One month later, after spending eight full months completing sea charts for all seven routes of Paradise, the Dawn Ship finally appeared in the waters of the New World.
Just one day later, the former shark ship, once known as the Shark Spabu, also entered the New World. Its shark-shaped bow had long been replaced with a lightning dragon head, and it had been renamed the Thunder Dragon Gaya.
The various forces that had been secretly watching the Dawn Ship were already curious. After all, the Dawn Ship had finished mapping the Four Seas and Paradise. Would it now dare to continue the same bold actions in the New World?
Most of the New World was already divided among the Four Emperors. Openly charting the seas there was no different from challenging their authority and openly making enemies of them.
While everyone was still speculating, the Dawn Ship arrived.
At the same time, Thunder Demon Wyper, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, also entered the New World aboard the Thunder Dragon Gaya.
Many clever people immediately realized that something big was about to happen.
However, before anything could unfold, an unexpected person appeared in front of Wyper.
The next day, while the Thunder Dragon Gaya was sailing through the New World, the ship was suddenly stopped by a Fish-Man.
The one blocking their path was none other than the Knight of the Sea, Jinbe, one of the most mysterious members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Wyper had heard of him before, but during his short time sailing the seas, he had never dealt with Fish-Man Island, let alone Jinbe himself. Curious about his intentions, Wyper ordered the ship to stop.
Leaning casually against the railing, he looked down at the blue, broad-shouldered Fish-Man floating on the sea and smiled.
"I have heard your name for a long time, Knight of the Sea Jinbe. Since we finally met, why not come aboard for a drink and talk properly?"
Jinbe ignored the invitation completely. Instead, his eyes slowly swept across the Thunder Dragon Gaya, carefully examining every detail of the ship.
Wyper's smile slowly faded.
Just as his patience began to run out, Jinbe finally spoke in a low voice.
"Thunder Demon Wyper, do you know who the previous owner of this ship was?"
Before Wyper could reply, Braham stepped forward with an irritated expression.
"Wasn't it Arlong from the East Blue? What does that have to do with you? Just because you're all Fish-Men doesn't mean you get to act like this."
Jinbe's expression darkened immediately.
"Since you know it belonged to Arlong, one of my former subordinates, how dare you modify it like this and parade it in the New World. You..."
"Shut up."
Before Jinbe could finish speaking, Braham raised his hand and launched a massive fireball straight into the sea.
The enormous sphere of flames, several dozen meters wide, crashed into the water and exploded instantly. Steam rose in every direction as the sea boiled violently.
If anyone had a short temper, Wyper would certainly be one of the worst.
But now he was not only the captain of the Thunder Dragon Gaya, he was also a Shichibukai and, more importantly, the leader of the Skypiea warriors under Ash. Every action he took had to be considered carefully.
Would it affect Ash's plans?
Because of that concern, Wyper often contacted Ash or Sali whenever something serious happened.
The truth was simple. Wyper had not spent enough time with Ash to understand his personality properly. During their first meeting, Ash had been far too domineering, which left Wyper with the impression that everything Ash did was carefully planned.
If Sali and the others were here, they would laugh immediately. Ash had no complicated plans at all. Ever since he brought everyone down from Skypiea, he had been doing nothing but enjoying himself.
If Kaido had not suddenly shown interest in them, and if Sali and the others had not reached a bottleneck in their strength, this full-crew trip to the New World would never have happened.
At this moment, however, Braham had already attacked, and Wyper suddenly understood something.
Before the journey began, Ash had made one thing very clear. Their target in the New World was Kaido, one of the Four Emperors. They were here to face powerful enemies and break through their limits.
If they were prepared to challenge a Yonko, then beating up another Shichibukai really did not seem like a big problem.
Right?
While Wyper was still thinking, Braham and Jinbe had already begun fighting.
Jinbe was a whale shark Fish-Man, which gave him a huge advantage in the sea. When he saw a quiet-looking man wearing a woven hat suddenly throw a giant fireball at him, even he was shocked. Fortunately, he had remained cautious and had not boarded the ship earlier.
The moment the fireball hit the water, Jinbe dove nearly a hundred meters down to avoid it. Looking back up at the rising steam, his expression immediately turned furious.
They killed his subordinate, stole his ship, and now they dared to attack him first.
It seemed the world had completely forgotten the reputation of the Sun Pirates.
Jinbe suppressed the anger rising in his chest and struck first.
From beneath the sea, he unleashed a series of Fish-Man Karate techniques. Countless water bullets shot toward the Thunder Dragon Gaya like cannon fire, smashing into the hull one after another.
The Skypiea warriors immediately reacted. Everyone rushed to protect the ship using whatever methods they had.
Braham, seeing Jinbe hiding underwater and refusing to come out, became even angrier. He flew into the air and raised his firepower even further.
This time, it was real firepower.
Floating high above the sea, Braham pointed both hands downward. Endless flames burst out and spread rapidly across the surface of the ocean. The heat was so intense that even the seawater below began to evaporate.
Steam rose everywhere as fire and ocean collided violently.
Wyper watched the scene carefully. Calling off the fight now would only make them look weak. Instead, he ordered the crew to steer the Thunder Dragon Gaya away from the battlefield to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
However, Jinbe had no intention of letting them escape.
He had come specifically for Arlong's former ship. How could he allow Wyper and the others to simply sail away with it?
Dodging Braham's attacks with ease beneath the sea, Jinbe occasionally launched more water cannons upward to keep Braham distracted. At the same time, he quietly swam back toward the Thunder Dragon Gaya.
Then he suddenly gathered his strength.
His body twisted sharply as he raised both hands, one high and one low, before throwing them forward with explosive force.
"Fish-Man Karate Secret Art, Water Heart: Ocean Current Shoulder Throw!"
In an instant, a massive wave rose from the sea like a giant wall. The roaring water surged upward and crashed down directly toward the Thunder Dragon Gaya.
Wyper's calm expression disappeared instantly.
His eyes turned cold as he roared furiously.
"Jinbe, do you want to die?"