The sky was a deep blue, white clouds drifting with the wind as the occasional seagull cried while flying overhead.
The Gale sped across the rolling sea, the people on deck gathered together, chatting and laughing.
"Mm, this tea is really good!"
Brook, with his afro, savored the tea in his cup, looking utterly relaxed, as if every bone in his body had loosened up.
Ever since leaving the Florian Triangle, this guy had completely embraced a laid-back, idle lifestyle on the ship.
Judging by his enthusiasm, it was as if he were making up for all the enjoyment he'd missed in the past.
Hearing Brook's praise, Rayleigh—holding a bottle of liquor—chimed in with a laugh.
"Kid's got a lot of good stuff here. The booze too—top quality, all of it~"
Traveling alongside Leno this whole way, Rayleigh had been living quite comfortably.
Whenever he had nothing to do, he'd drink a little, sunbathe a bit—life couldn't be more pleasant.
Just then, after checking the course, Nami walked over while flipping through a map and casually asked,
"Hey, old man, if we keep going this way, we'll reach the Sabaody Archipelago, right?"
As she spoke, she looked at Rayleigh, seeking the opinion of this legendary old drunk, her attitude rather casual.
If one paid close attention, there was even a hint of disdain in her tone.
As for the reason…
After spending this much time together, the halo around the former vice-captain of the Pirate King had shattered completely.
He was nothing more than a lazy old drunk!
"If we don't go there, can't we still get to Fish-Man Island?" Vivi asked curiously from across the table, tilting her head as she spoke.
"No, no~ Fish-men or merfolk can just dive straight down, but we humans need to make preparations on that island. Otherwise, the pressure of the deep sea will kill us!"
Shaking the bottle in his hand, Rayleigh explained to the youngsters with bleary, drunken eyes.
Though these young people were all strong, unfamiliar matters still left them clueless.
As a 'renowned mentor,' he felt he should give them a proper lesson.
Listening to the conversation, Robin—seated at the table as well—touched her smooth chin and murmured with a troubled look,
"...That's true. But then how exactly are we supposed to go down to the seafloor?"
"Hahaha… seeing how clueless you all look really reminds me of the old days…"
After sighing nostalgically, Rayleigh leaned back in his chair, found a comfortable position, and smiled at everyone.
"Today, I'll give you an overview of this sea area so you'll have a general understanding!"
"If you want to enter the New World, the only route available right now is through Fish-Man Island."
"As for how to reach Fish-Man Island, ten thousand meters under the sea, that requires adding a layer of protection to your ship!"
"Ten thousand meters underwater?!"
Nami, Chopper, and the others nearly spat out their tea at the same time, staring at Rayleigh in disbelief.
Imagining the pitch-black, unfathomable depths of the sea, they all shuddered, fear showing plainly on their faces.
Crouched off to the side, Vivi helplessly propped her cheek and muttered,
"If I remember right, Skypiea was ten thousand meters up in the sky!"
Seeing their reactions, the corner of Rayleigh's mouth curled upward, his gaze turning playful.
"The seafloor is very dangerous, you know!"
"Plenty of people heading to Fish-Man Island have had both ship and crew swallowed whole by massive sea beasts or Sea Kings!"
"?!!!"
Chopper, Carmen, and the others all jolted, nearly crying out, cold sweat instantly breaking out over their bodies.
After a long moment,
Chopper trembled as he took a sip of tea, steadying himself before saying,
"I suddenly don't really want to go to Fish-Man Island anymore!"
Vivi, Carmen, and the others quickly nodded in agreement. They felt Fish-Man Island wasn't absolutely necessary.
If worst came to worst, Leno could just use his ability to fly them over the Red Line~
"Hahahahaha…"
Seeing the reactions of the youngsters, the old man burst into loud laughter.
"So what kind of protection does the ship need to withstand the enormous pressure of the deep sea?"
Robin quietly looked at this troublemaking old man, the confusion in her eyes growing deeper.
She glanced around—yes, the Gale's hull was made of metal, so it should be able to endure some pressure.
But from Rayleigh's attitude, it seemed any ship could reach Fish-Man Island once properly protected?
"Don't rush, little girl. Once we reach the island and get the ship coated, you'll be able to set off for Fish-Man Island!"
"Coated?"
"Haha… you'll understand once we get there~"
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, everyone felt a bit helpless and tacitly changed the subject.
...
Time flew by. Just as everyone was still immersed in this calm, leisurely atmosphere, Yamato's excited shout rang out from the lookout.
"Everyone, we're here!"
"What?!"
The drowsy group instantly perked up, standing and looking ahead.
Vivi, Uta, and the others ran straight to the railing, gazing at the distant scenery and exclaiming from the heart,
"Wow~ it's so beautiful!"
"It looks like something's flying!"
"This is incredible…"
"It feels like a dream!"
Looking at the colorful island, everyone unconsciously leaned forward, brilliance filling their eyes.
Nami, Nojiko, and the others were delighted, already making up their minds to truly enjoy themselves this time.
Last time, they'd been in too much of a hurry to save someone to notice anything, let alone have fun. This time was the perfect chance to make up for it.
As the island drew closer, Leno, the captain, began making the usual arrangements before landing.
"Everyone, we'll fly the ship straight to Sister Shakky's bar!"
"While the ship is being coated, you're all free to move around and have fun!"
After a brief pause, before anyone could cheer, he turned to the ship's chief steward and asked,
"Nami, do you have anything else to arrange?"
"Mm… when we see Sister Shakky, let's get a map first so we can understand this place better."
Suppressing her excitement, Nami thought carefully for a moment and decided it was best to start at Shakky's bar.
Seeing no objections, Leno nodded slightly and activated his floating ability.
The ship slowly rose into the air, then quickly flew toward the island, heading straight for Mangrove 13.
...
Looking at the moss-covered signboard at the entrance, an overwhelming aura of arrogance hit them head-on!
Vivi, Uta, and the others—visiting for the first time—were so shocked their mouths fell open as they stood frozen in place.
Arrogant. Way too arrogant!
What kind of person would dare give a place such an overbearing name?
After a long moment, Mikita nervously whispered to Vivi beside her,
"This bar… just looking at it makes me feel like we'll get slaughtered if we go in~"
"Y-Yeah… the 'Sister Shakky' they mentioned—she's not some terrifying person, is she?"
Vivi clasped her small hands together uneasily, glancing at Leno, then at the door, hesitating over whether to stand a little closer to him.
After a brief pause, just as everyone was about to step forward, the bar's door was suddenly slammed open from the inside!
A black figure was violently hurled out of the bar. When it hit the ground, everyone realized it was a person covered in blood!
"!!!!!"
…
…