"Hmm?"
Upon hearing this, Shano looked in the direction Smoker pointed.
Sure enough.
In the deep sea outside Fishman Island, a ship flying the Whitebeard flag was heading toward the entrance valve of Fishman Island.
It was a very small ship, similar to the Merry.
As soon as it arrived at the entrance, it was immediately welcomed by the soldiers of the Ryugu Kingdom stationed there and disappeared into the valve passage.
"Whitebeard? That sounds familiar... I think he's a really famous pirate," Nami said, pinching her chin and thinking hard.
"Of course he's famous. Just like Kaido, who we met in Water City, he's one of the Four Emperors at the top of the New World," Robin said with a smile. "A legend that's lasted from the old era until now. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he's the head of the Four Emperors, and he's the only living pirate with a bounty over 5 billion Baileys."
Maybe only Nami, who grew up in a protected environment, didn't know how terrifying Whitebeard's reputation was.
"More than 5 billion Baileys?!"
Nami was shocked. She thought her brother's 1 billion bounty was already the highest possible. How could it go that high?
That's several times more than mine!
By the way, speaking of it—her own bounty should be properly evaluated this time too.
They had been traveling in the deep sea these days, cut off from the outside world. She didn't even know if the new wanted posters had come out yet.
When they arrived at Fishman Island, she had to buy a newspaper right away.
"Why would Whitebeard's people come here?" Nojiko couldn't help but ask.
"Who knows? But it's not unusual," Shano said casually, weighing the Fly Fruit in his hand, which looked very similar to the Dark-Dark Fruit. "Fishman Island is one of the territories under Whitebeard's name."
"Territory?" Nami asked, confused.
In her mind, pirates were constantly at sea. She never thought the word "territory" had anything to do with them.
"Yes. The so-called Four Emperors aren't just top-level pirates, they're warlords who rule over territories. They have many followers and control a large amount of land."
Shano, always patient when his sister wasn't causing trouble, explained:
"This situation has been stable for years, and that's the biggest difference between the New World and other seas."
"In the New World, the World Government and Navy have very little control. Compared to the Four Emperors, they're practically just another warlord faction."
"And the Navy Headquarters doesn't dare to upset this balance lightly. Usually, they only monitor the movements of the Four Emperors' forces and rarely go deep into the New World. Navy units stationed here aren't even allowed to provoke the Four Emperors unless they get top-level approval first."
The Navy doesn't go after pirates?
That sounded frustrating.
Smoker raised an eyebrow, the cigar still in his mouth.
After graduating from the elite training camp, he had never been assigned to a New World branch.
So he wasn't familiar with these complications.
Robin blinked thoughtfully.
This "warlord theory" was the first time she had heard such a perspective. But on reflection, it made perfect sense…
"Then, Brother," Nami said excitedly, clenching her fists, "When can we have our own territory?"
"Just like those Four Emperors—protecting people with our name, so even the Navy won't dare mess with us!"
"We haven't even officially entered the New World yet, and you're already thinking about that?" Shano was speechless.
But what she said wasn't unreasonable.
If their ultimate goal was to bring an end to this era, then establishing a base of operations and gradually growing in strength until they could face the World Government head-on was inevitable.
In the first half of the Grand Line, they lacked the strength and environment for that kind of development.
But from now on...
Shano's gaze sharpened as he looked directly upward—above Fishman Island's ten-thousand-meter depth was the location of the Holy Land Marijoa.
He narrowed his eyes and said:
"Take it one step at a time. No need to rush. That day will come."
As he spoke, The End had already reached the valve, queuing in line behind other ships to enter.
According to standard procedure, any ship passing through had to follow this protocol. Otherwise, it would be treated as an illegal entry.
Of course, there were always reckless young pirates who burst through the outer bubble layer without permission.
But doing that would earn them a full pursuit from the Ryugu Kingdom's army. The double-layer bubble system protecting Fishman Island wasn't for decoration.
Once you pass through the outer bubble, your ship's coating is absorbed and disappears. And the gap between the two bubble layers is hollow. Without coating, the ship drops straight down into the deep sea.
And in most cases, that means destruction of the ship and death of the crew.
...
Not long after, The End passed through the valve and successfully entered the inner sea of Fishman Island.
They dropped anchor near the shore.
There were already many ships docked in the area. Some of them flew black skull flags. But when those pirates saw The End approaching, they immediately recognized the symbol and hurriedly backed away to either side.
Everyone was used to this scene and didn't even react anymore.
Compared to that, the breathtaking view before them drew more attention.
From the inside, the island was even more beautiful.
Multicolored buildings stood side by side like a dreamland. Glowing fish wearing bubble rings swam through the sky, making the entire island feel like a fantasy world.
"Same as usual—let's split up for now, go for a walk, and meet back up for dinner," Shano instructed. Then he looked at Nami and said, "Nami, don't forget you have something important to do. What is it?"
"I know!" Nami raised her right hand. "Buy a newspaper!"
Sure enough, there were newspapers for sale on Fishman Island. She could already see fishman kids selling them on the streets!
She wasn't sure how they transported them down here, though...
"You really think you're the queen of newspaper reading?"
Nojiko chopped her on the head, baring her sharp teeth. "You're the navigator! The navigator, you idiot! Once we enter the New World, the old log pose won't work anymore! You need to buy new ones—have you forgotten?"
"I know..."
Nami covered her head pitifully.
"Boss, are you going after that small ship?" Smoker asked Shano.
"Yeah," Shano nodded. "I used Observation Haki and sensed someone with an impressive aura onboard. It's worth checking out."
That aura was way too strong—and made no attempt to hide itself. It felt almost identical to the presence he'd sensed back in Sabaody when he met Rayleigh.
If he remembered correctly…
Whitebeard protected Fishman Island purely out of moral obligation.
He lent his name and flag but made no demands—unlike Big Mom, who charged "protection fees."
So Shano was very curious—why had Whitebeard's people come? And why send such a high-ranking cadre?
...
Ten minutes later.
Everyone split up at the street corner to explore.
Zeff, as usual, went to stock up on ingredients. Robin, intrigued by the ancient history of this underwater country, went to investigate.
As for Nami...
She claimed she was fulfilling her navigator duties—but immediately slipped into a nearby alley, sneaking off without letting Nojiko follow.
Anyone could guess what she was actually buying.
But no one exposed her. In fact, they all cared about their updated bounties too. If they happened to pass a newsboy, they'd buy a copy as well.
They just weren't as desperate as Nami.
...
Food Street.
There were two streets here—north for fishmen, south for mermaids.
This wasn't because of discrimination. Fishmen and mermaids lived together peacefully. But their food preferences were quite different.
Mermaids didn't eat meat or fish at all—their protein came from algae and shellfish.
Fishmen had no such taboos. They didn't mind eating fish that looked a bit like themselves.
Jack sat at the corner of the northern street, smiling with satisfaction. He set down his pile of snacks, sat on a bench, picked up a giant takoyaki, and started eating.
He grew up in a city of food and had never been to Fishman Island before. He wasn't particularly attached to the place.
But seeing so many of his fellow fishmen in the streets gave him a certain sense of belonging.
And the food here was incredible. After walking through just one food street, he'd already begun to like it.
"Hey, did you hear? That guy Shano is on the island!"
A deliberately low voice came from a dark alley behind him.
"Shano? Which Shano?"
Another, slightly shrill voice replied.
"Who do you think?! Of course, the one Brother's been obsessed with for years! The captain of the End Pirates, Shano!"
Jack's ears twitched.
He smiled to himself and kept munching away.
As expected of Boss Shano. Even here—10,000 meters below the sea—he had loyal fans among fishmen.
It made Jack feel proud.
In the alley, the voices continued:
"Are you sure?"
"It's true. Lots of people saw him on the beach. The word is spreading."
"Then why are you still eating here, idiot! We need to report to Brother Hodi before anyone else does! This is our big chance! Haha, if we can take down Shano, Brother Hodi will be thrilled!"
Footsteps hurriedly faded into the distance.
"..."
Jack's chewing slowed.
He put down the food in his hands, stood up without expression, and turned toward the dark alley.