The sea around Fishman Island shimmered under the faint glow of the sun filtering through ten thousand meters of ocean.
Corals sparkled in hues of blue and violet, schools of fish darting between the coral pillars. The bustling streets of Coral Hill were alive with laughter — merchants calling out prices, mermaids giggling by the fountains, children chasing bubbles that floated like orbs of light.
But the harmony of the deep was shattered by the thunder of explosions.
A tremor rolled through the seabed, followed by the metallic groan of heavy anchors slamming down. The once-placid water darkened as the silhouettes of human ships appeared — iron-plated vessels reinforced with steel hulls and marked with the World Noble insignia. The hoof of the Celestial Dragon.
The citizens froze. The sound of cannon fire echoed, breaking the crystalline domes of coral and glass.
"W-What's happening!?" shouted a merman vendor, clutching his shell stall.
"Those ships— they're from the surface!" another screamed, voice shaking with disbelief. "No… those are slaver ships!"
Another merman screamed, pointing upward as more black shapes descended. "Those are surface ships! Humans! What are they doing here!?"
The first wave of humans descended through bubble-coated suits, rifles slung over their shoulders and nets in hand. They carried whips lined with seastone and collars that crackled faintly with power.
A panicked crowd formed near the main square, mermaids and fishfolk alike rushing to escape. The guards of Neptune's army formed a line, tridents raised, but the slavers fired gas canisters that burst into clouds of thick white smoke.
"Round them up!" one of the slaver captains barked. "The Celestial Dragons pay triple for mermaids! Don't let a single one get away!"
Screams tore through the streets.
"Please— stop! This island is under the protection of Emperor Nyx D. Ada!" a coral merchant yelled, hurling a rock at the invaders. "You can't do this!"
The captain sneered, loading his rifle. "You think that name scares the World Nobles? The Empress isn't here to save you!"
He fired. The man collapsed, his blood coloring the pale coral pink.
A group of slavers broke through to the Mermaid Café, dragging out several crying young mermaids, their tails shimmering helplessly. "No! Let go of me! Please—someone help!"
A Fishman guard tried to intervene, but a bullet pierced his shoulder.
The slaver laughed. "Strong or weak—makes no difference down here."
More ships descended through the bubble barrier. Nets were thrown, cages filled, and the once vibrant city was reduced to chaos. Smoke rose, muffled by the water above.
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Inside the Ryugu Palace, alarms blared.
Inside the Ryugu Palace, the tremors reached the throne room. King Neptune stood from his seat, his trident shaking in his grasp.
"Report!" he roared.
A soldier burst in, scales glistening with sweat. "Your Majesty—slavers! From the surface! They're rounding up civilians in Coral Hill!"
Neptune's eyes widened. "Under Ada's flag!? How dare they! Send the royal army at once!"
Another soldier stumbled in, bleeding. "They came with strange ships — reinforced, carrying the mark of the Celestial Dragons. They're using fire weaponry—our men are being overwhelmed!"
"Call Otohime!" Neptune commanded.
But before he could take another breath, the palace doors burst open. Queen Otohime entered, her golden hair floating, face pale with horror.
"Neptune!" she gasped. "They're taking them—children, families, all of them!"
"Otohime, stay here!" Neptune warned, grabbing her arm. "It's too dangerous!"
But she pulled away. "If I don't stand before them now, then what good are my words of peace?"
She swam from the palace, ignoring the guards' pleas, her heart heavy with fear.
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Among the crowd, Queen Otohime emerged, flanked by her guards. Her eyes, kind yet determined, scanned the horror unfolding before her.
"Stop this at once!" she cried, voice trembling but loud enough to echo through the dome. "This island is not a battlefield! These are living beings!"
"You have no right to be here! These people—my people—seek peace with your world!"
The slaver captain sneered. "Peace? The Celestial Dragons don't need peace. They need entertainment."
The slaver captain then turned, smirking. "A queen, eh? That'll fetch a fine price too."
He raised his rifle.
"Your greed blinds you!" Otohime shouted, stepping forward. "Our people dream of peace with the surface. But how can that ever happen when you—"
A gunshot cracked through the air.
Otohime staggered. The sound of her pearl jewelry clinking to the ground was drowned by the horrified screams of her guards. Her golden hair floated as she collapsed, her blood dispersing into the water like a crimson veil.
Gasps filled the air. Otohime fell, clutching her shoulder, her blood clouding the water. Her guards rushed forward, dragging her to safety.
"THE QUEEN!" a voice screamed.
"She's alive!" shouted one soldier. "Get her to the palace!"
Pandemonium erupted. The Fishmen soldiers roared, charging at the invaders in fury. The slavers retaliated, firing wildly, dragging their captives back to the ships.
"Take what we have! Retreat before the Navy comes sniffing around!" the captain ordered.
The slavers ascended back toward the surface, cages full, leaving Fishman Island burning and broken in their wake. The coral domes dimmed, and silence settled where joy once lived.
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Back in Ryugu Palace. King Neptune slammed his massive trident into the marble floor, the impact cracking the stone. His face twisted in grief and rage.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S BEEN SHOT!?" he thundered, towering over his trembling guards.
"Sire—the queen tried to reason with them. They—they shot her before we could—"
Neptune clenched his fist, shaking. "Damn those humans… those filthy slavers…"
The hall echoed with the cries of servants tending to the wounded. The once serene palace was now filled with panic.
A guard rushed in, kneeling. "Your Majesty, they've taken hundreds of mermaids! Our ships can't pursue them — they've already left the bubble current!"
Neptune's jaw tightened. "This island is under the protection of Ada. This… this is an insult."
He turned sharply. "Prepare the transponder snails. I want to speak to her. Now."
———————
Far above, in the upper layers of the New World, the Oro Jackson sliced through the sea currents like a blade of dark wood and steel. The wind howled; storm clouds churned above.
Ada stood at the bow, cloak fluttering. Behind her, Mihawk, Enel, Bullet, Fisher Tiger, Okiku, Hiyori, Lilith, and Perona each went about their tasks.
Until the sound of a Den Den Mushi began to ring, sharp and urgent.
"Pururururu… purururu…"
The snail's face was panicked, mirroring Neptune's voice.
"Ada! please, you must hear me!"
Ada's brow furrowed. "Neptune?"
"Fishman Island… has been attacked," he said, voice breaking. "The Celestial Dragons' men—slavers from the surface—they've kidnapped our people! Queen Otohime was shot trying to stop them. She's alive… but barely."
The crew fell silent.
Fisher Tiger's eyes widened, disbelief turning to rage. "What… did you just say?" His fists clenched so tight the wood beneath him splintered.
Mihawk's gaze flicked toward Ada. "They've defied your mark."
Lilith whistled softly. "That's not just defiance. That's suicide."
"Do they know whose flag they've insulted?" Ada asked quietly.
Neptune's voice trembled. "I warned them, Ada. But they laughed. They said the World Government's word is law."
"They came with government ships," Neptune continued. "They ignored the flags of your protection. They claimed the Celestial Dragons' will supersedes any pirate's authority."
Fisher Tiger dropped what he was carrying, his gills flaring in horror. "No… those bastards—again?!" His voice shook with rage. "My brothers, my people—they're chaining them again?!
Enel clenched his staff, lightning dancing across his body.
Bullet cracked his knuckles, his grin fading. "They're using government ships, you said?"
Neptune's voice trembled. "Yes. The symbols of the Celestial Dragons were on their hulls… please—"
The snail clicked off.
Ada's expression didn't change. Her gaze remained fixed on the horizon, unreadable — but her hand slowly gripped the railing until it cracked under her fingers.
Lilith, curious, frowned. "Those fools attacked your territory? Even I know that's suicide."
Mihawk crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "The World Nobles have overstepped. Even they must know the consequence."
Enel laughed coldly, arcs of electricity sparking from his fingers. "Humans never learn. Shall I erase them from the map, captain?"
No one answered him.
Ada's hair swayed gently in the sea breeze. Her eyes glimmered faintly — not with rage, but something colder. A stillness so deep that even the crew felt the weight of it.
Fisher Tiger gritted his teeth. "Ada… we have to go—now! We can't let them—"
But Ada raised one hand, and the entire crew fell silent.
"Prepare the ship," she said finally, voice calm yet heavy. "We're going to Fishman Island."
The crew looked at one another — none dared question her.
Bullet stepped forward, his grin gone. "So they've chosen death."
Fisher Tiger stood silent, the old fire in his chest flaring. "I swore I'd never raise my claws against the surface again… but if they chain my people, I'll tear every chain I find."
Okiku turned to Hiyori, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stay close to me, Hiyori-sama."
Ada walked to the helm, the deep current reflecting in her eyes like a mirror of the abyss. "Someone," she said softly, "has touched what's mine."
Her eyes, crimson as the dying sun, lifted toward the sea horizon. "So," she said softly, "the World Nobles believe they can touch my sea."
The crew felt it — that pressure, that suffocating aura of intent that rolled off her like the tide before a storm. Even Enel, god of lightning, found himself silent.
From the crow's nest, Lilith called down nervously, "Coordinates to Fishman Island locked in, Captain. Shall I activate the submerged engines?"
Ada nodded. "Do it."
Enel grinned darkly. "Finally. Something worth destroying."
Bullet cracked his neck. "They've forgotten who rules these seas."
Ada turned slightly, her voice cold but calm.
"They'll remember."
The Oro Jackson tilted, its hull humming as Lilith's new propulsion system kicked in, the ship slicing downward through the Grand Line's layered currents. As they descended, the crew stood ready — grim, silent, resolved.
Above them, the sun disappeared, swallowed by the deep.
Below, Fishman Island waited — broken, burning, and unavenged.
The people of Fishman Island waited for the storm that would come in the shape of a woman.