Deep in the sea.
Gurgle, gurgle…
A series of bubbling sounds rose as a coated pirate ship, its hull marked with the emblem of a green venomous snake's fangs, swayed wildly in the water. It fled in terror, desperately trying to evade the dark specks relentlessly pursuing it, refusing to be shaken off.
"Faster! Go faster!"
Percy, Captain of the Poison Snake Pirate Crew, known as Poison Blade, stood on deck, sword at his hip. His eyes were wide with fear.
"Damn it! Those cursed guys are catching up!"
He looked back into the deep sea with panic, urgently urging the helmsman to push the ship to its limit.
"Boss! We're at maximum speed! We can't go any faster!"
The helmsman shouted, sweat pouring down his face.
"Damn it! They're gaining on us! Fire! Blast them away!"
Percy, bearing a 65 million Berries bounty from the Marines, gritted his teeth and roared, ordering the gunners to open fire.
"Bang! Bang!"
More than a dozen dark cannonballs shot simultaneously from sparking muzzles, piercing the fragile coated bubble and flying into the deep sea.
"Oh oh oh!!!"
The gunners roared, waving torches and long knives, glaring at the approaching half‑human, half‑Fish‑Man monsters. They gnawed their teeth as they snarled:
"Damn Fish-Men! Go to hell!"
The cannon fire gave the Poison Snake Pirate Crew a fleeting sense of security. But in an instant, that illusion vanished without a trace.
Gurgle, gurgle…
The cannonballs barely traveled before the crushing pressure of the deep sea slowed them to a crawl. The underwater pressure crushed them outright, causing them to explode without even a spark. They simply dissolved into a scatter of bubbles.
"What! The cannonballs can't even hurt them!"
The pirate crew stood dumbfounded.
"Oh no! They're getting closer!"
The pirate crew nervously raised their weapons, bracing themselves for the Fish-Men to cross the coated boundary and board for close‑quarters combat. But they soon realized they had miscalculated.
"Hehehe…"
"Pathetic, inferior race. Fools who cannot even survive in the sea yet still dare to enter it."
The Fish-Men approaching circled the pirate ship, not rushing to attack, but instead surrounding it with mocking expressions. They knew their leader's arrival would make short work of these frightened humans.
They waited.
"Jahahaha…"
Amidst the muffled, echoing laughter, a powerful figure emerged from the deep, closing in on the pirate ship with heavy, purposeful strides. He appeared before the group under the awe and worshipful gaze of the Fish-Men surrounding him.
"Who is it?!"
Percy, gripping his long blade shaped like a venomous snake's fangs, stood ready, eyes fixed on the figure. He was alarmed by this Fish-Man who had arrived late but with a commanding presence.
"Humans, welcome to the territory of the New Fish-Man Pirates…"
A male Fish-Man stepped forward, revealing sharp, feral teeth. He had long, curly black hair, wore a hat adorned with a trident design, a scarf of sea wolf skin, and tattoos snaking up his left arm. He was bare‑chested and muscular, wearing blue shorts and open‑toed sandals. His imposing frame exuded confidence.
But what truly shocked the crew of the Poison Snake Pirate Crew was this Fish-Man's appearance — both of his hands were bound with iron chains.
"Because you are new here and not familiar with the laws of the deep, let me explain how things are done in this underwater world!"
The Fish-Man leader spoke with a sinister grin, looking down at the pirate crew with arrogance and disdain, like a predator eyeing helpless prey.
"By entering here, you have crossed into the territory of the New Fish-Man Pirates. We are the superior Fish-Men who shall crush the Four Emperors, defeat your inferior human race, and replace the Celestial Dragons, the World Nobles!"
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"Now, I give you two choices! The first is to join our ranks, become the vanguard of the New Fish-Man Pirates, and perhaps when we rule this world, we might grant you some benefits!"
"Hiss…"
The crew of the Poison Snake Pirate Crew stared in disbelief mixed with bewildered amusement.
"Did I hear that correctly? They want to defeat the Four Emperors?"
"It can't be real… Do these deep sea brutes really not know how strong the Four Emperors are?"
Their disbelief only fueled the Fish-Men's frenzy.
The leader's eyes narrowed as he saw the mocking smirks on the pirate crew's faces. Fury flickered in his gaze.
"Jahahaha, you foolish, lowly humans! It seems you choose the second path…"
He revealed his identity: Hody Jones, Captain of the New Fish-Man Pirates, famed for his brutal hatred of humans and extremist ambition.
"How dare you mock us noble Fish-Men! You shall be buried in this cold, deep sea trench and devoured by Sea Kings!"
At that, the Fish-Men around him erupted in excitement. They raised their weapons and roared through bubbling voices:
"Captain Jones! Display your specialty!"
"Kill them! We Fish-Men will never spare these damned human races!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Jahahaha…"
Hody Jones grinned maliciously and pulled a small capsule from his pocket, dropping it into the water.
"The show begins!"
With a vicious snap, he swallowed the capsule himself.
Inside his body, the pill dissolved instantly under stomach acid.
"Boom!!!"
Hody Jones's physique instantly changed. His slightly plump form expanded into a massive, terrifying shape. Muscle bulged, veins throbbed, and his once solid form rippled with newfound power. His arms thickened further, and his eyes turned blood‑red and vertical, a frightening visage.
"What did he just eat?!"
The Poison Snake Pirate Crew watched in horror as Hody's transformation completed.
If his previous form resembled a ferocious shark, then this… this was a monstrosity.
"Whatever he ate, he wants to destroy our ship! Prepare for battle!"
Percy roared, swinging Poison Blade in defiance.
But nothing could prepare them.
Bang!
With a single charge, Hody Jones rammed the pirate ship. The hull cracked open under immense force, seawater bursting in through the ruptured coating bubbles.
"Madman! They're all madmen! These Fish-Men are insane!!!"
Percy hung in the water upside down, screaming in disbelief.
Hody's transformed body became a living weapon — like a torpedo with a fury all its own. He barreled through the ship again and again, shredding wood and metal with brutal efficiency.
"Jahahaha!!!"
Hody roared, biting through everything in his path. No matter how solid, it shattered under his gnawing jaws.
Percy watched in horror as Poison Blade — his treasured sword — was snapped in two by Hody's bite.
"No! No!!!"
Percy's screams were drowned out as the unstable ship bubble finally collapsed, unable to withstand the pressure of the deep sea without its protective coating.
Bang!
Rumble…
The vessel was crushed instantly by the oppressive weight of the ocean. Pirate crew members were engulfed by seawater, their lungs collapsing under pressure. They coughed up blood foam, clutching their throats, eyes rolling back as they sank toward the distant trench. Pieces of wreckage drifted downward, disappearing into darkness.
"Crunch!"
Hody bit off Percy's head, relishing the crimson matter between his teeth. He stared into Percy's lifeless eyes and sneered:
"Lowly humans are only fit to be our food and stepping stones!"
"Captain! We just spotted another human ship! But this one belongs to the Marines! And it might carry an Admiral!"
A Fish-Man swam over urgently, breathless.
"A Marine Admiral?"
Hody's eyes lit up with wicked anticipation.
"Let them come! I want to personally capture a Marine Admiral to enjoy the hunt!"
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