"Who just came charging out?"
Vander Decken immediately spotted the Pirate Empress emerging from the protective bubble around El's ship.
But having spent almost his entire life underwater and rarely setting foot on land, he had no idea how the world above had changed.
If he had, he would have turned and fled the moment he realized who the El Pirates were.
"Sea monster! Take care of this fool who dares to challenge us!"
Though he was the one who had started the trouble, he acted as if the other side was in the wrong.
"Understood, Captain!"
The giant sea monster serving him, however, was not particularly bright.
It never seemed to notice how poorly it was treated by its master—simple-minded and lacking any intelligence matching its enormous size.
It lumbered forward with heavy strides, creating deep vibrations that spread outward through the water, even if it made little visible noise in the depths.
Rumble… Rumble…
…
Hmph…
After a brief moment of adjustment, Hancock had grown accustomed to the restrictions of the deep sea.
"To think the limitations are this severe…"
As a Devil Fruit user, even with her bubble shielding her from the sea's curse, she could not use her full strength.
At least half, if not more, of her power was suppressed.
But still…
"Even with only this much left, it is more than enough to deal with creatures as ugly as you!"
"Perfume Femur!"
The Pirate Empress's Devil Fruit ability was no joke.
The Love-Love Fruit—also known as the Mero Mero no Mi—allowed her to turn anyone who felt even the slightest attraction to her beauty into stone.
And when she unleashed its full power, it could even affect those who did not see her or feel any desire; the effect became nearly unavoidable.
In short, her power was the bane of every man—and in the world of piracy, men made up the vast majority of crews.
This was exactly why her name and reputation carried such terrifying weight.
The Flying Pirates only had two members—both Fish‑Men and both male: Vander Decken himself, and the giant sea monster pulling his ship.
Almost no man could resist the Love‑Love Fruit, and Fish‑Men were no exception.
Within the range of Hancock's power, both the giant beast and Vander Decken standing on the ship behind it were instantly turned into statues.
Hah…
Though it was a technique she used constantly, Hancock felt noticeably drained afterward.
Using a Devil Fruit ability underwater required several times more energy than normal—sometimes even dozens of times more.
Thankfully, her power worked almost like a natural law; once someone laid eyes on her, the effect triggered automatically.
Even with the strain, the ability itself did not weaken.
Crash…
The giant monster froze in place, and the ship it was towing slowly began to sink toward the seabed.
Thud!
Vander Decken toppled over, rigid and unmoving. Compared to his subordinate, who at least remained standing as a statue, the captain looked far more pitiful.
"Lord El! I have dealt with the enemy!"
Hancock returned to the ship, breathing heavily. Fighting in the deep sea was incredibly suffocating and exhausting—even the Pirate Empress had no desire to repeat the experience.
"Good work," El nodded in approval, then turned to the rest of his officers. "You all should learn from her."
"Yes, Captain…"
The others lowered their heads in acknowledgment. In truth, none of them would have performed as well as Hancock.
Doflamingo's String‑String Fruit was best suited for close combat, which put him at a major disadvantage underwater.
Crocodile's Sand‑Sand Fruit, a Logia‑type ability, could barely exert even one percent of its full strength in such an environment.
Even Fujitora's Gravity Fruit, while still functional, was weakened by the natural buoyancy of seawater, limiting its range and effect.
Of all of them, Hancock was indeed the most suitable choice.
At last, their journey through the deep sea came to an end.
Straight ahead lay the boundary between the first half and the second half of the Grand Line—the Fish‑Man Kingdom, ruled by Fish‑Men.
A completely different world unfolded before the crew's eyes: an entire island suspended beneath the ocean, enclosed within a massive bubble of air.
This was Fish‑Man Island.
A deep, almost unbridgeable divide had long existed between the Fish‑Man Kingdom and humanity.
For centuries, Fish‑Men had been captured, traded, and sold as slaves by humans.
Naturally, they rebelled, and countless wars had broken out between the two races.
Even now, human pirates still swarmed the waters around the island, their purpose clear: to capture Fish‑Men and Merfolk, who fetched enormous prices on the black market.
Though the Fish‑Man Kingdom had officially joined the World Government, its people were still hunted and enslaved.
The practice had only moved underground, but the shame remained.
No Fish‑Man could tolerate such humiliation.
Yet in order to develop their nation and strengthen their people, they had no choice but to compromise in the face of humanity's overwhelming power.
Turning a blind eye to certain injustices was one of those compromises.
Over the years, the royal family had worked tirelessly to gain recognition and status within the World Government, making their nation appear more "legitimate" in the eyes of the world.
While they could not erase the long‑standing conflict between Fish‑Men and humans, their efforts had yielded real results.
Since joining the World Government, the Fish‑Man Kingdom had advanced rapidly.
Every district except the lawless Fish‑Man District had seen visible growth and development.
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