In the end, Amphitrite did not stay aboard as part of the second group to dive. Instead, she followed Nereus and the others, plunging into the water ahead of everyone else.
As for her preparation, it amounted to nothing more than taking a deep breath.
"This little girl is really… persistent. Sunbell, in a few years, do you think we'll have to start calling her sister-in-law?"
"Who knows? No matter how you put it, that's Boss's family business."
Barbell and Big Pan stayed on the ship for now. They would be going together with the ship.
Although coating technology had long since become quite mature in these seas, the diving process was still far from foolproof. Conditions underwater were ever-changing.
Shifting sea currents and all kinds of deep-sea creatures could pose threats to a coated ship, so it was still necessary to have some powerful people accompanying it.
Sebastian and Sunbell followed at the rear of the diving group, serving as the rearguard.
The barrier of seawater made sounds seem somewhat muffled, but for Fish-Men, normal communication was still possible.
"I think, rather than saying she chose to join us, it's more accurate to say she chose to follow Boss."
"What's the difference?"
"Of course there is. Haven't you noticed? She's always staying by Boss's side."
"Isn't that because she's learning from the Boss? Speaking of which, she learns incredibly fast. She managed to grasp the basics of Armament Haki in just a few days."
"I really shouldn't have brought this up with you…"
Sebastian didn't continue the discussion with Sunbell on this topic. This was another one of those honest, simple-minded types just like Big Pan, who completely failed to grasp the implications behind his words.
Aside from the welcome banquet that day, Amphitrite didn't interact much with the others. When she did appear before them, although she no longer dressed like a mummy all the time, she was still fairly well covered up.
The few times Sebastian had seen her face uncovered were when he had gone to find Nereus to discuss matters.
That was simply a habit of hers, and overcoming it would take some time.
Now, even for these few hours underwater, she chose to go ahead and follow behind Nereus, which only solidified Sebastian's view.
[Maybe this isn't so bad. With this girl's racial talent, if she ends up having a child with Boss in the future… that kid might even surpass Nanamo.
But if it really comes to that, who should we support as the Boss's successor…?]
Sebastian let his thoughts wander. In any case, as a fish giant, even a few decades down the line, when the next generation had grown up, he would still be in his prime.
Perhaps by then, many people's descendants would be calling him uncle or grandfather, or slowly growing stronger under his training.
He had always believed that the Nereus he followed would build a strong and prosperous nation.
As time passed, the group descended even deeper. The surrounding light gradually dimmed, and the sea around them grew dark.
The depth had already exceeded three thousand meters. Sunlight could not possibly reach this far down. Fish-Men and Mermaids could sense the path ahead through the movement of the seawater, forming a rough mental map of the route.
But Amphitrite realized she had underestimated the sea.
Holding her breath for long periods was nothing new to her. She had done so before, but she had never dived this deep.
The water pressure didn't affect her much, but underwater she couldn't easily ignite flames. Any fire produced by her body would be extinguished almost immediately. The darkness brought with it a sense of confinement and loneliness that made her uneasy.
"Amphy, this way."
At that moment, a hand rested on her shoulder, and Nereus's voice reached her ears through the sea currents.
"This stretch is a bit dark, but there's nothing we can do about it. To reach Fishman Island, this is a path we have to take. Once we pass through this darkness, you'll see what the brilliant jewel of the deep sea truly is.
Up ahead is a high-speed sea current. Hold your breath, leave the rest to me."
As he spoke, Nereus took Amphitrite's hand. Even though there was now a waterproof membrane over his body, for Nereus, this made no difference at all. There would be no issues like his hand slipping.
To Nereus, this was at most like putting on a pair of PVC gloves.
Unlike humans, who have to consider decompression even at depths of a few hundred meters, Fish-Men, Merfolk, and even Amphitrite of the Lunarian race could adapt to this kind of environment directly with their bodies.
With the help of the sea currents, the group moved through the darkness. Before long, Amphitrite noticed a faint glow appearing ahead.
An island stood there, backed by a gigantic tree, suspended in the deep sea within an enormous bubble.
The source of that light was the tree known as the Sunlight Tree Eve.
This tree could be called the mother tree of Fishman Island. After its crown absorbs sunlight, the light is transmitted down through the trunk to the roots deep in the sea, causing them to emit a sun-like brilliance that synchronizes the day–night cycle of the seafloor with that of the surface world.
The oxygen produced by the tree's photosynthesis is also conveyed through its roots into Fishman Island, perfecting the bubble system within and allowing humans to live there as well.
"Fishman Island, we've arrived."
Scattered around them were several ships waiting to enter. Fishman Island had its own defensive mechanisms as well: the bubble membrane surrounding it was a double-layered hollow structure.
There was a large space between the two layers. If someone tried to force their way in, the outer layer would absorb the ship's coating, causing it to fall straight down, very likely resulting in the ship's destruction and loss of life.
This special kind of "city wall" provided a degree of defense, which was why most ships queued up to enter in an orderly fashion.
Nereus and his group didn't need to queue. They entered directly through a side gate of the country. Seeing that they were Fish-Men and Merfolk, the Neptune Army guards didn't even give them a second glance and let them pass immediately.
"So this is your home?"
It was Amphitrite's first time ever arriving at Fishman Island. Inside, there were numerous bays, and all kinds of coral reefs combined to form a breathtakingly beautiful panorama.
Shell-shaped houses were everywhere, and there were even bubble-built waterways in the sky, with schools of fish swimming through them.
"Yes, this is Fishman Island. Let's rest here for a bit. Later, we'll head to the Fish-Man District. That place is outside Fishman Island."
Nereus was about to introduce Amphitrite to the general layout of Fishman Island when a burst of arguing suddenly came from the checkpoint.
Fishman Island had only one entrance and exit; whether entering or leaving, everyone had to pass through here.
At that moment, a merchant ship preparing to depart was in a dispute with soldiers of the Neptune Army.
The cause wasn't complicated. A pair of parents claimed they had seen someone take their child onto that ship, and the Neptune Army soldiers wanted to go aboard to check.
But the people on the ship refused to allow the Neptune Army to inspect it and even issued threats.
"We've already told you, what's on this ship is our secret cargo! There's no way we're letting you people aboard! If you force an inspection, we'll never transport any goods to Fishman Island again!"
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