Translator: PapaSmurf0700
With Nami and Franky having consumed Devil Fruits, the number of Straw Hat Pirates who could brave the sea's curse had dwindled. Now, only Bai Ye, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Jinbe remained unaffected.
This new reality forced Bai Ye to consider a critical vulnerability. If the Straw Hats were to split up, any team composed entirely of Devil Fruit users would be helpless against seastone or the ocean itself. And with their journey to Fish-Man Island imminent, he had prepared a small but essential countermeasure for everyone.
The Water-Repelling Talisman.
Its name was unimpressive, but in a world dominated by the sea, it was a miracle. Worn on the body, it would activate passively the moment it was submerged in seawater, forming a pale blue barrier around the wearer. This shield completely isolated them from the ocean's touch, filtering air for them to breathe without impeding their movement in the slightest.
This was why, when Bai Ye learned of Hody Jones's plan to flood the island, he felt not a flicker of panic. Armed with these charms, his crew could move freely on the seafloor.
As for whether the New Fish-Man Pirates posed a threat? Unless Hody Jones suddenly revealed himself to be a Sea King, they barely even registered as opponents.
"That's the Priest's work, all right. He truly is a crewmate you can count on, hahahaha!"
In the Sea Forest, Jinbe let out a sigh of relief after Luffy explained why they were completely unharmed by the encroaching seawater. Beside him, Princess Shirahoshi nodded repeatedly, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Hahaha, of course! Bai Ye is the most reliable guy I know!" Luffy laughed, his trust in his friend absolute and unconcealed. He adjusted his straw hat, his expression turning serious as he looked at Jinbe.
"You know where that Moody guy is, don't you?"
At Luffy's question, Jinbe's face darkened. He nodded grimly. "Hody... He's at Gyoncorde Plaza. It is the place where Queen Otohime held her speeches to gather signatures... and it is where she was assassinated." Jinbe's head drooped, his voice filled with sorrow. "Hody Jones was once a member of the Neptune Army. He even personally captured the queen's supposed killer, but..."
"That's not what happened."
Just as Jinbe was lost in his regret, Shirahoshi's small voice interrupted him. "The one who killed my mother," she said, holding back tears as she finally spoke the truth she had buried for a decade, "was Hody Jones himself!"
She recounted the horrific memory: On the very day Queen Otohime was about to succeed, Hody, consumed by his hatred for humans, hired a human pirate to shoot her. Then, to cover his tracks, he murdered the pirate and paraded the human's corpse through the plaza, blaming him for the assassination and stoking the flames of racial hatred. If not for Hody's sabotage, Fish-Man Island might have known peace long ago.
The only witness was Shirahoshi's pet shark, Megalo, who later told her the truth. But bound by her mother's dying wish—"Do not bear hatred for the one who did this"—the princess had kept the terrible secret locked away for years.
"That bastard!" Jinbe roared, his entire body trembling with fury. Any shred of sympathy he might have had for Hody—seeing him as a monster created by his environment—was vaporized. All that remained was cold rage. His gaze fell on Shirahoshi, and his anger softened into awe. He couldn't imagine how this young girl had endured such a burden for so long.
"She is truly as kind-hearted as her mother," Jinbe sighed.
"I don't care what that scumbag did or why," Luffy's voice cut through the heavy air. He was already seated on Megalo's back. "Everyone on this island has been good to me, but that guy hurt them and made the princess sad." He slammed his fist into his palm.
"So I'm gonna kick his ass!"
Luffy waved his fist, his eyes burning with determination. "Let's go, Jinbe! Shirahoshi!"
Seeing the fire in his eyes, Jinbe and Shirahoshi nodded, their resolve solidified. They set off for Gyoncorde Plaza, completely forgetting about the one other player in this drama.
Vander Decken IX, who had been knocked unconscious and swept away by the currents, was slowly jolted awake by the turbulent water. He took in the flooded landscape and remembered Hody's plan, then the blow that had knocked him out. His anger surged.
"Damn you, Shirahoshi! Damn you, Straw Hat! I'll make you pay for this!" he bellowed, a new, desperate plan already forming in his twisted mind.
-----
The military situation on Fish-Man Island was precarious. In the original history, the Neptune Army, the official military of a nation, was easily defeated by a single pirate crew. While Hody's forces had been enhanced by drugs, it was a testament to how fragile the island's defenses were.
It was for this reason that the Spark Alliance's forces on the island, the Wildfire Army, had been caught off guard. The Alliance's doctrine was one of partnership, not occupation. To avoid appearing as a conquering force, the military detachment stationed in any member nation was intentionally limited, designed never to be an overwhelming threat to the host country's own army.
Thus, while the Wildfire Army was stronger than the Neptune Army, their numbers were not significantly greater. When the fifty thousand pirates of Hody's crew swarmed the island, the combined forces of the Neptune and Liaoyuan armies faced a desperate battle. If not for the steady supply of enhancement pills provided by the Spark Alliance, they would have been overrun long ago.
Even so, the Wildfire Army, led by their commander, Ripper, did not retreat an inch. After evacuating the island's civilians, Ripper even commanded his Machine Corps to rescue the human pirates who were now drowning in the flood, so they could face judgment under Spark Alliance law. Thanks to their efforts, civilian casualties were minimal, and the pirates' advance was slowed to a crawl.
It was then that a new, powerful force entered the fray.
The Straw Hat Pirates. Having been near Ryugu Palace, they were initially unaware of the attack. But when the island flooded, they knew something was terribly wrong and, without a word exchanged, came to the same conclusion.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In one sector of the battlefield, the sniper units of the New Fish-Man Pirates were fleeing in a panic from an unseen attacker.
"What in the world is that thing?!"
"Is that a warship that can attack from underwater?!"
"Swim for it! Get to Boss Hody! He's the only one who can... Aaargh!"
With each deafening cannon blast, their numbers dwindled. Behind them, a terrifyingly sleek vessel moved through the water, an apex predator stalking its prey. All sea life scattered before it.
"This is the Sunshine Merry: Submarine Mode!" Franky's voice boomed from the ship. "Oooow! This is SUUUUPER!!!"