War and tomorrow—you never know which will come first.
And yet, neither of them can ever be stopped.
Just like what was happening before their eyes!
No one had expected war to break out so suddenly, so inexplicably.
"Father, mechanical beasts keep pouring out of the Deep-Sea Trench—they've already torn open the Fish-Man flank…"
The crown prince of Fish-Man Island, Megalo, swam up to Neptune, his face grim.
Only a few hours earlier, the centuries-old Fish-Man Island, under a single order from Neptune, had mobilized all its forces into the New World.
For a people who hadn't experienced war in hundreds of years, this was far from a good omen.
And yet, every soldier had been overflowing with excitement.
But that excitement did not last long—the undersea world soon descended into chaos.
Just as they were about to catch up with the ships they had been ordered to escort, countless seaweed-covered monstrosities erupted from the depths of the Trench.
Grotesque in form, each one ferocious beyond imagination.
Even the Ryugu Palace's elite Fish-Man troops, born with natural advantages in the sea, could not escape being torn apart in an instant.
Megalo, ambushed, quickly rallied his forces to counterattack.
But to his shock, those terrifying monsters were every bit as capable as Fish-Man warriors.
The army Megalo led collapsed almost immediately. In that moment, they had been made to taste both the cruelty of war and the true weakness of Fish-Man Island.
With no other choice, Megalo had come to Neptune for aid.
"This is the tragedy of Fish-Man Island… and the very thing I feared most."
Neptune, however, was not surprised. Hearing of the army's losses, he showed no outward reaction.
Rather than worry, he was already thinking about the future of Fish-Man Island.
Ever since his discussion with Ghidorah, he had come to realize Fish-Man Island's greatest flaw.
At the root of everything was a single word: weak.
Far too weak.
And so this time, Neptune had decided: no matter the cost in blood, he would make his people recognize their own weakness.
He would even use this very battle to ignite their fighting spirit.
The method might be harsh, but it was not impossible.
"Ghidorah said it himself—if the Fish-Men wish to survive in this world, if they don't want to be erased from history entirely, then they must…"
"At first, I didn't agree with him. But Megalo, you saw it yourself. These so-called 'elite' warriors of ours…"
Neptune's gaze turned toward the flank of the battlefield, his expression unbearably grim.
Though his heart bled, he forced himself to endure. Just as Ghidorah had said—if Fish-Man Island wished to stand without anyone's protection, they would have to grow strong on their own.
In this world of eighty percent ocean, the Fish-Men had been given a natural advantage.
But if they could not use that advantage, then it was nothing more than a hollow trait.
"But…"
Megalo's face twisted with conflict. "Father, those are our elite troops!"
"Elites?"
"What use are elites? In the sea, the Fish-Men should be kings.
"And yet, look at them now. Look at what they're doing."
Gentle-hearted though he was, Neptune clenched his teeth in fury as he watched his warriors break and scatter. His heart was torn between grief and rage.
Before they left Fish-Man Island, even he had believed that his army was invincible beneath the waves.
And yet, only hours after leaving, at the very first battle, they were utterly routed.
And this was only the beginning of the war. If they broke down so easily now… then what…?
Neptune dared not imagine what would come next.
"Help! Somebody save me!"
"What are these things?!"
"Run!!"
On the battlefield, the defeated Fish-Men cried out in despair, staring wide-eyed at the bizarre creatures. Never had they imagined that beyond Fish-Man Island, outside of humans, there could exist such terrifying beings.
Against these monstrosities, the Fish-Man forces crumbled swiftly.
The undersea currents churned red with their blood.
The Fish-Men, who had marched out so full of pride and zeal, now knew nothing but fear and despair.
"Fish-Man Karate Secret Technique: Onigawara True Fist!!"
Just as all hope seemed lost, a current mixed with blood surged upward from the sea floor.
A violent tide, like a meat grinder, tore a spider-like steel monster to shreds in an instant.
Boom!
A fiery blast erupted beneath the sea, the force pushing the water aside and forming a vast, vacuum bubble.
And from within that massive bubble, rising toward the surface, stepped forth a blue-skinned Fish-Man clad in a kimono.
"Jinbe!"
"It's Jinbe!"
"Boss Jinbe is here!"
At the sight of him, the fleeing Fish-Man army froze in place. In their eyes, once filled with despair, now shone the light of deliverance.
"Look at you all… Do you still dare call yourselves warriors of Fish-Man Island?"
But upon hearing Jinbe's words, their gazes fell once more. A deep shame welled up in their hearts.
The proud, arrogant Fish-Man warriors were pierced through by the sharp edge of his rebuke.
He was right.
Like this… could they still be called warriors of Fish-Man Island?
Before the enemy, not only had they been powerless to fight back, they had behaved like nothing more than deserters.
They had brought disgrace upon the Fish-Men!
"Do you have any idea what King Neptune has sacrificed for this chance?"
"He has staked the very future of the Fish-Men on this battle!"
"And this is how you repay his faith in you?"
"Is this the fate you want for our people—to live forever under the shelter of others?"
Jinbe's stern voice thundered across the ranks of fallen soldiers. Each word, brimming with fury and conviction, struck their hearts like a hammer.
But before he could finish, another pack of monsters rushed at them.
Several spider-like abominations swarmed forward, and without hesitation Jinbe charged ahead to shield his comrades, his fists unleashing a torrent of Fish-Man Karate.
A roaring current surged forth like a dragon, slamming into the creatures.
Jinbe was strong, but even for him, fending off such a horde was overwhelming.
No matter how great one man's power, he was still only one man.
And even Jinbe felt the weight of despair press upon him—until, from behind him, came a thunderous roar.
It was the voices of the Fish-Man soldiers, no longer broken, but burning with renewed fury.
Those same warriors who had been fleeing in terror moments before now raised their spears and charged.
"Boss Jinbe is right! From this day forward, Fish-Man Island needs no one's protection!"
"All Fish-Men—fight with me! Even if we die… we will not turn back!!"
One of the army's captains raised his spear high, shouting from the depths of his soul.
As the morale of the Fish-Man warriors surged like the tide, Jinbe's eyes softened with pride. Unconsciously, he turned his gaze toward Neptune.
"The turning point of Fish-Man Island's destiny… I only hope your choice was the right one, Your Majesty."
Please drop some power stones support me at my
PS: Access the complete chapters/series at