Chapter 151 Fishman Island
"I think we should do this: first, raise that Three-Eye's bounty to a level exceeding that of the Four Emperors, then send CP agents to infiltrate his inner circle. When the time is right, we'll wipe him out in one fell swoop." After some thought, Saint Mars offered his proposal.
Saint Warcury looked at him in surprise. "You mean to use an increased bounty to bait other pirates into dealing with him?"
"Precisely. Most of those pirates are just arrogant, unruly fools. Even if it doesn't attract the Four Emperors, it will be enough to whittle down his strength, making it easier for our people to infiltrate."
"But if we raise the bounty too high, won't it attract too much attention? It might lead to tonight's events being exposed."
"That is indeed an issue. Our people suffered massive casualties tonight; this information must not be leaked. Otherwise, it will severely impact the stability of our rule!"
"With such a massive commotion tonight, how could no news get out? But as long as we control the media outlets like the World Economic Journal, we can easily suppress the fallout."
"Fine, let's settle it that way. Even the strongest fortress is usually broken from within. Just like with Byrnndi World and his kind, we have plenty of time to wait for him to show a vulnerability."
"Even so, we still need to make a public show of force. Let the Marines mobilize their personnel and conduct a widespread search for a period of time."
"Should we dispose of the close associates he's contacted in the past?"
"No need for now. His Rumble-Rumble Fruit power is quite troublesome. If we do that, there's no guarantee we won't provoke him into launching another attack like today's."
"True. Currently, we are out in the open while he is in the shadows. The situation is quite disadvantageous for us."
...
Amid the back-and-forth, the plan for dealing with Zane was quickly finalized during the Five Elders' discussion.
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In contrast to the World Government's frantic reaction...
Zane didn't give a damn about what he had done.
Or rather, before he decided to raid the Celestial Dragons, he had already prepared himself for the consequences.
"Mmm... mmm..."
Muffled sounds came from below. Zane looked down at Nico Robin.
'Well... this is another part of the resolve I must have.'
When he decided to raid the Celestial Dragons, he had informed Nico Robin, who was in his camp.
Naturally, the news had left her profoundly shocked.
It was clear that even Nico Robin, who harbored a deep hatred for the World Government, was stunned by Zane's sheer audacity.
However, after the shock wore off, she gave his raid her absolute support.
She hadn't sought revenge against the World Government for all these years not because she didn't want to, but because she lacked the power.
Now that her Captain had the intent and the capability, why would she object?
Even though she knew this would inevitably draw the World Government's mad retaliation and that she might very well die as a result, she still chose to stand by him.
And now...
The raid had been successfully completed.
She was also passionately giving her Captain the most intimate reciprocation.
'The local fish really have no manners at all.'
While enjoying the cold beauty's reciprocation, Zane didn't neglect to monitor the situation outside.
As the New Riding the Wind and Waves and the escort ship submerged, they headed straight toward Fishman Island, following the Permanent Pose.
They had now descended into the deep-sea region.
Thanks to Zane's modifications, the two warships performed remarkably well. They weren't affected by the deep-sea pressure at all, and everything inside remained stable—no different from the effect of coating.
But as they dove deeper, more and more Sea Kings appeared.
Since Manlong had eaten a Devil Fruit, he could no longer move freely in the deep sea. Consequently, Zane had to use his Conqueror's Haki to precisely intimidate the Sea Kings that occasionally tried to attack the ships.
A night's voyage through the deep sea.
They continued their steady, unhurried descent.
The next day.
In the darkness of the seabed, light gradually emerged, followed by a giant crystal bubble.
This crystal bubble was an island encased in a double-layered transparent membrane, sitting quietly in the depths of the ocean.
Since the roots of the giant Sunlight Tree Eve extended from the surface directly into Fishman Island, sunlight was funneled inside, allowing for a day-night cycle within the double membranes.
On the first floor of the ship's superstructure.
The outer wall leading to the deck had been switched to a glass-like state via a mechanism, allowing everyone to see the outside clearly.
Zane and the rest of the Hunting Team gathered together.
As they neared Fishman Island, everyone huddled in front of the glass wall, watching the island as it loomed closer.
Standing beside Zane, Manlong looked at his familiar home, feeling a bit dazed.
Because he was a Half-Fishman, he hadn't been accepted by his own kind, eventually forcing him to leave. After many trials and tribulations, he finally met his Boss.
Returning now after so much time, Manlong's heart was a whirlpool of complex emotions.
There was the warmth of seeing his home again, but there was also an overwhelming sense of estrangement and gloom.
He knew all too well that his idea of "home" was mostly just his own wishful thinking.
How could an outcast who was never accepted truly feel the warmth of a hometown?
Familiar, yet strange.
This was Manlong's experience upon seeing Fishman Island once more.
"Manlong, I'll leave the recruitment to you." Zane, standing with his arms crossed, was sharp enough to catch the melancholy in his subordinate.
He turned to look at his right-hand man and smiled, gesturing for Baby 5 to bring over two cigars—one for himself and one for Manlong.
He even used his lightning to strike up a flame, personally lighting Manlong's cigar.
"Leave it to me, Boss!"
As his Boss lit his smoke, Manlong's gloom vanished instantly. He leaned forward to let Zane light the cigar, and with it clenched between his teeth, his usual steady demeanor returned.
"I'm counting on you!" Zane said with a smile, pointing at him with his cigar-holding fingers.
The goal of coming to Fishman Island was simple: to build up his forces.
Fishmen were naturally ten times stronger than humans.
Combined with their racial advantages in the water, they were perfect military assets.
Now that they had completely severed ties with the World Government...
Zane not only needed to keep increasing his own power, but his subordinate forces needed to grow as well.
The double-layered membranes surrounding Fishman Island had dedicated entrances.
Given the stability of the New Riding the Wind and Waves and its escort, they weren't in danger of losing control and crashing into the membranes.
Under the direction of Manlong, who was a semi-local, the two warships quickly reached the entrance.
The first layer of the membrane kept out the seawater. Once the ships passed through, they entered the air pocket between the two layers.
Since there was no seawater here, the two ships switched from submarine mode back to normal.
"What a massive ship! What's the deal with these humans?"
"I hope they don't cause trouble, or else it'll be a massive headache."
"What are you worried about? This is the deep sea, our turf. If these humans step out of line, we can easily keep them in check."
...
As an official passage, there was a designated waterway for ships to travel between the double membranes, and Fishman guards who looked like soldiers were stationed on platforms on either side.
Unsurprisingly...
The colossal size of the New Riding the Wind and Waves drew gasps of amazement and wary looks from the Fishman soldiers.
Ever since Fishmen and Merfolk were first dragged into slave markets, a rift had formed between humans and Fishman Island.
If it hadn't been for the island later becoming an affiliate of the World Government, humans would be chased away just for approaching.
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