The morning after his sparring match with Zephyr, Gustave received an expected call from Jinbe. The fish-man fighter had two purposes for his invitation to Fish-Man Island: first, to formally thank Gustave for rescuing Camie and the three missing mermaids, and second, to see if Tom could teach the ancient Sea King language to the island's scholars.
Tom's initial reaction was predictably unenthusiastic - he had no desire to become a language tutor for academic fish-people. However, when Gustave casually mentioned that Fish-Man Island boasted some of the most exotic and delicious seafood in all the oceans, Tom's attitude underwent a complete transformation.
"It would be my absolute duty and honor to assist Fish-Man Island in preserving their ancient linguistic heritage!" Tom declared with theatrical nobility, his eyes practically sparkling with culinary anticipation.
Gustave had originally planned to return to Sabaody Archipelago and convince Rayleigh to coat his ship for the deep-sea journey. But when Jinbe learned of Tom's willingness to visit, the fish-man insisted on personally providing transportation.
"Please, allow me to escort you properly. It's the least I can do," Jinbe had said over the Den Den Mushi.
After arranging a rendezvous point in the waters near Marineford, Gustave and his crew waited aboard their ship. Before long, the sea surface began to churn and bubble ominously.
Suddenly, a magnificent ship burst upward from the depths, completely encased in a shimmering, translucent coating that separated the ship from the surrounding ocean. The bubble-like barrier gleamed in the sunlight, creating an almost magical appearance.
Everyone seeing a coated ship for the first time was struck speechless, but none more so than Luffy, whose jaw practically hit the deck.
"Mr. Gustave! Please come aboard! I'll escort you to Fish-Man Island - King Neptune is already waiting!" Jinbe called out from the ship's deck.
"Brother Gustave! Po! Tom!" Camie's voice rang out as she appeared beside Jinbe, waving enthusiastically at her rescuers.
Gustave and his friends responded with warm smiles before leaping across to Jinbe's ship. As for his ship, Gustave had a solution that would finally make Kizaru's freeloading worthwhile.
He quickly dialed the Admiral's Den Den Mushi. "Kizaru, I need you to take our ship back to Marineford for us."
"Oh my, that sounds like work..." Kizaru began in his characteristic drawl.
Gustave hung up immediately.
Left with little choice and considerable guilt over his extended dining sessions, Kizaru was forced to call several of his subordinates to handle the task.
Aboard Jinbe's ship, the fish-man fighter began explaining the intricacies of reaching their destination.
"Fish-Man Island lies 10,000 meters beneath the sea's surface," he began, his tone taking on the gravity of a tour guide discussing dangerous territory. "To enter our realm, a ship must first be properly coated, as you can see with this ship."
"Second, you must obtain official permission and follow designated routes. Without authorization, or if you deviate from the approved path, the coating will automatically dissolve and merge with the island's protective barrier. The ship will be destroyed, and everyone aboard will perish."
"Normally, visitors can only enter Fish-Man Island via specific routes from either Sabaody Archipelago or the New World. However, as honored guests, we'll be taking a priority passage that will bring us directly to the island in record time."
Gustave nodded thoughtfully. "I had no idea the security was so elaborate."
"By the way, Jinbe," Gustave continued, "you don't need to keep calling me 'Mr. Gustave.' Just 'Gustave' is fine. I'll do the same with you - we're friends now, after all."
Jinbe's face lit up with genuine pleasure. "I would be honored to consider you a friend, Gustave!"
As their ship descended deeper into the ocean's depths, an extraordinary underwater world revealed itself beyond the coating's transparent barrier. Creatures that defied imagination swam past - fish with bioluminescent patterns that painted the water in shifting colors, massive sea turtles with shells like floating islands, and serpentine beings that moved with impossible grace.
Luffy and Tom pressed their faces against the coating, their eyes wide with wonder at the alien beauty surrounding them.
Gradually, the natural sunlight faded as they descended, and the ship's interior grew dim.
"Don't be concerned - this is perfectly normal," Jinbe reassured them as the ship's artificial lights flickered to life. "As we go deeper, natural light disappears entirely. However, it will become bright again as we approach Fish-Man Island. Thanks to the blessing of the Sunlight Tree Eve, our island enjoys the same illumination as the surface world, even at these crushing depths."
Finally, after what felt like hours of descent, their destination came into view.
Fish-Man Island appeared like a colossal inverted bowl resting on the seafloor, its surface glowing with warm, golden light that emanated from within. The Sunlight Tree Eve's massive roots created a natural luminescence that made the entire island appear as a radiant pearl in the ocean's darkness.
Even Gustave found himself exclaiming in awe alongside Po, Luffy, and the others. Such underwater magnificence was truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight.
The moment of entry was equally remarkable - their ship's coating merged seamlessly with the island's barrier in a gentle pop, and suddenly they were breathing surface air again while still being thousands of meters beneath the sea.
At the harbor, an impressive reception awaited them. King Neptune himself had come to greet the visitors, flanked by his children and a contingent of the Royal Guard. The sight of such high-level attention made Gustave feel genuinely humbled.
"Welcome, honored guests, to Fish-Man Island!" Neptune boomed in a voice that carried both authority and warmth.
"Your Majesty, I'm truly flattered that you would personally come to welcome us," Gustave replied, clasping the massive king's hand. Neptune's twelve-meter height created an intimidating presence, but his demeanor remained friendly.
"Allow me to introduce my children," Neptune continued proudly. "My eldest son, Fukaboshi, my second son, Ryuboshi, my third son, Manboshi, and my youngest, Princess Shirahoshi."
Each of Neptune's children greeted the visitors with genuine warmth, clearly influenced by their late mother Princess Otohime's teachings about human-fish-man friendship. Even the smallest among them, Princess Shirahoshi, towered over the human visitors due to her inherited size.
"This is Po, Ace, Luffy, and Tom," Gustave replied, introducing his friends in turn.
When Neptune greeted Po, Ace, and Luffy, his expression grew particularly interested. "Jinbe mentioned that you three are connected to Garp - both as students and grandsons, correct?"
"You know Grandpa?" Luffy asked with his characteristic innocence, scratching the back of his head.
"Garp and I have been friends for many years," Neptune replied with obvious fondness. "We met when he was still young and ambitious. To encounter his apprentice and grandsons now... truly, fate works in mysterious ways!"
The connection made perfect sense to Gustave. If Gol D. Roger had visited Fish-Man Island during his final voyage, then Garp had likely pursued him here as well, creating the foundation for a lasting friendship.
When Neptune finally turned his attention to Tom, his enthusiasm reached new heights.
"And this must be the legendary Mr. Tom! Jinbe has told me so much about your remarkable abilities. We are truly honored by your presence!"
Tom practically glowed under such royal attention, his chest puffing with pride. Even without the promise of exotic seafood, this level of recognition would have made the journey worthwhile.
After the formal introductions, Neptune escorted the group toward the palace, where an elaborate feast awaited. The procession through the island's streets drew considerable attention from the local population.
Many fish-men and mermaids watched with curiosity as their king personally honored these surface dwellers. However, not all reactions were positive - in the shadows of Fish-Man Street, extremist groups watched with growing anger at the respectful treatment being shown to humans.
While Gustave's heroic rescue of several mermaids certainly earned him recognition as a benefactor, Neptune's grand reception was primarily motivated by Tom's unique linguistic abilities. The ancient Sea King language represented a crucial piece of Fish-Man Island's heritage, and the possibility of recovering that knowledge was invaluable to the kingdom.
Gustave had asked Tom about his linguistic gifts before their journey, but the cartoon cat had simply shrugged with typical nonchalance.
"I don't really know how I know it," Tom had explained. "It's just... always been in my head, you know?"
Such was the nature of Tom's cartoon logic - trying to apply reason to his abilities was an exercise in frustration. Some things simply defied explanation, and Tom's linguistic talents fell squarely into that category.