The coating craftsman Roger found was a scruffy old man, fast asleep on a merry-go-round in the middle of an amusement park. No amount of threats or promises from Roger could stir him. The man would only roll over and mumble, "Just a little longer." It wasn't until Rayleigh arrived and whispered a few words to him that the old man shot up, suddenly full of energy, and slapped his chest, guaranteeing the job would be done perfectly.
Soon, the Oro Jackson was moored beneath one of the giant mangrove roots of the Sabaody Archipelago. The craftsman's skills were as legendary as promised; a massive, resilient resin bubble enveloped the entire ship, shimmering with a rainbow halo in the sunlight.
"Awesome! We're going to sail in a giant bubble!" Shanks and Buggy exclaimed, pressing their faces against the strange, elastic coating.
"Hold on tight, little ones!" Roger commanded. With his order, the ship began its slow descent, leaving the sunlit sea behind as it plunged into the deep, dark blue.
The light was quickly swallowed by the crushing darkness of the abyss. A profound silence settled outside the ship, and within the bubble, the only sound was the crew's slightly nervous breathing. Occasionally, the immense shadow of a grotesque Sea King would drift by in the distance, a sight that could make even the bravest pirate's heart pound.
"Hey… nothing's going to crash into us, is it?" Buggy asked, his voice trembling.
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive, glowing eyeball, as big as a lantern, pressed right up against the coating, staring curiously at the intruders.
"Waaahhh!" Buggy shrieked, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he fainted on the spot.
"Hahaha! Hey there, big fella! Want to come aboard for a drink?" Roger, completely unafraid, laughed and waved at the deep-sea monster.
Kyle just shook his head. He walked to the ship's rail and placed a hand gently on the resin bubble. An electromagnetic wave, invisible to the naked eye, spread out into the water. The curious Sea King seemed to register a silent command. It blinked its giant eye, gave a lazy flick of its tail, and slowly swam away into the darkness.
"Oh? Nicely done, Kyle," Rayleigh noted with a look of approval.
As they ventured deeper, a faint, incredible light began to glow at the edge of the darkness. When the Oro Jackson finally passed through the last layer of deep water, the sight that greeted them left everyone speechless.
Giant, glowing coral reefs served as the foundations for a magnificent city. Jellyfish floated through the water like living lanterns, and schools of colorful fish darted through the sky in shimmering ribbons. Each island was protected by a large bubble, and the sunlight from the surface filtered down through ten thousand meters of water, draping the entire kingdom in a soft, dreamlike curtain of light. This was the underwater paradise, Fish-Man Island.
However, a massive pirate ship flying a skull and crossbones was not a welcome sight. The moment the Oro Jackson steadied itself, a heavily armed guard of Fish-Men surrounded them. They were led by a burly Merman with a long, flowing orange beard and hair, holding a massive golden trident. It was the king of Fish-Man Island himself, Neptune.
"Human pirates! State your purpose here!" Neptune's voice boomed through the water with the undeniable authority of a king. His soldiers, brandishing sharp weapons, treated the ship as a major threat. The civilian Fish-Men and Merfolk hid behind coral houses, staring in terror at the ominous vessel from the surface world.
The atmosphere on deck grew tense. Buggy, having woken up, was now hiding behind the main mast. Shanks had his hand on the hilt of his sword, his expression wary. But Roger, the captain, seemed completely oblivious to the dozens of sharp tridents pointed at his ship. He hopped onto the ship's rail, flashed Neptune a huge grin, and waved.
"Yo! Neptune! Long time no see! You're looking as energetic as ever!"
His cheerful greeting stunned everyone. Neptune frowned, studying the smiling man before him. The pirate spoke as if he were an old neighbor dropping by for a visit, but the skull flag was unmistakable.
"Human, do not think you can talk your way out of this! State your name!" Neptune demanded, pointing his trident at Roger.
"Hahaha!" Roger's laugh echoed loudly through the water. "Seriously, is your memory that bad? Don't you remember that time you were being chased by that giant tiger-shark pufferfish? I'm the one who saved your sorry hide!"
"Tiger-shark pufferfish?!"
At the mention of those words, Neptune's face changed completely. The embarrassing memory came flooding back. His eyes widened as he stared at Roger's face, then at the iconic straw hat on his head. That laugh… that face… that fearless troublemaker!
"It's you! Roger!" Neptune blurted out, his voice a mixture of shock, surprise, and a faint hint of shame. The guards around him exchanged confused glances. His Majesty knew this pirate?
"You remember now?" Roger grinned and jumped down from the rail. "We're just here to look for something. We won't cause any trouble."
Neptune's expression was incredibly complicated. He lowered his trident and waved his guards back, and the tense standoff instantly dissolved. He let out a deep sigh. "…Follow me. And try not to frighten my people."
Escorted by the royal guard, the Roger Pirates were led to the Ryugu Palace. Inside the magnificent throne room, Neptune dismissed his attendants, leaving only himself with Roger, Rayleigh, Oden, and Kyle.
"Every time you show up, you bring nothing but trouble," Neptune grumbled, rubbing his temples as he watched Roger stuff his face with pastries from the royal kitchen.
"Don't be like that," Roger said, his mouth full. "I'm here to uncover history! It's important stuff!" Kozuki Oden nodded enthusiastically beside him.
"History…" Neptune's gaze grew distant. "Are you looking for the Sea Forest?"
"Oh? You know about it?" Roger stopped eating.
"The Sea Forest is the most sacred place on Fish-Man Island. Pieces of history are sleeping there," Neptune said, standing up. "I will take you. Consider it… repayment for that favor from last time."
The Sea Forest was a quiet, tranquil place deep within Fish-Man Island. It was a graveyard for ships; countless wrecks from centuries past lay silently on the seabed, covered in coral and seaweed. Sunlight pierced the water in shimmering columns of light, making the ancient burial ground feel both solemn and beautiful.
The moment they entered the forest, Kozuki Oden's expression changed. He seemed to be drawn by an unseen force, walking directly toward the deepest part of the grove. There, a massive, cube-shaped stone covered in ancient writing stood silently waiting.
"I found it!" Oden shouted.
Everyone gathered around as Oden placed his hand on the cold stone and began to read.
"…I hereby made a promise… but I failed to guide the Noah toward the sun… For this, I am truly and deeply sorry…"
Oden's voice echoed through the silent forest. He was reading an apology from a man named Joy Boy, written eight hundred years ago to a mermaid princess, for a promise he had been unable to keep. The crew listened in silence. Even if they didn't understand the full meaning, the ancient regret was so heavy it could be felt in the water.
"Joy Boy…" Roger murmured the name, lost in thought.
"Captain, there's another one over here!" Jabba called out from a short distance away.
They rushed over to find another Poneglyph, this one a dark, ominous red.
"This is…" Oden's breath hitched as he read the text. "It's a Road Poneglyph! One of the four that points the way to the Final Island!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Roger's wild laughter shattered the tranquility of the Sea Forest, startling a nearby school of fish. "Excellent! That makes three!"
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