Fish-Man Island.
Located 10,000 meters beneath the Red Line, directly below the Holy Land Mary Geoise in the deep sea!
It is the mandatory passage for most pirates heading to the latter half of the Grand Line—the New World. It is the homeland of the Fish-Men and Merfolk, and also the birthplace of the vast majority of their kind.
Known as the "Undersea Paradise," it is praised as a dreamlike heaven.
Under most circumstances, the tendrils of human powers do not reach Fish-Man Island. This includes the Navy and even the World Government's directly subordinate CP organizations, which, unless absolutely necessary, generally refrain from interfering with the island.
After Pirate King Gol D. Roger personally ushered in the "Great Age of Pirates," many pirates and human traffickers passing through began deliberately carrying out large-scale kidnappings and plundering of the Fish-Men and Merfolk.
Because young female mermaids could fetch extremely high prices in human slave markets, incidents of human pirates abducting mermaids became frequent.
Only after one of the Four Emperors, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate, declared Fish-Man Island under his protection did those rampant human trafficking groups—and pirates coveting mermaids—sharply decrease.
After Whitebeard's death, Fish-Man Island was subsequently taken over and guarded by another of the Four Emperors, Big Mom.
Intimidated by the reputation of the Four Emperors, most greedy opportunists no longer dared to invade Fish-Man Island as brazenly as before. Still, petty theft and minor provocations never ceased.
Every day, human pirate ships would arrive near the outer ring of Fish-Man Island, especially around Fish-Man District. They would shout noisily about entering the New World, becoming great pirates, capturing mermaids to keep as figurehead wives, and other such nonsense.
Over the years, the island's residents had gone from endless irritation to simple resignation.
That was the nature of the sea. If you could not change it, then you learned to live with it.
Nowadays, if not a single pirate ship passed by Fish-Man Island in a day, the Fish-Men would instead grow uneasy—wondering whether humans were plotting something even worse.
Yet recently, Fish-Man Island had gone an unusually long time without a single human pirate vessel appearing.
The last group of pirates had fled into the deep sea in panic after hastily coating their ships. Every one of them was wounded, barely escaping with their lives. They babbled incoherently about a world war breaking out, the seas engulfed in flames, rebels attacking the World Government...
Though such claims were suspected to be exaggerated, they still threw the relatively isolated Fish-Man Island into turmoil. A shadow fell over the upper echelons of the Ryugu Kingdom, and an ominous premonition took root in their hearts.
Subsequent events confirmed their worst fears. The premonition became reality.
An indescribable terror descended.
Under Arisa's orders, a portion of the 3rd Legion Black Marlin and the 9th Legion Blood Angels Astartes, together with the Sisters of Battle directly under her command, deployed to Fish-Man Island.
Amid the roar of chainswords and bolters wielded by heavily armored warriors in varied heraldry—
Whether they were regular soldiers of the Ryugu Kingdom or street thugs from Fish-Man District who harbored extreme hatred toward humans, it made no difference. If an Astartes judged that hostility was present, extermination followed immediately.
One Fish-Man District town after another was reduced to rubble. Desperate screams echoed everywhere. Across the smoke-choked battlefield lay countless dismembered Fish-Man corpses.
Do not blame the Astartes for their ruthlessness. Blame the New Fish-Man Pirates entrenched around the outer districts of Fish-Man Island for their utter lack of sense.
They clearly saw the colossal warships breaking through the sea's surface, yet failed to recognize the disparity between friend and foe. After the Imperial Army landed, they charged forward with crude harpoons and other primitive weapons in futile resistance.
Had that been all, the Imperial Army would not have turned the operation into a massacre.
The problem was that they shouted incessantly about humans being inferior and evil creatures. They openly proclaimed Fish-Men as the supreme race, vowed to overthrow the kingdom, capture its king, and enslave humanity...
To make such declarations before a human-supremacist, xenophobic, colossal, cold, and fanatical theocratic militaristic empire—an empire ruled absolutely by its Empress—and to speak of overthrowing that Empress and enslaving humans?
How could that possibly be tolerated?!!
Had it been the 2nd Legion Retributors or the 12th Legion World Eaters instead, a full-scale genocidal purge might have erupted on the spot. Honkai Energy fission bombs would have erased this alien species from existence.
Even the comparatively moderate Black Marlin and Blood Angels were consumed by fury. Their bloodthirst surged explosively.
"So this is Fish-Man Island?"
Standing within the deck corridor of a destroyer's internal hangar bay, Robin gazed through the armored grating beside her. Departing from the Sabaody Archipelago, as they descended to a depth of 1,000 meters, a bright glow had already caught her eye.
A massive double-layered hemispherical bubble shield enveloped the entire island.
Outside the membrane, iron-gray steel leviathans stretched for kilometers, their towering hulls so immense that they nearly obscured Fish-Man Island itself.
Farther along the outer perimeter, the carcasses of Sea Kings—each thousands of meters long—floated everywhere. Their bodies had been torn apart by brilliant orbital pulse cannons. The enormous volumes of blood they released dyed the waters like an abyssal hell.
"These Sea Kings are all over a thousand meters long. Why are so many gathered around Fish-Man Island? The records never mentioned this place being a Sea King congregation site..."
Robin pondered.
Thud, thud!
"We've arrived. Move. Do not keep Lady Arisa waiting."
With a slight vibration as the engines reduced output, the purple-armored Astartes officer standing beside Robin spoke in a deep voice.
Without another word, he turned and walked away. Startled from her thoughts, Robin hurried after him cautiously.
Even though the Imperial forces had not placed Seastone shackles upon her, Robin had no intention of attempting escape. They were in the deep sea, and the warship was filled entirely with Imperial soldiers.
Passing through corridors and around corners, she followed them to a wide deck and boarded a small landing craft.
One minute later, the hatch opened once more.
Instantly, sky and clouds—brilliant, vivid colors—filled her vision.
Robin stepped out behind the Astartes. Before she could even marvel at the beauty and strangeness of the sight, distant gunfire and cannon blasts reached her ears.
Lowering her gaze, she saw smoke and scorch marks everywhere. Squad after squad of Sisters of Battle and heavily armored warriors marched in formation. Massive heavy weapon platforms strode past with thunderous steps.
Under the threat of Astartes chainswords and bolters, detained merfolk wept uncontrollably to one side.
"War..."
Robin murmured softly, almost as a sigh.
"Is she the scholar capable of deciphering the ancient texts? Very well. Bring her over."
A warrior clad in crimson armor exchanged a few words with the purple-armored Astartes who had escorted Robin. Then he looked toward her.
"Move."
"Yes."
Proceeding toward the island's center, the architectural style grew increasingly distinct from that of human structures on the surface. Coral and shells formed the majority of the buildings.
The Ryugu Palace above appeared to be constructed with a massive seashell as its main structure, turtle shells and barnacles as raw materials, and coral reefs as ornamentation.
Even the ground beneath their feet was the same. The "land" was itself a kind of coral. One could even say that the entirety of Fish-Man Island was formed from the accumulation of enormous coral masses.
Lost in thought, Robin did not know how much time had passed. The powerful presences she sensed through Observation Haki grew denser and denser.
She knew they were close to their destination.
"You Fish-Men really are ugly. Your strength amounts to nothing, yet your arrogance knows no bounds."
Before the speaker was seen, her voice arrived first—a young girl's voice, clear as a silver bell, laced with unmistakable disdain. One's first impression would be that of a princess sheltered deep within a palace, carefully protected by her parents.
"Energy Steroid E.S.—that is the name, correct? It multiplies physical strength at the cost of lifespan and bodily mutation."
Under the watchful gaze of layers upon layers of armored warriors, Robin entered the central plaza.
There stood a cute gray-haired girl, idly tossing a capsule between her fingers.
Sky-blue pupils shimmered with lively light. A beautiful violet-blue halo of lightning flickered around her. Under her control, a sphere of crackling azure electricity sang like a thousand chirping birds.
"You despicable humans! Our Fish-Man race will one day rule the world—ahhahaha!"
His body torn and covered in gaping wounds, skin pale, a great white shark Fish-Man resembling a madman roared with blood spilling from his mouth. Sharp teeth sprayed crimson saliva in every direction.
"Insolence!"
An Astartes officer standing guard erupted in fury and launched into a brutal beating of the New Fish-Man Pirates' captain, Hody Jones.
He struck without restraint, every blow aimed to maim or kill.
The scene quickly turned horrific. Hody Jones' sharp teeth were ripped out one by one. The dorsal fin on his back was torn off. His limbs were twisted beyond ninety degrees and broken.
Not far away, the nearly twelve-meter-tall mermaid princess burst into tears.
"Waaahhh—!"
Lying upon a soft cushion she carried with her, she cried miserably.
"All right, Shirahoshi, don't cry. It'll be fine. If it hurts, don't look."
"Shark, shark... shark, shark..."
Her brothers and a pet shark wearing a red T-shirt tried to comfort her.
Gesturing for the Astartes to stop, Arisa extended a finger.
"With him, there's no need to waste time."
Crackle—!
Thick bolts of lightning struck Hody Jones viciously. The electric glow illuminated Arisa's soft features, making her slightly youthful cheeks appear even more delicate.
Ah, she has grown.
She carries a trace of Her Majesty's bearing now.
Standing to the side, Liver held a teacup and wore the expression of a doting father. Who in the Empire did not adore Lady Arisa?
Let her handle it herself. The decision—kill or spare—would be hers.
But then a thought flashed through his mind.
If Arisa were to become like Selene—
The smile vanished from Liver's face.
His heart nearly stopped.
No... better not. I would still like a few more peaceful days.
"Your Highness... please do not judge our entire race by him. He represents only himself. He cannot represent the Fish-Men, nor the Merfolk."
As Hody Jones' screams grew weaker, King Neptune of the Ryugu Kingdom bent his fish tail beneath him. With arms and forehead pressed to the ground, he wept in extreme humility.
He stood over twelve meters tall, upper body human, lower body a massive fish tail. His build was robust, with a thick orange beard and woolly curls.
By merfolk classification, he was a coelacanth merman.
"Your Majesty..."
The elderly Left Minister, wearing a purple top hat and leaning on a cane, spoke weakly. He wished to stop King Neptune from humiliating himself so completely—but they were prisoners now. What dignity remained?
Hum—
The lightning faded.
Where Hody Jones had stood remained only a shriveled mass of charred carbon. He had been electrocuted into cinders.
Clapping her hands lightly, Arisa dispersed the lingering electricity.
"Neptune, was it? Relax. The Queen—uh, Her Majesty—once told me that in a forest, there are all kinds of birds. Your Ryugu Kingdom has five million Fish-Men and Merfolk. It's only natural that some fools exist among them."
Tilting her head as she tried to recall something, she continued,
"Mm... I remember hearing Sebas report to Her Majesty that every year, in the worlds he conquers, the number of those he executes far exceeds this..."
Those casual words chilled everyone present.
"Mermaids? Beautiful mermaids? Of course I won't kill them. They're a gift for Her Majesty. As for the Fish-Men—too ugly, too arrogant, daring to speak of enslaving the human race—they must pay—"
Thud!
"Your Highness!"
Before the word "price" could leave her lips, a stout blue-skinned whale shark Fish-Man dropped heavily to his knees before her.
"Hm? And who are you?"
"Your Highness, I am also a Fish-Man. My name is Jinbe."
"Knight of the Sea" Jinbe's voice was deep and steady. His sturdy physique and solemn expression radiated far more integrity than the charred remains of Hody Jones.
"The crime of one man does not equal the crime of an entire race. I know I have no right to negotiate with Your Highness, but I still beg you—do not let the innocent suffer for the guilty."
"I am, for better or worse, one of the leaders of the Fish-Men. It is my failure that they were not guided properly. If possible, I am willing to accept punishment in their place. Any punishment—I will endure it."
He lifted his head, sincerity and resolve written across his face.
His words were carefully chosen. He did not immediately plead for mercy for the entire Fish-Man race. He knew that would be impossible.
Instead, he positioned himself as a subject, guided Arisa toward her own statement—"in a forest, there are all kinds of birds"—and finally offered himself, as a leader, in place of the others.
Though he did not know exactly what Hody Jones and his New Fish-Man Pirates had said or done, the fury of the Imperial soldiers was unmistakable.
There was no time to consider more. Sacrificing a portion to preserve the majority was the limit of what Jinbe could achieve. To demand more would only backfire.
As for the mermaids being offered as tribute—he was powerless to object. If being presented to the Empress meant survival rather than extinction, then so be it.
"Father... Lord Jinbe..."
Hearing this, Shirahoshi stopped crying. Gathering her courage, she timidly approached Arisa, hands clasped before her chest.
"Um... Your Highness, could you please spare Father and Lord Jinbe? They're good people..."
"Hm? The little crybaby actually found the courage to speak?"
Mimicking Selene's arms-crossed posture, Arisa tried to sound fierce.
"Waaahhh—!"
"You're crying again?"
Rubbing her forehead helplessly, Arisa felt numb. Ever since pulling Shirahoshi out of Ryugu Palace, the girl had not stopped crying. She cried even more than Arisa had when she was first released by the Queen.
Those tears fell like pear blossoms in rain—pitiful enough to stir sympathy.
Arisa did not have the heart to strike her. Instead, she flew up to Shirahoshi's shoulder and comforted her.
"Fine. I can agree—but you must willingly accompany me to the Imperial Capital to meet Her Majesty."
"Sniff... o-okay..."
"Hehe, then it's settled!"
Such a gigantic mermaid—Her Majesty would surely like her!
At that moment, Arisa could already imagine Selene stroking her hair—no, patting her head.
Just then, a booming voice pulled her back to reality.
"Lady Arisa, the scholar capable of deciphering the ancient texts has been brought."
"Hm? Oh. Where is she? Bring her here quickly. Have her decipher the writing on the red square stone. If there's treasure, we'll take it—and then return to the Imperial Capital."