From the outside, the entire Fish-Man Island resembled a glass sphere encased in a giant transparent bubble.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, with vibrant, colorful lights shimmering in the deep sea, and countless luminous fish schools darting through them like shooting stars.
Libo lay at the edge of the bubble, her pink eyes reflecting the dreamlike scenery, her bunny ears twitching excitedly.
"Gern! Tesoro! Look! There are glowing seahorses!"
"Is this Fish-Man Island...?" Tesoro was also awestruck by the sight, his hand unconsciously tightening on the ship's helm.
"It's truly unbelievable... such beauty exists in the deep sea."
However, just as the three were immersed in this deep-sea wonder, a sudden change occurred!
The previously calm ocean current suddenly surged violently, and a powerful undercurrent struck from the side.
The Marine ship tilted sharply, items inside the cabin sliding and clattering.
"What's going on?!" Tesoro's expression changed, his hands gripping the helm tightly, trying to steady the ship.
But the current's ferocity far exceeded his imagination; the Marine ship was like a leaf in a storm, swept into the chaotic water.
"Tesoro, switch to manual steering!" Gern's voice remained calm amidst the turbulence.
He quickly walked to Tesoro's side, one hand on the helm, the other steadying the swaying Libo.
"No! The current is too strong!" Tesoro gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
His navigation experience was ultimately limited, and he seemed somewhat powerless in the face of this sudden situation.
The Marine ship spun wildly in the current, the coated bubble groaning under the strain, as if it could burst at any moment.
Libo's ears were pressed tightly against her head, her small hands clutching Gern's cape: "Gern, are we going to fall?"
If the coating cracked, especially at 10,000 meters underwater, anyone would be doomed!
"Hold on!" Gern didn't answer, but instead looked up sharply.
Fish-Man Island's massive double-layered bubble shield was already close at hand!
"Bang!" The Marine ship's coating automatically peeled off and fused with Fish-Man Island's shield the moment it made contact.
The Marine ship, now unprotected by its coating, plunged directly through the shield and into the air layer in between.
"It's over!" Tesoro exclaimed.
The Marine ship rapidly plummeted from high altitude, towards the Gyoncord Plaza below, where Fishmen and merfolk were leisurely strolling or trading goods.
Suddenly, they heard a whistling sound from above, looked up, and then scattered in terror.
"Run! Something's falling!"
"It's a ship! A ship is falling from the sky!"
"Damn it! Can't these pirates change their weird ways of landing?
Fish-Man Island has proper entrances!"
Meanwhile, Gern stood on the deck, his gaze quickly sweeping over the chaotic plaza below.
"If it crashes like this, something bad will definitely happen.
Rather than that... I'll make you all fly!" Thinking this, Gern took a deep breath, his right fist suddenly clenching, vibration particles wildly converging in his palm.
"Heaven Quake: Air Pressure!"
With a punch, invisible shockwaves spread like ripples, and a powerful wave of pressure swept out from the Marine ship's center.
The chaotic Fishmen and merfolk in the plaza felt a gentle yet irresistible force pushing them away.
In an instant, a wide open space was cleared in the center of Gyoncord Plaza.
"Boom!" The Marine ship crashed heavily onto the cleared ground, its hull shaking violently, and the wooden planks on the deck creaking and breaking.
But thanks to Gern's precise control, although the ship's structure was severely damaged, the three of them were unharmed.
It could only be described as an imperfect landing!
...
As the dust from the Marine ship's crash gradually settled, Gern brushed off the wood chips on his body.
He looked helplessly at Libo and Tesoro: "It seems our entrance was a bit special."
Libo, who was almost entirely wrapped around Gern, poked her head out from behind him, then jumped off his back.
Her bunny ears were a bit dusty, but her eyes were still sparkling: "We're at Fish-Man Island?!"
"I guess you could say we landed successfully, but the Marine ship needs repairs," Tesoro said with a wry smile, rubbing his sore arm.
"This is much more exciting than the amusement park on Sabaody Archipelago..."
At this moment, the Fishmen and merfolk surrounding the plaza recovered from their shock and gathered around, whispering.
"Are they pirates again?"
"They fell from the sky? And their ship is completely different!"
"And what just happened? Did someone push me?!"
Looking at the Fish-Man Island residents who had almost surrounded him,
Gern looked around, his cloak of Justice flaring, revealing a friendly smile.
"Apologies for disturbing everyone; please forgive the accident just now."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion suddenly arose in the crowd.
A team of fully armed Fishman soldiers pushed through the crowd, holding long spears and surrounding Gern and his two companions.
Leading them was a burly shark Fishman, his eyes fierce, his trident pointed directly at the three.
"Who are you? How dare you trespass on Fish-Man Island!" the shark Fishman roared, his voice carrying undeniable authority.
Libo hid behind Gern, peeking out her head and muttering softly: "Gern, they don't seem very friendly..."
"Even if Fish-Man Island is a necessary stop for you pirates, isn't this a bit too arrogant!"
"Pirates?" Hearing the shark Fishman's words, Gern took a step forward, his cloak slightly lifted, the word 'Justice' on it glaring.
"Sorry! I'm not that kind of thing." Gern slightly raised his eyes, his tone flat: "Allow me to introduce myself, Marineford Rear Admiral Gern, visiting Fish-Man Island today."
"Marine?" The shark Fishman coldly scanned the three. No Marines had landed on Fish-Man Island until now, so he didn't know.
"I don't care if you're Marine or pirate, Fish-Man Island doesn't welcome you, especially those who 'intrude' in this manner."
"Apologies." Tesoro stepped forward, his golden gloves glinting slightly.
"We mean no harm. As for the damages caused by the sudden change in current, we will compensate in full."
The shark Fishman snorted: "Accident? Who knows if that's just an excuse?"
Upon hearing this, Libo's ears perked up, and she said indignantly,
"We're not pirates!
Look, this is our Marine emblem!" She pointed to the insignia on her uniform.
"Hmph." The shark Fishman captain's pupils narrowed into a thin line.
Fishmen instinctively disliked humans; even though Fish-Man Street had been reformed by Tiger, the inner aversion still persisted.
Humans viewed Fishmen and merfolk as mere fish, and they, in turn, disliked and excluded, especially humans.
So the shark Fishman's rough fingers almost crushed the trident's grip, his gills rapidly opening and closing.
"Just two humans (Libo is a rabbit) dare to act wildly on Fish-Man Island? Take them down!"
Over twenty Ryugu Palace guards simultaneously raised their weapons, their sharp coral spears glinting coldly in the deep-sea light.
They surrounded the Marine ship's wreckage in a fan shape, and the shark Fishman bared his fangs: "Humans, you will pay the price for trespassing on Fish-Man Island!"
"Price?" Gern's cloak billowed without wind, the black trim on his cuffs rippling like a living thing.
He lightly lifted his Marine boot onto the broken ship railing, looking down at these guards from above.
"Didn't we say we'd compensate for the damages? And I came... with the intention of a friendly visit!"
At this, Gern's Haoshoku began to subtly emanate, and the shark Fishman suddenly felt difficulty breathing.
It was as if Gern, though still standing in place, had transformed into a predator from the abyssal depths.
"Bluffing! Take them down first!"
"Stop!" A voice of reprimand came from behind the crowd. But
It was too late.
Gern's lips curved into a dangerous arc, and a dark purple electric glow flashed in his eyes.
Conqueror's Haki, like a precise surgical knife, instantly pierced into the nervous systems of the charging soldiers.
"Thump, thump, thump!" Amidst a series of falling sounds, the shark Fishman watched in horror as his companions fell like harvested wheat.
His trident clanged to the ground, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.
This fear, yes! It was the primal fear of top predators, ingrained in a creature's genes.
"So..." Gern slowly stepped forward, purposefully lightening his steps as his Marine boots passed over the unconscious Fishman soldiers.
He bent down, picked up the trident, spun it into a beautiful flourish in his palm, then flung it to stick in the ground in front of the shark Fishman, who had fallen flat.
Looking down, he said coldly: "Can you speak properly now?"
