The underwater sky of Fish-Man Island was a brilliant, artificial blue, illuminated by the massive, glowing roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve. Swimming frantically through the upper air-bubble corridors of the island was Megalo. The massive shark, wearing his signature red-and-white striped t-shirt, was currently sweating profusely and looking visibly distressed. His cheeks were bulging to an unnatural, comical degree.

Sitting cross-legged directly on top of the shark’s head was Monkey D. Luffy. He had his hands behind his head, entirely relaxed, enjoying the breeze as they sped away from Ryugu Palace.

Inside the dark, cramped, and humid confines of the shark’s mouth, Princess Shirahoshi curled her massive frame as tightly as she could. For the first time in ten years, she was outside the thick, iron walls of the Hard-Shell Tower. Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs. Every time Megalo opened his jaws slightly to take a breath, flashes of the bustling, colorful city below passed by her vision.

She was terrified. She expected an axe or a spear to come flying through the gap in the shark’s teeth at any second. But as the minutes ticked by and no weapons appeared, the paralyzing terror began to slowly give way to a profound, overwhelming sense of wonder.

"Are you okay in there, Crybaby?" Luffy called out, leaning over and peering down toward the shark’s snout.

"I-I am alright, Luffy-sama!" Shirahoshi’s muffled voice trembled from within the shark. "It is just... very dark! And Megalo’s breath smells faintly of fish!"

"Chomp..." Megalo groaned softly, clearly insulted by the critique of his oral hygiene.

"Well, you wanted to go outside," Luffy grinned, patting the shark’s head. "We’re heading to that Sea Forest place. Is there anything fun to do there? A theme park? A really big meat buffet? Maybe a giant sea monster we can fight?"

Inside the shark, Shirahoshi’s tears stopped. A quiet, solemn sadness settled over her.

"No, Luffy-sama," Shirahoshi answered softly, her voice losing its trembling edge. "There is no theme park. The Sea Forest is a quiet place. It is a graveyard for ships... and for people. There is a specific grave there that I have wanted to visit since the day it was built. I haven’t been able to leave my tower to see it for ten years."

Luffy blinked, tilting his head. "A grave? That doesn’t sound very fun. Whose grave is it?"

"My mother’s," Shirahoshi whispered.

Luffy stopped swinging his legs. The carefree grin on his face faded, replaced by a look of simple, quiet understanding. He didn’t offer any empty platitudes or apologies. He just nodded once, looking forward toward the dense, coral-reef forest appearing in the distance.

"Okay," Luffy said firmly. "We’re going to your mom’s grave. Megalo, go faster!"

"Chomp!" The shark beat his tail harder, accelerating toward the Sea Forest.

The Sea Forest

The Sea Forest was a beautiful, tranquil graveyard located on the ocean floor, within the island’s massive air bubble. Giant, brightly colored corals shaped like towering trees created a dense, silent canopy. Scattered throughout the quiet groves were the wrecks of sunken ships, serving as monuments to those who had perished on the journey to Fish-Man Island.

In a secluded clearing near the center of the forest, a single, elegant tombstone stood surrounded by fresh, vibrant flowers.

Sitting cross-legged on the soft grass directly in front of the grave was a massive, imposing figure. He wore an orange, traditional kimono and a dark cloak. His blue skin, webbed hands, and the prominent, sun-shaped tattoo on his chest marked him as a veteran of the seas.

Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea and Warlord(there was no Paramount war, so he didn’t leave his seat), sat with his eyes closed, his hands resting on his knees. Two bottles of high-quality sake rested on the grass beside him. He opened one and poured a generous splash over the earth in front of the tombstone.

"It has been ten years, Otohime-sama," Jinbe rumbled, his deep, respectful voice breaking the silence of the forest. He looked at the name carved into the stone: Queen Otohime.

Jinbe took a slow drink from his own bottle. The burden of the last decade weighed heavily on his broad shoulders.

"The kingdom has survived," Jinbe continued, speaking to the grave as if the Queen were sitting right across from him. "King Neptune rules with the same kindness you always showed. And your sons... Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, Manboshi... they have grown into fine, strong princes. They carry your will with honor. They have become the shield of this island."

Jinbe paused, a deep frown creasing his brow.

"But the cost has been high," Jinbe muttered, staring at the sake bottle. "Decken has marked the Princess with his fruit powers and wants to marry her. It forced the King to lock Princess Shirahoshi away for her own safety. For ten long years, that sweet, gentle girl has been trapped inside the Hard-Shell Tower, targeted by the madness of Vander Decken. It brings me great shame that I have not been able to eliminate that threat for her."

Jinbe let out a heavy sigh, closing his eyes again.

"But you must know, Otohime-sama... no one has forgotten your ideals. The people still believe in the bridge you tried to build between our world and the surface. They still sign the petitions. The dream of walking under the real sun is not dead. I only hope that, one day, we can find a way to make it a reality without spilling more blood."

Jinbe fell silent, keeping his solemn vigil over the grave of the woman who had tried to save their people with compassion.

The Skies Over Fish-Man Island

The quiet mourning in the Sea Forest was abruptly shattered by a blaring, screeching siren that echoed across the entirety of Fish-Man Island.

WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!

Flying rapidly over the coral city were dozens of specialized, winged communication snails—the Royal Border Patrol. Their massive speakers broadcasted a frantic, panicked message that reached every street, every canal, and every district.

"WARNING! WARNING TO ALL CITIZENS OF RYUGU KINGDOM!" the broadcast blared. "This is an emergency alert from the Border Patrol! A massive, heavily armed faction has just breached the perimeter of the Fish-Man District! Dangerous individuals are mobilizing! Evacuate the main plazas immediately!"

Citizens on the streets stopped and looked up in horror.

"We cannot determine their exact objective, but they are armed and aggressive!" the broadcast continued. "All Royal Guards report to your stations! Seek shelter immediately!"

Deep in the waterways leading from the dark, lawless slums of the Fish-Man District, a terrifying armada was on the move.

They weren’t sailing in ships. They were riding monsters.

Dozens of massive, ferocious Sea Beasts—lions, rhinos, and bears with gills and fins—churned the water as they surged toward the upper levels of the island. Riding atop these beasts were the elite forces of the New Fish-Man Pirates and the Flying Pirates.

Leading the charge on the largest Sea Lion was Hody Jones. His eyes were bloodshot, completely dilated from a heavy dose of Energy Steroids. He gripped his trident, a malicious, triumphant grin splitting his jagged teeth.

Riding beside him on a Sea Rhino was Vander Decken IX, casually tossing a small dagger into the air and catching it.

"Did you hear that, men?!" Hody roared, his voice carrying over the rushing water and the roars of the Sea Beasts. He turned back to look at his bloodthirsty officers—Dosun, Zeo, Daruma, and Ikaros Much. "The Royal Patrol is crying for help! They are terrified! And they should be!"

Hody thrust his trident toward the distant, towering structure of Ryugu Palace.

"For too long, we have lived in the dark!" Hody screamed, whipping his crew into a frenzy. "We have bowed to a King who preaches peace with the human trash! Neptune is weak! Otohime was weak! Today, we tear down their pathetic ideals! We will crush the Royal Guard, execute the King, and take the throne!"

"YEAAAAAAH!" the New Fish-Man Pirates roared in unison, brandishing their weapons.

"And don’t forget our deal, Hody," Decken chuckled darkly, adjusting his captain’s hat. "You get the crown. I get the Princess. Let’s not keep my bride waiting any longer."

"Today, the Ryugu Kingdom falls!" Hody yelled. "We are the new rulers of Fish-Man Island! No one can stop us now!"

Ryugu Palace - The Banquet Hall

The blaring sirens of the emergency broadcast reached the opulent halls of Ryugu Palace perfectly clearly.

King Neptune, flanked by the panicked Ministers of the Right and Left, looked up at the ceiling speakers in sheer horror.

"The Fish-Man District?" Neptune rumbled, gripping his golden trident. "Hody Jones... he has finally made his move. He is marching on the palace."

Before Neptune could issue orders to fortify the gates, a breathless Royal Guard sprinted into the banquet hall, tripping over his own boots.

Neptune murmured, not thinking much of the attack on the palace. "Where is my daughter?!"

Neptune’s face went pale, but his mind raced.

"No," Neptune said slowly, his voice dropping into a dangerous, protective rumble. He turned his massive head to glare directly at the Straw Hat crew. "It wasn’t Hody Jones. And it wasn’t Vander Decken."

Neptune pointed his trident directly at Ben and Ussop.

"It was your Captain!" Neptune roared. "Monkey D. Luffy was the only one in that tower! He is the one who took Shirahoshi!"

"What?!" Usopp gasped, waving his hands defensively. "Luffy?! No way! Why would Luffy kidnap a giant mermaid?! He can’t even carry her!"

"I know exactly how he did it!" Neptune yelled, piecing the bizarre puzzle together in his panicked, fatherly mind. "He didn’t carry her! He used Megalo! The shark was missing from the courtyard! Your rubber captain shoved my giant daughter inside the mouth of her own pet shark, sat on its head, and rode out of the palace to hide her from us!"

The Royal Guards and the Ministers froze. For a second, the sheer absurdity of the accusation completely halted their panic.

"Inside the shark’s mouth?" the Minister of the Left asked, his eye twitching.

The guards looked at each other. Then, a few of them actually snickered.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," a guard chuckled nervously. "That is... completely ridiculous. The Princess is enormous! How could anyone convince her to climb inside a shark’s mouth? It defies all logic!"

"The King is just stressed," another guard whispered. "It’s too bizarre."

Nami stepped forward, putting her hands on her hips, looking incredibly offended on behalf of her crew’s reputation.

"Exactly!" Nami agreed with the guards, crossing her arms. "Your Majesty, I understand you are worried, but that is absurd! We are pirates, yes, but we are professionals! Luffy wouldn’t do something like that! Shoving a princess into a shark? Give us some credit!"

"Yeah!" Vivi nodded, agreeing to it. "Luffy is a good person!"

Ben let out a long, heavy, exhausted sigh.

He walked past Nami, stepping to the front of the group. He didn’t look at Neptune. He turned and looked directly at his own crew.

"Nami," Ben said, his voice flat, entirely devoid of hope. "I want you to take a deep breath. I want you to close your eyes. And I want you to think about exactly what kind of person our Captain is."

Nami blinked.

"Think about how his brain works," Ben continued relentlessly. "Think about how he solves problems. Think about his complete lack of common sense, his obsession with weird animals, and his total disregard for the laws of physics or royal decorum."

The dining hall fell silent.

Nami closed her eyes. Usopp closed his eyes. Franky, Caroo, Robin, Vivi, Dory, and Brogy all closed their eyes.

In perfect, synchronized mental imagery, every single Straw Hat Pirate pictured Monkey D. Luffy standing in a room with a crying giant mermaid, a flying axe, and a very large shark. They pictured Luffy devising a stealth extraction plan.

Five seconds passed.

Simultaneously, the entire Straw Hat crew opened their eyes.

In flawless unison, they all slowly nodded, a look of realization dawning on their faces as if they had just grasped the fundamental truth of the universe.

"Yeah, he shoved her in the shark," Nami stated with absolute, deadpan certainty.

"One hundred percent," Usopp agreed, rubbing his temples. "He probably thought it was a genius stealth maneuver."

"He definitely rode the shark like a horse," Franky added, nodding sagely.

The Royal Guards stared at the pirates, completely bewildered by the sudden, unanimous reversal.

King Neptune gripped his trident tighter, his fatherly anxiety spiking to critical levels. "You see?! I knew it! Your insane captain kidnapped my fragile, terrified daughter! Is she safe?! What is he going to do to her?!"

"Your Majesty, please relax," Ben said smoothly, turning back to the King. His voice exuded total confidence. "If there is one thing you never have to worry about, it is Princess Shirahoshi’s safety. As long as she is with Luffy, absolutely nothing in this world—not Vander Decken, not Hody Jones, not a Marine Admiral—will be allowed to harm a single scale on her tail."

Neptune relaxed slightly, breathing a small sigh of relief at Ben’s absolute certainty. "You... you promise she will not be harmed by enemies?"

"I guarantee it," Ben smiled politely. He then turned his head slightly, murmuring under his breath at a volume only barely audible, "Although I can’t guarantee he won’t accidentally drop her off a cliff or try to feed her a toxic sea-mushroom because he thought it looked funny."

Neptune’s sharp ears caught the faint muttering. The King’s eyes widened. "Wait. What did you just say at the end?!"

Ben seamlessly turned back to the King, waving his hand dismissively with a flawless customer-service smile. "Nothing! I said she is in nothing but the safest hands."

"I heard the word ’toxic’!" Neptune roared, his panic returning in full force. He slammed the butt of his trident against the stone floor. "Guards! Seal the banquet hall doors! No one leaves this room! The Straw Hat Pirates are officially confined to the palace until my daughter is returned to me safely!"

"Hey! You can’t lock us in here!" Usopp yelled, drawing his bow. "There’s an army marching on your front door right now!"

"Then you will help us defend it from the inside!" Neptune declared stubbornly. "But you are not leaving my sight!"

Ben rolled his eyes, hearing that, but they all agreed to stay.

The Palace Entrance - The Connection Corridor

While the argument raged in the banquet hall, the outer defenses of Ryugu Palace were completely quiet.

The grand entrance to the palace was secured by a massive, impenetrable set of steel gates that separated the royal grounds from the connection corridor—a long, enclosed tube that linked the palace to the lower levels of Fish-Man Island. The only way to open the gates was a heavy, mechanical switch located in the security booth just inside the palace walls.

Ten minutes earlier, Sanji and Brook had sprinted through the corridors, dealing with the human pirates that Vander Decken had thrown into the palace.

Sanji had delivered a swift, flaming kick to the final pirate’s jaw, sending the man crashing into the wall of the security booth. Brook had followed up with a precise strike from his cane sword, knocking a second pirate unconscious onto the floor.

"Trash handled," Sanji had muttered, adjusting his cuffs. "Let’s get back to the banquet hall. Nami-swan is waiting."

"Yohohoho! An excellent display of footwork, Sanji-san!" Brook had praised, following the cook back down the hall.

They had been efficient. They had neutralized the threat perfectly.

But in their haste to return to the crew, they had failed to notice one tiny detail.

When Sanji had kicked the last pirate, the man had crumpled into the corner of the security booth. He was completely unconscious, his eyes rolled back in his head. But as he had fallen, his limp, heavy arm had flopped outward.

The pirate’s hand had landed squarely on top of the large, red, mechanical switch on the control console.

The weight of the arm was just enough.

Click.

The heavy, metallic sound echoed through the empty security booth.

Outside, the massive steel gates of Ryugu Palace groaned. The locking mechanisms disengaged. With a slow, grinding rumble, the impenetrable doors slowly swung wide open, exposing the palace courtyard directly to the connection corridor.

The front door was completely unlocked.

Down in the corridor, advancing rapidly, were Hody Jones, Vander Decken, and their army of Sea Beasts. They saw the gates slowly opening before them.

"Wahaha! Look at that!" Decken laughed, pointing his dagger at the open entrance. "Those human trash we threw actually managed to hit the switch! The palace is wide open!"

"Perfect," Hody sneered, his eyes burning with steroid-fueled rage. "Charge! Leave no guards alive!"

The armada of monsters and fanatic fish-men flooded into the royal courtyard, bypassing the outer defenses without shedding a single drop of blood.

The Fish-Man District - Noah’s Slums

While the main force of the New Fish-Man Pirates assaulted the palace, the dark, murky slums of the Fish-Man District remained heavily populated.

This was the staging ground. The belly of the beast. The massive, rotting husk of the ancient ship Noah loomed over the cavernous district, casting a perpetual shadow over the jagged coral and sunken debris.

Hody Jones had taken his elite officers and his vanguard forces to the palace. But he had not taken his entire army.

Left behind to guard the district, hold the captured human slaves, and prepare for the final takeover of the island, were Hody’s henchmen.

One hundred thousand heavily armed, deeply indoctrinated, human-hating fish-men outlaws. They swarmed the streets, drinking, shouting, and sharpening their rusted blades in anticipation of their impending victory.

The atmosphere was a volatile mix of racist fanaticism and bloodlust. It was the worst place in the entire world for a normal human to be.

The heavy, iron doors leading into the district were supposed to be sealed.

Creak.

The doors were pushed open.

A single human stepped into the dim, green light of the Fish-Man District.

He wore a dark green samurai robe. A black bandana was tied around his left arm. Three swords hung loosely at his hip. He looked completely relaxed, his hands resting casually on the hilts of his blades.

Roronoa Zoro had taken another wrong turn.

He wandered down the main street, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just walked into the heart of an extremist military camp.

He looked left. He looked right. The streets were packed with terrifying, muscle-bound fish-men holding tridents, swords, and axes. They all stopped what they were doing. The drinking ceased. The shouting died down.

One hundred thousand pairs of hateful, shocked eyes turned to lock onto the lone human who had just strolled into their stronghold.

Zoro didn’t look intimidated. He looked annoyed.

He walked right up to a massive, heavily scarred Great White Shark fish-man holding a spiked club.

"Hey," Zoro grunted, looking up at the thug with his single, unimpressed eye. "You guys seen a curly-browed cook running around here crying? Or maybe a rubber idiot making a lot of noise? They got lost."

The shark fish-man stared down at Zoro. His jaw slowly opened. He looked at the three swords. He looked at the green hair.

"A... a human?" the fish-man snarled, his shock rapidly morphing into absolute, violent rage. "A HUMAN TRASH DARES TO WALK INTO NOAH?!"

"KILL HIM!" another thug roared from the balcony above. "TEAR HIM APART FOR CAPTAIN HODY!"

The entire district erupted. One hundred thousand fish-men raised their weapons simultaneously, a deafening, unified roar of murder echoing through the cavern. They surged forward like a tidal wave of muscle and steel, intending to crush the lost swordsman into a bloody smear on the pavement.

Zoro let out a long, heavy sigh.

He didn’t take a step back. He didn’t look for an exit.

Zoro slowly reached up with his right hand. He untied the black bandana from his arm. He brought it up to his head, tying it firmly over his green hair, his lone eye glowing with a terrifying, demonic gold light.

He drew Sandai Kitetsu with his left hand. He drew Shusui with his right. He placed the hilt of Wado Ichimonji firmly between his teeth.

"So," Zoro mumbled around his blade, a savage, bloodthirsty grin spreading across his face as he faced the charging army of one hundred thousand men. "You haven’t seen them, then. Guess I’ll just have to ask someone else."