"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and run!"
Baron Tamago slapped Pekoms on the back of the head, then seized the helm and spun it frantically, trying to escape the Nostra Castello.
"Why are you so nervous? We're flying Big Mom's flag too, aren't we?" Pekoms said, a little indignant.
"Are you an idiot? How can that be the same? There's never been any news of Ryuuto having a subordinate crew, so there's a high probability that's him in person."
Baron Tamago's hands flew as he executed a sharp turn beneath the waves, pushing his pirate ship to accelerate into a desperate flight.
"Oh, I see!" Pekoms nodded thoughtfully.
As the two ships continued their chase, they drew closer and closer to Fish-Man Island.
"You... don't come any closer!" Baron Tamago risked a glance back and saw that the distance between them was now less than a hundred meters.
"I see you, Baron Tamago!" Ryuuto stood at the prow of his ship. With a great shout, he leaped forward, piercing the ship's bubble coating with a soft pop and plunging directly into the seawater.
Crackle...
A flash of lightning enveloped him, forming a thin, shimmering shield. Under the effect of his electrical power, a stream of bubbles rapidly rose from the top of his head.
"How is the captain walking in the sea?" Jean Bart asked, watching the scene with curiosity.
"If I'm not mistaken, Captain Ryuuto is using electrolysis. By supplying a continuous electric current, he's breaking down the seawater into oxygen for him to breathe," the Scientist said softly after a moment of stroking his chin, his eyes fixed on Ryuuto's figure.
"That's so cool!" Nami, ever the hype woman, immediately cried out in amazement.
"As expected of Ryuuto!" Boa Hancock's face was flushed, her expression one of pure adoration.
"So that's how it works!" Vivi, Crocus, and World all nodded in understanding.
"What is this power? Why isn't he affected by the sea!" The sight stunned Baron Tamago, freezing him in place. His jaw nearly hit the deck.
"Don't even think about running. Take this!" Ryuuto roared. His right hand blurred as he drew his blade from its sheath at his waist, unleashing a slash of pure violet lightning.
The violet arc surged forward with unstoppable force, vaporizing the seawater in its path as it shot directly toward Baron Tamago's ship.
"No, don't!" Baron Tamago and Pekoms screamed.
BOOM!
There was a massive impact. The ship's coating shattered, and the vessel itself cracked violently, splitting in two before plummeting downward.
Directly below them was a super-massive bubble, and within it, the beautiful, dreamlike world of Fish-Man Island.
"Ah! We're finished!" Baron Tamago and Pekoms shrieked in terror, clinging to the ship's railing.
"Quick, get out of the way!" As the broken ship plunged into Fish-Man Island, the merfolk and fish-men below screamed and scattered in a panic.
CRASH!
With a deafening boom, the wrecked ship slammed into the ground, exploding into a pile of splinters.
"Pekoms, are we still alive?" Baron Tamago managed to crawl out from a pile of wooden planks, shaking the unconscious Pekoms beside him.
"What's going on?"
"Who are they? Why did they just fall from the sky?"
"Quick, go inform the king!"
The surrounding merfolk chattered amongst themselves. Just then, someone spotted Big Mom's Jolly Roger lying on the ground.
Crackle...
With a flash of lightning, Ryuuto appeared in an instant beside Baron Tamago and Pekoms.
"You're Baron Tamago, right? Take out your Transponder Snail and tell Big Mom that Fish-Man Island is my territory from now on!" Ryuuto commanded, his voice cold as he pressed his Armament Haki-coated blade, Kuilong Zan, against Baron Tamago's neck.
"Yes... I'll do it right now!"
Baron Tamago felt the oppressive aura of death envelop him. Fear seized his heart, and massive beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he fumbled for a Transponder Snail decorated with candy patterns and a long, protruding tongue.
"Lord Perospero, we've encountered Ryuuto on Fish-Man Island! Mom... might not be getting her cakes!" Baron Tamago shouted the moment the call connected.
"It seems you're testing my patience."
At those words, Ryuuto's lips barely moved. He applied pressure with Kuilong Zan, and Baron Tamago's head flew into the air, a spray of fresh blood following it.
"Damn it! Baron Tamago, didn't you tell him that we'd stop at nothing to claim Fish-Man Island?"
As Baron Tamago died, the Transponder Snail fell to the ground with a clatter, Perospero's furious voice echoing from it.
"Fish-Man Island is mine. If you have a problem with that, you're welcome to come and find me," Ryuuto said dismissively, ignoring Perospero's impotent rage before crushing the Transponder Snail in his hand.
"Bastard! Ryuuto... you just wait!" Faintly, Ryuuto thought he could hear Perospero's parting threat.
"So this is the new Emperor... Ryuuto? To actually dare to oppose the Big Mom Pirates!" a fish-man in a red hat in Fish-Man District hissed, his head lowered and his face dark.
"A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"
Suddenly, a tall merman with orange hair and a beard, wearing a crown and carrying a trident, approached from a distance. It was the king of Fish-Man Island, Neptune. Beside him was the blue-haired Prince Fukaboshi, also holding a trident.
King Neptune looked anxious as he hurried toward Ryuuto. The arrival of the Big Mom Pirates was, in fact, at his own invitation. After Whitebeard's death, Fish-Man Island had lost its protector, and rampant pirates had begun capturing fish-men and merfolk in droves. Realizing he needed to find a new patron, Neptune had contacted Perospero.
Thump...
With the sound of an impact, the Nostra Castello passed through the giant bubble and landed in the plaza.
"Lord Ryuuto, Fish-Man Island welcomes you!" King Neptune glanced at the bodies of Baron Tamago and the unconscious Pekoms, then immediately forced a wide smile and spoke respectfully.
Ryuuto held Kuilong Zan, and with a slight tremor of the blade, an invisible shockwave erupted, sweeping out in all directions.
"From this day forward, Fish-Man Island is my territory!"
As Ryuuto's words fell, countless fish-men and merfolk were knocked over by the shockwave, staring in terror at the man holding the silver blade. King Neptune and Prince Fukaboshi were also sent stumbling, struggling to keep their footing.
This is the power of an Emperor! King Neptune thought, forcing his eyes open to stare intently at Ryuuto.
"Ryuuto!"
"Captain!"
"Captain Ryuuto!"
With several whooshes, Boa Hancock, World, and the others leaped down to stand by Ryuuto's side, watching King Neptune and his sons with faint smiles. An immense pressure instantly descended upon the plaza.
"Lord Ryuuto, it is my honor for Fish-Man Island to become your protectorate!" King Neptune bowed deeply and said cautiously. "How may we be of service to you?"
"Nami!" Ryuuto nodded in satisfaction and called out to her.
Nami immediately understood. She pulled a large pirate flag from her waist and unfurled it with a flick of her wrist. On the white canvas, a soaring black dragon was emblazoned in stunning detail.
Seeing the flag, King Neptune respectfully accepted it. "Could this be a blessing in disguise? My original goal was to gain the protection of an Emperor anyway," he thought to himself, staring blankly at the black dragon flag.
...And so, Ryuuto and his crew were guided to the Ryugu Palace by King Neptune.
"Captain, this cake is delicious!" Nami exclaimed, sitting at a table and stuffing her face.
"Mhm!" Vivi chimed in beside her.
"Captain Ryuuto, are you really going to the Sea Forest? There are giant Sea Kings and terrifying sea monsters there," King Neptune asked, seeking confirmation one more time.
"Yes, we have a reason we must go there. However, we will need Princess Shirahoshi's help." Ryuuto slowly rose and walked over to Princess Shirahoshi's side as he spoke.
"What? Me?" Shirahoshi blushed instantly upon hearing Ryuuto's words.
King Neptune's expression turned grim. He recalled the prophecy that had been passed down on Fish-Man Island for generations. "In the future, a person will appear who will change the world, guiding it toward the dawn alongside the Mermaid Princess."
Could Ryuuto be that prophesied person? Neptune wondered, looking at the man before him.
"Princess Shirahoshi, you'll be fine, won't you?" Ryuuto looked at her beautiful face and couldn't help but marvel. Who could have imagined that such a lovely princess was the human vessel for the ancient weapon Poseidon?
"Uh, yes, I'll be fine!" Shirahoshi grew shyer and shyer under Ryuuto's gaze and could only nod slowly.
"Captain Ryuuto, are you going there to see the Poneglyph? Surely you aren't interested in the damaged Ark Noah?" King Neptune couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked cautiously.
"Father!" Prince Fukaboshi cried out in alarm. The giant Ark Noah was a secret of Fish-Man Island. How could he so casually reveal it to an outsider?
But Fukaboshi didn't understand. King Neptune saw in Ryuuto a profound madness hidden beneath a calm exterior. A man like that would not have come for a simple reason.
"What do you think?" Ryuuto walked back to his seat, then turned to look at Neptune and Fukaboshi with a faint smile.
"I have a crazy plan. Are you willing to take a gamble?" Ryuuto stepped onto a table, his voice sinking to a deep, resonant tone. "Do you... want to see the real sun again?"
"I will lead you back to the surface! Those who wish to follow me, come!"
Ryuuto's voice was electric. The sunlight filtering down from the roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve fell upon him, bathing him in a mysterious glow. His words struck King Neptune like a thunderbolt.
Is the prophecy coming true today? A tremor ran through King Neptune's heart as he stared at Ryuuto in utter disbelief.
Thud!
Shirahoshi covered her mouth and stumbled backward, toppling the table laden with food. Fukaboshi and the other princes were frozen in shock, the things in their hands clattering to the floor.
Boa Hancock, World, and the others stared intently at Ryuuto. This was the first time they had heard his plan, and a wave of heroic passion surged through them, their hearts pounding.
"Hahahaha... Let's shake the world to its very core!" Ryuuto threw his head back and laughed, his face completely bathed in the golden sunlight. The countless mermaid soldiers around them fixed their gazes on him. In that moment, they understood that something akin to destiny was unfolding.
"The surface!"
"The sun!"
A chorus of cheers erupted from their mouths, a massive wave of sound sweeping through the Ryugu Palace.
In King Neptune's eyes, Ryuuto's figure slowly began to overlap with that of Queen Otohime. For a moment, his eyes grew moist. "Otohime, I miss you," he sighed in his heart.
"Fuffuffuffuffu, Captain Ryuuto, let's shake the world!" World shot to his feet, his fists clenched. A powerful aura erupted from him, and black lightning crackled across the ceiling. "This is too interesting! Too interesting!" he roared with laughter.
Bins, Gairam, and the others smiled, watching him quietly. It was the first time they had seen World so genuinely happy since joining the Ryuuto Pirates.
"What a madman," the Scientist sighed, before breaking into a wide grin himself.
"The surface! The sun!" Sebastian leaped up, knocking over his table as he joined the chorus of cheers.
"No matter what, I will always stand by Ryuuto's side!" Boa Hancock declared, her face a picture of lovesick devotion.
"Hahahahaha, this is insane! It gets an old man's blood pumping again!" Crocus stroked his beard and laughed heartily.
Nami, Vivi, and Jean Bart also smiled at Ryuuto. Whatever their captain decided to do, they would support him unconditionally.
"Captain Ryuuto, from what I know, the Ark is severely damaged. It has completely lost its ability to sail," King Neptune said, rubbing the corner of his eye as he raised his concerns. "And even if it were repaired, it couldn't carry that many people!"
Hearing this, Crocus, World, and the others turned their gazes to Ryuuto.
"Hahahahahaha... What I intend to do is even crazier! If you agree, I will move everyone to the surface at once!"
Ryuuto's voice boomed in King Neptune's ears, filling him with a powerful sense of confidence.
"Fukaboshi, go and inform everyone! From this day forward, we begin the great plan to migrate to the surface!" King Neptune's resounding voice echoed through the hall.
"Yes, Father!" Fukaboshi replied with a sharp cry and shot out of the room.