From the outside, Fish-Man Island looked like a colossal glass sphere, completely enveloped by an immense, transparent bubble.
It was so beautiful it almost stole one's breath away—brilliant, multicolored light swaying gently in the deep sea, while countless schools of bioluminescent fish streaked past like falling stars along the island's perimeter.
Lipo lay sprawled against the edge of the bubble, her pink eyes reflecting the dreamlike scenery as her rabbit ears trembled with excitement.
"Gern! Tesoro! Look over there! There's a glowing seahorse!"
"So this is Fish-Man Island…"Tesoro, too, was overwhelmed by the sight. Without realizing it, his hands tightened around the helm."It's unbelievable… to think something like this exists in the deep sea."
But just as the three of them were immersed in the spectacle—
Something went wrong.
The previously steady current suddenly erupted into violent turbulence. A powerful undercurrent slammed in from the side.
The warship lurched sharply, tilting at a dangerous angle. Inside the cabin, unsecured items slid across the floor and crashed down with a cacophony of clattering and shattering.
"What's happening?!" Tesoro's expression changed instantly. He gripped the wheel with both hands, struggling to stabilize the ship.
But the ferocity of the current far exceeded his expectations. The warship was tossed about like a leaf in a storm, swallowed by chaotic, spiraling water.
"Tesoro, switch to manual steering!"Gern's voice cut through the violent shaking, calm and steady.
He strode to Tesoro's side, one hand pressing down on the wheel while the other steadied the swaying Lipo.
"No good! The current's too strong!" Tesoro gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
His navigational experience, after all, was limited. Faced with such a sudden crisis, he was clearly outmatched.
The warship spun wildly within the current. The coating bubble groaned under the strain, letting out ominous creaks, as though it might rupture at any second.
Lipo's ears flattened tightly against her head as she clutched Gern's cloak with both hands."G-Gern… are we going to fall?!"
If the coating cracked—ten thousand meters under the sea—no matter who you were, it would mean certain death.
"Hold on tight."Gern didn't answer her question. Instead, he abruptly lifted his head and looked upward.
The massive double-layered bubble shielding Fish-Man Island was right in front of them.
"Boom!"
The moment the warship's coating made contact with the island's barrier, it automatically peeled away and merged into Fish-Man Island's protective membrane.
Stripped of its coating, the warship passed straight through the barrier and plunged into the air layer between the bubbles.
"It's over!" Tesoro shouted.
The ship plummeted from the sky.
Below, in Gyrocorde Plaza, fish-men and merfolk were strolling leisurely or trading goods. Suddenly, a shrill whistling sound echoed overhead.
They looked up—
And then screamed as they scattered in terror.
"Run! Something's falling!"
"It's a ship! A ship is falling from the sky!"
"Damn it! Can these pirates stop coming up with such ridiculous ways to land already?!Fish-Man Island has proper routes, you know!"
Meanwhile, on the deck above, Gern stood firm, his gaze sweeping rapidly over the chaos below.
"If we crash like this, it'll definitely be a disaster.In that case…" His eyes sharpened. "…I'll just let you all fly a little."
Gern took a deep breath. His right fist clenched tightly as vibration particles went berserk, converging wildly in his palm.
"Heavenquake · Air Compression!"
He threw his punch.
Invisible shockwaves rippled outward, and a crushing pressure burst forth from the warship's center, sweeping across the plaza like a tidal gale.
The fish-men and merfolk below felt a force—gentle, yet utterly irresistible—pushing them away.
In the blink of an eye, a wide, open clearing was carved out in the heart of Gyrocorde Plaza.
"BOOM!"
The warship slammed down into the empty space. The hull shuddered violently, and the deck boards cracked with sharp, splintering sounds.
Thanks to Gern's precise control, the ship was badly damaged—but the three of them were completely unharmed.
It could only be called a less-than-perfect landing.
...
As the dust stirred up by the impact slowly settled, Gern brushed wood splinters from his clothes and looked helplessly at Lipo and Tesoro.
"Looks like our entrance was… a bit unconventional."
Lipo—who had practically been wrapped around Gern the entire time—poked her head out from behind him, then hopped down from his back.
Her rabbit ears were dusted with ash, but her eyes sparkled brightly."We made it to Fish-Man Island?!"
"I guess you could call that a successful landing," Tesoro said, rubbing his sore arms with a wry smile."But the ship's going to need repairs… This was way more intense than the amusement park back at Sabaody."
By now, the fish-men and merfolk around the plaza had recovered from their shock. They began to gather, whispering among themselves as they stared.
"Pirates again?"
"They fell from the sky? And that ship looks totally different…"
"And what just happened earlier? Did someone push me?!"
Surrounded on all sides by the residents of Fish-Man Island,Gern scanned the crowd, then flicked his Justice cape aside and offered a polite, friendly smile.
"Sorry to disturb you all. We apologize for the accident just now."
The moment his voice fell, a commotion erupted from within the crowd.
A squad of fully armed fish-man soldiers forced their way forward, spears in hand, encircling the three of them.
Leading them was a massive shark fish-man, broad-shouldered and imposing, eyes sharp with hostility. He leveled his trident straight at Gern and the others.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass on Fish-Man Island!"His voice boomed with unquestionable authority.
Lipo hid behind Gern, peeking out nervously as she whispered,"Gern… they don't seem very friendly…"
"Even if Fish-Man Island is on the route pirates use to reach the New World, aren't you being a little too arrogant?!"
"Pirates?"At the shark fish-man's words, Gern stepped forward, his cloak fluttering slightly—the word Justice emblazoned upon it glaringly obvious.
"Sorry," he said calmly, lifting his gaze."I'm not one of those things. Let me introduce myself—Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral Gern Reginald Sigmar, here on a friendly visit to Fish-Man Island."
"Marines?"The shark fish-man swept his gaze over the three of them coldly. Until now, Fish-Man Island had never hosted a Marine landing, so he had no way of knowing.
"I don't care whether you're Marines or pirates. Fish-Man Island does not welcome outsiders—especially those who 'barge in' like this."
"Apologies," Tesoro stepped forward, the golden sheen of his gloves faintly shimmering."We mean no harm. As for the damage caused by the sudden current earlier, we will compensate for everything in full."
"Hmph. An accident?" the shark fish-man snorted. "Who's to say that's not just an excuse?"
At that, Lipo's ears shot upright. Puffing out her cheeks, she protested angrily:
"We're not pirates!Look—this is our Marine insignia!" She pointed at the emblem on her uniform.
"Tch."The shark fish-man captain's pupils narrowed to slits.
Fish-men instinctively disliked humans. Even though Fish-Man District had been reformed under Tiger, the resentment rooted deep in their hearts still lingered.
Humans saw fish-men and merfolk as mere fish—and in return, they despised and rejected humans, especially those who came from the surface.
The shark fish-man's rough fingers clenched around his trident, veins bulging as his gills flared violently.
"Two mere humans—(that rabbit doesn't count)—and you dare cause trouble on Fish-Man Island?Seize them!"
More than twenty Dragon Palace guards raised their weapons at once. The sharp coral spears gleamed coldly in the dim undersea light.
They fanned out around the wrecked warship, and the shark fish-man bared his fangs in a cruel grin.
"Humans, you will pay the price for trespassing on Fish-Man Island!"
"A price?"Gern's cloak billowed without wind, the black-trimmed edges of his sleeves writhing like living things.
He stepped onto the broken edge of the ship, looking down at the guards from above.
"Didn't we already say we'd compensate for the damage?"His tone remained relaxed. "Besides… I came here with peaceful intentions."
At that moment—
A faint pressure radiated from Gern's body.
The shark fish-man suddenly felt his breathing grow labored.
Though Gern stood perfectly still, it was as if he had transformed into a colossal predator lurking in the abyssal depths—a hunter far above all others.
"Enough of your tricks! Take them down!"
"Stop!"A shout rang out from behind the crowd—
But it was already too late.
A dangerous curve lifted the corner of Gern's mouth. Dark-purple lightning flickered deep within his eyes.
Conqueror's Haki—precise as a surgeon's blade—stabbed directly into the nervous systems of the charging soldiers.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
One after another, bodies collapsed to the ground. The shark fish-man stared in horror as his comrades fell like wheat before the scythe.
His trident clattered uselessly to the floor. His legs trembled uncontrollably.
This fear—yes.This was the primal terror etched into the genes of all living creatures when faced with an apex predator.
"So…"Gern walked forward slowly, deliberately softening his steps as his boots passed over the unconscious fish-man soldiers.
He bent down, picked up the fallen trident, spun it gracefully in his palm, then hurled it down—
The weapon embedded itself in the ground right in front of the shark fish-man, who had collapsed onto the plaza floor.
Looking down at him, Gern spoke coldly:
"…can you speak properly now?"