Chapter 26: You Forced Me to Use My Ultimate Move
After arriving in this world and gradually understanding his position, Nereus had pondered this issue.
The environment of Fish-man Island was terrible—so terrible that it was hard to understand how it had come to pass.
Possessing the natural barrier of the deep sea, ten thousand meters down, as a defense line, yet it was still messed up by surface pirates to an unrecognizable degree.
After all, this world was filled with immense supernatural martial power. Leaving aside other factors, just in terms of personnel combat strength, there was already a huge problem.
Although neither the Fish-men nor the merfolk possessed many top-tier powerhouses, making it unrealistic for them to face monsters like Marine Admirals on land, Fish-man Island was located in the deep sea.
Moreover, it wasn't true that Fish-man Island had no strong individuals. If all these people were actually on Fish-man Island, at the very least, the island wouldn't become a piece of fatty meat in the eyes of pirates, where anyone passing by could take a bite.
In the original timeline:
Babel was in the Rocks Pirates.
Sunbell was in the Roger Pirates.
Sebastian was in the World Pirates (Byrnndi World's crew).
Namur was a Commander under Whitebeard.
Jack and Sasaki were with Kaido in the Beasts Pirates.
Big Mom also had Fish-man members under her command, and Jinbe belonged to the Big Mom Pirates for a period.
Among these people, apart from Jinbe who would still manage affairs on Fish-man Island, the others cared nothing for it.
For those Fish-men venturing outside, this nation lacked a sense of cohesion. If all these people were gathered together, constructing a deep-sea defense line wouldn't be difficult.
Due to the gap in top-tier combat power, Fish-man Island couldn't be called invincible, but self-preservation was certainly achievable—not to the point where they had to rely on someone else's pirate flag for protection.
Nereus himself was changing this state of affairs bit by bit.
Enhancing cohesion and spreading fame were the foundations Nereus was laying for the future.
"I understand, Lord Nereus. I will wait for you there..."
Years of effort hadn't been fruitless. At the very least, the Fish-men and merfolk outside were very willing to trust his words once they confirmed Nereus's identity.
Pop.
With the last muffled sound, everyone in the forest had been sent away by Kuma. Compared to the total number of people on God Valley, the number saved seemed insignificant, but Kuma was indisputably saving lives.
"I sent him to the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue. That is my hometown. Mr. Nereus can pick him up there later."
"You aren't going over yourself?"
"I can feel it. This body has abundant stamina now. I want to save people in other places, even if it's just one more person...
Thank you, Mr. Nereus. You gave me the chance to save more people."
"Don't die here, kid. I still have things to do. Remember to stay far away from those two cliffs in the center of the island."
Nereus could sense several powerful auras clashing in the center of God Valley, including Babel's. He could even feel the continuous overflow of Conqueror's Haki.
If Kuma got swept into that battlefield, the outcome would be uncertain.
After giving this advice, Nereus left the forest and headed toward Babel's location.
[Mr. Nereus, you take care too...]
Kuma didn't linger either. He ran toward the edge where sounds of fighting could still be heard, assisting one stranger after another.
...
Not long ago, in the center of God Valley, Prize Storage Warehouse No. 2.
"Kill Rayleigh!"
"Stop that bastard Rayleigh! He took Shakky away!!"
Amidst the chaotic melee, Rayleigh had successfully rescued Shakky. Shakky herself had chosen Rayleigh, finally meeting the person she wanted to see.
However, for the other pirates, this wasn't a consideration. For a moment, Rayleigh became the target of focused fire.
The other members of the Roger Pirates also began their mission to cover Rayleigh.
"Target locked! Fire!"
"Idiot! That will hurt Shakky! Do not fire! Everyone! Shift targets to the other treasures! If Shakky is gone, everything else must be ours!"
Golden Lion Shiki kicked away a pirate trying to fire a cannon, shouting for the other Rocks Pirates to switch targets.
"Idiot Shiki, you think you're the boss?"
"Yeah! Why should we listen to your orders?"
The other Rocks Pirates cursed Shiki with their mouths, but their actions agreed with his plan. They all shifted targets immediately. But just then, they discovered someone had beaten them to it.
"Babel! What are you doing, you bastard?!"
"Trying to hog all the treasure?! Stop right there!"
Back when these people were still fighting over Shakky, Babel had already moved toward the other treasure storage rooms.
Because most pirates were targeting Shakky, the Marines and God's Knights guarding the area also focused their attention there, allowing Babel to break in with little effort.
While the others chased Rayleigh, Babel had already packed up a massive amount of treasure. His physique, comparable to a Giant's, gave him immense load-carrying capacity, allowing him to nearly empty half the warehouse.
If these people had just focused on Shakky a bit longer, Babel might have successfully retreated.
"I don't understand what you're saying. These things jumped into my bag on their own."
"How are you even greedier than Captain John? Put the stuff down! There are so many of us; you can't handle us all!"
Gansui picked his nose, then aimed a flicking gesture at Babel.
Gansui was the user of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit. Any part of his body could explode. It was the same Devil Fruit eaten by Mr. 5 of Baroque Works in the original timeline.
Although they weren't from the same era, their usage of the fruit was remarkably similar—both were keen on booger bombs.
"Isn't there still some left? Why don't you go grab those? Why fight for what I've already got in my hands?"
Babel tightened his grip on the bundle, sizing up the opponents around him.
It wasn't just members of the Rocks Pirates staring at him; some from the Roger Pirates were approaching, and countless members of other pirate crews were swarming in.
"All that added together isn't even half of what you have on you! What are you thinking?!"
"Looks like negotiations have broken down. In that case... I'll have to use my ultimate move."
As he spoke, Babel's Haki began to flow over his body. Assuming a defensive stance, he watched his surroundings vigilantly.
He could handle most of the pirates here, and he could tangle with those he couldn't beat for a while. But if this number of people attacked all at once, Babel would have a hard time dealing with it.
Thinking for a moment, Babel made his decision. After the surrounding people were momentarily bluffed by his mention of an "ultimate move," Babel took a deep breath.
Since these pirates weren't united to begin with, seeing Babel surrounded and unable to break out immediately, they weren't in a rush. They all wanted someone else to experience the opponent's "ultimate move" first.
But Babel's actions gave Shiki a bad feeling.
After building up suspense for a long time, Babel made a decision that surprised many.
Babel opened his mouth wide, and two words burst forth:
"BIG BRO!!!"