"Fi... finally stopped..."
Usopp wiped the cold sweat from his face as he felt the ship stabilize and said, "That really scared me to death."
The power of nature was still too terrifying... Even with Meiser's Water Dragon escorting them, the ship would occasionally shake, and that feeling was truly frightening.
Meanwhile, Perona said excitedly, "The undersea adventure is really thrilling..."
Glancing at Perona, whose eyes were shining with excitement, Meiser fell into thought.
It seemed she was also someone who feared nothing.
"Meiser, have you found Luffy and the others?" Nami asked.
After so much time had passed, Meiser's Clone should have found Luffy and the others by now.
"My Wood Clone should have found Luffy and the others," Meiser said.
"Should?"
A few question marks appeared on Nami's face. What did he mean by "should"?
Perhaps sensing Nami's confusion, Meiser explained, "My Shadow Clone was attacked by a hidden shadowy figure while approaching the three of them, so that Clone shattered."
"But just before it disappeared, it saw the Wood Clone chasing after Luffy and the others."
"At that distance, it could definitely catch them before they were completely swept away by the sea current."
After thinking for a moment, Nami said, "So... Luffy and the others should be safe now?"
"Pretty much," Meiser nodded.
Wood Clones were different from Shadow Clones; these Clones were very powerful, so Meiser didn't think the Wood Clone would be taken out by that strange thing either.
Hearing Meiser's words, Nami sighed in relief. "That's good..."
As long as they could confirm those three idiots were safe, it was fine.
"Hey, hey, wait a minute."
Usopp seemed to have realized something and looked up, saying, "You just said your Clone was taken out by a strange shadowy figure?"
"Yes."
Usopp fell silent for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Is it possible... it just crashed into an undersea rock?"
Meiser didn't answer immediately but thought for a moment before saying, "If it really crashed into a rock, it would have been a frontal collision."
"But my Clone was clearly ambushed from behind by something, so it couldn't have been a rock."
Hearing Meiser's explanation, Usopp's face completely changed.
"So... so..." Usopp swallowed hard and said, "Your Clone was taken out by a monster living in the deep sea?"
As soon as he said this, the Thousand Sunny fell into a deathly silence.
Then, a few of the more timid ones shuddered, feeling their hairs stand on end.
"Why does it suddenly feel so cold..." Merry said, trembling.
"Me too..."
"Could it be that the monster that took out Meiser's Clone has followed us here?" Chopper swallowed hard and said.
At these words, the others trembled even more violently.
Meanwhile, Perona revealed an excited expression—ghosts?
She really wanted one!
"Stop scaring yourselves, will you?" Meiser said impatiently. "Why haven't I sensed any ghosts?"
"But didn't you say you didn't see what attacked you?"
"Obviously, it ambushed me from behind. Of course I couldn't see it," Meiser retorted with a roll of his eyes.
How could anyone clearly see something that attacked from behind?
Catching a glimpse of a strange shadow was already pretty good.
"Could it be a Super Large Sea King?" Nico Robin, who had remained calm all along, suggested.
"That's possible."
Meiser nodded in agreement.
The strange shadow he had glimpsed out of the corner of his eye might very well have been part of some enormous creature.
For example... a monster several kilometers in size!!
"So it's not a ghost..."
Upon hearing it was a Sea King, Merry immediately stopped being afraid.
After all, Meiser was a powerful being capable of controlling Sea Kings over a kilometer long with his Pupil Power, so she had no reason to fear Sea Kings at all!
"If it's not a ghost..." Usopp hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then why am I so cold?"
"Obviously, we're already in the deep sea. Isn't it natural to feel cold?"
After experiencing that terrifying deep-sea current earlier, sunlight could no longer penetrate this far down, so the low temperature here was perfectly normal.
"Oh, so that's it..." Usopp sighed in relief. "As long as it's not a ghost, it's fine."
As long as it wasn't a ghost, a little cold wasn't a problem.
Meanwhile, Perona wore a disappointed expression and said, "What? So it's not a ghost after all..."
She had been so looking forward to it, only to find out it wasn't one?
Usopp: ???
Wait, what exactly are you disappointed about?!
Nami shook her head helplessly and said, "Let's go and look for those three. Let's try to find them as soon as possible."
Although it was already confirmed that the three of them were safe, it wasn't ideal for them to stay in the ocean for too long, so they needed to retrieve them quickly.
"I hope they haven't been torn to shreds by monsters in the deep sea," Nico Robin remarked.
Usopp: ???
Usopp glanced in Nico Robin's direction, several question marks popping up above his head.
Then, he complained, "Isn't your imagination a bit too terrifying?"
Also, wasn't it a bit too scary to say something like that in a place like this?
In response, Nico Robin simply smiled and said nothing more.
Meiser gave Nico Robin a somewhat exasperated look—this scheming older sister really enjoyed scaring people.
Could this be her hobby?
As if sensing Meiser's gaze, Nico Robin turned to look in his direction and gave him a mature, knowing smile.
Meiser:
Alright, confirmed.
This scheming older sister really did enjoy scaring people—that smile was the best proof!
Thinking this, Meiser shook his head helplessly.
Then, he turned to Merry and said, "Merry, get the ship moving."
"Which way should we go?"
Merry looked up and asked.
If Meiser hadn't been talking all along, she wouldn't even have known where he was.
After all, it's too dark here!
"That's right, Meiser."
Chopper looked around and said, "There's no light at all here, we can't see anything. How are we supposed to determine the right direction?"
Finding the correct direction in such pitch-black darkness was extremely difficult.
"Nami has the Log Pose, doesn't she?" Meiser glanced at the Log Pose in Nami's hand and said, "We just need to follow the Log Pose."
"You mean..."
Nami's eyes suddenly lit up as if she understood Meiser's idea. "We go directly to Fish-Man Island?"
"Exactly."
Meiser nodded and said, "I just gave the Wood Clone an Eternal Log Pose to Fish-Man Island. Relying on that, the Clone can lead Luffy and the others to Fish-Man Island."
"So... we can head toward Fish-Man Island while searching for them."
"That way... even if we can't find the three of them, we can still reunite at Fish-Man Island."
This was also the main reason he had given the Eternal Log Pose to Fish-Man Island to the Clone earlier.
If they truly couldn't find the three of them, they would reunite at Fish-Man Island!
"You really thought this through thoroughly," Brook remarked with admiration.
To have already considered what to do if they couldn't find Luffy and the others at that moment... truly worthy of Meiser!
In response, Meiser simply smiled and said nothing more.
"I understand!"
Merry nodded, then followed the direction indicated by the Eternal Log Pose, drifting sideways and quickly re-entering the correct sea current.
"All set," Merry said. "We're in the sea current now."
"Good."
Nami smiled and nodded. "That's enough."
Now, all they needed to do was follow this sea current, and they would reach the legendary Fish-Man Island!
Just then, Brook showed a strange expression, as if he had sensed something, and turned to look behind the Thousand Sunny.
"Hmm?"
Is something coming?
"What's wrong?"
Meiser looked at Brook in confusion. Why did this guy suddenly react like that?
"Did you see something?" Brook pointed behind the Pirate Ship and said doubtfully, "I feel like something is approaching."
Although he didn't know why, he truly had this feeling, and it felt very real!
Hearing this, Meiser followed the direction Brook pointed and looked, then said, "Hmm, indeed, there's a colossal creature hundreds of meters long swimming toward us."
After carefully examining the sea creature, Meiser nodded affirmatively.
"Eek!!!"
Hearing Meiser's words, Chopper immediately bristled with fear.
A colossal creature hundreds of meters long!
Even a single tooth of it might be bigger than their Thousand Sunny!
"Stay calm," Meiser said, staring at the head of the colossal creature. "It hasn't noticed us."
"Ah, that's good..."
Hearing Meiser's words, Chopper immediately sighed in relief.
It was fine as long as it hadn't noticed them.
"We should have already descended to around 7,000 meters by now," Franky said. "So it's perfectly normal to encounter fish this large."
Chopper thought for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
In the depths of the sea like this, it was indeed quite normal for such colossal creatures to exist.
"Alright, let's not worry about those fish. We need to find Luffy and the others quickly," Nami said.
As long as those fish didn't attack them, there was no need to pay them any mind. Finding their friends was the priority.
Hearing Nami's words, Chopper cautiously approached the side of the ship and stared into the pitch-black sea. "It's going to be really hard to find Luffy and the others in these conditions, isn't it? After all, we can't see anything in the darkness."
"That's true," Merry replied, feeling a bit troubled.
Navigating through the darkness was something she could manage—after all, back in the City of Seven Waters, she had sailed to Enies Lobby at night. But finding people in this darkness... that was another matter.
"Leave this to me!" Franky grinned. "I've got lighting functions!"
It was time for them to witness the power of this invincible Cyborg!
Upon hearing Franky's words, Chopper and Usopp's eyes immediately lit up.
"Wow!!"
"Is it the super robot's signature dual searchlights?!" they exclaimed excitedly.
At that moment, their faces were filled with anticipation.
Franky didn't offer any explanation. Instead, he calmly removed his sunglasses.
Seeing this, Meiser's eyes also brightened.
Could this guy's eyes really glow?
"You...
"Franky... Chest Light!!!"
Hum
Meiser:
Watching the light illuminate Franky's chest, Meiser was rendered speechless.
If it was a chest light... then why did you take off your sunglasses, you idiot?!
Does that make any sense?!
Usopp opened his mouth wide, roaring like a shark. "What kind of weird light is this, you bastard?!"
"You're getting further and further from being human!"
"Huh?"
"Are you calling me a pervert?" Franky immediately gave Usopp a thumbs-up, grinning widely. "You really know how to compliment someone~"
"Hahahaha!"
Usopp: ...
That wasn't it at all, you idiot!
Looking at Franky, Nami fell silent for a moment, then twitched her lips and said, "Even though this light is pretty ridiculous... it's still better than nothing."
They'd just have to make do with it.
Shaking her head, Nami turned her attention to their surroundings and said, "Let's start looking for—"
"Eh?!"
Seeing the massive school of deep-sea fish swimming above the Thousand Sunny, Nami's expression immediately changed.
"Th... their eyes are bigger than our ship..."
"Hurry, Merry, run!!"
"Got it!!"
Hearing her friends' shouts, Merry immediately steered the Thousand Sunny into motion, swiftly charging away from the area and quickly leaving the school of fish behind.
"Whew..." Once they were clear of the fish, Chopper let out a sigh of relief. "We finally escaped..."
Tears welled up in Chopper's eyes as he said, "The deep sea is really terrifying..."
They could run into those terrifying deep-sea monsters hundreds of meters in size at any moment...
It made him feel so unsafe!
Just then, the eyes of the Thousand Sunny's lion figurehead suddenly lit up, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"What's this?" Usopp asked, dumbfounded. "A light?"
"That's right."
Merry nodded and said, "I noticed the Thousand Sunny has an additional searchlight function, so I turned it on."
"Noticed?"
Usopp was taken aback for a moment, then said in surprise, "So... this was installed later?"
"Right." Franky nodded. "To prepare for the upcoming deep-sea adventure, I specifically added this function to the Thousand Sunny."
Now it seemed his choice was wise—after all, it had come in handy!
Thinking this, Franky couldn't help but grin.
As expected of him!
Perona looked at Franky's delighted expression and immediately showed an exasperated face.
If that was the case... then why did he have to show off that weird light on his own body earlier?!
But after recalling the conversation between Usopp and Franky just now, Perona fell silent.
This guy really seemed to have that kind of personality.
"With the lights on, things are easier." Nami stared at the surroundings and said, "Everyone, take a good look around—don't miss anything!"
The pirate ship was still caught in the deep-sea current. Although its speed had slowed considerably compared to before, it couldn't actually stop, so they had to observe carefully.
"Got it!"
Hearing Nami's words, everyone immediately picked up their binoculars and began scanning the area.
Meanwhile, Meiser went to the highest point, activated his Sharingan, and focused on the surroundings, determined to find those guys.
Just then, an enormous jellyfish noticed the presence of the Thousand Sunny.
Slowly, the jellyfish drifted above the Thousand Sunny, gradually moving closer.
"Hmm?"
Glancing at this huge creature, Meiser frowned and said, "Does it think we're food?"
"Wow, look everyone, such a huge jellyfish!" Merry pointed at the massive jellyfish in the water. "It looks so sparkly!"
"It really does resemble stars shining in the night sky." Brook exclaimed.
It could even glow... what a strange structure.
"So pretty..."
Watching the jellyfish extend one tentacle inside, Chopper cautiously stepped closer and said, "Is it... saying hello to me?"
"Saying hello?"
Meiser jumped down from above, glanced at the tentacle, and said, "No, I think it probably wants to kill you and eat you!"
"Eek!"
Chopper, who had been about to reach out and touch the tentacle, immediately jumped back several steps in fright upon hearing Meiser's words.
Then, he looked at Meiser with uncertainty and asked, "What do you mean?"
"What Meiser means is that this thing is poisonous." Nico Robin explained.
"Poisonous?"
Chopper immediately showed a shocked expression. So this beautiful-looking jellyfish was actually poisonous!
"Chopper, as a doctor, you should understand one principle, right?" Meiser said.
"What principle?"
"In nature, the more flashy and colorful something is, the more likely it is to be poisonous." Meiser glanced up at the jellyfish. "This guy clearly falls into that category."
Hearing this, Chopper fell silent.
It seemed... that really was the case.
Meanwhile, Merry wore a puzzled expression, thinking to herself, 'Is that how it is...'
So why did Luffy drag her into eating those strangely colored mushrooms back then?
Thinking of this, Merry fell into deep thought.
"Let me demonstrate for you," Meiser said with a laugh.
As he spoke, Meiser activated the Pupil Technique in his right eye, then without hesitation placed his hand on the tentacle the jellyfish had extended.
"Pfft!"
In just an instant, Meiser felt something pierce his flesh!
"Hey!"
Chopper stared dumbfounded at Meiser. There was no need to go that far.
Noticing Chopper's expression, Meiser grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "Chopper, watch me die for you."
As soon as Meiser finished speaking, his body began to show abnormalities.
First, the color of his skin gradually changed, then his eyes started turning white, until finally... he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
"Ah!!!"
"Meiser, don't die!!!"
Chopper rushed to Meiser's side, shouting in panic, "Someone help, a doctor!"
"A doctor!!"
"Oh, I am the doctor..."
As if remembering something, Chopper immediately forced himself to calm down and prepared to examine Meiser's body.
But before he could make a move, he saw Meiser's body twist and distort, then vanish completely.
"Huh?!"
Looking at the spot where Meiser had disappeared, Chopper was utterly bewildered.
Where did he go?
How could such a big, living person just vanish like that?
"I'm right here."
Standing on the second floor, Meiser looked down at Chopper with a smile. "Now you understand just how terrifying that toxin is, right?"
"Even I couldn't withstand it, let alone any of you."
If that toxin were injected into Chopper's body... he'd probably be lying on the ground in less than a second. Chopper froze for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "I understand..."
After a pause, he looked up at Meiser and added, "But don't do that again. It was really scary."
He had genuinely thought Meiser was going to die.
"I have an Undying Body. How could I possibly die?"
Meiser jumped down from above and ruffled the little guy's head. "A mere toxin can't kill me."
Although this toxin was potent, it was far weaker compared to Magellan's poison that could corrode rocks, so it was even less capable of finishing him off!
"Alright..."
With Meiser saying that, what else could he say?
"So this is your Undying Body?"
Perona stared at Meiser in shock. "No wonder you're called the Undying Ninja."
To recover completely from a fatal wound in the blink of an eye... that was truly terrifying!
"Exactly, this is my Undying Body." Meiser smirked. "Impressive, right~"
"It really is."
With such an ability, Meiser could probably remain undefeated...
He truly was a fearsome man.
The reactions of the other crewmates were similar to Perona's, as aside from Merry, this was their first time witnessing Meiser's ability.
"So this is how you deceived the World Government?" Nico Robin asked curiously.
"More or less."
Although it was a technique with delayed activation, the ability was essentially the same.
Listening to Meiser's words, a trace of emotion surfaced in Nico Robin's eyes. Truly, this was Meiser.
Seeing this, Meiser smiled and then returned to the high ground, saying, "Alright, let's continue searching for people."
"Let's find them first!"
"Right!"
Upon hearing Meiser's words, everyone immediately turned and began scanning their surroundings with binoculars.
"Hey, have you spotted Luffy and the others?"
"No."
"Damn, the ocean is just too vast," Franky said, running a hand through his hair. "The Thousand Sunny's lights aren't much help."
Although the visible range extended several dozen meters, what was that compared to the entire sea?
"Better than nothing," Meiser replied. "At least with these lights, Luffy and the others have a chance of spotting us."
"That's true..."
While they couldn't rely on the lights to see far into the distance, others could see them from afar, making the lights crucial.
"By the way... does anyone else feel like it's getting hotter?" Chopper asked, panting.
"It really does seem that way."
Usopp, sensing the change in the environment, said in surprise, "What's going on?"
Why was there such a warm spot in the icy depths of the sea?
Could it be... could they have stumbled upon a Deep Sea Hot Spring?
At this thought, Usopp's eyes lit up.
With Meiser here, they could all enjoy a soak in the Deep Sea Hot Spring together!!!
"Hey, there's a huge cloud of smoke ahead!" Meiser, standing at a higher vantage point, frowned as he looked forward. "Have we drifted near an underwater volcano?"
Otherwise, there was no explanation for what was happening.
Upon hearing Meiser's words, Nami's face immediately paled.
She then rushed to the bow of the ship and stared intently at the sea ahead.
After observing for a moment, Nami said with a grim expression, "That's right... we really are near an underwater volcano..."
"Not only that, but these volcanoes are showing signs of erupting!"
Based on what she had learned... this was definitely a precursor to an underwater volcanic eruption!
"What did you say?!"
Hearing Nami's words, Franky's expression changed instantly.
An underwater volcano about to erupt?!
If it hit them... they'd all be doomed!
Thinking this, Franky immediately turned to Merry and said, "Merry, quick, let's get out of here!"
"Otherwise, our ship will be destroyed!"
"Right!!!"
Though unsure how terrifying an underwater volcanic eruption might be, to prevent their Pirate Ship from being destroyed,
they had to flee fast!
With that thought, Merry immediately activated her ability, setting the Pirate Ship into swift motion.
"I hope this underwater volcano doesn't erupt now,"
Nami said with a grim expression, still staring downward. "Otherwise, we're in trouble."
Once the bubble is destroyed... our Pirate Ship won't survive."
Even if Meiser could save them, it would still be a huge loss!
"It probably won't be that coincidental," Perona said.
"Hard to say," Meiser mused, stroking his chin. "After all, those volcanoes are smoking."
He just didn't know if volcanic smoke was a sign of an imminent eruption.
"Could you please not say such scary things..." Usopp said, tears streaming down his face. "You'll really frighten someone to death."
Meanwhile, little Chopper was lying on the ground in agony, saying, "I'm so hot..."
As a reindeer born on a winter island, he hated heat the most.
Seeing this, Meiser grinned mischievously and said, "Then why not take off your fur?"
"You're right, I'll just..."
Chopper had only half-started the motion before he realized what was happening, then opened his mouth wide like a shark and roared, "You jerk, how am I supposed to take it off?!"
That was fur growing on his body—how could he possibly take it off, you idiot!
Nami gave Meiser a speechless look and said, "You actually have the mood to tease Chopper..."
Just how big is this guy's heart?
"Hahahaha."
Nami: ...
How can you even laugh, you jerk!
At that moment, Perona, floating in mid-air, said, "Hey, what's that huge bright light up ahead?"
"Bright light?"
Merry was stunned for a moment, then said with a look of delight, "Could it be that we've already reached Fish-Man Island?"
"Does that mean we'll be able to see Luffy and the others soon?!"
That's great, really great!
"We probably haven't reached Fish-Man Island yet," Franky said hesitantly. "After all, Fish-Man Island is 10,000 meters deep in the sea. There's no way we could have descended this quickly."
Their previous location was around 7,000 meters deep. Even if they were flying, they couldn't have descended 3,000 meters this fast.
"So it's not, huh..."
Hearing Franky's words, Merry immediately showed a disappointed expression.
She had thought they could reach Fish-Man Island and reunite with Luffy and the others.
"If it's not Fish-Man Island..."
Usopp pointed at the two bright lights ahead and said, "Then what are these things?"
"Maybe they're other pirate ships."
After thinking for a moment, he leaned forward and used his own light to greet the other party, leaving Usopp dumbfounded. "Hey, why are you greeting them?!"
"Meiser, can you see clearly what that is?" Nami asked.
"The light is blocking it, so I can't see very clearly," Meiser said, squinting his eyes. "But..."
"But?"
"But behind that light, I can see a huge shadow," Meiser said. "I just can't make out what it is exactly."
That thing was hidden behind the light, so he could only vaguely see the outline of a dark shadow, but he couldn't discern what it was.
"A shadow?"
"A pirate ship?"
"No..."
Meiser stroked his chin and said, "Compared to a pirate ship... this thing looks more like a fish."
After saying this, even Meiser himself was stunned.
A fish?
Could it be...
"Hey, this thing isn't a lantern fish, is it?!" Franky's expression changed.
After all, only something like that would have a glowing part on its body!!
As if to confirm Franky's words, the massive creature in the distance suddenly accelerated, rushing straight toward the front of the Thousand Sunny.
Then, the lantern fish opened its enormous mouth, intending to swallow the tiny thing in front of it!
"Roar!"
"It really is a lantern fish!!"
"We've fallen into a deep sea hunter's trap!!"
Looking at the enormous creature, Usopp and the others were so terrified their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, their faces filled with horror.
"Quick... think of something, quick!!"
Watching the gaping maw drawing closer, Usopp felt utterly paralyzed.
"Leave it to me!" Perona shouted.
As her words fell, an enormous Negative Spirit drifted out from her body.
Immediately, the Negative Spirit shot out from the Thousand Sunny and in the blink of an eye flew right up to the Lantern Fish's face.
Lantern Fish: ???
Seeing this strange thing appear before its face, the Lantern Fish sprouted several question marks above its head.
What is this?
But before it could figure out what this thing was, the Negative Spirit passed right through its body without any resistance.
"Hum"
In just an instant, that terrifying negative energy took effect on the Lantern Fish!
Then, as if it had suffered an immense blow, the Lantern Fish rapidly sank downward, its expression looking utterly dejected.
Meanwhile, the huge Negative Spirit Perona had released showed a pained expression before dissolving into particles and vanishing into the seawater.
"Hara hara hara"
Looking at the giant Lantern Fish she had taken down with a single move, Perona laughed heartily and said, "Now you know my power!
"Hara hara hara"
A mere deep-sea monster was no match for her at all!!
"Perona, you're amazing!" Merry's eyes sparkled like little stars as she looked at Perona and said, "You defeated it in one hit!"
"Of course"
"Hara hara hara"
Receiving Merry's praise made Perona even happier.
"Truly worthy of the Ghost Princess..." Franky wiped the sweat from his face and said.
This terrifying power could even bring down a behemoth hundreds of meters long—truly frightening.
"By the way... does it affect you when that ghost disappears?" Nami asked.
The ghost Perona had released had vanished into the deep sea, and its expression seemed off when it disappeared, so she wanted to know if this had any impact on Perona.
If it did, then they couldn't let her take action in such situations again.
Hearing Nami's words, Perona shook her head and said, "That thing is just a product created by my ability.
It doesn't affect me."
Even if it were shattered by someone using Armament Haki, she wouldn't suffer any repercussions.
After all... she wasn't her original body's soul!
"It's good that you're fine." Nami sighed in relief.
"Speaking of which... doesn't seawater suppress your ability?" Usopp asked curiously.
Most ability users find it difficult to use their powers in the sea, just like him.
"There is some effect." Perona nodded honestly and said, "Otherwise, that Negative Spirit wouldn't have disappeared after just a moment."
"I see..."
Usopp nodded, then showed a thoughtful expression and said, "The sea really isn't friendly to us ability users, huh...
It seems ability users need to return to the surface to unleash their true strength."
"Alright, enough lamenting. Let's get out of here quickly," Nami said.
Although the Lantern Fish had been rendered utterly dejected by Perona's ability, it could still rise again at any moment.
So... better run first!
"You're right, we should..."
Before Franky could finish speaking, he noticed another colossal creature appearing ahead of the Thousand Sunny.
And... this behemoth was countless times larger than the Lantern Fish they had encountered earlier!!!
"What... what the hell is that thing now?!"
Staring at the massive form, everyone was utterly stunned.
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