Chapter 14: A Shadow in the Deep
The descent into Fish-Man Island was a spectacle. The Straw Hats, coated by Silvers Rayleigh, plunged into the abyss aboard the Thousand Sunny. Unseen by them, a dark shape followed, descending not in a bubble, but encased in a perfect sphere of crackling energy that repelled the crushing pressure and the voracious deep-sea predators. The Raiju moved like a phantom, a silent guardian in the dark.
Arata observed the Sea Forest, the glowing flora, the majestic island itself with a scholar's curiosity. But his focus remained on the Thousand Sunny. He felt the moment they were attacked by the incoming Noah, the panic on the ship, the desperate efforts to steer clear.
He saw the Kraken, Surume, attack, and he saw Luffy's brilliant solution—punching it into submission and enlisting its help. Arata smiled. It was a ridiculous, brilliant strategy that only Luffy could conceive. He was starting to understand why this rubber-man had inspired such devotion.
He followed them to the island proper, docking the Raiju in a hidden underwater cave near the Gyoncordia. Donning his cloak once more, he moved through the bustling streets of Fish-Man Island, a ghost among the merfolk and fish-men. He listened to the whispers of discontent, the rising tension between the races, the ominous name "Hody Jones" muttered in dark alleys.
He saw the Straw Hats being greeted by King Neptune, and he saw the instant, predatory interest in the eyes of the royal minister, Caribou. The man was a snake, and Arata marked him as a threat.
His eyes, however, were constantly drawn to Robin. He watched her explore the Sea Forest, her fingers tracing the ancient Poneglyphs with a reverence that made his heart swell. He saw the profound sorrow in her eyes as she read the story of Joy Boy and the broken promise to the mermaid princess. She was not just reading history; she was feeling its weight, its tragedies.
He was close enough to hear her soft voice. "A promise that couldn't be kept... It's so sad."
He wanted to step out of the shadows then. To tell her that not all promises are broken. That some are forged in thunder and are unbreakable. But he held back. The timing wasn't right. The island was a powder keg, and Hody Jones was the lit fuse.
He would let the Straw Hats handle the immediate threat. It was their fight, their chance to shine and prove their growth. But he would be watching. And if the situation escalated beyond their control, if Robin's life was put in genuine peril, then the world below the waves would learn why the storm god feared no depth.