Chapter 11: The Challenge of the New Fish-Man Pirates
10,000 meters beneath the surface, at the bottom of the trench.
Under Franky's expert guidance, the Thousand Sunny settled gently onto the unconscious Kraken's head.
"Those are... some very big fish," Chopper observed, staring upward. Above the Sunny, enormous shadows drifted lazily through the depths—creatures so massive they defied comprehension.
But something else caught everyone's attention.
"Light? Why is there light down here?" Robin asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
The deep sea around them glowed with an illumination brighter than the surface world on a sunny day.
"The light's so strong it's dazzling," Nami murmured, shielding her eyes.
"Though I have no eyes to be dazzled," Brook added helpfully.
Luffy suddenly pointed ahead. "HEY! LOOK!"
"There! Nami, is that it?!"
Nami raised the Log Pose on her wrist, and a smile broke across her face. "Yes! It's directly ahead—exactly where the pointer indicates!"
"THAT'S FISHMAN ISLAND!"
Everyone followed Luffy's gaze. Suspended in the middle of the trench, surrounded by countless giant fish, was an enormous bubble—a dome large enough to contain an entire ecosystem. Within it, they could see ocean, clouds, and magnificent buildings rising from the seabed.
"A self-contained ecological sphere," Itachi observed quietly, genuinely impressed.
"Shishishishi! WE MADE IT!" Luffy raised his hands in triumph.
Franky crossed his arms, star patterns spinning. "SUPER! A legendary spot on the Grand Line!"
"Mermaids dancing... beautiful mermaid princesses... the paradise I've dreamed of since childhood... MY ALL BLUE!"
The mere thought sent Sanji into a fountain of blood that sprayed three feet high.
"SANJI-KUN!" Chopper and Usopp rushed to his side in tears.
"I'm sorry, Sanji! Our recovery therapy still isn't working!" Chopper wailed. "At this rate, if he sees a REAL mermaid, he'll definitely die!"
"Doctor!" Usopp gripped Chopper's shoulders with grave seriousness. "This is Sanji's DREAM!"
"That's right! Rather than giving up his dreams and living in this miserable world, it's better to let him die happy watching mermaids!"
Sanji forced himself upright, flames of lust erupting from his eyes.
Itachi watched this display silently, then murmured: "Does the blond brother have hemophilia?"
"Don't worry about him," Zoro said flatly, arms folded. "That idiot has a disease—sprays blood every time he sees a woman. He'll bleed out sooner or later."
Nearby, Luffy was drooling with his tongue hanging out. "I wonder what kind of meat they serve on Fishman Island..."
"Luffy, wipe your drool! Tell Squid to find the entrance!" Nami patted his shoulder, then noticed the Kraken stirring beneath them.
"HEY! LOOK!" Before Luffy could speak, Franky pointed ahead urgently.
The giant fish that had been swimming peacefully were gone. In their place, several massive shadows were approaching—fast.
The Kraken, finally awake, took one look at what was coming and began trembling violently, its enormous octopus body quaking with terror.
Everyone on the Sunny's eyes went wide.
Emerging from the darkness were sea beasts—each one LARGER than the Kraken.
"A PACK OF SEA BEASTS! WE'RE DEAD!"
"WE FINALLY MADE IT AND NOW THIS?!" Usopp and Chopper embraced in terror.
"So cool! Huge sea beasts!" Luffy watched, mesmerized.
Itachi's sharp eyes caught something else. "Those sea beasts are being ridden."
Everyone followed his gaze. There, on the backs of the enormous creatures, were riders.
Fish-men.
On the back of a giraffe-like sea beast, a fish-man grinned down at them, his eyes fixed on the trembling Kraken.
"Well, well—the Kraken, taking orders from stupid humans?"
The Kraken recognized that voice. Terror overwhelmed its massive form—and it FLUNG the Thousand Sunny into the air before turning and fleeing into the depths.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SQUID?!" Luffy shouted angrily.
"Forget him! WORRY ABOUT US!" Usopp grabbed the railing as the Sunny sailed through the water.
When they landed, they found themselves directly in front of the approaching sea beasts.
"WE'RE SURROUNDED BY SEA BEASTS!!" Usopp's scream echoed across the deck.
The lead fish-man—Hammond, a combatant of the New Fish-Man Pirates—spoke down to them.
"You're the Straw Hats, aren't you?"
Luffy frowned. "Who are you? How do you know us?"
"Of course I know you." Hammond's smile was cold. "You're the ones who destroyed Arlong's Fish-Man Pirates."
Nami stiffened. The tattoo on Hammond's body—it was similar to the ones Arlong's crew had worn.
"Given that," Hammond continued, "it would be simple to just kill you here."
He paused, studying them. "But I heard something interesting. Two years ago, you punched a Celestial Dragon—to protect that former Arlong Pirate, Hatchan."
He laughed. "Just like our hero of Fish-Man Island, Fisher Tiger."
At the name, Robin's expression shifted. "Fisher Tiger... the legendary fish-man who liberated slaves from Mary Geoise?"
"Harmon harmon harmon." Hammond's laugh was ugly. "That puts me in a difficult position. What should I do with you?"
Itachi had been listening quietly, but now he shifted his weight slightly. "Should we prepare to fight?"
Zoro's hand found his sword. "Probably."
Hammond raised his voice. "So I'll give you a choice! Are you enemies... or friends?"
He spread his arms magnanimously. "I'll grant you the right to decide for yourselves."
"Either you join under the banner of the New Fish-Man Pirates..."
His smile turned predatory. "Or you refuse. And if you refuse, you sink here."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Luffy's temper flared.
Nami immediately turned to Franky. "Franky! Refuel!"
"Refuel? What for?" Franky blinked.
"Does it look like Luffy would ever agree to join some Fish-Man Pirates?!"
"True, but we're 10,000 meters deep! We can't fight here! And against fish-men in the sea, our chances of winning are ZERO!"
"Exactly why we need to ESCAPE!"
Nami's plan crystallized. "We use all the remaining air in the bubble—fire a Coup de Burst directly into Fishman Island!"
"That's our only option," Robin agreed grimly.
On the sea beast above, another fish-man watched them. This was "Killer" Ranzo, a blue-ringed octopus fish-man, who gurgled as he drank from a bottle.
"They look flustered. Planning something, are they?"
Hammond waved dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Just the desperate schemes of stupid humans."
He straightened, looking down at the Sunny with contempt. "This is OUR territory. Humans—a despicable, lowly species—can't do anything here."
He shouted down: "HEY, STRAW HATS! HAVE YOU DECIDED?! WILL YOU BECOME OUR SUBORDINATES?!"
Luffy stared up at him for a long moment.
Then he laughed.
"NO WAY, IDIOTS!!"
He stretched his face into an enormous, insulting grimace. "Why would I ever become YOUR subordinates?! YOU'RE the idiots here!"
The fish-men's expressions darkened with rage.
"Then you reject our invitation?!"
"Then you're just sinful, despicable humans after all! DIE!"
Hammond's command sent one of the sea beasts—a massive sea lion—charging directly at the Sunny.
Luffy's hand went to his arm, ready for Gear Second. Zoro stepped to the bow, swords drawn. Sanji snapped to full alertness.
But all three hesitated. Fighting underwater—against sea kings—wasn't their strength.
Itachi moved before any of them could act, placing himself between the Straw Hats and the charging beast.
"Luffy. Your fighting style isn't suited for these depths. Allow me."
The crew's eyes fixed on him.
"Itachi-san! Are you using that soul giant again?!"
"Be careful, Itachi-brother! Fish-men are dangerous underwater!" Chopper's eyes were wet with worry.
Luffy's face lit up with anticipation. "Tear-Stripe Guy! Will I get to see that giant again?!"
Itachi shook his head slightly.
His Sharingan had already locked onto the charging sea lion.
"That won't be necessary."
His voice was calm—utterly unconcerned despite the mountain of flesh barreling toward them.
"Though it's quite large... there's no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
His eyes met the sea lion's.
The creature froze.
One moment it was charging, maw open, ready to crush the Sunny.
The next, it was completely still. Suspended. Unmoving.
On its back, the fish-man rider gaped. "WHAT?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?! KEEP MOVING!"
The sea lion didn't respond. It hung in the water, eyes glassy, trapped in a nightmare only it could see.
On the Sunny, the Straw Hats stared.
Zoro's eye narrowed. That's the same thing he did to me. And to Caribou. But that's a SEA KING...
Nami whispered: "He stopped a sea beast... with a LOOK?"
Itachi turned slightly, addressing the crew without taking his eyes off the enemy. "We should move now. This won't hold it forever."
Franky snapped out of his shock. "RIGHT! EVERYONE HOLD ON!"
The Sunny's engines roared to life.
(End of Chapter)
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