Translator: PapaSmurf0700
ROAR!
Outside Fishman Island, a massive sea lion, its eyes glowing a furious red, slammed against the island's protective bubble. It opened its cavernous mouth and bit down hard, the raw power of the Energy Steroids coursing through its veins. It was not alone. Alongside it, dozens of other monstrous sea beasts launched a coordinated assault, their combined might threatening to shatter the fragile membrane that held the sea at bay.
Such an alarming spectacle could not go unnoticed by the island's inhabitants.
"What in the world is going on?"
"Why are the sea beasts attacking us?"
"That's Hody Jones's unit! The New Fish-Man Pirates!"
"...They're trying to destroy Fishman Island!"
At the gates of the Spark Alliance military base, General Ripper's face was a grim mask. He instantly recognized the sea beasts and understood Hody's horrific goal. "That monster," he seethed. "He would rather destroy his own home than allow us to protect it."
Just then, a subordinate rushed to his side with more dire news. "Sir! The main gate to the island has been breached! We've lost contact, and enemy forces, numbering in the tens of thousands, are pouring into the island!"
As Ripper's brow furrowed, a deep, commanding voice sounded from behind him. "If the enemy has made their move, then we shall meet them in battle."
The speaker was a burly, middle-aged man with a stern expression, his uniform indicating a rank of Lieutenant General, one level higher than Ripper's. Behind him, the soldiers of the garrison stood assembled, a sea of grim determination.
"Lieutenant General Abraham," Ripper said, turning and snapping to attention.
Abraham, a former officer of the Revolutionary Army, was a formidable warrior and the strongest fighter stationed at the base. He gave a sharp nod, his gaze sweeping over the assembled troops.
"Soldiers of the Spark Alliance!" his voice boomed. "Listen up! Each captain will lead their unit to their designated zone. Your mission: repel the enemy and rescue civilians. This will become a water battle, so apply your resin coatings now!"
Abraham's expression was as hard as stone. "Fishman Island is a member state of the Spark Alliance. This is our land to protect, and we will not fail! We are not the World Government's navy; our first and highest purpose is to protect the lives of the innocent! You will stand between the enemy and the people, even if it costs you your lives! This is the justice of the Spark Alliance! And at this moment, justice will be done!"
"SIR, YES, SIR!"
With a unified roar, the soldiers surged forward. The first battle for the defense of Fishman Island had officially begun. Even before the order was given, the Alliance's mechanized corps had already deployed, efficiently evacuating civilians from the overrun districts.
"Lieutenant General Abraham," Ripper began, "what about those sea beasts...?"
"Someone else will handle them," Abraham replied without turning. "We are not the only force protecting this island."
As if on cue, a new army appeared in the waters above. It was the Neptune Army, led by the three princes of the Ryugu Kingdom: Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi. Abraham had just been coordinating with them when the attack began. Their swift, decisive action was precisely why the Lieutenant General could focus his own forces elsewhere.
Hody Jones was many things, but he was not a fool. He knew that even with 100,000 men high on Energy Steroids, he couldn't conquer Fishman Island in a straight fight against both the Neptune Army and the Wildfire Army. He was especially wary of the Alliance's power at sea, now bolstered by the legendary former Admiral, Kuzan, who served as its Commander-in-Chief. Even if by some miracle Hody won, drawing Kuzan's attention meant certain death.
So, he chose a different path. He would destroy the bubble, flood the island, and turn the entire nation into his personal playground, a battlefield where his fish-man pirates held every advantage.
As for the 30,000 human mercenaries under his command? Their deaths would be a small price to pay for his glorious reign. It was the greatest gift he could offer them.
In the shadowy depths of the Fish-Man District, nearly 20,000 of Hody's pirates remained, a brutal after-party waiting for their cue. They drank and roared with laughter.
"Hahahaha! Just wait! Once Boss Hody floods this place and kills those filthy humans and that idiot king, we'll take over!"
"Those human-loving traitors aren't our kind anyway! I'll wash my new home with their blood!"
"And that Straw Hat crew! All their talk about liberating slaves makes me sick! When the sea comes rushing back, all those Devil Fruit freaks will be drowned like rats!"
"I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they're choking on seawater!"
"I don't believe you'll be seeing that."
"Hahaha, you're right! They'll be torn to pieces by the sea beasts long before that!" an octopus fish-man replied automatically, then paused. Something was wrong.
Why had his companions suddenly gone silent? Why were they backing away, their faces pale with terror? And that voice... it was not one of theirs.
"It's... it's the Vice-Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates... The Priest, Bai Ye!" a terrified shriek finally broke the silence.
"What's he doing here?! Did Boss Hody's plan fail?"
"How can he be walking around down here? There's no resin coating, no bubble!"
As the panicked whispers spread, the octopus fish-man turned his head with robotic stiffness. There, walking toward him through the crushing deep-sea pressure, was a man with white hair. He moved with an unhurried grace, hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile on his lips. He walked as if on solid ground, each step firm and deliberate.
He said nothing. He displayed none of the explosive, drug-fueled power that Hody reveled in. Yet his presence alone created an overwhelming sense of oppression, as if this one man had surrounded all 20,000 of them.
The octopus fish-man felt a primal urge to flee, but his body wouldn't obey. As a merman, he was one of the fastest creatures in the sea, yet he was frozen in place. He stared at Bai Ye, a man of average height who now seemed to loom over them all, an avatar of absolute terror. It felt as if he wasn't looking at a man, but at the world itself.
Seeing the pirate tremble, the smile in Bai Ye's eyes deepened.
Spiritual Sense. The power of presence. The power of momentum. This was his unique strength, the greatest reward from his spiritual breakthrough. It was similar to Conqueror's Haki, yet infinitely more profound. If Haki was the overwhelming spiritual pressure of a single, powerful being, Spiritual Sense was the act of merging one's spirit with the universe itself.
When he breathed, he moved the sun and moon. When he stepped, he shifted mountains and seas.
The power of man is finite. The power of the universe is not. This was the power of Heaven and Earth.