Chapter 181: Conflict
At Marine Headquarters, Major Brannew rushed into Sengoku's office in a panic. "Report, Fleet Admiral! The Dawn Pirates have been spotted near the Sabaody Archipelago!"
"Hm?!" Before Sengoku could respond, Sakazuki's half-closed eyes snapped open, bloodshot and furious. He growled in a hoarse voice, "They've reached the Sabaody Archipelago?!"
"Yes!" Brannew lowered his head slightly. "According to reports from the stationed marines, Eric's crew completed their coating and have already headed toward Fish-Man Island!"
"Finally, they're heading to the New World… Those troublemakers," Sengoku said with some relief.
"Tch!" Upon learning Eric's destination, Sakazuki stood up. "Is there a coated warship available now? I'll pursue them immediately!"
"Sakazuki!" Sengoku stopped the hotheaded Akainu. "Letting them enter the New World might not be a bad thing. There, they'll have to fight the pirates already entrenched. We only have G1 and G5 branches in the New World—our influence is far weaker than in the first half of the Grand Line. We can't monitor the whole region."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku! Are we just going to let the pirates pass by unchallenged and hope they kill each other off?! What kind of justice is that for the Navy?!" Akainu's temper flared, directly challenging Sengoku.
"I will annihilate all pirates. Only then can absolute justice be upheld!"
Sengoku rubbed his temples and compromised. "Don't follow them to Fish-Man Island. You won't be able to fight at full strength underwater. Go directly to G5 and wait for them there. It's not far from where they'll surface—you'll have the advantage."
"Also, send Momonga…" Sengoku picked up the receiver, ready to dispatch several vice admirals to accompany Akainu.
"No need. I can handle them on my own."
Interrupting Sengoku, Sakazuki, now slightly calmer, turned and left the office, heading toward the Red Line's lift to reach G5 in the New World.
"This time… I won't let you escape—Darren Eric, and Perona!"
…
Underwater, the crew gazed upward at the dazzling display of light above them.
"What a rare sight… If it were just Eric and me, this would totally feel like a date~"
"My, saying something dumb again, Esdeath?"
Da Vinci stared at the massive tree roots stretching downward, vanishing into the shadows. "How did a tree this massive even grow?"
"Ever since Sky Island, I stopped trying to understand things logically."
"Uwaah, what a huge fish!" Perona shrieked. "It's coming! It's coming!"
"Ice Spear!" Esdeath pointed her finger, and a massive ice spear formed and shot forward, piercing through the fish's upper jaw.
Blood dispersed through the water, attracting other fish to feast on it.
"Tch, just a big fish…"
"Everyone, look ahead!"
The seawater visibly converged ahead.
"This is the downward current—an underwater stream falling from above?!"
"It's spectacular… I wonder if I could freeze it…"
"Hey, hey, don't try anything weird, got it?!"
Before them stretched a massive downward sea current, more awe-inspiring than any waterfall.
"Truly an unbelievable natural phenomenon. It's reshaping my view of nature."
"Da Vinci, is now really the time for that kind of observation…"
"We're about to enter the current! Hold on tight!"
The ship began to shake as the speed abruptly surged!
"Ughhhh~"
"Stay centered in the current! Teacher Chiron, the helm is yours!"
…
They encountered no giant sea monsters, no undersea volcanic eruptions, not even a mudslide. The Eternal Fearless safely reached Fish-Man Island without a single threat.
Warm sunlight bathed the crew, pleasant and cozy…
"Sunlight?" Eric looked up. Even 10,000 meters below the sea, sunlight was visible.
"The sun's hurting my eyes~"
"At this point, nothing surprises me anymore," Da Vinci said with a deadpan expression.
'That Arlong fanboy probably hasn't grown up yet—thankfully, no ambushes this time.'
The Eternal Fearless smoothly passed through the entrance of Fish-Man Island.
However, the guards reported the Dawn Pirates' arrival to King Neptune, who instantly went on alert and consulted his wife, Queen Otohime.
But Queen Otohime remained calm. "They are guests. We should welcome them properly."
Neptune disagreed. "They're vicious pirates who even dared kill a Celestial Dragon! How can I let you meet someone so dangerous?!"
"It's not right to judge them without meeting them," Queen Otohime said gently—but when she made up her mind, not even ten Sea Kings could stop her.
Moreover, she possessed an advanced level of Observation Haki that allowed her to influence minds, evoke empathy, and even change someone's worldview.
In the end, Neptune relented to his wife's will.
…
Eric's crew disembarked and walked through Fish-Man Island.
"Lant! Isn't that Lant?!" A sudden voice called out as a male fish-man ran toward them.
"You were captured by humans and made a slave, weren't you?! Was it this group?!" The man grabbed Lant's shoulders and shook him hard. He glared at Eric, fists clenched, clearly ready to fight.
Perhaps he thought that here on Fish-Man Island, if he started a fight with humans, other fish-men would join in to gang up on them.
Lant quickly blocked him and shook his head vigorously.
"Lit… It wasn't them. They're… the ones who saved me." Lant spoke as if each word were a heavy burden.
The man named Lit looked slightly relieved, but then asked anxiously, "Lant, why are you Speaking like that? What happened to you?"
"Celestial Dragons… abuse."
Upon hearing that, Lit immediately shut his mouth. Even fish-men knew that the World Nobles were not to be trifled with.
"Lant, your family's been worried. Come home with me right now!" He tried to pull Lant away without waiting for a response.
"I'm sorry. I can't go back—I'd only bring trouble to your family." With that, Lant shook Lit's hand off.
Lit stood there stunned, arms hanging awkwardly.
"My, so you back down just because you heard it was the Celestial Dragons? Why don't you storm Mary Geoise, capture them, and make them repay Lant's suffering a hundredfold?"
"You…"
"And yet you direct your anger at us? You don't even apologize? Are we just easy targets to vent on?!" Kurumi was furious at the fish-man who lashed out at Eric without reason, hitting the core of the issue.
"Y-Yeah! If it weren't for Queen Otohime promoting peace with humans…"
"Hm? Is Queen Otohime still alive?" Eric couldn't remember every detail, but he recalled she had been assassinated by Hody Jones.
His comment made Lit freeze, then explode with rage. "You dare curse Queen Otohime to die?!"
The surrounding fish-men also grew hostile, closing in. It seemed Queen Otohime was deeply beloved.
"Eric-… seriously," even Kurumi lightly scolded him for being so blunt.
Shing—
A blade was partially drawn from its sheath. The famed sword "Esdeath" gleamed as Esdeath smiled. "Can I kill them all now?"
"Hey!"
The fish-men were tense and angry, the standoff about to erupt.
Just then, palace guards arrived. "Queen Otohime invites Lord Eric and his companions to the Ryugu Palace as honored guests!"
(END CHAPTER)
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