"Looks like whatever's causing the trouble is down there." Ritter narrowed his crimson eyes toward the pitch-black trench below, its entrance gaping open like the maw of some ancient beast.
"Let's go, let's go! A deep-sea adventure sounds awesome!" Joy Boy swung his rubber arms around excitedly, practically vibrating with anticipation.
The young girl said nothing, but the frost curling faintly around her body showed she was ready.
Ritter manipulated his blood mist into a dark crimson sphere that wrapped around the three of them like a protective bubble. The mist kept the seawater out while supplying air and resisting the crushing pressure of the deep.
As his Devil Fruit powers continued to awaken, Ritter could feel something changing.
The ability the River God had granted him no longer felt entirely like a normal Devil Fruit. Little by little, the sea itself seemed to stop rejecting him.
The giant Sea Kings gently pushed them downward into the abyss.
The sunlight vanished quickly. Blue became dark blue, and dark blue faded into near-blackness. They had already descended deeper than where Fish-Man Island would exist in the future.
The pressure intensified constantly. Without Ritter's power shielding them, an ordinary ship would have been crushed into scrap long ago.
Strange deep-sea creatures drifted through the darkness, glowing faintly with eerie bioluminescence. Some were attracted by the red glow surrounding the trio and swam closer, seemingly hoping for an easy snack. But the moment they noticed the several colossal Sea Kings escorting them, they panicked and fled.
Yeah… big brothers really did run this neighborhood.
After descending for what felt like an eternity, the scenery ahead finally changed.
A vast coral forest appeared before them.
Or rather, what should have been a breathtaking coral forest.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been dazzling beyond words. Endless fields of colorful coral, schools of luminous fish weaving through them like stars in an underwater galaxy.
But now…
It looked like a graveyard.
Ritter and Joy Boy were both unusually sensitive to life itself. Ritter could sense vitality directly, while Joy Boy instinctively resonated with the emotions of living things.
Huge sections of coral had lost all color, turning into sickly shades of gray and white. Countless branches had snapped apart and collapsed like ruins after a war.
Even the slave-trading chaos of the future Fish-Man Island had never reduced the place to this state.
The glowing schools of fish were gone. Only a few scattered flickers remained among the dead coral.
The entire ocean carried the suffocating aura of decay.
At the center of the ruined coral forest floated a gigantic coated bubble. Inside it, a softly glowing island could barely be seen.
Fish-Man Island.
But the massive protective coating surrounding it no longer appeared stable. Its surface trembled constantly, and through the rippling membrane they could sense unrest inside the island instead of peace.
"This place… feels sick." Joy Boy's usual grin disappeared. His rubbery face drooped into rare seriousness.
He had always been emotionally affected by the world around him. That was why he wanted to spread laughter and freedom wherever he went.
The girl's icy blue eyes swept over the dying coral and unstable coating. The chill around her deepened.
Ritter guided the blood mist bubble toward the island entrance.
Their arrival had clearly already been noticed.
A squad of heavily armed fish-man guards quickly swam out to intercept them. The leading commander stared warily at Ritter's blood mist and Joy Boy's bizarre rubber body.
"Outsiders! State your purpose! Fish-Man Island does not welcome unknown visitors!"
Before Ritter could answer, a more authoritative voice sounded behind the guards.
"That's enough."
The soldiers immediately parted.
A weary-looking fish-man king swam forward under the protection of several attendants. Though exhaustion lined his face, he still carried the dignity of a ruler.
His gaze lingered briefly on Ritter's blood mist, and something unreadable flickered through his eyes.
"Travelers from afar, I am the King of Fish-Man Island. Thank you for responding to the Sea Kings' plea and allowing them to guide you here."
His voice remained calm and courteous.
"Please, come with me to Ryugu Palace so we may speak properly."
At that moment, another voice interrupted.
Cold.
Ancient.
Suspicious.
"Your Majesty, wait."
An elderly fish-man slowly approached, carrying a gemstone-encrusted staff and wearing elaborate priestly robes.
His hair and beard were completely white, and his stern gaze locked onto Ritter and Joy Boy with obvious hostility.
"The High Priest," the king acknowledged respectfully.
This man had served Fish-Man Island his entire life. His prophecies and wisdom had saved the kingdom countless times.
The High Priest bowed politely toward the king, showing flawless etiquette.
But when he turned toward Ritter and Joy Boy, all warmth vanished from his expression.
"Your Majesty, the prophecy remains unclear. I do not know whether these outsiders bring salvation or disaster."
He narrowed his eyes.
"These two possess strange forms and even stranger powers. Especially that blood mist… it reeks of ill omen."
"Until we determine whether they are connected to this calamity, I advise against allowing them near the island's core. And especially against allowing them near the Princess."
His words carried absolute certainty.
The king's face tightened with hesitation.
He trusted the High Priest deeply, yet the island's current crisis left him desperate for any possible hope.
Joy Boy scratched his rubber head, completely confused.
Ritter, meanwhile, was already irritated.
And Ritter was not the kind of person who swallowed insults quietly.
"Hey, old man," Ritter said flatly, veins twitching at his temple. "What the hell did you just call me?"
He pointed behind them toward the giant Sea Kings.
"You people begged us to come here. We didn't beg to help you."
Then he waved lazily toward the colossal creatures behind them.
"Hey, big guys. You hear that? Turn us around. Let's go home."
The enormous Sea Kings instantly froze.
Their giant eyes turned into tiny bean-shaped dots of panic.
Wait, what?!
We're just the transportation crew!
Do working-class Sea Kings not get rights now?!
The king nearly panicked.
"I deeply apologize!" he said hurriedly, bowing toward Ritter and Joy Boy without the slightest trace of royal pride. "Fish-Man Island has failed in its hospitality. Please allow me to personally welcome you into the palace and properly apologize for the High Priest's rudeness."
His sincerity was unmistakable.
The High Priest simply turned around and left without another word.
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