The Uchiha ship glided smoothly through the massive bubble and entered Fish-Man Island.
But the sight that greeted them wasn't what anyone had expected.
There was no suffocating darkness, no terrifying depths—even though they were ten thousand meters under the sea. Instead, everything shimmered with light and color. It was breathtaking. Elegance and beauty surrounded them, and the mermaids were stunning—some towering and majestic, others petite and graceful, floating with bubbles and luminous rings around them.
"Now I get why people say mermaids are the most beautiful creatures in the world," Nami breathed. "They weren't kidding…"
Hina nodded.
"Those are merfolk. Gorgeous, yes—but they're also the fastest swimmers alive. They can even talk to fish."
"They might look different from us, but they're still human. Female mermaids grow legs when they reach adulthood, but the males don't. They can marry humans, merfolk, or fish-men—and depending on the mix, their kids can be either merfolk or fish-men."
"Of course, to racists on the surface, they're still just 'fish.' But that's just ignorance talking."
Nami nodded slowly, starting to understand.
"What about the fish-men then? How are they different?"
Hina explained, "Fish-men are physically way stronger—like, ten times a human's strength. They're usually part-human, part-fish in appearance."
"Take Arlong, the one who tormented your hometown—he's a shark fish-man."
"And Jinbe, the Knight of the Sea? He's a whale shark fish-man."
Nami's expression shifted as things clicked.
Hina continued, "Both races live here, but there's still some separation. And honestly, even some merfolk don't get along with each other—they fear what they don't understand."
"But compared to the way the surface world treats them? That's nothing."
Just as the Uchiha ship moved deeper into Fish-Man Island, a group of soldiers suddenly surrounded them—armed and ready.
"Who are you?!"
The leader was massive. His lower body was a fish tail, his upper half was built like a bodybuilder, with flowing blue hair and razor-sharp shark teeth.
Hina stepped forward. "We're a Marine Headquarters vessel, just passing through. We don't want trouble."
She knew the truth, though: they were fugitives now. After cutting ties with the Marines and the World Government, the whole world was their enemy.
But maybe the news hadn't reached Fish-Man Island yet.
If they were lucky, they could just pass through quietly.
That's why she lied—claiming they were still part of the Marines.
But then the leader's eyes landed on one person.
"Wait… is that…?"
"Uchiha Chiyu?!"
Hina's heart sank. They'd been recognized after all.
"I'm Fukaboshi, Crown Prince of Ryugu Kingdom!" he declared.
"Chiyu, you've betrayed the Marines and the World Government—you're a global threat!"
"Fish-Man Island is a member of the World Government. If we let you through, we'd be defying the government!"
Hina and Nami both froze.
"We're really wanted worldwide now?!"
"Even down here, ten thousand meters under the sea?!"
"How… how did it spread so fast?"
Fukaboshi pulled out a bundle of wanted posters. "See for yourselves."
They floated down onto the Uchiha's deck.
Hina, Nami, Franky, and the others picked them up—and were immediately stunned.
"Two… two billion Berries?!"
"Chiyu-sama, your bounty is insane…"
"Hina's is 660 million…"
"The three ex-majors are all over a hundred million…"
"Wait, I'm wanted too?!"
Nami stared at her 30-million bounty, feeling a wave of emotions.
On one hand, she was proud—she'd grown strong enough to fight beside Chiyu. But on the other hand, being a wanted criminal was… unsettling.
Franky exploded. "What?! I'm only worth 80 million?! That's insulting! I'm worth way more!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "Dude, this isn't a good thing!"
Franky crossed his arms. "The World Government clearly doesn't understand how important I am. If they knew what I'm carrying, I'd be worth at least a billion."
Chiyu actually agreed. If they knew Franky held the Pluton blueprints, his bounty would skyrocket.
He couldn't help but be amused by how fast the government worked. They'd always dragged their feet dealing with pirates and Warlords. But the moment he defected, boom—instant response.
He scoffed. So much for their justice.
Hina let out a heavy sigh. "We're all outlaws now… And even if we make it to the New World, the whole world will still be against us."
She turned to Fukaboshi.
"Your Highness, yes—we're fugitives. But Fish-Man Island is just a gateway to the New World. You've let tons of pirates through without a fight."
"Why not do the same for us?"
Fukaboshi's face turned cold.
"This isn't about fairness. The Government gave us direct orders: stop you no matter what. If we don't, we pay the price."
"Fish-Man Island has been oppressed for so long… They just need an excuse to crush us."
Hina understood perfectly.
Fish-Man Island was the only route into the New World. The Government knew they'd come this way—and issued an ultimatum.
Obey or be destroyed.
"I get it, Prince Fukaboshi," she said. "But we are going through. And if this turns into a fight, I promise you—Fish-Man Island won't be able to stop us."
"You know Chiyu's name. You know what he's capable of."
The threat was clear.
Everyone's expression shifted.
Uchiha Chiyu… a name that had even the Marines trembling. More feared than an admiral. The last person you'd want to fight.
But…
Fukaboshi looked conflicted, unsure what to do.
Just then—
"Let me handle this, Your Highness."
A calm, commanding voice rang out. In a flash, someone landed in front of the Uchiha.
He was massive—blue-skinned, whale-shark sized, with a red cloak, wooden geta, and two massive tusks curling from his lower jaw.
Hina's eyes widened. "You're… one of the Seven Warlords…"
"The Knight of the Sea… Jinbe?!"
Nami whispered, "Another Warlord…"
Jinbe was a legend. He used to serve in the palace guard, then joined Fisher Tiger to form the Sun Pirates. After Tiger's death, he became captain.
He also accepted the title of Warlord—a tool of the government.
But that wasn't all.
He had deep ties with Whitebeard—one of the Four Emperors—and called him "father." Thanks to Whitebeard's backing, Fish-Man Island stayed protected.
Through all of it, Jinbe's goal never changed:
Protect Fish-Man Island. No matter what.
Be it Warlord or pirate, that was the mission.
He looked at Chiyu with a complicated expression.
"Uchiha Chiyu… I've heard your name. And I've always admired your resolve."
"You strike down pirates without hesitation. I was once one too. But I understand your reasons."
"More than that, you stand against the rot inside the Marines. That kind of commitment to justice… deserves deep respect."
"If things were different, I'd call you a friend."
Chiyu stared him down. "Then where do you stand now?"
Jinbe gave a pained smile.
"I wear many titles. But first and foremost—I'm a son of Fish-Man Island."
"If I let you go, I bring disaster down on everyone here."
Chiyu nodded.
"Then let's do this."
Hina, Nami, and Franky all exchanged glances—and sighed.
They didn't hate Fish-Man Island. Most of the people here were victims, not enemies. But if they wanted to move forward, there was no avoiding the fight.
Jinbe dropped into a martial stance.
"My apologies, Uchiha Chiyu."
"Fish-Man Karate—Gun Wave!"
In an instant, he controlled the current, hurling massive water blasts down like cannonfire.
The Uchiha was coated in a bubble membrane. If it broke—forget the New World—they wouldn't even make it out alive.
Even Chiyu couldn't protect them from the crushing pressure down here.
So—
He launched out of the ship's protective bubble, raised his hand, and unleashed a storm of lightning like a shotgun blast. Every one of Jinbe's water strikes was shredded instantly.
"You command lightning too?" Jinbe murmured. "So the rumors were true…"
"In that case—time to go all out."
"Fish-Man Karate—Five-Thousand Tile True Punch!!"