On his way to his destination, Doflamingo was still rushing forward.
...
West Blue.
In what used to be a calm, deserted stretch of the Calm Belt—
Deep within it, thanks to the tireless day-and-night efforts of the treant-shaped replicants,a rail line floating on the ocean's surface was gradually taking shape.
From inside a massive shell buried beneath the seabed, a command echoed out across a nearby deserted island.
"Jinbei-san! A giant Sea King is approaching! Please move out immediately!"
"Understood!!"
Sitting cross-legged at the water's edge, Jinbei slowly opened his exhausted eyes.
Covered in bruises, he rose to his feet and was about to dive into the sea.
He and Tiger's current duty was to drive off the Sea Kings that interfered with the construction work.
"Jinbei! Let me handle this one! I'm rested enough!"
Tiger leapt energetically out of a nearby hut before Jinbei could reply, and dove straight into the sea.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished beneath the waves, rocketing toward the depths.
"Thanks, Tiger-san"
Jinbei's expression relaxed as he slumped down by the shore again, half-asleep, his thoughts drifting.
"Fortunately, Sea Kings have their own hunting zones and don't move around too much.
Most of the ones that come here are solo stragglers. If they came in groups, Tiger-san and I would be completely overwhelmed."
"It's a shame… Even though Fishmen can communicate with ordinary fish, we can't communicate with Sea Kings."
"If only we could, this wouldn't be such a burden. But… for the sake of our comrades, it's all worth it."
In reality, Sea Kings could communicate with Fishmen if they wanted to.
Their intelligence was high enough—but they only obeyed orders from the Poseidon.
They simply couldn't be bothered to acknowledge the Fishmen.
...
"Hyahihihihi~ These Fishmen are really useful. Where did the Boss even find them? Isn't Fishman Island notoriously anti-human?"
From afar, Moria watched with his usual twisted grin as Pica prepared to board the ship.
Before the Fishmen joined, it had always been Moria and Pica dealing with the Sea Kings.
And when he passed through Fishman Island, the Fishmen there had been openly hostile toward humans.
"As long as it's Doflamingo, even the most arrogant races will bow their heads!"
Pica's eyes burned with fervor, his voice full of conviction, like he was stating a universal truth.
Moria got goosebumps just hearing it.
Ever since Pica awakened his second ability, he'd become a complete zealot the polar opposite of someone under the influence of Negative Hollows.
And his condition kept getting worse.
Moria waved him off quickly, changing the subject.
"You heading to Skypiea this time, Pica? Diamante's still here to supervise, so when do I get to leave?"
Recently, he'd found a new way to develop his Shadow-Shadow Fruit.
But he needed to go out and gather some… experimental material.
"I'm heading to the Red Line at Reverse Mountain. As for you, Doflamingo said that once this year ends, you can launch a full-scale raid on those damned royal families in the West Blue."
The Red Line? What's even there?
Moria didn't get a chance to think it through.
As soon as he heard the last part, his jaw practically split open from grinning.
"Hyahihihihi—alright then! You go first, Pica. I'll keep things running smoothly here."
...
Tenryu Island.
Donquixote Combat Academy.
Today was enrollment day for the young Fishmen.
The place was buzzing with energy—crowds of spectators had shown up for the occasion.
Because Fishmen were born with extraordinary strength, they were all assigned directly to the Gold Class.
Otohime had even taken special leave to bring the royal family here to encourage them.
"Do your best!"
"You need to learn how to fight properly—that's how you'll protect yourselves."
"..."
After nearly two months of nourishment, the scrawny little Fishmen had plumped up considerably.
So had their confidence.
Facing the human students across the training grounds, the leading tiger shark Fishman—Ajin—grinned, baring rows of sharp teeth.
He sliced a hand across his neck.
"Fishman strength is unbeatable! We will become the sharpest blades in Doflamingo-sama's hands!!"
"You'll all be nothing but stepping stones beneath our feet!"
That was about all the Gold Class kids could take.
They'd just finished learning the basics of the Rokushiki, and they exploded into a roar as they charged forward.
"We're all refugees saved by Doflamingo-sama! You think being uglier than us makes you superior?!"
Moments later...
The human students were sprawled across the ground, bruised and beaten.
Ajin raised both hands in triumph, laughing wildly.
"Hahahaha! Fishmen are just flat-out stronger than humans!"
The rest of the bruised-up Fishmen joined in with loud cheers.
"That's right!"
"Starting today, this academy belongs to us Fishmen!"
"..."
Nearby.
Yamato, Weevil, and the others had been watching everything unfold.
Yamato gritted her teeth.
"What annoying little bastards. Fishmen are even worse than merfolk. Right, Weevil?"
If it weren't for the Donquixote family's strict rules against jumping grades for schoolyard beatdowns, she'd have already charged down there to fight.
"You want some?"
Weevil held up a roasted Bird, offering it to Yamato just as he was about to take a bite himself.
"No thanks. You eat it. If only Buffalo and Monet were still here… They'd know what to do."
Without the response she wanted, Yamato slumped a little.
Robin wasn't around, and Buffalo and Monet had both moved on to family responsibilities.
Now it was just her and Weevil.
Maybe... I should give it a try myself?
Then—
In the silence of the school grounds, a sharp, mocking voice rang out.
"Fishmen are stronger than humans? That's news to us."
"And if your whole race is so strong... how come there isn't a single Fishman among the Four Emperors?"
Yamato's eyes lit up and immediately turned toward the sound.
That blunt truth hit Ajin like a slap across the face. His cheeks flushed red with fury as he turned toward the entrance.
Two children were slowly approaching—each wearing a golden badge.
One was decked out in golden accessories from head to toe. His spiky golden hair stood straight up, and though he wore a cold smile beneath his sunglasses, the little Fishmen could almost see the shadow of Doflamingo in him.
The other wore a close-fitting combat suit, showing off his lean, sculpted muscles.
He was grinning too, though his expression looked far more normal.
As soon as the two entered the training grounds, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.
"Prince Zoffy! Prince Ace!!"
"..."
Doflamingo-sama's children?!
Ajin and the other Fishmen froze on the spot.
Panic instantly set in as they scrambled to explain themselves.
"Prince Zoffy! Prince Ace! N-no, we didn't mean—"
THUMP!
A fist came flying through the air, cutting off the rest of Ajin's words.
A small fist collided with his, the size contrast striking.
The next moment, Ajin staggered back, clutching his reddened hand.
"Oww!!"
"Hahaha! Looks like your fist isn't as tough as your mouth!"
Zoffy, who'd inherited bone strength, didn't feel a thing.
Excited, he threw another punch and charged again.
"Boss Ajin!!"
The other Fishmen, seeing their leader in trouble, rushed in as well showing their trademark team spirit.
Ace grinned and joined the brawl.
Moments later...
Ajin and the rest of the little Fishmen were lying in a heap, looking just like the human students they'd beaten earlier.
Just before losing consciousness, a single thought flashed through Ajin's mind:
"Didn't Arlong say a Fishman's strength is dozens of times greater than a human's? So how come... I couldn't even beat a couple of kids?!"