the human world."
As he spoke, Su Mu waved his folding fan.
After a flash of seven-colored, brilliant light, the world of "Big Fish & Begonia" appeared before everyone's eyes.
"Wow, it's so beautiful here!"
"Tushan can't even compare to this!"
Hong Hong, excited, ran to a tree at the foot of the coast and picked up a fallen leaf.
The rippling waves, white mist swirling between the mountains and rivers, the scent of spring's renewal filling their nostrils, made everyone feel invigorated.
Su Mu waved his fan again, and a huge ship appeared on the sea.
Everyone boarded the ship and sailed towards the sky, passing through the thin light of the clouds to arrive at the place where the "others" lived.
Luffy's mouth gaped open in shock. If he had this ability, he would have been the Pirate King long ago!
Cranes flying alone, the afterglow of the setting sun, lotus flowers glistening with dew, ancient trees with gnarled roots.
This world seemed to exist only in fantasy, yet it was appearing before their very eyes.
"It is said that Chun and Qiu lived in this place. On the day of their coming-of-age ceremony, the elders opened the sea-sky gate connecting to the human world, thus linking the two realms."
"After Chun drank a bowl of soup, she transformed into a great fish and flew into the human world for a seven-day tour. In the human world, after witnessing the prosperity of the world for six days, Chun met the person destined for her, and her heart was stirred."
"From then on, she followed the boy. However, happy times are always short. Chun had to return to the other world but accidentally swam into a fishing net and became trapped here."
"The boy happened to witness all of this and jumped off the ship to rescue Chun. However, due to Chun's frightened struggles, he fell into a vortex and died. Heartbroken, Chun took the boy's short flute and returned to the underwater world."
"After death, souls enter here. Good people become small fish, and bad people become rats."
"And the small fish swim to the northern part of the world, where the Spirit Ferryman is responsible for guarding them."
At this moment, the ship had sailed into a stretch of black mist. A small boat appeared on the sea, and a one-eyed guiding sprite led Chun slowly into the depths.
"And Chun, filled with guilt, sought out the Spirit Ferryman, wanting to revive the boy, no matter the cost."
"In the end, Chun exchanged half of her lifespan. She and the boy became small fish, sharing their lives, to live and die together."
"She had to wait for the sea-sky gate to open again to send the small fish back to the human world, and then the boy would be resurrected."
Seeing this, someone suddenly asked, "This boy saved Chun, but died because of Chun. Isn't it very normal for Chun to save him?"
"What does Qiu have to do with it?"
"Does it have to be mutual love? Chun has just experienced a love and death encounter, it's perfectly fine!"
Yaya crossed her arms over her chest, and with a few words, she made it clear that she was on Chun's side.
Everyone nodded, also approving of what Yaya had said.
Su Mu sighed and shook his head helplessly, "The story isn't over yet. Listen as I continue to tell it."
"Chun and Qiu were childhood sweethearts. Qiu often came to visit her. Qiu brought inspiration to Chun, and named the small fish 'Kun'."
"But soon, Chun's mother discovered Kun and understood that it was a forbidden object, so she abandoned Kun."
"Chun was heartbroken and searched everywhere for Kun's trace. Seeing this, Qiu felt unbearable pity and helped her search together."
"While searching for Kun, Qiu also encountered the Rat Woman, who had always wanted to return to the human world. In order to find Kun, Qiu agreed to dance with the Rat Woman, and even released venomous snakes."
"Also for Chun, he willingly let himself be bitten by the venomous snakes, resulting in being poisoned and close to death."
"Qiu carried Chun back to their grandfather and begged him to save her. The aged grandfather saved Qiu, but his life also came to an end, transforming into a giant begonia tree."
The ship passed by the horizon.
Everyone looked down and saw a lush begonia tree swaying slightly in the wind.
Before sunset, phoenixes returned to their nests. It was Grandma's figure, calling Grandpa home.
A hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, reflecting the afterglow.
"Because of reviving a human, which goes against the will of heaven, all things in this world began to undergo immense changes."
"Continuous heavy rain, rampant floods, even snow in June..."
"Thus, people began to search for the source of the chaos. The Rat Woman found Qiu and said that if Chun's act of raising a fish were discovered by everyone, she would be punished and die. To prevent Chun from getting into trouble, Qiu released Kun into the river."
"But when Chun learned of this, she jumped into the river without hesitation."
"Not a good swimmer, she drowned and lost consciousness. The Rat Woman had rats save Chun and stole her short flute. With this human token, she could pass through the sea-sky gate to the human world."
"Qiu understood that Chun would rather give up her life to revive Kun, so he found the Spirit Ferryman, wanting to help Chun."
"The Spirit Ferryman told Qiu that if Kun were revived, Chun would also die."
The story had reached its climax. Su Mu used the wind to his advantage and conjured the classic scene.
The Spirit Ferryman sat at a mahjong table, smoking a bamboo pipe and smiling faintly.
"Let me tell you what is most tragic. You meet a person, make a mistake, and want to make amends, to repay it. Only in the end do you discover that you are powerless to change things."
"The sins committed can never be atoned for, we can never repay what we have done..."
Perhaps some fish can never be contained, because they belong to the sky.
Su Mu glanced at the Spirit Ferryman (Qiu) sitting in the boat's position. No one noticed him. Perhaps he was pierced to the heart by the past.
"Qiu, for love, had already made a decision in his heart. He would make a deal with the Spirit Ferryman, then he stole Grandma's artifact, opened the sea-sky gate, and sent Chun and Qiu away."
"Tsk tsk tsk, looking at it now, Chun has completely lost her mind. She thought she owed Kun a life and wanted to repay him, not realizing that she owed this world far more than just one life."
Luffy shook his head slightly, lost in thought. In his heart too, there was an irrecoverable regret, an indelible silhouette.
The turbulent sea waves repeatedly struck the rocks on the shore.
Qiu covered his face and wept, crying out loudly for the love in his heart.
"Do you know whose love you are accepting? The love of a god!"
"He betrayed all the gods for your sake, to bring you joy!"
The sea waves churned up three feet of salty rain, and Qiu's unrequited love was vividly displayed...
Separation and death, love to the point of heaven and earth collapsing, and seas and stones becoming caked. His love for Chun was possessive, demanding, and constantly giving selflessly.
This was Qiu.