"This 'Demon of the Deep' is pretty weak," Enel said with a pout.
"It's not that he's weak; it's that Uncle Modi is too strong," Wiper said calmly. "With its massive size and the advantage of the terrain, the Kraken is more than capable of crushing most ordinary, and even some decent, pirate crews."
Bege raised a hand, and his external space expanded, instantly enveloping the Kraken. The space compressed around its body. Already seriously injured, the Kraken was powerless to escape Bege's spatial restraint. It was forcibly shrunk and taken into his body-castle.
"This monster is quite strong. It'll make for good fusion material," Bege said with a smile. "One of our other objectives for this trip to Fish-Man Island is to collect some powerful Sea Kings to take back for Ben Kosa to fuse into even stronger Sea Patrolling Beasts."
They passed through the underwater mountain range and drew closer to Fish-Man Island. Half a day later, the Sky God finally arrived at its destination, ten thousand meters below the surface of the sea. They were now at the outer bubble of Fish-Man Island.
This was a friendly visit, so they did not choose to force their way in.
The Sky God docked at the entrance to Fish-Man Island. The guards immediately spotted the ship, its massive pirate flag especially conspicuous.
"That's... the flag of the Fire Tank Pirates! That's right, that giant ship is the Sky God, the personal vessel of the New World Emperor, Demon Dragon!" the guards at the entrance exclaimed, their faces paling.
"Quick! Open the gate and guide the Sky God into Fish-Man Island!" one of the guards ordered. He then turned to another and shouted, "The arrival of a New World Emperor is a major event! Notify the king immediately!"
The entrance to Fish-Man Island opened, and a respectful voice called out, slowly guiding the Sky God inside.
The ship quickly passed through the entrance and entered the island's port. The massive vessel, dwarfing the few small pirate ships around it, was an incredibly tall and striking sight.
"It's the ship of the Emperor, Demon Dragon! Demon Dragon is on Fish-Man Island! Quick, tell everyone not to cause any trouble!" The pirates on the other ships were terrified. They all scurried back into their cabins, not daring to show their faces for fear of offending Bege.
"Whoa, so this is Fish-Man Island. What a strange place. Ten thousand meters under the sea, and there's still a blue sky and white clouds," Enel said, looking up at the azure sky and the floating clouds with great curiosity.
"That giant tree must be the Sunlight Tree Eve," Modi said, his gaze fixed on a massive, glowing tree outside the island. "The reason Fish-Man Island has sunlight is because that tree channels it down from the surface. It's essentially the sun for the bottom of the sea."
Even Bege was captivated by the sight of the tree. It was astonishingly large, bigger than the Yarukiman Mangroves of the Sabaody Archipelago and the Giant Jack of Skypiea that he had seen.
"The officers of the Fish-Man Island guard welcome Lord Demon Dragon to our home," a squad of Fish-Man soldiers quickly ran over. They bowed respectfully to Bege on the deck, their every movement filled with awe.
"Our king will be here shortly to personally welcome you, Lord Demon Dragon. We ask that you please wait a moment," the Fish-Man officer said, his head bowed respectfully.
Bege led Modi and the others off the ship. A massive dragon boat, pulled by several sea beasts, was rapidly approaching. It quickly arrived at the port, and a Coelacanth merman wearing a crown stepped off. He had a thick, bushy, orange-red beard and hair, and flame-like tattoos on his arms.
This was the king of Fish-Man Island, the "Great Knight of the Sea," Neptune.
Following him off the dragon boat were three young mermen, Neptune's three sons.
Neptune hurried over to Bege and bowed respectfully. "I am Neptune, the king of Fish-Man Island. Welcome to our home, Your Excellency Demon Dragon."
"King Neptune, there's no need for such formalities," Bege said with a smile.
"I have long heard of Your Excellency's great name. To see you today, you are truly a hero rarely seen in this world," Neptune said with admiration.
"Your Excellency Demon Dragon, I have already ordered the Ryugu Palace to prepare a feast of fine food and wine. I wonder if you would do us the honor of allowing us to host you and the heroes of the Fire Tank Pirates," Neptune said eagerly.
"Then we will have to trouble you, Your Majesty," Bege said with a friendly smile.
Neptune's face lit up with joy, and he quickly invited Bege to board the dragon boat.
Bege waved his hand. "I'd like to take a walk around the island first."
"Then allow me to be your guide, Your Excellency. What do you think?" Neptune immediately offered.
"I would be honored."
"Please," Neptune said, gesturing for Bege to walk ahead. Bege did not refuse and walked forward, falling into step beside the king.
Neptune's soldiers immediately fanned out to either side, clearing a path.
Bege looked around and saw a flag fluttering in the wind above the port. It was the flag of the Whitebeard Pirates.
A look of regret appeared on his face. "It seems Fish-Man Island is already under Whitebeard's protection," he sighed. "A pity. I was originally thinking of coming to see the situation here and perhaps planting my own flag on the island to offer my protection."
Neptune's expression tensed. "Thank you for your kind offer, Your Excellency," he said in a low voice. "Actually, it was Tiger's idea to ally with the Whitebeard Pirates. You should know of Tiger. After hearing your four-step development plan for Fish-Man Island, he returned and told us about it. We immediately began to implement your plan. At the time, we also wanted to place ourselves under your protection, but the Fire Tank Pirates were too mysterious then, and we couldn't find you. We had no choice but to choose the Whitebeard Pirates."
Bege waved his hand. "You don't need to be so nervous. I'm not blaming you. For Fish-Man Island to be under the protection of the Whitebeard Pirates is the best choice for you at this stage."
Neptune relaxed, the tension in his heart dissipating.
"However, the Whitebeard Pirates can only protect you for another ten years at most," Bege said nonchalantly. "I estimate that in about ten years, the Whitebeard Pirates will fall from their position as an Emperor crew. Later, I will give you a flag of the Fire Tank Pirates. When the time comes that the Whitebeard Pirates fall, you can hang my flag on the island. I am willing to protect Fish-Man Island."
"What?" Neptune was shocked. His three sons and the ministers of the Ryugu Palace behind him were also stunned.
"Does this mean... Your Excellency intends to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates?" Neptune asked urgently.
Bege smiled and shook his head. "No. We have no grudge against the Whitebeard Pirates, just a little friction at most. A full-scale war is impossible."
"Then why would the Whitebeard Pirates fall from their position as an Emperor crew? Whitebeard is the strongest man in the world," Neptune's eldest son, Fukaboshi, said in disbelief.
"Fukaboshi, be quiet! You have no place to speak here!" Neptune immediately reprimanded his son sharply.
"It's alright. It's normal for you to find it hard to understand," Bege said with a friendly smile, waving his hand.
Neptune nodded. "I must admit, I am also very puzzled. The Whitebeard Pirates are a massive force, with many powerful and skilled commanders. Even in ten years, though Whitebeard will be older, his strength will still be at the Emperor level, if not the strongest in the world. And his commanders will be able to support the crew. They shouldn't fall from their position."