The sudden loud noise startled the mermaids who had been playing on the sea.
Without exception, all the mermaids turned their heads in unison.
They looked toward the sea, where the sound had come from and where bubbles were still rising.
"Wh-what was that?!"
"What's going on?!"
"That loud noise... there's something happening in the sea!"
"Something's coming up!"
As they spoke, fear crept across their faces—the fear of the unknown.
After all, things on Fish-Man Island hadn't been peaceful lately. Just recently, there had been several mysterious disappearances involving both humans and fish-men.
"C-could it be… a pirate who illegally entered Fish-Man Island?!"
A pale-faced mermaid voiced her guess.
Her words immediately drew the attention of the surrounding mermaids.
Then, one by one, their faces also turned pale as they instinctively backed away.
Not far from the mermaids, hidden behind a coral reef, six human pirates who had been watching the scene intently were taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
Their pupils involuntarily contracted.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Hey hey hey, don't tell me… is that some big shot surfacing?!"
"Damn it! Why now of all times?"
"The mermaids are on alert. Our plan's going to be ruined!"
The pirates whispered in frustration.
Then, it happened.
A pirate ship burst out of the sea with a thunderous roar.
Boom!!
Huge waves surged, and seawater exploded upward like a torrential downpour.
Crash!!
Boom!!
The deafening sound echoed as the pirate ship landed heavily on the sea, sending waves rippling in every direction.
At that moment, the mermaids could clearly see the pirate flag flying on the ship's main mast—a blindfolded skull with double wings.
It was unmistakably a pirate symbol!
Seeing it, horror appeared on every mermaid's face.
"Is that... a pirate ship?!"
"Pirates! They've broken in!"
Although this corner of Fish-Man Island was remote, even the pirates couldn't reach it via legitimate means.
A pirate ship suddenly appearing here could only mean one thing—
They were illegal pirates. They had broken in by force!
Behind the coral reef, the six pirates stared wide-eyed at the sudden arrival of the pirate ship, their faces full of disbelief.
"A... pirate ship?!"
"Isn't there an air barrier around the outer perimeter of Fish-Man Island?"
"If you force your way in, the ship should crash!"
"How... how did they manage to get through?!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island…
In Dragon Palace City, inside the royal palace...
Brrrring...
Brrrring...
The sound of the Den Den Mushi echoed through the otherwise quiet hall.
After a few moments, a male mermaid with long, wavy blue hair and holding a trident approached and answered.
"What is it?" he asked in a low, calm voice.
"Your Highness, is that you?" a voice came from the other end.
"Yes," the long-haired merman replied with a serious tone.
This was none other than Shark Star, the eldest prince of the Ryugu Kingdom and heir to the throne of Fish-Man Island.
"Sir, we've received a report from the border guard: a ship has illegally entered Fish-Man Island."
"It appeared near Mermaid Bay!"
The voice reported from the other end.
Shark Star's expression darkened as he muttered to himself.
"An illegal ship...?"
"Could it be pirates?"
"These bastards... they're getting bolder!"
Clearly displeased, Shark Star turned back to the Den Den Mushi.
"I understand. I'll personally lead a team to investigate this!"
Back at Mermaid Bay...
As the ship settled from its turbulent entry, the sound of footsteps echoed from its deck.
Tap. Tap. Tap...
A figure emerged, clad in black fog-like armor, stepping to the side of the ship and drawing the attention of both the mermaids and the hidden pirates.
More figures with calm, cold expressions soon followed.
Shff...
The black mist armor began to dissipate.
From within, the figure of Kronos was revealed.
He scanned his surroundings and looked down at the mermaids.
Kronos quickly assessed the location.
"So, this is Fish-Man Island... What a beautiful place."
Behind him, Artoria's voice rang out softly.
Hearing her words, Kronos smiled.
"It really is."
Just then, from the cluster of frightened mermaids gathered on the shore, a timid voice called out:
"Y-you're humans! You entered Fish-Man Island illegally! The border guard will be here soon!"
Upon hearing this, the Kamui Pirates turned their gazes toward the mermaids.
They understood—the mermaid's words were half a warning and half a threat.
But the truth was, the mermaids were afraid—not only that Kronos and his crew might hurt them, but also that their presence might provoke Kronos into retaliating.
However, what the mermaids didn't expect...
Was that Kronos didn't care at all.
He simply replied calmly:
"Then we'll wait right here."
Then, his gaze shifted toward the coral reef nearby. A faint smile curled on his lips.
"I don't like being watched. How long do you plan on hiding?"
As soon as Kronos said that, the scar-faced pirates hiding behind the reef panicked.
"Shit! We've been spotted—run!"
"I don't want to get dragged into this and end up fighting the Neptune Army!"
Just as they were about to retreat...
They noticed one of the pirates had frozen in place, his body trembling.
The scar-faced pirate frowned.
"What are you doing? Do you want to fight the Neptune Army alone?!"
The trembling pirate whispered hoarsely:
"L-look up... at the flag on that ship..."
Those words stunned the group.
They all looked up instinctively.
And then they saw it—
The pirate flag flying high on the mast.
A blindfolded skull with wings.
In that moment, their pupils contracted violently.
They recognized it!
That emblem, that symbol—
It belonged to the crew that recently destroyed Marineford, devastated the Marines, and dealt a crushing blow to the Whitebeard Pirates—
The most notorious crew of them all... the Kamui Pirates!
"No way...!"
"This has to be a joke!"
"What are they doing here?!"
Their faces turned pale with horror as they stared at the Kamui Pirates, dread consuming their every thought.
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