The Sea Forest of Fish-Man Island was a place of serene beauty. Massive, vibrant coral reefs shaped like towering trees created a dense, aquatic canopy. Schools of luminescent fish swam lazily through the gentle currents, and the sunlight from the Eve Tree filtered down to paint the ocean floor in soft hues of blue and gold.

Normally, it was entirely silent.

FWOOOOOOSH!

The tranquility of the forest was shattered by the roaring thrust of three heavy, blue repulsor jets.

Descending from the artificial sky above the forest were three sleek, heavily weaponized suits of Iron Man armor. They landed heavily on the soft, sandy ocean floor, the kinetic impact kicking up a cloud of silt and displaced water. Alongside them, riding on two sleek, anti-gravity hoverboards, were Merry and Sunny.

The moment their boots touched the ground, the liquid Vibranium of the armors cascaded backward, seamlessly retracting into the chest-plates worn by Chopper, Dory, and Brogy.

"We are at the coordinates," Merry announced, stepping off her hoverboard. "Thermal sensors detect a biological signature sixty meters to the east. Vital signs are critical. Heavy blood loss."

"That’s Hatchan!" Chopper yelled, instantly shifting from a flying robot back into his dedicated role as Chief Medical Officer. He unslung his medical backpack. "Dory, Brogy, secure the perimeter! Make sure Vander Decken doesn’t throw anything else at us!"

"Gebabababa! Leave the sky to us, little doctor!" Dory laughed, drawing his massive Uru-metal sword. He and Brogy stood back-to-back, their eyes scanning the canopy of the coral forest for incoming projectiles.

Chopper sprinted through the coral, his small hooves kicking up sand. He found Hatchan slumped against the base of a massive blue coral pillar. The six-armed octopus fish-man was pale, his breathing incredibly shallow. Several deep, jagged puncture wounds from Vander Decken’s tracking arrows marred his chest and back, pooling blood onto the sea floor.

"Hatchan!" Chopper dropped to his knees beside him, quickly analyzing the wounds. "You lost a lot of blood!"

"C-Chopper..." Hatchan wheezed, his eyes fluttering open. He managed a weak, pained smile at the sight of the reindeer in a black suit. "You guys... actually came..."

"Of course we did!" Chopper said firmly, opening his medical bag.

Chopper didn’t pull out bandages or a needle and thread. He pulled out a small, specialized wooden wand Ben had crafted specifically for him.

Chopper took a deep breath, focusing his mind. He pointed the tip of the wand directly at the deepest puncture wound on Hatchan’s chest.

"Vulnera Sanentur," Chopper chanted, his voice steady and professional.

A soft, silvery-gold light flowed from the tip of the wand, spreading over Hatchan’s torso like liquid silk. The magic took immediate effect. The blood flow stopped instantly. The torn muscle fibers and damaged tissue visibly pulled themselves back together, knitting seamlessly until only faint, pink scars remained where the lethal arrows had struck.

Hatchan gasped, his eyes widening in pure shock as the searing pain completely vanished. "What... what did you just do?! The pain is gone!"

"It’s a healing spell Ben taught me," Chopper explained proudly, lowering his wand. He reached into his medical bag and pulled out a small glass vial filled with a thick, dark red liquid. "But your blood volume is still dangerously low. Magic closes the wounds, but you need to replenish the fluids. Drink this."

Chopper popped the cork and helped Hatchan sit up, pouring the Blood-Replenishing Potion down the fish-man’s throat.

Hatchan swallowed the bitter liquid. Within seconds, a healthy flush of color returned to his pale, gray skin. The lethargy evaporated, replaced by a sudden, intense surge of energy.

"This is incredible," Hatchan muttered, flexing his six arms. "Your crew... you guys have gotten really scary since Sabaody."

"We leveled up," Sunny chirped cheerfully from his hoverboard.

"I owe you my life," Hatchan bowed his head deeply. "But we can’t stay here. Hody Jones and Vander Decken... they’re marching on the palace right now."

"We know," Chopper said, packing up his wand and potions. "Ben and the others are handling it. Our job was just to get you safe."

The Sea Forest - Outer Edge

A mile away, on the outer edge of the Sea Forest, a completely different scene was unfolding.

A massive, incredibly distressed shark wearing a red-and-white striped t-shirt swam frantically out of the sky-corridors and crashed unceremoniously onto the sandy floor of the forest.

Luffy, sitting cross-legged on top of the shark’s head, grinned widely. "We made it! Good job, Megalo!"

Megalo groaned, opening his massive jaws.

Princess Shirahoshi, the giant mermaid, slowly and carefully slipped out of the shark’s mouth. She was trembling, but as her eyes adjusted to the light, her breath caught in her throat.

The Sea Forest was breathtaking. The sunlight from the Eve Tree illuminated the vibrant corals, creating a kaleidoscope of colors that danced across the ocean floor. The gentle currents swayed the sea plants like a quiet, underwater symphony.

Luffy hopped off the shark’s head, he looked around, placing his hands on his hips.

"Whoa," Luffy remarked, nodding in appreciation. "This place is really pretty. It looks like a great spot for a picnic."

Shirahoshi looked around the forest. She hadn’t been outside the cold, dark, iron-plated walls of the Hard-Shell Tower in ten long years. The beauty of the open ocean, the vastness of the world she had been denied, crashed over her all at once.

Large, heavy tears began to pool in her massive blue eyes. They spilled over her cheeks, falling like waterfalls onto the sand.

"Luffy-sama..." Shirahoshi wept, her voice trembling with overwhelming gratitude. She clasped her massive hands over her chest. "Thank you... thank you so much for bringing me here. It is more beautiful than I ever imagined."

"You’re crying again?" Luffy tilted his head, picking his nose. "You really are a scaredy-cat, aren’t you?"

"I am not scared!" Shirahoshi sobbed, trying to wipe her eyes. "I am just... so happy! I thought I would never see the sun again!"

Luffy chuckled. "Alright, alright. Don’t flood the forest."

Suddenly, Luffy stopped. He pulled his finger out of his nose, his expression shifting from casual to focused. His Observation Haki, which was always passively scanning his surroundings, pinged two distinct, familiar signatures a short distance away.

"Hey," Luffy grinned, looking toward the dense coral canopy to the east. "I know those guys!"

Without waiting for Shirahoshi, Luffy broke into a sprint, darting effortlessly through the massive coral stalks.

"Luffy-sama! Wait for me!" Shirahoshi panicked, hastily swimming through the air to follow him, with a very tired Megalo trailing behind.

Luffy burst into a clearing just a few minutes later, skidding to a halt.

"CHOPPER! DORY! BROGY! MERRY! SUNNY!" Luffy yelled, waving both of his arms wildly.

Chopper, who was just finishing packing his medical bag, spun around. "Luffy?! What are you doing here?!"

Dory and Brogy lowered their weapons, looking at their captain in bewilderment.

"Captain!" Dory boomed, lowering his sword. "Why are you in the Sea Forest? You missed the royal banquet at the palace? There were mountains of meat prepared in your honor!"

"I got hungry early!" Luffy laughed, walking over to them. He noticed Hatchan sitting against the coral. "Oh! Hey, Hatchan! You look a lot better than the last time we saw you at Sabaody! Got a new shirt?"

Hatchan sweat-dropped. "Luffy... I was literally bleeding to death five minutes ago."

"Oh. Well, you look great now!" Luffy grinned.

"Luffy-sama!"

The towering, massive form of Princess Shirahoshi swam into the clearing, her long pink hair floating gracefully behind her. She stopped beside Luffy, looking down nervously at the heavily armed, suit-wearing giants, the reindeer, and the two android children.

Dory and Brogy stared up at the giant mermaid, their jaws dropping slightly.

"By the gods of Elbaf," Brogy muttered, adjusting his sunglasses. "She is enormous. And... very pink."

"Who is this, Captain?" Dory asked, raising an eyebrow. "Another friend you picked up?"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy pointed a thumb at her. "This is Scaredy-Cat! She wanted to go for a walk, so I brought her."

Shirahoshi blushed furiously, bowing her head politely to the crew. "P-Please do not call me that, Luffy-sama! My name is Shirahoshi! It is a pleasure to meet your crew!"

Chopper’s jaw hit the floor. "Shirahoshi?! The Mermaid Princess?! Luffy, you kidnapped the Princess of Fish-Man Island?!"

"I didn’t kidnap her!" Luffy argued. "She asked to come outside!"

"Princess Shirahoshi?!"

A new, booming voice echoed from the edge of the clearing, interrupting the argument.

Everyone turned around.

Stepping out from behind a massive coral reef, looking absolutely horrified, was a towering, imposing figure. He wore a traditional orange kimono, a dark cloak, and had pale blue skin with a prominent, sun-shaped tattoo on his chest.

It was Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea and Warlord of the World Government. He had been sitting at Queen Otohime’s grave nearby when he heard the commotion and spotted the massive mermaid from a distance.

Jinbe marched into the clearing, his eyes wide with panic as he looked at Shirahoshi.

"Princess!" Jinbe yelled, his usual stoic, calm demeanor completely shattered. "What in the name of the sea are you doing outside the Hard-Shell Tower?! It is incredibly dangerous! Vander Decken could throw an axe at you at any moment! You must return to the palace immediately!"

Shirahoshi shrank back slightly, intimidated by the Warlord’s booming voice. "J-Jinbe-sama... I... I just wanted to see my mother’s grave..."

Luffy stepped smoothly between the towering Warlord and the frightened Princess. He didn’t look intimidated in the slightest. He casually crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at Jinbe.

"Hey, blue guy," Luffy said flatly. "Stop yelling at her. I promised I’d protect her, so she’s fine."

Jinbe paused, looking down at the young man standing in his way. He took in the red shirt and blue shorts, the confident posture, and, most importantly, the iconic straw hat resting on the boy’s head.

Jinbe’s eyes widened slightly in recognition. The anger in his voice faded, replaced by respect.

"That hat..." Jinbe murmured. "You... you must be Monkey D. Luffy."

"Yep! I’m the man who’s gonna be Pirate King!" Luffy declared with a wide grin.

"I see," Jinbe said, crossing his arms and bowing his head slightly in greeting. "My name is Jinbe. I am a Warlord of the Sea."

"Oh, another Warlord?" Luffy picked his ear. "Like the bear guy and the sand guy. Cool."

"I am not like Crocodile," Jinbe stated firmly, his tone serious. "I accepted the title of Warlord solely to protect Fish-Man Island and my crew, the Sun Pirates. I work for the Marines on paper... but my heart and my loyalty have always belonged to the Whitebeard Pirates."

Jinbe looked closely at Luffy, a warm, genuine smile breaking across his stern face. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Luffy-kun. Your brother has spoken of you often."

Luffy stopped picking his ear. He blinked, tilting his head. "You know Ace?"

"I do," Jinbe nodded proudly. "I have fought alongside him. And when the great Edward Newgate passed away, and Ace took up the mantle as the Fourth Emperor of the Sea to protect our territory... I swore my allegiance to him. I operate unofficially under the banner of Emperor Fire Fist Ace."

Luffy stared at Jinbe. The political complexities of a Warlord secretly serving an Emperor to protect an island nation completely bypassed Luffy’s brain. Smoke literally puffed out of his ears as he tried to process the sentence.

"So..." Luffy frowned, hammering his fist into his palm as he finally simplified the math. "You’re Ace’s friend! Got it!"

Jinbe chuckled, realizing the boy’s straightforward nature. "Yes. I am Ace’s friend. And that makes you an ally of this island in my eyes."

"Shishishi! Awesome!" Luffy laughed. "Hey, you wanna talk to him?"

Jinbe raised an eyebrow. "Talk to him? He is in the New World, Luffy-kun. Are you talking about den den mushi."

Luffy didn’t answer. He tapped the center bead of kimiyo bracelet, cycling through the holographic contacts Ben had programmed into it until he found the blazing fire icon.

He tapped it.

Bloop-bloop. Bloop-bloop.

Jinbe watched in mild confusion as a holographic interface popped up from the bead on Luffy’s wrist.

A few seconds later, the call connected.

A crisp, high-definition, three-dimensional hologram flared to life in the center of the clearing. It showed Portgas D. Ace. He was sitting on a massive, ornate wooden chair that looked suspiciously like a captain’s throne. He wore his signature orange hat, but a heavy, dark captain’s coat was draped over his bare shoulders. He looked relaxed, grinning as he answered the call.

"Hey, Luffy!" Ace’s voice rang out clearly through the bead’s speakers. "What’s up? Did you guys finally finish coating your ship and leave Sabaody? Or did you get lost on the way to the docks?"

"We’re already at Fish-Man Island!" Luffy cheered, holding the bead up. "Now we’re having a picnic in the Sea Forest! And guess what? I met your friend!"

Luffy pointed the bead toward Jinbe.

The hologram of Ace blinked, leaning forward in his chair. When he saw the blue-skinned Warlord standing in the coral forest, a massive, delighted laugh echoed from the projection.

"Jinbe!" Ace laughed, waving a hand. "It’s been a long time! How is the island treating you? Big Mom hasn’t tried to send any more of her children, has she?"

Jinbe stared at the incredibly clear, real-time holographic projection of the Emperor. The technology was decades ahead of standard Den Den Mushi communication.

"A-Ace-san..." Jinbe stammered, bowing deeply to the hologram out of pure respect. "It is wonderful to see you well. The island is safe under your banner. Big Mom has kept her distance since our last clash. But... what is this sorcery?"

"Ben’s toys," Ace smirked, leaning back. "Best communication line in the world. Cannot be tapped by the Navy. Glad to see you’re keeping an eye on my idiot little brother."

"I’m not an idiot!" Luffy protested.

"Sure you aren’t," Ace chuckled. He looked directly at Luffy, his expression shifting from playful to fiercely proud.

Ace crossed his arms, the heavy coat shifting on his shoulders.

"I’ve been waiting a long time for you to finally make it to this side of the Red Line," Ace said, his eyes burning with the competitive fire of an Emperor. "Hurry up and get here. The sea is getting boring, and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do."

"We’ll be there soon!" Luffy grinned, adjusting his straw hat. "Just gotta finish exploring this island, and then we’re coming to kick your butt!"

"I’d like to see you try," Ace laughed. "Stay safe, Jinbe. Keep an eye on him for me."

"I will, Ace-san," Jinbe promised.

Click.

The hologram vanished, leaving the clearing quiet once more.

Jinbe looked at the spot where the projection had been, then looked down at Luffy. The boy didn’t seem to grasp the sheer gravity of casually chatting with a Yonko on an untraceable frequency.

"Your crew... you possess terrifying capabilities," Jinbe noted, shaking his head. "But we must not lose sight of the present danger."

Jinbe turned his attention back to Princess Shirahoshi, his expression growing stern once again.

"Princess," Jinbe said strictly. "It was incredibly foolish to leave the palace. Vander Decken’s curse is absolute. If he throws a weapon right now, it will track you directly to this forest. We have no heavy walls here to protect you."

"I... I know, Jinbe-sama," Shirahoshi whispered, shrinking back slightly. "But Luffy-sama promised he would punch the axes away."

"Don’t worry I will take care of any danger." Luffy said with a ear to ear grin and a gave Jinbe a thumbs up.