[~1400 Words]
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"This…" Jinbe was momentarily stunned. First, sever a finger to apologize—and later, an arm?
"Alright, it's decided." James waved dismissively, signaling for him to leave.
"Mr. James…"
Before Jinbe could finish, James exhaled sharply through his nose. His Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, crashing down upon Jinbe's will like a violent storm.
The ground trembled under the weight of that pressure, yet Jinbe did not yield. He remained standing—breathing heavily, but unbroken. After all, he was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, a man capable of resisting Big Mom's Soul Pocus.
"I am not discussing this with you!" James' voice thundered, his tone carrying the weight of authority itself. "Remember who you are, Jinbe! Behind you stands Fish-Man Island!"
The next instant, a circular portal of swirling light appeared beneath Jinbe's feet. Before he could react, it swallowed him whole.
He fell from the rift and landed solidly on the plaza below, his body steady but his heart heavy.
"...So this is how it is," he muttered under his breath, sighing deeply. There was no changing what had been decided. From this point onward, he could only obey James.
After a brief silence, Jinbe lifted his great sword with a firm, solemn expression. Without hesitation, he raised it high—then brought it down upon his left hand.
Whoosh!
A sharp arc of steel flashed through the air.
In the next moment, blood splattered across the ground. Jinbe's five fingers flew in separate directions, each carried by the force of his strike.
"Boss Jinbe!"
"Captain!"
Cries erupted from the crowd. Countless eyes widened in shock as blood poured freely from Jinbe's mutilated hand. His brow furrowed in agony, but he didn't make a sound—not even a grunt. The only thing that escaped him was a slow exhale of pain held in silence.
Neptune, Shyarly, and the others could only watch as Aladdin, the Sun Pirates' vice-captain and ship doctor, rushed forward with his medical kit. His expression was grim as he quickly began tending to Jinbe's wound.
Jinbe forced a strained smile and said hoarsely, "Don't panic… this old man just wanted to test if the blade was sharp."
The uninformed citizens exchanged confused looks, their expressions frozen in disbelief. Neptune and Aladdin shared a silent glance, sighing softly—they both knew the truth.
Time passed, and soon the sun climbed to its zenith.
After returning Shyarly to her private manor, James spent the afternoon idly entertaining the mermaids until after lunch. When the moment felt right, he slipped free from her embrace, his body transforming into a streak of lightning that vanished into thin air.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared within the Ryugu Kingdom's observation chamber. Through the thick walls of glass and coral, he could clearly see the world beyond Fish-Man Island's protective dome.
With a mere thought, the massive island began to tremble—and then slowly ascend. The colossal city of coral and bubbles rose steadily toward the surface, guided by the permanent log pose pointing toward his Raijin Island.
Behind it, the ancient ship Noah followed in silence. To James, it was nothing more than another spoil of war—an artifact that now belonged to him.
The ascent was smooth, uneventful. But as the island climbed higher, the light from the Sun Tree Eve began to fade. The waters around them darkened until Fish-Man Island was swallowed by pitch-black depths.
Then—light.
At about three thousand meters upward, the gloom broke. James narrowed his eyes; his sharp gaze caught a flicker of movement. A massive Sea King, shaped like a lantern fish, glided into view—its bioluminescent body glowing with eerie brilliance.
Could it be… the same lantern fish that devoured Olvia's island? The one that hoarded Pure Gold?
As if answering his suspicion, the creature's lantern flared brighter, illuminating the sea around it.
And then, from the shadows, more titans appeared.
One after another, enormous Sea Kings emerged—each over five thousand meters long—encircling Fish-Man Island like a living wall of flesh and teeth.
Gasps filled the observation room.
"God-sama… what should we do?" stammered one of the Sea King Army officers, trembling as he stared at the monstrous silhouettes.
"There's no need to panic," James said calmly. "With Shirahoshi here, they won't attack."
But then, a flood of voices—some sharp, others deep and ancient—echoed directly into James's mind:
[Oh my, oh my~ Why has Fish-Man Island come here?]
[The time is not yet ripe… Why does our Mermaid Princess rise to the surface so soon?]
[Wait… the timing should be within these few years. Did we miscalculate… by centuries?]
[Our Ark of the Covenant—why is it moving too?!]
The overlapping voices grew louder, each resonating with a distinct tone—some wise, others confused, some even amused.
James frowned, realization dawning on him. So they're communicating directly into my mind… telepathy?
He hesitated for a moment, then commanded the island to continue ascending.
But as soon as they climbed another thousand meters, the Sea Kings grew restless. Their collective will pressed against his, and their thoughts crashed through his mind like waves.
[We do not know why Fish-Man Island rises—but it must return!]
In perfect unity, the Sea Kings lunged forward, their colossal bodies pushing against the island and the Noah. The sheer force of their combined strength halted the ascent instantly.
The sea roared with power. Fish-Man Island and Noah shuddered violently, locked in a struggle against James's control.
For a fleeting moment, there was equilibrium—but only for a heartbeat. Then, the island began to sink.
Lightning crackled as James appeared above the island in a flash of blue light. His voice, amplified by electricity, thundered through the ocean.
"Hey! Big guys—let go of Fish-Man Island!"
The command struck through the sea like a sonic boom. The Sea Kings froze mid-motion, their glowing eyes turning toward the lone figure floating above the city.
Their voices murmured again:
[Such a presence… is he human?]
[We have not received a command from the Mermaid Princess. You have no authority to speak for her!]
James raised an eyebrow. "Then wait here. I'll bring her myself."
[He can understand us…?]
A long silence followed. Then, a unified, resonant answer filled the water:
[...Go.]
Without hesitation, James vanished again in a streak of lightning, reappearing moments later at Shyarly's manor. After a brief exchange, he returned to the sea above Fish-Man Island—this time with Princess Shirahoshi seated beside him on the flying carpet.
"Shirahoshi," he said firmly, "tell them you wish to leave the sea. But before that—ask how to awaken Poseidon's power!"
"Yes, husband!" she replied softly. Her delicate voice trembled, but there was a hint of courage in it.
Facing the massive Sea Kings, Shirahoshi took a deep breath and called out sweetly,
"Sea King-samas! Please… tell me! How can I awaken the power of Poseidon?"
For a moment, the water was still. Then came a flood of uncertain voices:
[Mermaid Princess…]
[Awaken Poseidon's power? We… we are not the Sea Kings who would know such things.]
[Just play along, maybe she'll stop asking.]
[Fool! She heard that!]
James twitched an eyebrow, a dark line forming on his forehead. Unbelievable… these mighty beings sound like bickering children.
Shirahoshi giggled, covering her mouth. "They're so funny," she whispered.
Then, one final voice echoed, calm and ancient:
[The Princess will know… when she grows up.]
James exhaled through his nose, half in irritation, half in resignation. So that's how it is. No shortcuts after all.
He glanced at Shirahoshi, who smiled back with gentle innocence, and thought, Looks like we'll just have to wait for destiny to play its part.
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