"Don’t worry. Fish-Man Island has deep trade ties with the Chris Pirates. Aeridar-dono won’t let anything happen to the island," Jinbe said, offering some comfort to the panicked crew.

"Wait," Nami said suddenly, looking puzzled. "Even if half of the Noah is in the air pocket, how is he going to move it away? The outside of Fish-Man Island is all seawater. As an ability user, how can he lead the Noah out? Is there air inside the ship?"

"It’ll be fine. If Aeridar-dono promised, there won’t be a problem. Just like Aokiji, seawater isn’t a threat to him. At the very least, Decken is an ability user himself, so there must be enough air for him to move around in," Jinbe waved it off.

Though they had fought at Marineford, it was merely due to opposing positions. Besides, having abandoned the Warlord alliance, Jinbe felt he was technically the one in the wrong. Knowing the extent of Aeridar’s power, Jinbe didn’t believe a bit of seawater could bother him.

"Amazing! He’s not afraid of seawater?!" Luffy’s eyes sparkled, momentarily forgetting his grudge.

"Well... you could say he’s ’unafraid’ in a different way," Jinbe said after a moment’s thought.

While the Straw Hats were marveling, Aeridar had reached the top of Fish-Man Island, right before the bubble that separated the island from the sea.

The massive Noah had already begun to make contact with the bubble. If it continued to descend, it would inevitably rupture the island’s dual-layered protective shield. Aeridar had to stop it before it breached the barrier.

Pop!

Aeridar pushed through the bubble and into the air pocket.

"Huh? He can fly... an ability user!" Vander Decken IX looked at Aeridar with confusion. "What is that guy trying to do? He doesn’t think he can destroy the Noah, does he?"

"It really is huge. It’s comparable to Moria’s Thriller Bark!" Aeridar marveled as he stood before the ship. The "Ancient Black Technology" of this world was truly off the charts. To build a super-ship half the size of an island eight hundred years ago was terrifying. It made the Pluton, capable of destroying an island in one shot, seem all the more plausible.

"Hey, you over there! It’s useless! Even if you destroy the Noah, the falling debris will still crush Fish-Man Island! Ba-ho-ho-ho!" Vander Decken IX mocked Aeridar from above, laughing wildly.

Looking at Decken, the small top hat, the curled hair, the beard, the multiple necklaces, and those four legs, Aeridar curled his lip in disgust. "You’re hideously ugly."

"Hey! Saying that to my face is incredibly rude, you bastard!" Decken roared in fury. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Aeridar rubbed his chin, looking Decken up and down. "No wonder Shirahoshi doesn’t like you. You’re ugly, you have no romantic sense, and you spend every day threatening her with axes and trying to destroy her home. Not even a princess like Shirahoshi, no mermaid would ever look at you!"

"Arrgh! You foul-mouthed bastard! Bastard! I’ll slaughter you! I’ll kill you!" Being rejected by Shirahoshi was his greatest taboo. Being mocked so viciously made Decken jump with rage. If he had a "mark" on Aeridar, he would have definitely tried to ram the Noah into him right then and there.

"Tsk, tsk... how unsightly."

Aeridar shook his head and approached the Noah with a predatory smile. "Right now, the Noah is being controlled by your Mark-Mark power. Let’s see if I can take over the controls."

"What do you mean?" Decken froze, a bad premonition washing over him.

Slap!

Aeridar reached out and touched the bow of the Noah. An invisible force rippled out.

Suddenly, the massive ship shuddered and came to a dead halt in mid-air.

"See? Just like that." Aeridar looked up, mocking Decken.

"Impossible! Move! MOVE! Destroy Fish-Man Island!" Decken screamed in disbelief, frantically pounding on the Noah, trying to force it forward.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds... a full minute passed.

Vander Decken IX realized with despair that although the mark on Shirahoshi was still active, no matter what he did, he could no longer "throw" the Noah.

"Your ability only makes objects you throw automatically track a target. But my ability allows me to control any non-living matter I touch, including seawater," Aeridar said coldly. "Once I touch something and take control, you can’t ’throw’ it anywhere."

"How can such an ability exist? You bastard!" Decken’s eyes bulged. This ability was his literal natural enemy!

"Go!"

Aeridar growled softly, pushing upward with both hands.

Rumble!

With a sound like rolling thunder, the massive Noah shuddered and began to move again, slowly ascending back toward the sea.

Under Aeridar’s control, the ship the size of an island retreated from the island’s airspace and back into the dark depths of the ocean.

"Noooo!"

Vander Decken IX’s four legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the deck, wailing, "My love for Shirahoshi—!"

"What an eyesore," Aeridar muttered, following the ship out of the air pocket.

Pop!

With a soft sound, Aeridar broke through the bubble and entered the sea at ten thousand meters deep. Seawater immediately rushed toward him.

However, in that instant, an invisible impact force expanded outward, forcibly pushing back the surrounding water. It held the sea at bay about a meter from his body, forming a vacuum sphere in the deep ocean.

"The pressure at ten thousand meters... it’s intense. It would probably flatten steel," Aeridar mused. It was his first time entering the deep sea without a vehicle. The pressure was indeed staggering.

Fortunately, right next to Fish-Man Island was the Sunlight Tree Eve. Not only did it transfer sunlight down from the surface, but it also brought precious air to these depths, ensuring Aeridar wouldn’t suffocate.

Clang... clang...

The thick, heavy chains detached from Fish-Man Island, trailing half in the water and half in the air pocket.

"Lowly human! The sea is my true domain!"

Down below, Hody Jones looked up, his crimson eyes burning with murderous intent. With his red trident on his back, he grabbed onto the massive chain and began to climb upward, inch by inch.

———————

Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]