Ten thousand meters beneath the sea's surface, Fish-Man Island bustled with activity on Fish-Man Street. "Please enter Noah's Ark in an orderly manner," a voice echoed through the crowd. "No pushing or crowding."
Queen Otohime stood on the bow of the colossal battleship named Noah, her palace gown billowing gently in the underwater currents. Holding the handset of a projected Den Den Mushi, she addressed the millions of Fishmen below, guiding them to board the Ark one by one.
Years of her tireless advocacy—some might call it brainwashing—had finally borne fruit. The residents of Fish-Man Island, once hostile toward humans, now willingly prepared to relocate to Sky Island, eager to begin a new life alongside them.
Meanwhile, Sky Island had undergone years of extensive infrastructure development. Clouds had been shaped, roads built, and a sprawling city capable of housing millions now stood ready. The groundwork for coexistence had been laid.
At this moment, Queen Otohime felt a profound sense of fulfillment. Her life's mission was complete. Beside her, Shirahoshi, towering at twelve meters tall, leaned against the edge of Noah's Ark. Her radiant smile shone like the sun, her eyes brimming with hope and anticipation as she gazed at the bustling Fishmen below.
"Mr. Sephiroth," she said, her voice warm and melodic, "today is truly a day worth commemorating! From now on, everyone can move to Sky Island and live a happy life."
"Indeed," Sephiroth replied, standing beside her. His hand reached out naturally, brushing Shirahoshi's cheek in a tender gesture. Though she blushed faintly, she didn't pull away. "Today marks the fulfillment of your people's long-held dream."
Not far off, Neptune gripped his trident tightly, his knuckles whitening as he watched the intimate exchange. An inexplicable urge to stab someone surged through him—but he restrained himself. With a resigned sigh, he lowered his weapon and remained silent.
For a long time now, Neptune had sensed something amiss with his daughter. Shirahoshi no longer stayed in the Royal Palace as often as she used to. Instead, she frequently requested to live on Sky Island. Eventually, she volunteered to serve as the diplomat between Sky Island and Fish-Man Island, becoming the bridge between the two realms.
At first, Neptune had chalked it up to Shirahoshi maturing and embracing her royal responsibilities. But as time passed, he noticed a troubling pattern. During their daily Den Den Mushi conversations, the name "Mr. Sephiroth" began to slip from Shirahoshi's lips more and more frequently. That's when Neptune realized the gravity of the situation.
Through Queen Otohime, Neptune had learned about Sephiroth's character—and his private life. It was the kind of life that inspired envy and jealousy. Or, as Neptune preferred to think of it, utter contempt.
Determined to protect his daughter, Neptune began cautioning Shirahoshi against scoundrels, urging her to seek a loyal partner in the future. But his efforts seemed futile.
Some time ago, Neptune tentatively broached the subject with Shirahoshi. "What do you think of Mr. Sephiroth?" he asked.
Shirahoshi's response had been soft but unwavering. "Mr. Sephiroth is a very good person," she said, her cheeks tinged with pink. "He's very gentle. I like him very much."
In that moment, Neptune knew the situation was beyond salvaging. Forcing Shirahoshi to break ties with Sephiroth? Out of the question. The Fishman race would soon be living on Sephiroth's territory, after all.
Queen Otohime, for her part, harbored no objections. She chose to remain silent, tacitly approving of the relationship. Her powerful Observation Haki allowed her to see through appearances and discern Sephiroth's true intentions. She could tell he was sincere with the women in his life and treated them well.
Since Shirahoshi genuinely cared for Sephiroth, Queen Otohime saw no reason to interfere. In her eyes, Shirahoshi's happiness was paramount. After all, Queen Otohime was born with extremely strong Observation Haki, enabling her to see the truth behind the facade.
Sephiroth, the true mastermind behind the Umbrella Corporation and ruler of Sky Island, wielded power and influence far surpassing that of any ordinary king—even without the formal title. It was only natural for a man of his stature to have multiple wives and concubines. Kings like Neptune, who remained devoted to a single partner, were a rare exception rather than the rule.
Years ago, Sephiroth's decision to relocate the entire Fishman race aboard Noah's Ark had struck a chord with Queen Otohime, inexplicably aligning with an ancient prophecy passed down on Fish-Man Island. According to legend, the mermaid princess's destined partner, the great "Hero (Sinner)" Joy Boy, would one day use Noah's Ark to lead the Fishman race to live on land. Though Sephiroth's destination was Sky Island, high above the clouds, his actions mirrored the prophecy with uncanny precision.
Queen Otohime was utterly convinced: Sephiroth was the long-awaited Joy Boy.
Yet, this hero's character and morals left much to be desired…
Her belief in Sephiroth's role as Joy Boy was precisely why Queen Otohime allowed Shirahoshi to interact with him so freely.
Bururu! Bururu! Bururu~!
The sudden ringing of a den den mushi broke the silence, echoing from the pocket of Sephiroth's black suit jacket. He casually answered the call, lifting the receiver to his ear. Gion's voice, dripping with affected sweetness, spilled out. "Hello! Mr. Sephiroth! Can you come over tonight at seven? I've prepared a surprise for you—I guarantee it'll make you very happy~!"
Shirahoshi, standing beside him, immediately glanced up, her expression a mix of curiosity and hesitation.
"Uh!? Okay, I'm a bit busy right now. I'll hang up first," Sephiroth replied abruptly, ending the call. He muttered under his breath, "This woman's attitude is odd. She's not planning something strange again, is she?"
Shirahoshi blinked her large, luminous eyes and spoke timidly. "Mr. Sephiroth, I don't recognize her voice. Is she… also one of your women?"
"Ah! Uh!? Yes…" Sephiroth scratched his head awkwardly, offering no further explanation about Gion.
Two hours later, Queen Otohime approached Sephiroth with graceful steps. "All the residents of Fish-Man Island have boarded Noah's Ark. The rest is in your hands…"
"Understood. Let's set off now," Sephiroth replied. With a casual wave of his hand, he activated the Float-Float Fruit's power. The colossal Noah's Ark, as massive as a mountain, detached from the seabed and began its ascent, gradually picking up speed as it rose toward the surface.
Soon, the entire ship breached the water, soaring into the air. The bubble coating that enveloped the vessel ruptured and dissipated in the breeze. Under Sephiroth's control, the Ark accelerated rapidly, reaching speeds of over a hundred kilometers per hour in mere seconds as it raced toward distant Sky Island.
Opening a spatial door to create a stable channel for relocating Fish-Man Island's five million residents was theoretically possible, but it would require transporting them in batches. Sephiroth's reserve lifespan wasn't sufficient to maintain the spatial door for extended periods, forcing him to continuously replenish his vitality.
Such a method would be far too cumbersome. Instead, he opted to have the Fishman residents board Noah's Ark and use the Float-Float Fruit to transport them all at once—a far more efficient solution.
The latter process took far longer than the former. At least he didn't have to keep draining livestock from multiple ranches for vitality.
And there was the added bonus of acquiring a massive battleship half the size of Fish-Man Island for free. Why wouldn't he take that opportunity? If Mr. Sephiroth hadn't been constrained by Fish-Man Island's spherical shape and the risk of damaging its coating while maneuvering through the sea with the Float-Float Fruit ability, he would've relocated the entire island to Sky Island long ago. The slightest misstep could flood the island with seawater, making the venture too perilous.
Sabaody Archipelago, Island 49.
In a private room on the second floor of a restaurant, Sabo sat by the window, devouring the food piled on the table. He turned to Crow beside him. "According to the intel I just gathered, on the day of Ace's execution, the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates will launch a joint assault on Marineford."
He paused, chewing thoughtfully. "That means our initial plan—storming Impel Down to contact Ivankov and help Ace escape—might not be the best move. Why not wait and see?"
Crow raised an eyebrow. "Wait until the execution and rescue him in the chaos, you mean?"
"Exactly," Sabo replied, nodding. "Ivankov's situation in Impel Down is unclear. We might not even find him, and we don't know for sure if Ace is there. The original plan was too risky. This way, we can take advantage of the chaos when the Marines clash with the Four Emperors' crews."
He shoveled a plate of spaghetti into his mouth with a fork. "I'm starving! Let's forget about finding a coating craftsman for now. Besides, I haven't seen Grandpa in two days. He shouldn't catch up so quickly."
Just then, a familiar voice drifted up from the street below. Sabo's head snapped toward the sound. Through the window, he spotted Luffy, laughing carefree as ever, surrounded by a few of his crewmates.
Without hesitation, Sabo dropped his fork, flipped out of the window, and landed gracefully in front of Luffy. "Luffy! Long time no see!"
Luffy blinked up at him, startled. "Sabo!? What are you doing here!?"
"Of course, I'm here to rescue Ace!"
Luffy froze, confusion flashing across his face. "Ace!? What happened to him!? Is he in danger?"
Sabo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You mean you haven't heard about the uproar over the past few days?"
"Heard what?"
"In a few days, Ace is going to be executed at Marineford."
"What!?" Luffy's pupils shrank to pinpoints. He grabbed Sabo's arm, his voice rising with urgency. "Let's go! Sabo, we've got to rescue Ace right now!"
Sabo quickly pulled him back, his tone firm. "Wait! We need to plan this carefully…"