In the silent depths of the ocean, the small submarine slowly advanced.
"Is that Fish-Man Island?"
King peered through the submarine's front viewport, marveling at the enormous island in the distant deep sea.
"It's magnificent, isn't it?"
Dylan still looked lost in thought, reminiscing. "I was just as stunned when I first came here."
"Why is there light?!"
Moria too couldn't suppress his astonishment. "Isn't this ten thousand meters deep in the ocean?"
It's more than ten thousand meters, you know.
Roa tilted his head back, almost unable to see the top of the giant cavern.
Fish-Man Island is broadly divided into two parts: the upper section, enveloped in a small bubble, is the royal residence, Ryugu Palace; the lower section, enveloped in a large bubble, is Fish-Man Island itself.
And Fish-Man Island, capable of accommodating five million residents, is naturally not small. Its diameter is far more than five kilometers. So, how large is the spherical bubble that can contain this island, a bubble even larger than Fish-Man Island itself? What would its diameter be?
If Fish-Man Island were truly only ten thousand meters below the surface, the combined height of the two giant bubbles alone would already be close to that number.
And the top of the giant cavern would be even higher. They couldn't just dig a few meters up and reach Mary Geoise, could they?
So the only logical possibility is that the cavern entrances on both sides of the Red Line are indeed only ten thousand meters deep from the surface, but the cavern actually slopes downwards, growing larger as one goes deeper, until reaching Fish-Man Island, where both depth and spaciousness reach their maximum.
"It's the Sunlight Tree Eve!"
Dylan explained to Moria. Although he didn't have deep feelings for Roa's other subordinates, it didn't mean he had to make the atmosphere stiff.
"A legendary tree, on par with the Treasure Tree Adam! The Sunlight Tree Eve, growing directly above Fish-Man Island on the Red Line, has a special ability: it can transmit light down to the deep sea."
"I see."
Moria nodded slowly.
Following Roa not only allowed him to grow stronger faster, but it also had another benefit: he truly gained knowledge!
"Boss! There are buildings below!"
Judge, who was steering the submarine, suddenly spoke.
Roa walked to his side. On the screens in front of Judge, images of the submarine's surroundings and above/below were displayed.
The screen showing the view below now displayed a considerably large complex of buildings located on the seabed.
"How incredible, a city built on the seabed?"
Judge clicked his tongue in wonder. "Fish-Man Island has some very skilled craftsmen! Construction in such deep water is no easy feat!"
That should be Fish-Man District, right?
Roa thought. At this point in time, it was still Fish-Man Island's orphanage.
It was only later, due to mismanagement, that it completely became a haven for delinquents.
"Boss! What's that?!"
Judge suddenly exclaimed again. "A ship? Is that a ship? Such a huge ship?"
Doflamingo and Bege, who were peering out the right viewport, also cried out, "It's too big! It's like an island!"
To one side of the Fish-Man District below, a colossal object lay silently.
At a glance, one might think it was a mountain.
But looking closely, one would realize it was actually a ship! The bow's ramming horn was clearly visible, and even more obvious was the mast in the center of the ship, like a pillar reaching for the heavens.
"To think, something like this exists?"
Dylan was suddenly startled.
He hadn't seen this thing the last time he came to Fish-Man Island!
Roa walked to the viewport, quietly gazing at the ship.
The Promised Ark, Noah.
It's truly enormous; it's said to be half the size of Fish-Man Island.
However, such a colossal object still seemed insignificant in this cavern.
Indeed, the depth here is somewhat exaggerated.
"Let's go, it's nothing important."
Roa said casually. "Judge, head straight for the bubble above."
He was too lazy to enter Fish-Man Island through the main gate. Why not just go directly to Ryugu Palace and find the king?
Speaking of which, Neptune should still be a prince now. He wondered who the current king of the Ryugu Kingdom was.
"Yes, Boss!"
Judge responded loudly.
So the submarine proceeded at full speed, towards Ryugu Palace!
It was at this moment, on a rooftop in the building complex below.
A red-skinned Fish-Man frowned deeply, gazing up at the ship above.
"Big Brother Tai, it's just a human ship. What's there to worry about?"
Behind him, a blue-skinned, somewhat plump Fish-Man boy asked curiously, "Every day, many ships travel between the New World and Paradise through Fish-Man Island."
"No! Jinbe! No!"
The red-skinned Fish-Man suddenly turned his head, looking at the direction the ship was heading. "That ship is different! It's not heading towards the main gate!"
"Its target is Ryugu Palace!!"
"Jinbe!"
The red-skinned Fish-Man's expression changed instantly. "Hurry and call for backup! There's going to be trouble!"
"Yes! Big Brother Tai!"
The Fish-Man named Jinbe didn't hesitate, flipping down and shooting through the water like an arrow released from a bow.
Meanwhile, for Roa.
The submarine was gradually approaching Ryugu Palace, located above Fish-Man Island.
But suddenly.
"Hm?"
Roa was abruptly startled. He suddenly looked down.
All his eyes could see was the cold floor, of course.
However, his Observation Haki had already detected familiar presences on the seabed below.
"Ha! What a coincidence! Judge, turn—never mind, I'll do it myself!"
Horns grew from Roa's forehead.
The deep-sea currents instantly became chaotic. An invisible hand made of seawater suddenly grabbed the submarine. The immense power instantly forced the steel beast to turn sharply, then pushed it rapidly downwards.
"Whoa!"
Judge was thrown to the ground almost immediately. "Boss! That's too rough!"
Below was a coral forest, densely packed with large corals that covered the seabed, extending to who knew where.
Some areas within this forest were enveloped in huge bubbles, but more areas were directly exposed to the deep sea.
Rewind a few minutes. Inside one of the largest bubbles.
"Are the writings on the stones really not just ancient people's doodles?"
A heavily built, somewhat oversized merman with a red face tilted his head, flying through the bubble on the back of a large whale.
There was no water inside the bubble. The whale could fly because a large bubble swim ring was wrapped around its body, providing buoyancy for it to swim in the air.
"Those are treasures left to us by the people of the past, Neptune!"
Beside the large merman, Roger laughed heartily. "It's just that we've never found the key to unlock the treasure chest!"
"Then you mean you've found the key?"
Ryugu Kingdom's Prince, Neptune, a 39-year-old unmarried man, asked in surprise.
Roger didn't answer immediately, just smiled and looked back. Behind him, the white-haired woman, carefully guarded by his crewmates, looked at him with understanding, giving him a gentle smile.
"I know the person who holds the key."
Roger's smile now seemed very dazzling in Neptune's eyes.
"I think you just want to hold her hand."
Neptune said somewhat sarcastically, "A pirate, thinking of settling down and starting a family, isn't that a bit too greedy?"
"Wahahahahaha! That's what fate is, my friend!"
Roger laughed heartily. "When it appears, you'll immediately understand that all your worries and concerns are insignificant!"
"Hard to imagine you, of all people, saying something like that?"
Neptune was very surprised. "Heh, truly complicated. What a pity, I've never been in love."
"There will definitely be that person."
Roger comforted his old friend.
He and Neptune indeed had a friendship of over twenty years, having met when Roger first passed through Fish-Man Island. At that time, Neptune was still just a young boy.
"We're here!"
The conversation about love ended there. Neptune patted the whale's head, and the large whale slowly descended.
Below was an open area in the center of the coral forest. Two stones lay quietly there, one of them red.
"Finally!"
Behind him, Olvia, whose belly had grown noticeably, had ripples of excitement in her eyes.
A Poneglyph of information! A Road Poneglyph!
But just as the whale landed on the ground.
"Hm?"
Roger suddenly looked up.
Two seconds later, Rayleigh and Gaban also looked up in surprise.
"No way? What a coincidence?"
Gaban's small sunglasses slipped from his nose bridge because his eyes were too wide.
"Roger?"
Rayleigh suddenly turned to look at Roger.
"Roger?"
Olvia also looked at her beloved, but unlike Rayleigh, who was asking for confirmation, she had no idea what was happening.
"Our Cupid has arrived."
Roger narrowed his eyes. He could already see it: outside the bubble, that strange metal ship rapidly turning and approaching.
"Cupid?"
Olvia was startled.
"Of course, this Cupid only has a likable face."
Gaban casually pulled out his axe from behind him.
"Eh! What's that?!"
The other members of the Roger Pirates had also noticed the ship rapidly heading towards and about to crash into the huge bubble.
"A ship?"
Buggy, the red-nosed one, suddenly shrieked, "Captain! A ship is crashing down!"
"Idiot, the ship isn't important!"
Gaban's mouth gradually curved into a smile. "What's important are the people on the ship!"
"It's slowing down!"
Shanks, wearing a straw hat and with red hair, spoke softly.
The submarine, which was already a very short distance from the giant bubble, suddenly decelerated. Finally, only a small section of its front tip entered the bubble, and then the submarine stopped there.
"What?"
Neptune was suddenly stunned.
He had seen ships that could sail underwater, but how was this ship maintaining such buoyancy? Weren't the propellers at the stern?
"Is that?"
Rayleigh also frowned.
Something was pulling this ship.
It was at this moment that the submarine's tip suddenly glowed purple, then formed a channel.
The next instant, a figure soared down from the passage.
"Yo! Roger! It's been a year, hasn't it!"
The ferocious tiger-man, flapping his black wings, laughed and sped downwards.
"Roa!"
Roger's lips curved upwards. "It seems we truly have a strong connection!"
His right hand had already grasped the hilt of his beloved sword, Ace. "Come on! Youngster!"
It's a common practice in the world!
Crack!
Brilliant black lightning sparked from the slowly unsheathing black blade.
"Is the welcome ceremony starting already?"
Roa laughed, drawing his twin blades from his waist. Lightning and flame, strong winds and ice, plus the shockwaves of Haki and blood energy, all powers integrated, extending into giant bi-colored blades.
At the same time, Roa's body was cloaked in a fiery outer armor.
This was a product of extremely miniaturizing the Flame War God.
"Flame-Emblazoned War Form: Tiger's Devourer: Five Realms Annihilation!"
The giant twin blades slammed down with a roar.
Just the spreading air currents alone made the corals below tremble continuously.
"Wahahahahaha! A remarkable young man!"
Roger laughed heartily, stomping his right foot heavily on the ground. The earth instantly shattered, and the world's strongest pirate finally swung his sword.
"Divine Departure!"
Roger's pitch-black blade seemed as thin as a toothpick compared to Roa's twin blades.
However, that toothpick instantly made Roa's huge twin blades vibrate continuously.
It didn't even touch. The Haki impact from a distance, with absolute superiority, suppressed the giant twin blades.
Then.
Boom!!
In a massive explosion, Roa flipped backwards, staggering slightly as he flew.
He slowly let out a breath.
Super strong, judging by sensation, even stronger than Sengoku!
The storm of flames, lightning, and ice generated by the explosion was instantly torn apart by a sword and an axe simultaneously. Rayleigh and Gaban stood behind Roger, calmly providing support to their captain.
Their movements were incredibly swift, so the clash between Roa and Roger posed no threat to the enormous yet fragile bubble.
"That idiot! He dares to provoke Captain!"
Red-nosed Buggy, watching Roa being repelled by Roger, instantly began to dance around, acting big by proxy. "I thought he was so strong! Captain, quickly finish him off!"
"Buggy."
Shanks said somewhat helplessly, "Haven't you realized yet? A year ago, Roa had absolutely no power to fight against Captain."
But now, although he seemed disheveled, he was definitely not without any means of retaliation!
"Eh!"
Buggy's voice abruptly cut off, as if someone had suddenly squeezed his throat.
It seems it's really like that!
This kid has gotten so much stronger compared to a year ago!
"What a monster!"
Gaban couldn't help but praise him sincerely. "How old is he?"
Charlotte Linlin, Kaido—they weren't even fit to carry this kid's shoes.
Not to mention ordinary people like them, who were still playing in the mud at that age.
However.
"Still too impatient."
Rayleigh pushed up his glasses. "His era has not yet arrived."
"Wahahahahaha! If this is all you've got, Roa,"
Roger laughed heartily, his pitch-black blade pointing at Roa in the sky, "You won't be leaving so easily today!"
Even though he was his Cupid, a fight was still necessary.
"Are you sure, Roger!"
Roa, however, spread his arms wide, laughing as if embracing the vast ocean. "Are you sure you can defeat me here?"
Almost instantly, the eyes of Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban all became extremely serious.
"Huh? What are you boasting about?!"
Buggy instantly switched back to his 'acting big by proxy' mode, pointing at Roa and yelling, "Do you think you can beat Captain, huh?"
"Idiot!"
Shanks's forehead beaded with sweat. He pointed upwards. "Above!"
Above?
Buggy instinctively looked up.
Then, the next moment, he was suddenly stunned.
Above, in the deep sea outside the bubble, huge, elongated dragons made of water were coiled outside the bubble, their fully bearded heads looking down, as if they could pounce at any moment and tear everyone apart.
And in the center of these water dragons, a colossal ice giant stood, wielding a greatsword of solid ice. It needed only one swing to tear this bubble apart, causing the deep-sea water to flood in.
"Eek!!"
Buggy instantly shrieked, his face pale. "Is that his ability? Can a Devil Fruit really do that much?!"
"Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! I was wrong!"
He quickly spoke. "Big Brother Roa! Please don't be rash!"
His own apology wasn't enough; he also frantically shouted at Roger, "Captain, don't be too rude either! Quickly apologize to him!"
Perhaps Buggy's words had an effect, as Roger also shook his head helplessly. "What exaggerated power! A Devil Fruit user who can control seawater, that's just cheating!"
"Disasters are everywhere,"
Roa said with a smile. "The deep sea, of course, is my home turf!"
"So, Roger, do you want to fight me here?"
"I admit, you are indeed stronger right now!"
Roger laughed, raising both hands. "Don't cause trouble, Roa, I surrender!"
"In that case,"
Roa's lips curved into a wide smile. "Roger, tell me, how do you infuse Haki? What's the deal with Observation Haki predicting the future? And what's the principle behind Observation Haki's 'killing' effect? Just tell me everything, truthfully!"
Although Roger said he surrendered, if Roa had truly made an excessive demand, he probably would have started fighting for his life the next second.
This was just right.
Roger was startled, then couldn't help but laugh. "You little brat, you're really eager to learn!"