Defeating the Sea Beasts and Entering Fish-Man Island

"We're done for! How can we fight these sea beasts at the bottom of the sea? What should we do?!"

"Let's go down fighting, at least. I don't know if our guns will do anything to these huge beasts." Penguin clutched his head, looking hopeless, though his grip tightened around his pistol. Despite his fear, he had the courage of a pirate who'd been out to sea before, ready for a life-or-death struggle.

"It doesn't matter. We knew this day could come when we first set sail." Shachi's expression was calm as he took out his gun.

Law gripped Kikoku, staring intently at the massive sea beasts ahead, while Wyper aimed his rocket launcher at the fish-men riding the creatures. As soon as Sanders gave the order, he would pull the trigger without hesitation.

The others were equally frightened, but no one shrank from the confrontation. Instead, they clutched their weapons, prepared to fight to the death.

Sanders nodded in satisfaction at the sight. A bit of inexperience he could accept, but courage to face death was essential. Surrender was the action of weaklings—and the Thunder God Pirates didn't accept weaklings.

"You can coat yourself in bubbles, just like the ship. That way, you can fight in the water," Hachi whispered, knowing Sanders' keen Observation Haki would pick up on it.

Sanders glanced at Hachi. He hadn't expected this fish-man to stay loyal in a dangerous moment, rather than abandon or betray them.

In reality, while the crew looked panicked, both Issho and Sanders remained perfectly calm. For one thing, they knew the bubbles from Sabaody could be used to coat them in a protective layer. And even without the coating, Issho and Sanders could easily handle the sea beasts and fish-men.

Issho's Devil Fruit abilities allowed him to manipulate gravity without needing physical contact, so being underwater wasn't a limitation. Not to mention, Sanders had Conqueror's Haki—and advanced Conqueror's Haki at that—which could easily knock out or scare away these sea creatures.

So Sanders was genuinely baffled that the New Fish-Man Pirates thought they could challenge them. "I'm curious—how did you know we were planning to come here today?" Sanders asked, standing calmly on the deck.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Hammond laughed mockingly, "Want to die knowing all the details, huh? Not bad, considering you're a pirate worth 2.8 billion berries. Staying calm in the face of death."

He wasn't in a hurry to strike, confident that the deep sea was his domain and the victory already his.

"For helping raise the reputation of the New Fish-Man Pirates, I'll be generous and let you in on the secret," he sneered. "My underling overheard it at the Mermaid Café. Guess you're just unlucky. It's not my fault we happened to hear about it."

Sanders nodded, understanding. He was aware that Law and the others had saved a mermaid recently, who happened to be Madam Ishilly's younger sister at Arlong Park. So it was natural that she would relay the news to Ishilly that the Thunder God Pirates were headed for Fish-Man Island.

It was simply a coincidence that members of the New Fish-Man Pirates overheard the news. It was a complete stroke of luck.

"Since you know already, just go die!" Hammond sneered, issuing his orders. "Sea lion, destroy their ship! Bury them in the depths!"

With a sinister grin, he commanded the sea beast forward. The sea lion roared and charged, its enormous mouth bristling with sharp teeth. Hammond and his crew laughed, as if they could already see the powerful pirate crew thrashing helplessly in the deep sea.

Many aboard the Thunder God Pirates' ship looked alarmed. Wyper was the quickest to react, aiming his rocket launcher as the sea lion rushed toward them, finger poised on the trigger.

Just then, Issho tapped his cane lightly against the deck. An invisible force rippled outward, pressing down on the sea lion with immense gravity, slamming it to the seafloor and stirring up a strong undercurrent. The ship was pushed back a fair distance by the current.

"What the heck? You clumsy sea lion! How do you trip in the sea?" Hammond cursed furiously.

Wyper let go of the trigger, lowering the rocket launcher from his shoulder. He recognized that power immediately—it was the Devil Fruit ability of First Mate Issho. In training, Wyper often requested Issho's gravity to boost his training intensity, so he was very familiar with the ability.

Now that Issho's powers could be used, these enormous sea beasts would be no match. The others breathed a sigh of relief, their faces lighting up as they looked at Issho. They knew he wielded the power of gravity, but seeing him bring down a sea lion underwater without even touching it was awe-inspiring.

"Whew, that scared me… Turns out Uncle Issho can use his power here too!" Nami sighed with relief, patting her chest.

"We're in the deep sea, but the captain and first mate aren't submerged, so of course, they can use their abilities," Robin replied with a smile.

Hammond, seeing his sea lion struggling to rise from the seafloor, began to realize something was wrong. He shouted, rallying the other sea beasts. "Sea gorilla! Sea bear! Get in there and show them what we're made of!"

A massive sea gorilla and a white bear resembling Bepo charged forward.

"Enough!" Sanders' eyes glinted as his Conqueror's Haki surged, spreading an intense pressure toward the sea beasts and fish-men pirates.

The sea beasts felt as though they were being hunted by a predator at the top of the food chain; they trembled, eyes rolling back as they passed out. Hammond and his fish-men pirates suffered the same fate, slipping off the sea beasts and floating unconscious in the water.

Seeing the once-menacing sea beasts and fish-men rendered powerless in an instant, everyone exhaled in relief.

"Incredible! What kind of power is this?" Penguin's mouth dropped open, utterly amazed.

"That's Conqueror's Haki—a power that can knock people out through sheer force of will. But I never expected the captain's Haki to be this strong!" Law explained quietly, glancing at Sanders with admiration. So this was the captain's spirit?

Looking at the fish-men and sea beasts drifting on the seafloor, Law made a decision—once they reached Fish-Man Island, he would begin special training. Like Wyper, he would ask the first mate to help him in his training!

"Was that the same power he used against Diamante's men?" Shachi wondered, recalling it in amazement.

Previously, when they encountered Doflamingo's subordinates, everyone except Diamante collapsed the moment the captain arrived. Back then, the crew was too exhilarated to pay close attention, but now it seemed clear that Captain Sanders had used his Conqueror's Haki!

"Hey, Hachi, what's the relationship between these fish-men and Ryugu Kingdom?" Sanders pointed to the defeated fish-men and asked Hachi. Since the timeline was different, Sanders wasn't sure if the New Fish-Man Pirates were already enemies with Ryugu Kingdom.

"They're enemies of the kingdom. Hody Jones wants to overthrow the Ryugu Kingdom's rule on Fish-Man Island. He's an extreme nationalist who grew up harboring hate and anger against humanity. Ryugu Kingdom has tried multiple times to capture them, but they've always failed," Hachi answered honestly, having a natural fear of Sanders after seeing what he did to Arlong.

"Then help me round them up," Sanders said softly. "Since we're visiting Fish-Man Island, let's hand them over to Ryugu Kingdom as a gift." Since humans aren't particularly welcomed on Fish-Man Island, it would be smart to bring a goodwill gesture. This could help smooth things over with King Neptune, making it easier to charm his daughter later on.

"Oh, sure!" Hachi didn't dare refuse, stepping out of the bubble and rounding up the fish-men to bring them back. Wyper and the guards of the "God's Army" tied them up, not holding back with a few punches and kicks. After all, these fish-men had scared them enough.

Soon, the fish-men lay bruised and battered on the deck.

"Alright, let's head into Fish-Man Island." With the fish-men taken care of, the Thunder God continued its journey toward the island. Fish-Man Island was encased in a massive double-layered bubble membrane. Between the two layers was a pocket of air. If a coated ship didn't follow the correct path, the coating would automatically detach and merge with the outer layer, sometimes even causing ships to crash in the air pocket. Even if one managed to force their way through the barrier, the sea currents inside would carry intruding ships away.

However, Hachi led them through the standard entryway. Just like Skypiea, foreign visitors here had to pass an entry inspection; otherwise, they'd be arrested by Ryugu Kingdom's "Sea King Army." This was why Sanders had asked Hachi to capture the members of the New Fish-Man Pirates. With the kingdom's enemies in hand, their inspection would go much more smoothly.

Though they could have forced their way in, Sanders had no intention of resorting to violence since he was here to recruit Shirahoshi.

At the Fish-Man Island entrance, the inspecting mermaids' faces hardened as they saw humans aboard the Thunder God. Their eyes held a mix of caution and distrust as they regarded Sanders and his crew.

Hachi stepped forward to negotiate, volunteering himself for the task. He understood the danger Sanders and his crew posed, and he didn't want the island residents to meet the same fate as Arlong.

"Aren't you Hachi? I recognize you. What are these humans here for?" one of the inspectors asked, weapon in hand.

"They're my friends and came to Fish-Man Island to sightsee," Hachi answered. "By the way, it was their crew who rescued Ishley when she was captured and sold by humans. I'm not sure if you've heard about it."

"Was it them who saved her?" The inspectors and guards exchanged looks, visibly relaxing. Their gazes softened toward Sanders and his crew. The story of Ishilly being rescued by humans had made minor waves on Fish-Man Island, enough to make the inspectors view them more kindly

After all, while it was common for mermaids to be captured and sold, rescuing one was a rare occurrence.

"They also captured Hammond and his men along the way. Consider it a gift to you," Hachi added, mentioning the earlier encounter with Hammond.

Sanders signaled to Wyper with a look. Wyper quickly gathered a few crew members and dragged Hammond's battered crew before the guards.

"So it's Hammond… That wretched guy finally got caught." The inspectors examined the captured fish-man pirates. Despite their bruised and beaten state, they recognized them instantly.

"Thank you so much for helping maintain Ryugu Kingdom's peace. I hope you all enjoy your time on Fish-Man Island," the inspector said with a warm smile, as other guards took Hammond away.

Initially, the residents' view of Sanders was indifferent. After hearing that he'd rescued Ishilly, it shifted to neutral, and now, having helped capture enemies of Ryugu Kingdom, Sanders' reputation was considered friendly. Even the inspectors spoke to him with more courtesy.

"Is there an entry fee we need to pay?" Sanders asked with a smile.

"No, you're Hachi's friends, and you saved Ishilly, so we'll waive the entry fee. Oh, by the way, try to avoid areas unfriendly to humans. Hachi knows where those are." The inspector advised.

Due to past discrimination, Fish-Man Island was divided between factions—those who held hostility towards humans and those who wished for peaceful coexistence. Clearly, this inspector belonged to the latter. Many within Ryugu Kingdom, including the current king, Neptune, leaned toward peace as well.

"Thank you," Sanders nodded, and the Thunder God passed through the inspection and entered Fish-Man Island.

After Sanders and his crew left, the inspectors and guards began chatting. Their work was usually relaxed, as few ships came to Fish-Man Island.

"Didn't that crew's pirate flag seem familiar?" one of the guards remarked.

"Familiar? Can't say I've seen it before," another inspector replied, frowning.

Fish-Man Island was situated 10,000 meters below the surface, making it hard for them to stay updated on surface news.

"It had a lightning bolt on it… kind of reminds me of the Thunder God Pirates I heard about recently!" a mermaid guard chimed in.

"The Thunder God Pirates? Are they that powerful?"

"Very powerful! Rumor has it that Captain Sanders can defeat Marine Admirals!"

"He beat a Marine Admiral? You must be kidding!"

"Why would I joke about that?" the guard insisted. "Captain 'Thunder God' Sanders' bounty is over 2.8 billion Berries. The first mate, the blind swordsman Issho, has a bounty of over a billion too."

"Uh… there was indeed a blind man on their ship just now…"

Suddenly, silence filled the room. Cold sweat ran down the backs of several guards.

"Could it really be them?" a guard asked nervously, swallowing hard. It was natural to feel anxious with a 2.8-billion-Berry pirate arriving on Fish-Man Island.

"It seems very likely."

"They're not going to cause any trouble here, right?"

"Hopefully not. They seemed friendly, saved Ishilly, and even helped us capture Hammond's crew. Besides, the Whitebeard Pirates protect Fish-Man Island, so most pirates wouldn't dare cause trouble here."

"A pirate with a 2.8-billion bounty isn't just any pirate."

"Other than Whitebeard himself, no one on his crew has a higher bounty than Sanders."

"Regardless, we should inform King Neptune of this immediately. After all, it's crucial the Sea King knows."

The inspection officer nervously relayed the information to his superiors. After completing the report, he let out a sigh of relief, muttering in frustration, "Damn it, Hachi! Why didn't he tell us who those people really were sooner?!"

"Well, even if we'd known, could we really have stopped them from entering Fish-Man Island?" a fish-man guard remarked sheepishly.

The inspector was at a loss for words. A pirate captain with a 2.8-billion-Berry bounty, a first mate with a bounty of over two billion, and an entire crew—they had no chance of holding them back. Even if the entire Sea King Army were deployed, it was doubtful they could resist such powerful intruders.

As the Thunder God Pirates officially entered Fish-Man Island, they sailed into a large lake-like area designated for incoming ships to dock.

Meanwhile, word of the suspected Thunder God Pirates' arrival quickly reached King Neptune of Ryugu Kingdom. Without delay, he gathered his ministers and his three sons to discuss the matter.

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T/N:

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