One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

Ten thousand meters beneath the surface, the colossal trunks of the Yarukiman Mangrove tree rose straight from the ocean floor, their age unfathomable, perhaps stretching back countless centuries.

It was these strange, towering trees, rooted deep in the seabed, that gave birth to the miracle known as Fish-Man Island.

One could say that without the Yarukiman Mangrove, there would be no Fish-Man Island, and no glorious Ryugu Kingdom.

Between the massive trunks, two connected bubbles floated, one large, one small. 

The smaller one held Ryugu Palace, the royal residence of Fish-Man Island. The larger was the main island itself.

At that moment, a medium-sized Sea King circled the outer bubble, as if choosing a spot. 

Once it found a good location, it gently exhaled against the membrane with a soft puff, then turned and swam off.

The submarine carrying Ashen and his crew pierced through two layers of the protective membranes and landed gently in a clearing, where vibrant coral blanketed the seafloor.

Creaaaak...

The hatch of the sub slowly opened. Ashen stepped out first, with Tesla and the others following close behind.

"Phew… Finally here," someone sighed in relief.

The group stood on firm ground again, breathing in the fresh, filtered air of the undersea world, their expressions full of awe and fatigue.

"Let's grab something to eat first. Then we'll make plans," Ashen said, scanning their surroundings.

From the layout, he figured they had landed on a highland on the eastern side of Mermaid Cove.

It was near noon. On Fish-Man Island, daylight came through the Yarukiman Mangrove's light-transmitting trunks, so time here matched the surface world. Lunch would be starting soon.

Ashen decided it was best to fill their stomachs before doing anything else.

After walking a few minutes, they entered a residential zone. Merfolk and fish-men of all kinds began appearing around them. 

As the five members of the Helgrave Pirates made their way down the street, the reactions of the locals were mixed, fear, curiosity... even open hostility.

"Captain, why are these people keeping their distance from us?" Lafitte asked, noticing how the crowd avoided them.

"That's normal, Lafitte," Tesla replied before Ashen could. 

"On the surface, merfolk and fish-men are rare and valuable. Pirates often come here to capture them and sell them off at outrageous prices. So when they see pirates, their first instinct is fear."

"Not a bad environment here. Let's eat here," Ashen said as they arrived at a bustling avenue.

The place seemed quiet and comfortable, so he led the way inside.

…

Entrance to Fish-Man Island

"Bad news. King Neptune. A group of pirates just infiltrated the island using unknown methods, they didn't come through the main gate. I'm sure they're the ones Madam Shyarly predicted."

A soldier of the double bun shark variety rushed in via the waterway, speaking urgently to Neptune.

"What? They didn't enter through here?" Neptune frowned. He had stationed himself at the gate specifically to intercept them. "Where are they now?"

"They're inside a restaurant in the main town. We already have someone monitoring them."

"Good. Tell Jinbei to head there with the Royal Guards, but tell him not to act rashly. I'll be right behind." Neptune issued his order.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll inform Jinbei right away."

…

Inside the restaurant, the Helgrave Pirates had a table full of Fish-Man Island delicacies and were digging in heartily, paying no mind to the stares they were getting.

"What a shame… looks like this feast might go to waste," Ashen said, setting his utensils down.

"Yeah, I'm not even full yet," Tesla added, sensing something from outside with his Observation Haki.

Sure enough, when they stepped out of the restaurant, the street was already surrounded, packed with soldiers, their formation airtight.

"What's this? Fish-Man Island declaring war on us now?" Ashen said coolly.

He had already recognized the man leading the force, Jinbei, still young and full of fire, but unless the fish-men gave him a reason, he wasn't about to back down.

"Boss Jinbei, it's them. Madam Shyarly predicted someone would bring destruction to our gates within days, it has to be these people." 

The shark-soldier pointed directly at Ashen, eyes filled with certainty.

Snap…

"Aaaah... My hand..."

In a flash, Tesla was in front of him, twisting the soldier's arm until it broke.

"Hmph. Think before you speak. And never point at someone, it's terribly rude."

Without sparing a glance at the wailing soldier, Tesla calmly returned to Ashen's side, as if nothing had happened.

"You've injured one of my men. I can't pretend I didn't see that," Jinbei said, stepping forward.

Though he hadn't planned on fighting, everyone here called him "Boss", he had a duty to act as a leader. Behind him, dozens of fish-man soldiers advanced in unison.

"Heh, so that means there's no talking, huh? Looks like we're fighting after all." Walton grinned, rolling up his sleeves.

The moment Ashen gave the word, he was ready to strike.

Kyros and Lafitte also drew their weapons, standing ready.

"Teach them a lesson, but don't kill anyone," Ashen ordered.

He had originally come to Fish-Man Island hoping for cooperation. But if they couldn't tell friend from foe, then he'd just have to show them what the Helgrave Pirates were capable of.

"Ha…. Been waiting for that, Captain. Watch this."

Walton charged straight at Jinbei and swung a massive punch.

"Gosenmaigawara Shuto."

Jinbei, just twenty years old and still burning with youthful pride, didn't back down. He met Walton's attack head-on.

…

More than ten minutes later, when Neptune arrived with his ministers in one of the busiest districts of Fish-Man Island, the scene was total chaos.

The Royal Guards lay scattered across the ground, unable to fight. Only Jinbei remained, locked in a fierce struggle with a massive honey badger-like beast.

"Stop, Jinbei." Neptune shouted.

Jinbei, relieved to hear the order, backed off and returned to his king's side.

"Tch…. What a letdown," Walton muttered, returning to Ashen's side with a bored expression.

"My sincerest apologies, Ashen-san. We made a mistake. Please forgive us."

Neptune approached Ashen and bowed in earnest. Before coming here, he had taken the time to research the Helgrave Pirates, and learned quickly that they were not to be trifled with.

"King Neptune, how could you…."

Jinbei began to protest but was quickly pulled aside by the Minister of the Left, who whispered something to him in a low voice.

"Heh, don't worry about it," Ashen replied with a chuckle. "Just think of it as my crew having a friendly... exchange."

'Friendly'? Seriously? Neptune nearly spat out his thoughts as he surveyed the wreckage around them, but he said instead.

"To express our apologies, we humbly invite you to Ryugu Palace."

"No harm in that. I've got things to discuss with you anyway," Ashen said with a smile.

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