Fish-Man Island was encased in a massive double-layered bubble, operating on the same principles as the coating technology used at the Sabaody Archipelago.
The bubble was half-filled with seawater, allowing the island to float on the surface. Outside the bubble, level with the water, was an entrance mechanism.
By sailing directly through this entrance into the bay, ships could avoid falling and being smashed to pieces in the hollow middle layer—a fate that awaited those who tried to force their way in.
The *Freewill* slowly approached the entrance to Fish-Man Island. Just as it reached the passageway, a squad of armor-clad merfolk guards wielding tridents swam out to meet them.
They were not fish-men like Arlong, but merfolk—creatures with upper bodies almost identical to humans, but with the lower halves of fish.
"Stop right there!"
"Fish-Man Island is just ahead, and pirates are not welcome here!"
The squad of guards stopped in front of the *Freewill*, with two merfolk shouting to signal Allen and his crew to halt.
Among them, the leader—a striped beakfish merman with a black-and-white striped tail, dressed like a captain—swam forward. Looking down with a guarded expression, he said,
"Apologies, we have no intention of starting a fight. However, these are extraordinary times, and Fish-Man Island is temporarily on lockdown."
"If you need to record your Log Pose, you can head to Fish-Man District. I will have my subordinates guide you there. We hope you will cooperate."
Hearing this, the crew members on the deck turned around, casting questioning glances at Allen on the third-floor balcony.
Allen crossed his arms over his chest and said coldly,
"What are you looking at me for? Ram them."
"Yes, sir!!"
"Full speed ahead!!"
With permission granted, the pirates' eyes lit up with excitement as they eagerly readied their swords and guns.
"On guard! They're trying to force their way in!!"
Seeing this, the merfolk guards' expressions shifted from shock to fury.
"Foolish humans! How dare you make enemies of the fastest swimmers in the world while underwater!"
"Attack their ship's coating!"
"We'll send you to a watery grave today!"
The merfolk guards quickly scattered, gripping their tridents as they closed in on the *Freewill* from all directions at blinding speed.
Just as both sides were about to clash, Nami hastily jumped out and shouted at the crew below who were preparing to counterattack,
"Wait! You can't fire your guns on the ship! If the coating breaks, the water pressure will crush us all!"
"Ah?! That's...!"
Hearing this, the crew members on the deck froze and hurriedly stopped their actions.
Nami then immediately shouted at the merman captain opposite them,
"Everyone, stop! We are Warlords of the Sea! Take a good look at the flag up there!"
"What! Stop immediately!"
Hearing the title of Warlord of the Sea, the merfolk guard captain looked startled. He immediately ordered his subordinates to halt while looking up at the flag.
However, he couldn't identify it. He didn't recognize the flag and had only glanced at it instinctively.
But it didn't matter; one of his subordinates recognized it and hurriedly shouted,
"The Demon Lion Pirates! Captain, they're the new Warlords who recently replaced Crocodile!"
"I understand."
Hearing his subordinate's words, the beakfish merman captain nodded and turned to Nami.
"I am truly sorry, this is all a misunderstanding. Please wait a moment while I request permission from Ryugu Palace to let you through."
His tone had suddenly become much more polite.
It wasn't that he was afraid of the Warlords, but rather...
Well, he was afraid.
After all, they were no strangers to the title of Warlord of the Sea. They were legal pirates recognized by the World Government, and Jinbe, the protector of Fish-Man Island, held that very title.
More importantly, Fish-Man Island was a member nation of the World Government. If they clashed with a Warlord, it would cause numerous political troubles beyond just a physical battle.
The situation between Fish-Man Island and humans was delicate, existing in an unspoken friendly relationship. They had to do their utmost to avoid any political issues, lest they easily bring disaster upon the island.
Soon, the merfolk guards went back to use their communication equipment to contact Ryugu Palace.
Allen ignored them entirely, ordering his crew to sail the ship straight in. The guards didn't dare to intercept them again.
By the time the guard captain received clearance from Ryugu Palace, the *Freewill* had already entered the bubble and was sailing toward the bay, leaving them with only a fading silhouette.
"We told them we would let them through, yet they still entered illegally. These bastards have absolutely no respect for us!"
"Despicable humans! If they act like this before even entering, who knows what they'll do once they land!"
The merfolk glared after the ship with indignant expressions.
The guard captain wore a complicated expression and sighed.
"Forget it, that's just how pirates are. Who knows how the war turned out. These are extraordinary times, and we must try our best to avoid conflicts with them."
A lack of information was an unavoidable problem for Fish-Man Island.
The outcome of the war had not yet reached them, and the condition of Whitebeard—who had long protected this place—remained unknown. No one could say for sure how Fish-Man Island would fare in the future.
"Sigh, Ryugu Palace has already sent the princes to receive them. Let's just hope they don't do anything too outrageous."
The guard captain sighed and prayed.
...
Under a clear sky, sunlight spilled across the azure water. In Fish-Man Bay, various corals and giant shells formed a colorful, distinctly underwater architectural complex.
The bay was filled with numerous recreational facilities, where young, scantily clad female mermaids played and frolicked joyfully.
A dark red pirate ship slowly sailed in from the distance, immediately catching the mermaids' attention.
"Looks like pirates."
"Hasn't Fish-Man Island been closed off recently?"
"We didn't hear any alarms, so it should be fine."
The mermaids looked on with curiosity, though a hint of worry lingered in their eyes.
At that moment, Madam Shyarly, who was sitting in a lounge chair by a small round table on the shore with a smoking pipe in hand, furrowed her brows slightly and spoke up.
"Everyone, come ashore. Head back to the cafe and stay away from here for now."
"Understood, Madam Shyarly."
"Listen to the boss, hehe."
"Let's go, everyone! Back to work!"
The young female mermaids in the bay came ashore one after another. Wearing bubble rings crafted with bubble technology on their tails, they floated above the ground and departed the area.
Soon, only Madam Shyarly remained on the shore, her gaze fixed on the pirate ship on the water and the Jolly Roger hanging from the top of its mast.
'A Warlord of the Sea? I see. No wonder they were allowed in during a time like this.'
Having identified the pirate ship, Shyarly looked thoughtful.
She knew the World Government had forcibly summoned the Warlords before the war. For Allen to appear here now, it meant either he hadn't participated in the mandatory summons, or the war was already over.
Although news from the surface had yet to reach Fish-Man Island, she had actually known the outcome of the war ever since the reports of Ace's public execution were published.
When that news broke, King Neptune knew Whitebeard would definitely go to save Ace. Because of this, Ryugu Palace had specifically sent someone to request her to perform a divination.
Her fortune-telling, which boasted a one hundred percent accuracy rate, had predicted Whitebeard's death back then. Upon learning this, Fish-Man Island had urgently entered a state of lockdown.
To avoid causing panic, the news of the prophecy had not yet been spread.
But with a Warlord already here, she feared that news of Whitebeard's death would soon spread throughout Fish-Man Island.
"How I wish my divination was wrong, even if just this once..."
Madam Shyarly sighed, her eyes revealing a faint sorrow.
...