"Blackbeard? I'll beat him sooner or later!"
Luffy squeezed his fist, his face radiating confidence.
Jinbe stared blankly at Luffy for a long time, unsure what to say. He felt in his heart that Luffy was much stronger than his brother Ace, both in strength and in courage. Sometimes, Jinbe even felt that Luffy gave off the same confident arrogance and powerful Haki as Whitebeard. Because of this, Jinbe believed the Straw Hats might one day be as strong as, or even surpass, the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Is there any other news, Jinbe?" Carl asked.
"There is also a duel between Akainu and Aokiji on Punk Hazard Island to decide who will be the next Fleet Admiral of the Marines," Jinbe said solemnly.
To Jinbe, the outcome of this duel between the two Marine Admirals was very important for the future of Fish-Man Island. If the more moderate Aokiji won, Fish-Man Island would likely remain peaceful for a long time. If Akainu won, the Marines would surely intensify their attacks on the Four Emperors (Yonko). If that happened, Fish-Man Island might fall into chaos without the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates. Many greedy people would be ready to make their move.
Carl understood what Jinbe was worried about, but he didn't point it out. Carl was also curious about the Marines' situation. He was surprised that Akainu and Aokiji hadn't started their duel yet, noting their work efficiency was too low.
What Carl didn't realize was that the delay was actually related to the Straw Hats. The Revolutionary Army only managed to attack Mariejois because the Marines and the World Government Army were busy encircling the Straw Hats. This incident caused significant trouble, forcing the Marines to temporarily slow down certain activities to ensure the safety of the Celestial Dragons. Therefore, the duel was postponed. In the view of the Celestial Dragons, the succession of the Fleet Admiral was irrelevant; their own safety was paramount.
"Who do you think will win, Brother Carl?" Jinbe asked.
"Of course it will be Akainu," Carl replied without hesitation.
"Are you sure? Aokiji's strength is not weak," Jinbe countered. "While they say magma restrains ice, ice might not fully restrain magma, so the outcome should be uncertain".
"No, Jinbe, you haven't figured this out yet," Carl explained. "Let's not even discuss who is stronger. Think about what the World Government wants. Sengoku recommended Aokiji, but the World Government hesitated for a long time before pushing Akainu into the position". Carl continued, "It's obvious that Akainu is the one the World Government favors more".
"Brother Carl, are you saying that the World Government's will is going to interfere with the duel?" Jinbe asked.
"That's for sure!" Carl confirmed. "The Marines are the weapon in the hands of the World Government, and the World Government must choose the weapon they trust the most. Sengoku was just struggling in vain at the beginning. In this entire sea, no one, except for the Emperors of the Sea and the Revolutionary Army, can resist the will of the World Government!"
Carl's words stunned Jinbe. Jinbe had always been a smart man, but he hadn't thought about the situation that deeply. Now that Carl had explained it, it was easy to understand.
At that moment, Jinbe's respect for the Straw Hats increased to a much higher level. Carl's words obviously had a profound effect on Jinbe. "No one can resist the will of the World Government," Carl had said. That "no one" included Fish-Man Island. Jinbe couldn't help but think of Princess Otohime. Were all of Princess Otohime's efforts and beliefs ultimately pointless against the absolute will of the World Government?
Luffy, however, had a different focus. "Akainu and Aokiji should have a fair duel! If the World Government interferes, wouldn't that be unfair? How can such a fight be so dishonest?!"
Luffy, you still don't get it!
No one bothered to explain further. Even if they tried, Luffy probably wouldn't understand.
It didn't take long for the Little Squid to bring the ship to the Sea Forest.
The Sea Forest was a magical place because of the Sun Tree Eve, which channeled sunlight from the surface down to Fish-Man Island. This light allowed many beautiful corals to grow, giving the area its name. Because of the special currents, many shipwrecks were sent here, so it was also known as "the ships' graveyard".
"What a beautiful place!"
Looking at the beautiful corals growing everywhere, everyone's eyes lit up. Even Luffy, who had been loudly demanding meat moments before, was captivated. He immediately jumped off the boat with Usopp and Chopper and began playing around the coral.
Then, a Fish-Man with a black hat and a pointed beard appeared.
Franky instantly recognized him. "Uncle Den, is that you? Do you still remember me, Uncle?"
Den pointed to Franky's lower body and smiled. "Nobody else goes out wearing only a pair of pants except for you, you pervert... Franky, I didn't expect you to arrive at Fish-Man Island so soon. I was shocked when I heard you joined the Five Emperors crew!"
"SUPER—!"
Franky struck his standard pose. "I am the best student of the world's number one shipwright! Only the Straw Hat Pirates could match my SUPER skills!"
"Hahaha! You haven't changed in all these years," Den laughed. "Iceburg would definitely be annoyed if he heard that!"
This Fish-Man, Den, was the younger brother of Franky's teacher, Tom. Franky introduced Den to everyone, then gave him the letters from Granny Kokoro and Iceburg. The two shipwrights, uncle and nephew, chatted happily.
Den readily agreed to coat the ship.
However, the crew was in no hurry to leave. They started to stroll through the Sea Forest. Everyone was completely enchanted by the beautiful scenery.
Carl took Robin around, and they quickly found the Poneglyph. Robin stepped forward to read it excitedly, but after finishing, she looked confused. The Poneglyph was a letter of apology written by a man named Joy Boy, but it didn't say who it was addressed to.
This was the first time Robin had heard the name Joy Boy. But anyone who could use such a stone to write a Poneglyph had to be an extremely important historical figure, and there had to be an interesting story behind it.
Carl silently took pictures of the historical text , then stood next to Robin.
"Carl, who do you think this Joy Boy is? And who is this letter of apology written for?" Robin couldn't help asking Carl, their resident know-it-all.
"Hmm, I think King Neptune will know," Carl suggested, deflecting the question.
"You're right. After all, it's a Poneglyph here on Fish-Man Island; it must be related to them," Robin agreed, taking Carl's advice. "I'll ask the King of Fish-Man Island". Even if Carl hadn't suggested it, Robin had already planned to do so.
The Straw Hat crew had enjoyed their time, so they began following Jinbe toward the Ryugu Palace. Momoo also went with them. The Thousand Sunny was temporarily left with Uncle Den, and the Little Squid was put in charge of guarding the ship.
------------------------
For Advance chapters visit : patreon.com/Mythic_Muse