At the same time.
At the bottom of the Red Line.
Deep sea.
A pure white World Government official ship, coated with a protective film, sailed silently through the pitch-black depths.
This was a sea current located thousands of meters beneath the surface. Sunlight couldn't pierce through such a dense layer of water, so the warship relied solely on the searchlights at its bow and along its hull to navigate.
Yet, in this lightless void, the captain of the CP0 squad codenamed "Yūtora" had eyes burning with fiery ambition, as if he saw a glorious future waiting just ahead in the darkness.
Yūtora was thrilled.
As a senior agent of the World Government's top intelligence agency, his rank within the CP0 hierarchy had been stagnant for a long time.
But he was certain—this mission to invade Fish-Man Island would change everything.
He would rise in the moment of crisis for the World Government, solve the problems plaguing the Five Elders, and seize this underwater treasure trove with overwhelming strength and poise. He would turn the tide.
Just imagining the honor that awaited him was enough to make his blood boil.
Impatient, he turned to the subordinates beside him and asked,
"How much longer until we reach Fish-Man Island?"
A masked CP0 agent replied in a low, steady voice,
"Reporting, Yūtora-sama. Estimated arrival in ten minutes. We're in deep sea territory—due to the potential for ambushes or interference by Fisher Tiger, the ship's speed has been kept extremely low."
Yūtora sneered with disdain.
"Speed up. There's no need to creep along like this."
"'Blood Dragon' Fisher Tiger's strength is mediocre. The only reason he ever made it into the Shichibukai was because the higher-ups wanted to show goodwill toward Fish-Man Island."
"Now that the pretense is gone—and with Fisher Tiger being the main culprit behind the burning of the Holy Land—he was struck down by the God's Knights while there and seriously injured. Even if he's somehow alive, he's probably holed up somewhere licking his wounds."
"Besides, you think I didn't come prepared for an ambush in these waters?"
As he said this, Yūtora turned his head toward the ship's cabin.
From within came the faint creaking of rolling wheels.
A figure in a wheelchair slowly emerged from the dim chamber.
His legs had been severed, but his hands steadily turned the wheels.
That, however, wasn't what drew attention.
What stood out most were his eyes.
When his lids lifted, there were no pupils—just a flat, milky white.
He was blind.
"Begin."
Yūtora smiled as he gave the order.
The man nodded and rasped,
"To serve Yūtora-sama is my honor."
He paused, as if sensing something, then spoke again a second later,
"Within a five-kilometer radius, there's no detectable hostility."
Yūtora smiled in satisfaction.
This man was part of a special division within the CP organization. Years ago, he had lost his legs during a mission. But his congenital eye condition had awakened in him a powerful form of Observation Haki, far beyond the norm.
To guarantee the success of this vital mission, Yūtora had personally arranged for him to be temporarily transferred to his squad.
At once, the warship increased its speed and surged forward.
Its high-speed propellers carved a long, murky wake into the dark sea.
In less than two minutes, an island that looked like a scene from a dream gradually came into view.
"This is Fish-Man Island..."
Yūtora let out a sigh of admiration.
His fingers clenched uncontrollably, and a flush of excitement rose to his cheeks beneath his mask.
The thought of crushing this breathtaking oceanic paradise underfoot, of setting the flames of war ablaze in this beautiful kingdom, made him tremble with excitement.
In the name of the World Government's absolute power, all must kneel before him.
"Speed up! Charge straight through the bubble membrane!"
Yūtora licked his dry lips, a feral grin spreading across his face as he gave the order.
Before anyone could respond, a voice suddenly called out.
"Wait!"
The man in the wheelchair frowned.
Something had clearly changed—his face paled slightly, and cold sweat began to bead across his forehead.
"I sense..."
"Inside Fish-Man Island..."
His lips trembled, drained of color, as he stammered,
"There are several terrifying auras hidden inside!"
"Yūtora-sama!"
He turned his head anxiously in Yūtora's direction, voice urgent.
"I recommend we hold back from landing. Given our strength, there's a very real chance—"
A sharp, black-furred claw abruptly clamped around his throat, lifting him high into the air.
A massive shadow surged upward. Yellow-and-black striped fur, rippling muscles bursting through his robe—an upright, striped tiger loomed before the crew.
A wreath of black flames circled the tiger's neck, and Yūtora's cold, vertical pupils glinted with an uncontrollable bloodlust.
"Retreat? Who the hell do you think I am!?"
With a violent motion, he slammed the man into the ground, then whirled toward Fish-Man Island, now just a stone's throw away, and snarled,
"Get the ship in position!"
As the words left his mouth, the warship accelerated once more and rammed into the giant protective bubble encasing Fish-Man Island.
For a brief moment, there was stillness—
Then, the sound of the bubble shattering rang out, and the warship began plummeting toward the seafloor under the pull of gravity.
Harsh winds howled.
Yūtora, now fully in his beast form, leapt from the deck with black flames trailing around him.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One—
BOOM!!
He hit the ground first, both arms catching the ship's bow. His body, battered and bruised, served as a shock absorber, allowing the entire vessel to land safely.
A thunderous crash shook the area, followed by a cloud of rising dust.
"Then, let's begin."
Yūtora's figure staggered out from the deep crater.
But the sight before him made his grin vanish in an instant.
Just ahead, the ground trembled as sand and gravel rose visibly into the air, swirling into a massive sandstorm.
From the yellow haze, a defiant figure with a towering pompadour slowly emerged.
"Kuhahaha! I didn't think someone could be dumb enough to come die on Fish-Man Island."
The man stood shrouded in swirling sand, cigar smoke curling around him.
"Shichibukai...Crocodile?"
Yūtora narrowed his eyes, eyeing the mafia-like figure before him, then suddenly let out a cold laugh.
"So even you've become one of Rogers Daren's lapdogs? Now this is interesting..."
Crocodile—true, he was strong.
But nowhere near enough to truly threaten or block Yūtora.
This would only make conquering Fish-Man Island more entertaining.
The advantage was his!
"...And you think you can take me down on your own?"
Just as he spoke, a hoarse, sinister laugh echoed from another direction.
"Kishishishi... Looks like we've got a tough one here."
Yūtora froze and turned.
A pale, eerie figure dressed in Gothic attire appeared, surrounded by black bats.
On his shoulder rested a jagged cleaver crackling with purple lightning.
"...Gecko Moria!"
Yūtora narrowed his eyes.
Another Shichibukai?
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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