And so...
Ryuuto, his companions, and the Giga Hammer Pirates soon arrived at Fish-Man Island, located in the Calm Belt.
Viewed from the sky, the massive double-layered bubble that enveloped the island shimmered with a rainbow of colors under the sunlight. It was a truly magnificent sight!
"We're back at Fish-Man Island!" Nami couldn't help but exclaim at the familiar scene.
"Alright, let's head down! I wonder if Shirahoshi will be surprised to see us arrive so suddenly," Ryuuto said softly, his thoughts turning to the mermaid princess who had overcome her fears and grown so much less shy.
Voom!
Under Crocus's control, the Ark Maxim slowly descended toward the sea's surface. Crocus had fully settled into his role by now, enjoying an early retirement. He no longer participated in battles, content to pilot the Ark Maxim, sunbathe, and read the newspaper in his free time.
As the Ark Maxim lowered...
"It really is the Ark Noah!"
Rethor and the other giant shipwrights rushed to the ship's railing, their eyes wide with awe as they stared down at the legendary vessel below.
"Of course it is!" Baby-5 declared proudly, her hands on her hips.
"Hahahaha..."
"Don't celebrate just yet. You'll have your work cut out for you soon enough," Vivi said, tempering their excitement with a dose of reality. The Ark Noah was in a terrible state of disrepair, looking as though it had just survived a cataclysmic battle.
"You don't understand!" Rethor immediately retorted. "We couldn't be happier for this opportunity!"
To have the chance to repair the Noah, a ship that existed only in legends, was the ultimate dream for any shipwright. How could one feel pain while realizing their greatest ambition?
At that moment, the Ark Noah, nearly a thousand meters in length and covered in moss, rested silently on the sea's surface not far from Fish-Man Island.
As the Ark Maxim hovered gently above it, Ryuuto and the others leaped lightly from their ship, landing on the Noah's massive deck.
Just then, deep beneath them, a colossal Sea King, over 2,000 meters long, was swimming through the depths. Sensing a familiar presence, Mohmoo grew incredibly excited. But with the massive Ark Noah blocking its view, it couldn't see Ryuuto and the others.
With a powerful flick of its tail, Mohmoo churned the water into a terrifying maelstrom. Its body shot upwards like a cannonball, bursting through the surface of the sea.
BOOM!
With a deafening roar, Mohmoo's black, dragon-like form erupted into the sky. Water cascaded down its colossal frame, shimmering in the sunlight. The sheer scale of its body was a staggering sight that seared itself into everyone's mind. The disturbance it created on the ocean was immense, and all eyes turned to witness the spectacle.
"It's Mohmoo!" Nami shrieked, instantly recognizing the familiar figure. She knew Mohmoo well; since evolving into a giant Sea King, its appearance hadn't changed, though it had doubled in length from its voracious eating habits.
"ROAR!"
Mohmoo spotted Ryuuto and the others on the deck and let out a thunderous roar of greeting.
CRASH!
Its massive body plunged back into the sea, sending a mountainous wave crashing outwards that was powerful enough to shove even the gargantuan Ark Noah a considerable distance.
Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island, Prince Fukaboshi had already spotted Ryuuto's group. He was riding a large shark, racing toward them at top speed. The reason for his urgency was Princess Shirahoshi, who had fallen into a feverish coma.
He needed Ryuuto's help!
However, Ryuuto was currently occupied, inspecting the extent of the Noah's damage with Rethor and the other shipwrights.
"The situation is not optimistic," Rethor said, his tone grim. "The damage here is severe. If the keel had been compromised, this ship would have sunk to the bottom of the sea long ago." It was far worse than he had imagined. "Honestly, repairing the Noah will require a massive amount of materials, and progress will not be fast," he reported to Ryuuto after a preliminary assessment.
"That's all within my expectations," Ryuuto replied calmly. "My plan is to conduct repairs while we sail, rescuing the world's homeless along the way. And as you can see, we have a giant Sea King to help us."
"Captain Ryuuto, I understand," Rethor said after a moment of thought, nodding gravely. He felt a surge of admiration for the man before him, a man who sought to save the entire world through his own strength.
"Good. You all can get started, then," Ryuuto said with a wave of his hand. "The first shipment of materials will be arriving soon." Two days prior, he had contacted Umit, the Shipping King, to procure vast quantities of lumber and food in exchange for a handsome sum of gold.
BOOM!
Another figure burst from the sea. Prince Fukaboshi leaped from his mount and landed on the Noah's deck. Seeing Ryuuto hundreds of meters away, he cried out in a desperate voice, "Captain Ryuuto, please... please save my sister!"
As he spoke, he collapsed onto the deck, overcome with emotion.
Zzzt!
With a crackle of lightning, Ryuuto instantly appeared at Fukaboshi's side and helped him to his feet.
"What happened?" Ryuuto asked. "She was perfectly fine when we left."
Under Ryuuto's steady gaze, Fukaboshi explained the strange affliction that had befallen Princess Shirahoshi. About a month ago, the once-lively princess had suddenly come down with a high fever. The fever never broke, and she eventually fell into a deep coma. All the best doctors on Fish-Man Island had been consulted, but none of their treatments had any effect.
"That is strange indeed," Ryuuto mused, stroking his chin as he listened. "In that case, let me have a look."
"What's wrong with Shirahoshi? I'm coming too!" Nami shouted from a distance, her voice laced with anxiety. As Shirahoshi's good friend, she was deeply concerned.
Ryuuto nodded. With a powerful sweep of his right hand, he summoned a fierce gale that enveloped the three of them, carrying them toward Fish-Man Island at a terrifying speed. The wind howled, creating sonic booms as they traveled. In just a few minutes, they covered a distance that had taken Fukaboshi hours to traverse, arriving directly at the Ryugu Palace.
"Shirahoshi!" Nami called out as soon as they landed in the magnificent golden palace.
"Captain Ryuuto! We've been waiting for you! Please, come quickly. We have no idea what's wrong with Shirahoshi," King Neptune said, his voice filled with desperation as he met them. Their group of three quickly became four.
A short time later, in a room adorned in shades of pink, Ryuuto saw Princess Shirahoshi lying on her bed. Her expression was one of great pain.
This calls for a healing talisman, Ryuuto thought to himself.
As he approached her bedside, a yellow paper charm materialized in his right hand. He picked up a bowl of lukewarm tea from the nightstand, dissolved the talisman in the water, and gently poured the mixture into Shirahoshi's mouth.
Neptune watched with bated breath, his heart filled with hope. In his eyes, the seemingly omnipotent Ryuuto could accomplish anything. After all, this was the man who had moved Fish-Man Island to the surface and single-handedly stopped an attack from the Ancient Weapon Uranus—feats that defied human limits.
Gurgle...
As Shirahoshi swallowed the concoction, Ryuuto closely monitored her condition. Normally, she should have shown signs of recovery almost immediately.
After all, water infused with his talismans could cure all ailments.
But as the minutes ticked by, Shirahoshi's condition remained unchanged. In fact, after consuming the medicine, her brow seemed to furrow even more deeply.
"Huh... What's going on?"
This unexpected result forced Ryuuto into deep thought. He had long since verified that the talisman water could heal even the most grievous internal injuries. For it to fail now meant there was only one possibility: Shirahoshi was suffering from a spiritual wound.
But according to Fukaboshi, she hasn't even left Fish-Man Island. Strange! This is incredibly strange! Ryuuto thought, feeling momentarily stumped.
"It failed?" Neptune's hopeful expression crumbled into despair.
"Captain, is there any other way?" Nami asked, turning her gaze to Ryuuto.
"King Neptune, I have a theory, but it may take some time to wake Princess Shirahoshi. Don't worry too much," Ryuuto said, offering what reassurance he could. "Nami, trust me. I'll figure out a solution soon."
With that, he walked out of the Ryugu Palace, his mind racing. As he walked, his thoughts grew clearer. He recalled Shirahoshi's connection to the Sea King, Poseidon, and began to suspect her illness was tied to the sea itself. The sea levels were rising uncontrollably, and according to the Halley Codex, this was a sign that the ocean itself was growing angry.
As Poseidon, Shirahoshi represented the life and hope of the sea. Her coma likely meant that the sea's malevolent aspect—death and destruction—was overwhelming its benevolent side.
In that case, Princess Shirahoshi probably won't be waking up anytime soon, Ryuuto concluded internally.
Having pieced it all together, Ryuuto found that he was out of options. He couldn't very well destroy the entire ocean. If he had that kind of power, he would have already stormed Mary Geoise and killed Imu. But clearly, that was beyond his capabilities.
However, understanding the cause of the problem did alleviate some of his worry. For now, all Shirahoshi could do was wait.
Setting aside the princess's predicament for the time being, he began taking out various Den Den Mushi to contact the fleet commanders of his Sky Dragon Pirates. The countdown to the final battle had begun, and he was growing impatient to kill Imu. First, he needed to gather all his forces.
This included the Kuja Pirates, the Buggy Pirates, the Foxy Pirates, the World Pirates, and the Barto Club. He would need a massive force of allies. Of course, he would also call upon the many friends he had made along his journey. This was the world's greatest romance: a grand alliance fighting for freedom!
"Sister, we will support you without hesitation!" Boa Sandersonia and Boa Marigold declared. They would always stand behind Hancock, no matter the enemy. Even if it meant facing the most powerful foe in the world, so what? In Amazon Lily, it was said that they would gladly die for their empress.
"Captain, you finally remembered us!" Buggy shouted into the Den Den Mushi, his voice filled with excitement. Beside him was Foxy, who had returned to his base on Hachinosu. "Captain, I'm ready too!"
"Perfect. My vacation is over. It's about time I stretched my legs," World responded to Ryuuto's call, his blood pumping with excitement. The world's greatest enemy... what a thrilling prospect.
One by one, his allies began to assemble, all making their way toward him.
But before any of them arrived, Umit appeared. He came with a fleet of twenty ships, all laden with food and lumber for the Ark Noah.
"Captain Ryuuto, it's been too long!" Umit's usually stern face broke into an obsequious smile. "To think that the next time we met, you would be one of the Four Emperors!"
"Thank you for your help, truly," Ryuuto said, shaking the Shipping King's hand. "I'll pay for all these supplies in gold." Only Umit's network could handle such a massive transportation task.
"Gold?"
The word struck Umit like a bolt of lightning, sending countless thoughts racing through his mind. A faint theory began to form.
"Captain Ryuuto, the world has become a very unstable place recently. The World Government is slaughtering citizens of non-affiliated nations everywhere," Umit said, his voice lowering. "Not only that, but they're also plundering vast quantities of gold. I once saw a phrase inscribed in a ruin: 'All the endless energy in this world stems from that which is most stable. Perhaps gold can buy an inexhaustible source of power.'"
He looked at Ryuuto, his eyes gleaming with a sudden realization.
"Captain, I think gold might be connected to infinite energy!"