Chapter 78: Fish-Man Island

The coating craftsman Roger found was a scruffy, booze-reeking guy who was fast asleep on a carousel at the amusement park.

No matter how much Roger tried to coax or threaten him, the man just rolled over and mumbled, "Lemme sleep a bit more."

Finally, Rayleigh arrived. After saying something or other to the guy, he immediately perked up, crawled to his feet, and slapped his chest, promising to get the job done.

Soon, the Oro Jackson was moored beneath a massive red tree root at the Sabaody Archipelago.

The craftsman's skills were truly legendary. A huge, elastic resin bubble perfectly wrapped the entire ship, refracting rainbow-colored halos in the sunlight.

"Amazing! We're gonna sail inside a bubble!" Shanks and Buggy pressed their faces against the coating, poking at it curiously.

"Hold on tight, boys!" At Roger's command, the ship slowly sank, leaving behind the sun-drenched surface and plunging into the profound depths of deep blue.

Light was quickly swallowed by darkness. Outside the ship was deathly silence, with only the crew's slightly nervous breathing inside the coating.

Occasionally, hideous giant Sea Kings cruised in the distance, their massive shadows enough to make even the boldest sailor's heart skip a beat.

"Hey... nothing's gonna crash into us, right?" Buggy's voice carried a whimper.

Before he'd even finished speaking, a lantern-like giant eyeball suddenly pressed against the coating, curiously inspecting these uninvited guests.

"Waaaah!" Buggy's eyes rolled back on the spot.

"Gu ha ha ha! Big fella, wanna come aboard for a drink?" Roger fearlessly waved at the Sea King instead.

Kyle shook his head and walked to the rail, gently pressing one hand against the coating.

An electromagnetic wave imperceptible to ordinary people spread outward. The curious deep-sea beast blinked as if it had received some command, then swished its massive tail fin and leisurely swam away.

Yep, generating specific brainwave frequencies to achieve a degree of mental communication—totally makes sense!

"Oh? Not bad, Kyle," Rayleigh said with an approving raised eyebrow.

Kyle: You're not bad yourself, Ray "The Big Boss of Sabaody" leigh!

As they descended deeper and deeper, eventually, an incredible glow appeared at the end of the darkness.

When the Oro Jackson passed through the final water curtain, everyone was struck speechless by the sight before them.

Massive coral reefs formed the city's foundation. Glowing jellyfish floated like lanterns. Schools of fish formed brilliant ribbons weaving through the sky.

Bubbles encased the island, and sunlight refracted through the seawater into a soft veil of light shrouding this dreamlike realm.

This was the paradise ten thousand meters beneath the sea—Fish-Man Island!

However, this massive pirate ship flying a skull and crossbones was clearly not a welcome guest to the island's residents.

The moment the ship docked, a well-equipped Fish-Man guard unit quickly surrounded them. Leading them was a burly merman with long orange hair and a beard.

He wielded a massive trident, his expression grave. He was none other than the king of Fish-Man Island—Neptune.

"Human pirates! What is your purpose here?!" Neptune's voice traveled through the water, carrying unquestionable authority.

The guards all held their weapons at the ready, surrounding the Oro Jackson as if facing a formidable enemy.

The civilians of Fish-Man Island hid far away behind coral houses, gazing in terror at this ominous ship from the surface.

The atmosphere on deck froze instantly. Buggy cowered behind the mast, only his eyes visible. Shanks gripped the sword at his waist, his expression guarded.

However, Roger, as captain, acted as if he didn't see those gleaming tridents.

He planted one foot on the rail and flashed Neptune a big grin, waving and shouting, "Yo! If it isn't Neptune! Long time no see—still looking sharp!"

This enthusiastic greeting stunned everyone.

Neptune frowned, carefully sizing up this grinning man.

His tone was as familiar as a neighbor dropping by for a visit, but with this pirate getup and that ship flying the skull and crossbones...

"Human, don't think being chummy will get you off the hook! State your name!" Neptune pointed his trident at Roger, full of imposing presence.

"Gu ha ha ha!" Roger's laughter seemed especially loud even underwater. "Geez, is your memory that bad? Last time, when you were being chased all over the ocean by that tiger shark pufferfish, I was the one who bailed you out!"

"Tiger shark pufferfish?!"

At those words, Neptune's expression changed drastically. That unbearable memory instantly flooded back.

He stared hard at Roger's face, then looked at his signature straw hat.

That laugh... that face... that reckless bastard!

"It's you! Roger!" Neptune blurted out, his voice full of shock, surprise, and a hint of barely concealed... embarrassment.

The guards around them exchanged confused glances. His Majesty knew this pirate?

"Remembered now?" Roger grinned and jumped down from the rail. "We're here looking for something. We won't cause you any trouble."

Neptune's expression became extremely complicated. He lowered his trident and waved for the guard unit to stand down. The tense atmosphere instantly dissolved.

He sighed, his tone helpless. "...Follow me. Don't scare my citizens here."

And so, the Roger Pirates, under the "escort" of the Fish-Man guards, entered Ryugu Palace.

In the magnificent palace, Neptune dismissed everyone, leaving only Roger, Rayleigh, Oden, and Kyle.

"Every time you show up, nothing good comes of it," Neptune said, rubbing his temples as he watched this man with terrible posture currently stuffing his face with palace pastries.

"Don't say that," Roger mumbled through a mouthful. "I'm here to explore history—that's important stuff!"

Oden nodded vigorously in agreement beside him.

"History..." Neptune's gaze deepened. "You're going to the Sea Forest?"

"Oh? You know about it?" Roger stopped mid-chew.

"The Sea Forest is Fish-Man Island's most sacred place. Historical fragments slumber there," Neptune said, standing up. "I can take you there. Consider it... repaying the favor from last time."

The Sea Forest lay in a tranquil sea area deep within Fish-Man Island.

This was a graveyard of ships. Countless sunken vessels lay quietly on the seafloor, covered in coral and seaweed, as if telling ancient stories.

Sunlight filtered through the seawater, transforming into swaying pillars of light that made this cemetery seem both solemn and beautiful.

The moment they entered this area, Oden's expression changed. As if drawn by something, he walked straight toward the deepest part of the forest.

There, a massive cubic rock covered in ancient script stood silently.

"Found it!" Oden shouted excitedly.

Everyone gathered around. Oden reached out, stroking the cold stone surface, and began deciphering the text.

"...I make this promise here... yet I could not guide 'Noah' toward the sun... I am truly, deeply sorry..."

Oden's voice echoed through the silent Sea Forest.

What he read aloud was an apology from someone named "Joy Boy" to a mermaid princess from hundreds of years ago—a confession about a promise he couldn't keep.

The crew all listened quietly. Though they didn't fully understand its meaning, that apology and regret spanning eight hundred years weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

"Joy Boy..." Roger murmured the name, looking thoughtful.

"Captain, there's another one over here!" Gaban called from not far away.

Everyone immediately rushed over and discovered another deep red stone radiating an ominous aura.

"This is..." Oden looked at the text on it, his breathing growing rapid. "A Road Poneglyph! One of the four signposts pointing to the final island!"

"Gu ha ha ha ha!" Roger's wild laughter shattered the Sea Forest's tranquility, startling a school of fish. "Excellent! This means we've collected three of them!"