Hmm?
Hearing this, Xiano followed Smoker's pointing finger with some surprise.
Indeed.
In the deep sea outside Fish-Man Island, a ship flying Whitebeard's flag was heading toward the entrance gate of Fish-Man Island.
A very small ship, about the size of the Merry.
Upon arrival, it was immediately welcomed by the soldiers of the Ryugu Kingdom at the entrance and disappeared into the passage beyond the gate.
"Whitebeard? Sounds familiar, like a really famous Pirate or something," Nami mused, pinching her chin.
"Of course he's famous. Just like Kaido, whom we met at Water 7, he's one of the Four Emperors standing at the pinnacle of the New World," Robin said with a smile. "A legend from the old era that continues to this day. You could even say he's the foremost of the Four Emperors. Among living Pirates, he's the only one with a bounty exceeding five billion Berries."
Perhaps only someone like Nami, who grew up sheltered, wouldn't realize how terrifying Whitebeard's reputation truly was.
"Over five billion Berries?!"
Nami was shocked. She had thought her brother's one-billion bounty was already top-tier—how could it possibly go this high?
That's like… how many times her own bounty?!
Speaking of which, surely her own bounty would finally get fair treatment this time.
They'd been sailing in the deep sea these past few days, cut off from the outside world, so she had no idea if the new wanted posters were out yet.
Once they reached Fish-Man Island, she'd have to buy a newspaper first thing.
"Why would Whitebeard's people come here?" Nojiko couldn't help but ask.
"Who knows? But it's not unusual. Fish-Man Island is technically one of Whitebeard's territories," Xiano said casually, tossing the Fly Fruit in his hand—which looked strikingly similar to the Dark-Dark Fruit.
The appearance of Whitebeard's flag gave him a mischievous idea for putting this useless thing to good use…
"Territory?"
Nami was puzzled.
In her mind, Pirates who spent their days sailing the seas couldn't possibly be associated with the word "territory."
"Exactly. The so-called Four Emperors—rather than just being the strongest Pirates, they're more like warlords carving out their own domains. They command countless followers and essentially rule over vast territories," Xiano explained patiently, as he always did when his sister wasn't causing trouble.
"This dynamic has been stable for years now, which is what makes the New World fundamentally different from everywhere else."
"Namely, the World Government and the Marines have very weak control here. Compared to the Four Emperors, they're practically no different—just a bigger warlord faction."
"And Marine Headquarters doesn't dare disrupt this balance lightly. Normally, they just monitor the movements of the Four Emperors' subordinates, rarely venturing deep into the New World. Marines stationed there aren't even allowed to provoke the Four Emperors without approval from the highest levels."
The Marines… not daring to fight Pirates outright?
That sounded downright humiliating.
Smoker raised an eyebrow, his cigar clenched between his teeth.
After graduating from the elite training program at Headquarters, he'd never been assigned to a New World branch.
He really wasn't all that familiar with these intricacies.
Robin blinked thoughtfully, her attention focused on the warlord theory she had just heard for the first time. Upon reflection, it did seem to make sense...
"Hey, big bro, when will we get our own territory?" Nami asked excitedly, punching the air with her fist. "Just like the Four Emperors—using our name to protect so many people that even the Marines wouldn't dare mess with us!"
"We haven't even officially entered the New World yet, and you're already thinking that far ahead?" Xiano chuckled.
But Nami had a point. If their ultimate dream and goal was to end this era, they would inevitably need to establish a stronghold, gradually building their influence until they possessed enough strength to confront the World Government head-on.
Back in the first half of the Grand Line, neither their power nor the surrounding environment had allowed him to consider such matters. But from now on...
Xiano's gaze darkened as he looked directly above Fish-Man Island, where—beyond ten thousand meters of ocean and nearly another ten thousand meters of air—lay the Holy Land Mariejois. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips curled into a grin.
"Take it slow. No rush. That day will come."
As he spoke, the Sunset had already reached the gate, following the queue of ships ahead to enter in an orderly fashion. Passing vessels were normally required to do this; otherwise, they would be considered illegal trespassers. Of course, there were always reckless fools who tried to force their way through the bubbles without permission.
But those who did so would face pursuit by the Ryugu Kingdom's military—though that was the least of their worries. Fish-Man Island's double-layered bubble wasn't just for show. The moment a ship pierced the outer bubble, its Coating would be absorbed and vanish. The space between the two bubble layers was hollow, so without the Coating, the ship would plummet straight down into the abyss.
In most cases, this ended in nothing but wreckage and death.
...
Before long, the Sunset passed through the gate and smoothly entered Fish-Man Island's inner sea. Approaching the shore, they prepared to drop anchor.
The area was already crowded with docked ships, some flying the black Jolly Roger of Pirate ships. Upon spotting the Sunset's approach—and recognizing its flag—they hastily scrambled to make way on either side.
The crew was long accustomed to such reactions and paid them no mind. Instead, they were far more captivated by the scenery before them.
From the inside, the island was even more breathtaking. Rows of colorful buildings stretched into the distance, creating a dreamlike landscape. Fish of all kinds, encased in bubble rings, swam through the sky, making the island seem like something out of a fairy tale.
"As usual, let's split up and explore on our own. We'll regroup for dinner tonight," Xiano instructed before turning to Nami. "Nami, there's something important under your responsibility—don't tell me you forgot?"
"Got it!" Nami immediately raised her hand. "Buy newspapers!"
Sure enough, newspapers were being sold on Fish-Man Island. Even from a distance, she could see Fish-Man children hawking them in the streets. Though she had no idea how they were delivered here...
"You really think of yourself as the Newspaper King now, huh?"
Nojiko delivered a swift chop to Nami's head, baring her teeth as she yelled, "You're the navigator, the navigator, you idiot! When we get to the New World, the old Log Pose won't work anymore. We need to buy several New World-specific ones as backups. Got it memorized?!"
"I know, I know."
Nami pouted, rubbing her sore head.
"Boss, are you planning to go after that small ship from earlier?" Smoker turned his gaze toward Xiano.
"Yeah. Earlier, I sensed something noteworthy on that ship with my Observation Haki. Thought I'd go check it out."
Xiano nodded.
That presence had been unusually strong—almost on par with the feeling Rayleigh had given him back on Sabaody—and it made no effort to conceal itself. It was hard to ignore.
If he remembered correctly, Whitebeard's protection of Fish-Man Island was purely out of moral obligation.
The old man had lent his name and flag to the island without demanding anything in return, unlike BIGMOM, who periodically collected her special "taxes."
So, Xiano was genuinely curious why Whitebeard's crew was here and why they'd sent someone of such high standing.
...
Ten minutes later.
The group split up at the street corner, each heading off to explore their own interests.
Zeff, as usual, went to stock up on ingredients, while Robin, intrigued by the thousand-year history of this undersea kingdom, set off to investigate.
As for Nami…
She claimed she'd fulfill her navigator duties first but immediately slipped into a nearby alley, sneaking around suspiciously and refusing to let Nojiko follow.
Anyone could guess what she was really after.
But the others just chuckled, choosing not to call her out.
Truth be told, they were all curious about their updated bounties too. If they happened to run into a newsboy, they'd grab a copy—just not as urgently as Nami.
...
Gourmet Street.
The area was divided into two sections: the northern street catered to Fish-men, while the southern one was for merfolk.
This wasn't about segregation—Fish-men and merfolk on Fish-Man Island got along just fine—but their tastes differed drastically.
Merfolk didn't eat meat or fish at all, getting their protein from algae and shellfish instead.
Fish-men, on the other hand, had no such dietary restrictions and didn't hesitate to eat fish despite their resemblance.
Jack stood at the northern entrance, grinning contentedly as he set down an armful of local snacks on a bench. He grabbed a giant takoyaki and took a hearty bite.
Having grown up in Gourmet City, he'd never been to Fish-Man Island before and felt no particular nostalgia for it.
Still, seeing his fellow Fish-men bustling about the streets gave him an odd sense of familiarity.
And the food here suited his palate perfectly. After just one stroll down Gourmet Street, he was already starting to like the place.
"Hey, did you hear? That Xiano guy—he's already on the island!"
Just then, a hushed voice drifted from the alley behind him.
"Xiano? Which Xiano?"
Another, shriller voice piped up in response.
"What do you think! It's obviously that one person Big Brother has been paying close attention to for years—Xiano, the Captain of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates!"
Jack's ears perked up, and he couldn't help but grin happily before continuing to devour his meal in large bites.
As expected, Boss Xiano truly was remarkable. Even among these deep-sea dwellers living ten thousand meters below, there were still his loyal fans.
It gave Jack a sense of shared pride.
Behind him, the conversation in the alley continued:
"You sure about that?"
"No doubt about it! Plenty of people saw him on the beach. The news is already spreading."
"And you're still here eating?! Idiot! Hurry up and come with me! We need to report this to Big Brother Hody before anyone else—this is a huge opportunity! Haha, finally, we might get to take Xiano's head! I can't even imagine how happy Big Brother will be!"
The sound of hurried footsteps quickly faded into the distance.
"..."
Jack's chewing slowed to a halt.
He set down his food, stood up expressionlessly, and turned to face the dimly lit alley.
(End of Chapter)