"Lord Luffy, Lord Red…"
"Welcome to Fish-Man Island."
"My father has been awaiting you for some time. Please follow me to Ryugu Palace as our honored guests!"
With a direct call from the Whitebeard Pirates serving as their credentials, the Straw Hat Pirates and the gathered Supernovas passed Fish-Man Island's inspection with remarkable ease.
No sooner had they entered the island's inner waters—before they could even take in the full splendor of Fish-Man Island—than a royal carriage borne by a colossal eel-like Sea King came to a halt before Red and the others.
"That's Fish-Man Island's eldest prince—Sharkstar…"
As the massive shark merman "walked" out of the carriage, Red immediately whispered the reminder to Luffy and the others.
"The eldest prince?"
Luffy curiously sized up the solemn-looking Sharkstar. Suddenly, as if recalling something, he struck his fist into his palm.
"Oh~! I remember now! Ace told me about you!"
"He said that once we reached Fish-Man Island, we should come straight to you!"
"Haha, indeed," Sharkstar replied with a dignified smile befitting the crown prince."Lord Ace informed us long ago that distinguished guests would be arriving."
"This isn't the place to talk. Please accompany me to Ryugu Palace."
"We've already prepared a banquet to treat you all to a Fish-Man Island–style lunch."
"A banquet?! We're having a feast!?"
Already brimming with curiosity toward Fish-Man Island, Luffy's eyes instantly lit up, his excitement surging.
Red, too, broke into a grin. As the Straw Hat crew's de facto spokesperson—the one who made up for their captain's recklessness—he chuckled lightly toward Sharkstar.
"Thank you for your hospitality. It's much appreciated."
"Coincidentally, we also have some matters we'd like to discuss with King Neptune."
"..."
"..."
The Straw Hat Pirates… had connections on Fish-Man Island too?!
Watching Luffy, Red, and Sharkstar chatting away like family, the Supernovas couldn't help but feel—
That perhaps there truly was nothing in this world the Straw Hats couldn't accomplish.
…
…
After mooring the Going Merry at the entrance to Fish-Man Island, promising little Merry that they'd return soon—with gifts—Luffy's crew and the Supernova pirate groups boarded massive Sea King transports and headed toward Ryugu Palace.
Ryugu Palace sat directly above Fish-Man Island, an independent royal domain separated from the island proper.
To reach it, one had to pass through a special passageway, riding currents of seawater into the royal area sealed apart from Fish-Man Island's bubble.
With Prince Sharkstar's carriage leading the way, the group quickly arrived within the palace grounds.
What greeted their eyes was a towering crystal palace.
Its outer walls were constructed from countless translucent crystal blocks that refracted radiant hues of light, illuminating the palace like something straight out of a dream.
Colorful coral and all manner of adorable sea creatures thrived around its perimeter.
Even Sharkstar's colossal eel mount seemed utterly insignificant before the palace gates.
It was hard to imagine…
That someone could build such a magnificent palace in the depths of the sea.
The sheer scale of the entrance alone made it seem fit for giants!
As Red gazed upon the spectacle, his thoughts stirred.
"Given Fish-Man Island's size and resources, they couldn't possibly have built something this vast."
"Unless, in ancient times, all fish-men were as enormous as Shirahoshi."
"But in just a thousand years, it's easy for a race to go extinct—far harder for one to completely evolve."
"Which means…"
"This palace was most likely built by forces outside Fish-Man Island."
Thinking of the massive Ark Noah still resting near Fish-Man District, Red felt his guess was likely close to the truth.
The pirate world was filled with remnants of ancient history—yet under the World Government's influence, few dared to investigate them.
Red and Robin fell into contemplation, while the others were utterly captivated by Fish-Man Island's beauty.
Their gazes darted everywhere, as if trying to etch the scene permanently into their minds.
Then—
Sssshhh!!!
A sudden rush of turbulent water shattered the moment.
The next instant, several enormous weapons flew overhead, plunging through Ryugu Palace's hollowed windows and crashing inside with two deafening booms.
"Huh?!"
The Straw Hats immediately looked confused.
Luffy blurted out, "What was that just now!?"
"Why are weapons suddenly flying around?"
"Well…" Sharkstar hesitated, a flash of anger crossing his eyes before he forcibly suppressed it.
After glancing at the Straw Hats—Ace's brother, personally requested by Whitebeard to be treated as honored guests—and considering that the matter wasn't truly a state secret, Sharkstar made his decision.
After a moment's thought, he revealed the truth behind Ryugu Palace's situation.
…
…
"What?! The Fish-Man Island princess has been forced to live year-round in the pitch-dark Hard-Shell Tower—just because of some scumbag?!"
"This is unbearable!!!"
"Damn that bastard!!!"
As Sharkstar finished explaining, a pillar of raging flame suddenly erupted from the Straw Hat crew, piercing through the bubble layer into the surrounding sea and boiling the waters around them.
Sanji stepped forward violently, raising his fist as he roared:
"Tell me where that bastard is! I'll tear him to pieces!!!"
"Uh…"
Sharkstar froze, completely caught off guard by Sanji's sudden fury.
"Th… thank you for your understanding."
"But Vander Decken IX is extremely cunning. We've searched for him for years without success."
"Please rest assured—under the protection of the Hard-Shell Tower, Shirahoshi is perfectly safe."
The victim's own brother ended up awkwardly trying to comfort Sanji.
But how could Sanji swallow this injustice?!
A fish-man princess!
She was the dream woman he'd fantasized about countless times—
And now, because of some lowlife, she couldn't even appear in public, trapped away from the world… meaning he might miss his chance to ever meet her!
Just imagining it made Sanji want to evaporate the entire sea to hunt down Vander Decken IX.
"Uh…" Sharkstar looked utterly helpless, his mouth twitching.
At that moment, Red suddenly chuckled and spoke up.
"Come to think of it, we didn't prepare any gifts for Fish-Man Island."
"In that case, let's capture this Vander Decken IX fellow and present him as our greeting."
"Prince Sharkstar—do you have any Coral Bubbles on you?"
Coral Bubbles—like Sky Island's Dials—were a specialty of Fish-Man Island and the deep sea.
With a light squeeze, they formed sturdy bubble coatings, allowing ordinary humans and Devil Fruit users to move freely even in the ocean depths.
"Huh?!"
Sharkstar blinked, then instinctively pulled out several Coral Bubbles—only for Red to snatch them away.
"Catch!"
Red tossed the bubbles to Sanji and Usopp.
"Vander Decken IX should be living near the Ark Noah in Fish-Man District."
"You two will have to work a bit harder—track him down and bring him back to Ryugu Palace."
"And while you're there, if you see any punks, ask around about the New Fish-Man Pirates…"
"Deal with them along the way."
Since they'd likely be staying on Fish-Man Island for months, clearing out the local tumors early—and earning Neptune a favor—was a win-win.
"Leave it to me, Red!!!"
Sanji accepted the Coral Bubble, brimming with righteous fervor as if embarking on a holy mission.
Usopp, meanwhile, looked resigned—missing out on the palace feast.
But it couldn't be helped.
Among the crew, his Observation Haki covered the widest effective search range.
Even if his enhanced Observation focused more on precision than breadth—
Compared to a crew full of battle-crazed monsters, he was still the best tracker.
"Guess the capable work harder."
In the morning, they'd fought the Celestial Dragons' God's Knights atop the Red Line.
By afternoon, they were conducting a search ten thousand meters beneath the sea.
If this were written into a biography, it'd earn countless admirers.
After patting himself on the back, Usopp responded and departed with Sanji toward Fish-Man District.
They'd already studied the island's map aboard Sharkstar's vessel.
As for the fatigue and injuries from Mary Geoise earlier that day—they'd long since been completely erased by healing devices.
So aside from being a bit overworked, there was no way they'd fail this task.
"This…"
Watching the blazing flame burn within the sea, Sharkstar parted his lips—utterly at a loss for words.
…
…
"What?! We're letting our guests resolve this for us… how utterly shameful."
Ten minutes later, inside Ryugu Palace's grand hall.
After hearing Sharkstar's report, King Neptune wore a stunned expression and turned his massive form toward the Straw Hats, who were devouring Fish-Man Island delicacies with gusto.
Red raised his glass with a smile.
"Please don't stand on ceremony, Your Majesty."
"Actually, we came to Fish-Man Island this time seeking your help as well."
"Our help?"
King Neptune—his enormous orange curls and beard framing his face—looked curiously at Red.
He was no stranger to the Straw Hat Pirates.
A crew that had defeated Admiral Kizaru and former Admiral Zephyr within a year of setting sail—leaving both missing to this day.
Even isolated Fish-Man Island had heard of such feats.
So he had no doubt they could handle Vander Decken IX.
What puzzled him was Red asking for Fish-Man Island's assistance.
Red went straight to the point.
"Before reaching Fish-Man Island, we offended a very powerful force."
"So we may need to lie low here in the depths for a while."
"If possible, I'd like to borrow Fish-Man Island's northern territory—the Sea Forest—for our training and living arrangements."
"The Sea Forest?!"
Neptune froze, then shook his head regretfully.
"I'm sorry, Lord Red."
"The Sea Forest is a forbidden land—and extremely dangerous. It's unsuitable for habitation, so—"
"Because of the Poneglyph, right?"
Red cut him off, smiling calmly.
"Your Majesty, I wouldn't make this request without preparation."
"To be frank—Shirahoshi being the Ancient Weapon Poseidon isn't a secret to us."
"What… how do you know that?!"
Whoosh!
Neptune and Sharkstar shot to their feet, shock and alarm written across their faces as they stared at Red—who had spoken earth-shattering words with utter serenity.
"Relax. You'll ruin everyone's appetite."
Red chuckled, glanced at Luffy—still unfazed—then used overwhelming psychic power to force Neptune and Sharkstar back into their seats.
He raised his glass again, smiling lightly.
"Trust me. Hear me out, and you'll think carefully."
"After all…"
"Besides solving the New Fish-Man Pirates and Vander Decken IX—"
"I've brought Fish-Man Island an even greater gift."
"The question is whether Your Majesty dares to accept it~"
Gulp.
Under Red's steady gaze, Neptune swallowed nervously.
For some reason, a strange premonition welled up inside him—
As if Red's next words would shatter the worldview he'd held for decades.
…
…
"Still no sign of the Straw Hat Pirates?!"
Exactly twenty-four hours after the assault on Mary Geoise—
A heavy impact echoed through the Chamber of Authority in the Holy Land.
The Five Elders sat like statues upon the sofas, their expressions twisted with fury.
"This is pointless…"
"Either they're hiding ten thousand meters beneath the sea on Fish-Man Island, or they possess some method of underwater travel and slipped into the New World through the Navy's encirclement."
"Either way, it proves that in the short term, the Navy and Cipher Pol have virtually no chance of capturing the Straw Hats."
"And even if they did find them…"
The speaking Elder glanced subconsciously at Saint Mars, who had been sent flying by the Straw Hats' three top combatants.
Their defenses might not be strong—but that depended on who they were facing.
With the Straw Hat Pirates' current strength, unless the God's Knights and Marine Admirals were deployed together—
Anyone else would just be throwing lives away.
"There's no other choice," Saint Saturn sighed deeply."We'll have to issue the bounties."
"And notify all major newspapers—report that the Straw Hats invaded the Holy Land and were repelled."
"Absolutely do not reveal the true state of the Holy Land. Those ant-like commoners must never see it."
"But…" the bald Elder interjected, "their bounties are already high. How much higher do we set them this time?"
"If they're too high, won't people suspect something?"
"We can't worry about that anymore!"
A cold glint flashed in Saint Saturn's eyes.
"The damage to the castle district was too severe."
"A few slaves and treasures don't matter—but hundreds of Celestial Dragons died!"
"Several family heads are already stirring, demanding answers."
"To prevent those brainless fools from escalating the situation…"
"The Straw Hat Pirates' bounties must be handled with extreme severity!!!"
"…I agree."
"And furthermore," Saint Mars added, nodding,"If my guess is correct, Monkey D. Luffy's Devil Fruit may be the one we've sought for eight hundred years."
"If that's true—no bounty is too high!"
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
"..."
"..."
(End of Chapter)