Sabaody Archipelago
Sunlight filtered down through the towering mangrove trees, casting dappled shadows across the ground.Bubbles drifted lazily through the air, reflecting brilliant, rainbow-colored light.
At the port beneath Grove No. 34, noise surged in overlapping waves—vendors shouting their wares, tourists gasping in awe—blending into a vibrant, bustling tableau.
Gern Reginald Sigmar's warship eased into the Marine-exclusive dock. On the deck, Lipo could barely contain herself—her rabbit ears stood straight up, pink eyes sparkling with anticipation.
She wore a lightweight Marine uniform, and at her waist hung a pair of specially made carrot-shaped daggers, giving her an irresistibly cute appearance.
"Gern! We're here!" Lipo cheered. Before the ship had fully settled, she leapt lightly from the deck, landing gracefully on the pier.
The natural agility of the Mink Tribe made her movements lightning-fast, drawing curious glances from passersby.
Taizolo followed close behind."So this is the midway station of the Grand Line—Sabaody Archipelago?"
He looked around as he spoke, carefully folding Stella's shopping list and slipping it into his chest pocket.
Gern was the last to disembark. The black blade Eight Desolations hung casually at his waist, his coat fluttering gently in the sea breeze.
"I'll leave my ship's coating to you. Much appreciated," Gern said with a smile to the shipwright the G-33 Marine Base had arranged in advance.
"No trouble at all! Everything for the sake of the Marines! It's my honor to serve Rear Admiral Gern!"
Gern said nothing further. He simply pulled out a pouch of Beli and handed it over.
At times like this, money was the most practical language of all.
By the time Gern finished arranging matters for the ship, Lipo and Taizolo had already vanished somewhere into the crowd.
He glanced over the lively port and curled his lips slightly."Looks like this place is just as 'lively' as ever."
Just then, a disturbance erupted in the distance.
People screamed and scattered in panic as several ferocious-looking pirates charged through the crowd, weapons raised, shouting arrogantly.
"Out of the way! Don't block us! Today, we're gonna show Sabaody who's boss!"
At their head was a massive brute with a vicious scar across his face, wielding an enormous spiked club.
A pirate from the first half of the Grand Line—"Bonecrusher" Bayar, bounty: 120,000,000 Beli.
At a snack stand nearby, Lipo's ears snapped straight up. Her expression was roughly: (￣～￣) chew.
"Oh! Pirates!"
Using Observation Haki to lock onto Lipo's position, Gern lazily waved his hand.
"Go ahead. Don't make too much of a mess—we're still heading to Fish-Man Island."
"Roger!"Lipo grinned wide as she caught his signal.
In the next instant, her figure vanished, leaving only an afterimage behind.
"Shave!"
She appeared directly in front of Bayar, her right leg lifting high—then came a razor-sharp kick, wrapped in violent wind pressure.
"Moon Walk: Rabbit Kick!"
"Bang!"
Bayar didn't even have time to react. His body was launched into the air and slammed heavily onto the ground over ten meters away, his spiked club flying from his grasp.
"Boss!!"
The remaining pirates turned pale and rushed Lipo, weapons raised.
"Bunch of small fry!"Lipo snorted, drawing her carrot daggers.
Crackling with speed, her figure flickered through the crowd like a phantom. Her movements were impossibly fast—each strike landed with surgical precision.
The daggers danced in her hands, cold light flashing as pirates fell one after another.
"Damn brat!"One pirate roared, lifting a flintlock and aiming at Lipo's back.
Before his finger could pull the trigger, a flash of gold streaked past.
Taizolo appeared beside him without warning. His golden glove closed gently—
—and the gun was instantly swallowed by liquid gold, twisting and warping out of shape.
"Cheap shots aren't a good habit," Taizolo said coldly.
He followed with a crushing punch—then raised his left hand as gold reshaped itself into a trident, which he hurled straight into the dust-filled chaos.
The fight ended in mere minutes.
Lipo clapped her hands, surveying the pirates writhing on the ground with satisfaction.
"All done!"
Taizolo stepped beside her as the gold flowed back, reforming into gloves and rings.
"You were slow, Lipo. You missed three."
"Hmph!"Lipo pouted."You stole my targets!"
Their bickering made Gern chuckle.
"Alright, enough. Tie them up and hand them over to the stationed Marines."
...
The coating process at Sabaody lasted an entire day and night.
When the first rays of dawn pierced through the mangroves, Gern's warship was completely encased in a massive transparent bubble, shimmering with rainbow hues in the morning light.
"So amazing!"Lipo—who had never seen anything like this before—pressed herself against the railing, her face almost touching the bubble.
Her pink eyes reflected shifting colors."Gern, look! The bubble changes color!"
Taizolo stood beside her, gently placing his hand on the surface.
"If Stella didn't hate coming to Sabaody, I'd want her to see this too."(After all, Stella had been kidnapped here once.)
"Hey—don't you two get any ideas about messing with the coating," Gern said as he walked over."This is our lifeline for diving safely."
At that moment, a sergeant from G-33 approached briskly and saluted.
"Reporting, Rear Admiral Gern! The coating is complete. Ready for submersion at any time!"
Gern nodded, his gaze sweeping over the neatly assembled Marines standing before the ship.
"This is…?"
"The base commander heard you were heading to Fish-Man Island and ordered us to provide supp—"
"No need," Gern interrupted calmly."This time, the three of us are going down alone."
"But Rear Admiral, Fish-Man Island is a major transit point for pirates heading into the New World—"
"If my strength isn't enough, then numbers won't help you either," Gern replied flatly."Focus on maintaining order here in Sabaody."
"…Understood."
The sergeant nodded and led his unit away.
...
Once the G-33 Marines departed, Gern's warship slowly left Sabaody, heading toward the designated dive point.
Lipo ran excitedly across the deck, constantly peeking at the bubble's edge.
"Gern, when will we see fish?!"
"Soon," Gern said, leaning against the railing and feeling the strange sensation of the bubble swaying with the waves."But first, we need the right current."
As the ship entered a specific zone, the sea suddenly twisted into a massive whirlpool.
The water spun faster and faster, forming a funnel hundreds of meters wide.
"Now!" Gern commanded."Dive!"
The warship eased into the vortex's center. The bubble warped under pressure—but held firm.
Lipo clutched Gern's coat tightly, eyes wide."A-Are we falling?!"
"Not falling," Gern chuckled, patting her head."We're sliding."
The next instant, a tremendous force seized the ship, yanking it beneath the surface.
The bubble met the sea with a gurgling sound, magically sealing the water outside.
The shallow depths were bright, revealing the full splendor of the deep sea—but as they descended further, it felt as though an invisible hand was dragging the ship into the abyss.
Lipo's ears flattened tightly against her head as she gripped Gern's sleeve."I-It's so dark…"
The deeper they went, the greater the pressure. The bubble creaked faintly.
At the helm, Taizolo checked every joint and seal, making sure there were no weak points.
Suddenly, a school of glowing deep-sea fish swam past—transparent bodies, visible organs, emitting a soft blue light.
Lipo instantly forgot her fear, pressing her face to the bubble."Wow! Glowing fish!"
"Lanternfish," Gern explained."Many deep-sea creatures produce their own light."
At that moment, a massive shadow swept past in the darkness, briefly enveloping the entire ship.
As they descended further, even more strange creatures appeared—translucent jellyfish trailing long tendrils, luminous squids releasing dazzling ink, swarms of fish forming shifting patterns…
"Look over there!" Taizolo suddenly pointed.
A gigantic current cut through the depths like an underwater highway, countless sea creatures swimming within it.
The current itself glowed faint blue, standing out sharply in the pitch-black sea.
"That's the current to Fish-Man Island," Gern said."Adjust course. Full speed ahead—enter the current!"
The ship slid into the glowing flow and was instantly accelerated by an immense force.
The bubble flexed slightly but remained stable. The scenery blurred as bizarre deep-sea creatures raced alongside them.
"So fast!" Lipo shouted happily, her rabbit ears bouncing with the ship's motion.
As they continued descending, the water grew warmer—and the darkness began to fade.
In the distance, a breathtaking explosion of color emerged.
A coral forest surrounding Fish-Man Island—vibrant, radiant corals forming an undersea woodland, with glowing schools of fish weaving through them.
The sudden beauty after such darkness left all three frozen in awe.Taizolo silently raised his camera.
Click.
"Looks like we've arrived," Gern said, rare ease in his voice.
"Welcome to Fish-Man Island."