Rosen and Robin walked out of the room, looking towards the sea area illuminated by Fish-Man Island. If the ship were much farther away, it might have been difficult to deal with. After all, in the deep sea, there were many dangers and it was pitch black; Rosen wouldn't risk chasing them under those conditions.
But now, with the ship right in front of them, there was no need to hold back.
As Rosen finished speaking, Bonez led the group, preparing to penetrate the enemy's coating layer. Meanwhile, the giant ship Dawn quickly moved closer.
"Captain, report, there's an enemy ship approaching... it's the Dawn Pirates!"
"What?!" The captain was shocked. What the hell? Of all times to run into them?
"Get us out of here, fast, hurry..."
"Don't be in such a rush to leave. Our captain has already planned out your future. Isn't that thoughtful..." Mr. 5 broke through the bubble coating and landed in the middle of the group.
Valentine and Bonez followed close behind, along with the sea cow.
"Iron Man Bonez, bounty 440 million Berries."
"Bomber Man Mr. 5, bounty 330 million Berries."
"Codenamed Valentine, 190 million Berries. And what's this? A turtle? Ah..." The pirate let out a few cries of surprise before they turned into screams. He had looked towards the little sea cow, who promptly punched him down. After that, he couldn't get back up.
"Vice Vice Captain!" Chaos erupted on the pirate ship.
"Damn it, you want to die, go ahead. My bounty's only 80 million, and it's the Dawn Pirates. I'm getting out of here... but where do I run to in the deep sea?" The captain felt utterly hopeless.
"Sir, sir, please spare us. We're willing to surrender and become a subordinate pirate crew of the Dawn Pirates. Look, look, these are all young, beautiful mermaids. On the surface, with luck, a single one can sell for over 100 million Berries. That's several billion Berries' worth right here..." The captain didn't even have the courage to draw his sword; he fell straight to his knees.
"Killing people tends to affect the mood. Today, my mood is good. I'll hand you over to the King of Fish-Man Island. That should get us some comfortable lodgings in return. The BOSS can't stay in a shabby place." Mr. 5 stepped forward and threw a punch.
Seeing this, the pirate captain was filled with despair. He quickly raised his sword to block, but an explosion erupted. The sword shattered, and the captain was blasted back. The 80 million Berries pirate captain couldn't even block one of his explosive punches.
"Utterly pointless." Bonez shook his head in disappointment. He had hoped for a warm-up.
"Hey-hey..." The little sea cow charged into the group of pirates. It alone was practically a match for the entire pirate crew. The sea cow had once been stronger than Mr. 5, and it wasn't far behind now.
It just hadn't had a chance to show what it could do. Now that Master had sent it out on a mission, it had to be clean and efficient. Moments later, all the pirates were down.
Valentine used her laser-guided arrows to cut the ropes binding the beautiful mermaids, letting them swim freely into the sea.
"Valentine, why did you release them so quickly? I didn't even get a good look. Mermaids, so incredibly beautiful. What a shame I didn't have time to get a contact..." Mr. 5 was full of regret. The captured mermaids had been stunning, almost dreamlike. He'd heard that even the World's Most Beautiful Woman admired their beauty.
But that woman had already returned to her own country. After all, everyone had their own life.
"Once we get to Fish-Man Island, you'll have plenty to see."
"Um, thank you..." Suddenly, from a corner, a brown-haired mermaid spoke softly.
Her voice made them notice there was still one mermaid girl with such a weak presence.
"Aren't you leaving?" Valentine looked at her questioningly.
"I'm injured." The mermaid girl, Amy, lowered her head sadly.
Fish-Man Island was currently in chaos. Pirates had injured her family. She had fought back hard, so she was quite badly hurt too. She didn't know how her parents and younger brother were doing on the island now.
"You can come with us for now. We could use a guide." Valentine thought for a moment and made the decision. She had the authority. She scooped Amy up and tucked her under her arm.
"Valentine, that's too rough! She's a mermaid, a mermaid! How can you be so rough..." Mr. 5 protested immediately.
"Are you men really that obsessed with mermaids? Can't you learn from the BOSS?"
Then, the next moment.
"A mermaid? She really is beautiful. Can you sing? I've heard that when you reach a certain age, your tail can split into human legs?" Rosen was also curious. It was his first time seeing these human-like species up close.
"It does split. I can sing a little." Amy timidly lowered her head, not daring to speak loudly. Although they had saved her, they still seemed like ruthless pirates.
Just looking at the knocked-out pirates filling the ship behind them was enough to know.
The pirate ship was chained to the Dawn and towed along, intended as a greeting gift for the King. This wasn't Rosen's idea, but Mr. 5's.
His plan was to ensure Rosen was treated like an honored guest, with the status of a king. Look, we're pirates, yet we've captured the enemies causing trouble in your country. Arranging the best accommodations and meals shouldn't be a problem, right?
If it was a problem, he, Bomber Man Gem, wouldn't mind letting the King experience the art of explosion.
Boom! Suddenly, a powerful water current surged violently towards them. Hathaway shot out from the upper deck like lightning. Just as the current was about to hit the hull, she swiftly drew her sword through the coating layer and unleashed a strike: Hell Prison Slash!
Swoosh! The water current was shattered instantly. Accompanying the current was a light blue whale shark fish-man, somewhat stout. The former Shichibukai, Sea Knight Jinbe.
"My apologies, I had no intention of attacking. I saw a resident of my island on your ship and rushed over in a panic." Jinbe looked at Amy and spoke first.
"No harm done. It wouldn't have been a big deal even if it had hit. Did you receive our entry application?" Rosen looked calmly at Jinbe. He hadn't expected Jinbe, the former Shichibukai, to still be on Fish-Man Island. Had they not yet secured the protection of an Emperor?
That explained why those pirates had been so brazen just now.
"Yes, the King and the princes are already on their way. After all, Lord Crocodile is a rare and distinguished guest."
"Distinguished guest is an overstatement. We're just passing through. No need to be too tense. That ship behind us is a gift for you. Handle it as you see fit. It was a mermaid trafficking pirate crew." Rosen smiled slightly.
"So it was them. It seems they were behind the recent disappearances of many mermaids in the country. Thank you very much for what you've done..." Jinbe said sincerely.
In the past, he hadn't had a good impression of Crocodile. As a fellow Shichibukai of the same era, he knew some things and had heard rumors. However, during the battle at Marine Headquarters, Luffy and his group had received Crocodile's cover indirectly.
Jinbe's opinion had changed considerably since then. Now, Crocodile had directly solved a major problem for Fish-Man Island and freed so many mermaids. Jinbe was deeply grateful.
"Let's enter the country first. Fish-Man Island is famous for its beauty. I'm looking forward to seeing it." Rosen was very eager. From what he remembered of Luffy's entry, describing the country as picturesque in every way was no exaggeration. It had a kind of dreamy, fairy-tale world aesthetic.
What was the point of adventure? Novelty.
"Well, ah... I'm afraid you might be disappointed. Right now, Fish-Man Island is in utter chaos. Many businesses and shops can't operate normally. The number of pirates is also increasing..."
(End of Chapter)