Once the protective bubble peeled away, seawater rushed in at an astonishing speed.
Barobar's pirate ship was enormous, not much smaller than a Marine warship. From a distance it looked like a small mountain. Because of that, the seawater poured in from above with a force almost like a tsunami.
The pirate underlings on deck did not even have time to react before they were swept away by the raging water.
On top of that, Barobar clearly intended to silence witnesses, and everything happened so suddenly.
Before long, the pirate ship that had lost its bubble protection slowly sank to the seabed, leaving behind countless pirates floating unconscious in the water, their eyes rolled back from drowning.
At the center of that scene, two men floated inside protective bubbles, staring at each other.
It had to be said that the coating technology from both the Sabaody Archipelago and Fish-Man Island was almost absurd in how well it isolated seawater. Combined with the bubble's strange elasticity, even arms and legs extended outside the bubble seemed to be wrapped in something like a diving suit, still protected by the coating.
Although the intelligence had already predicted this, Barobar only truly relaxed after personally experiencing it and confirming that, aside from the resistance of the currents, there were no other problems.
"However..."
Looking at Yemu in front of him, who was also surrounded by a bubble and was the person the World Government had ordered to be eliminated on Fish-Man Island, Barobar suddenly felt a trace of unease despite his previous confidence in this mission.
After all, although only one CP0 agent had been deployed this time, the cost behind the operation had been enormous.
Among all the spies CP0 had infiltrated into the pirate world, someone who could reach his position, becoming the Third Fleet Commander under the Golden Lion, was absolutely one of a kind.
Whether in strength, intelligence, or acting ability, he stood among the very best of all spies.
Especially now that the Marines were preparing to withdraw from the New World, a hidden piece like him would become an extremely valuable nail for the World Government to leave behind there.
Then a piece of intelligence appeared that once again touched the World Government's most sensitive nerve.
The report stated that the Sky Pirates had recruited nearly a thousand fishmen soldiers on Fish-Man Island.
As spies for the World Government, the CP0 agents naturally understood how wary the government was of fishmen.
The real problem was that after analyzing the situation, CP0 realized they were almost powerless against the Sky Pirates.
First, the ability of the Doa Doa no Mi, the two Logia-type Devil Fruits, and the Goro Goro no Mi user's extremely powerful Observation Haki all made CP0's usual assassination methods impossible.
Second, Fish-Man Island had now become a member nation of the World Government. That army was officially registered under Neptune's authority, and its declared purpose was to protect Fish-Man Island. The justification was flawless, meaning the government had no legitimate grounds to force the island to disband the army.
So under the orders of the Five Elders, CP0 devised a plan that could accomplish two goals at once.
It would eliminate the Sky Pirates while also weakening Fish-Man Island's strength.
And as a pirate, Barobar was the perfect choice to carry out the mission.
His identity, strength, and influence made him ideal for the task.
Barobar himself believed the same.
He had absolute confidence in his own power.
Even though he was a spy, becoming a pirate under someone as terrifying as the Golden Lion required real strength. His bounty of 1.2 billion Belly had been earned entirely through his own battles.
What he had said earlier was not an exaggeration. In the New World, aside from monsters like Shiki or Whitebeard, there was no one he truly feared.
So when facing a pirate with a lower bounty whose Devil Fruit ability could not even be used, he originally believed the mission would be effortless. After completing it, he could simply return to the New World and continue living as a pirate.
But now...
"Is he just bluffing? Or does this brat really have some power we don't know about..."
"Hoo..."
Although the bubble allowed Barobar to move freely on the seabed, the air inside the bubble was limited.
Just as he hesitated, wondering whether he should probe a little first, Yemu suddenly spoke.
"If you're not willing to make the first move, then I won't hold back."
"Let me see just how strong someone from CP0 really is."
In the next instant, Yemu's figure moved rapidly, stepping across the seawater as he shot forward in a series of near-teleporting bursts.
"So fast... that's Soru from the Rokushiki!"
Barobar had already learned from intelligence reports that the Sky Pirates had somehow extracted the Rokushiki techniques from the two captured CP9 agents. Still, actually seeing it happen made him frown.
"So the advantage of moving freely in seawater is gone!"
For the sake of this mission's success, CP0 had analyzed every piece of intelligence about Yemu in detail.
They had compared each factor with Barobar's advantages and only then devised this plan.
However, Barobar was not too disappointed.
Even in CP0's analysis, this point had been marked with only two words: uncertain.
He had already been prepared for that possibility, so his reaction was not slow.
But once he truly started moving, he quickly realized that the resistance from the ocean currents ten thousand meters below the surface was more troublesome than he had expected.
Especially since his body was so large.
Fortunately, his opponent's speed did not seem that overwhelming either.
"So this is all you've got... Looks like you were just bluffing after all..."
With the Devil Fruit ability unusable, Barobar did not believe the other side could surprise him.
And when their iron fists collided, feeling the force transmitted through the impact only made Barobar more certain of his conclusion.
...
Ten thousand meters beneath the sea.
Arlong, covered in injuries, finally regained consciousness.
He shook his head, his eyes bloodshot as he roared angrily,
"Damn it... it hurts... Was that really a human? That kind of monstrous strength... knocking me down in a single blow..."
Arlong clenched his fists tightly, grinding his teeth in fury. Barobar's completely overwhelming strike had shattered the pride he had always held as a fishman.
But he was not completely consumed by despair.
"A Devil Fruit... If I could obtain that kind of power... even if it meant losing the ability to swim..."
At that moment, a terrifying series of explosions echoed throughout Fish-Man Island.
Boom... boom... boom...
Arlong felt his entire body shaking from the violent sound.
"What's going on?"
He raised his head and looked upward.
What he saw next was a horrifying sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Under the dazzling light of the Sunlight Tree Eve...
Both pirates and the warriors of Fish-Man Island had stopped fighting.
Every one of them stared toward the center of the battlefield with fear in their eyes.
It was a scene none of them had ever witnessed before.
Ten thousand meters beneath the sea, with two figures at the center, visible ripples spread outward through the water.
As the two monster-like humans clashed fists again and again, the sheer force of their blows made the entire ocean tremble, the seawater churning violently.
Even the protective bubble surrounding Fish-Man Island began to sway from the shockwaves.
For the people of Fish-Man Island, this was a sight they had only ever seen when a seaquake occurred.