One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

As the sun sank beneath the skies of the Sabaody Archipelago, the rays filtering through the massive Yarukiman Mangrove began to fade, and Fish-Man Island was gradually enveloped in night.

Inside the grand banquet hall of Ryugu Palace, the Fish-Man Island Symphony Orchestra played a lively tune while over thirty mermaids swayed and twirled to the rhythm.

High above, seated comfortably on the broad back of a giant flounder encased in a bubble, members of the Helgrave Pirates watched the performance with idle amusement. 

From time to time, mermaids swam over bearing platters of exotic delicacies.

"Are you done yet, Lafitte? Don't keep the mermaid ladies waiting."

Walton spread his arms out wide, urging Lafitte to hurry as he slowly coated his body with film.

Ever since being driven mad with envy over Kyros's romantic encounter, Walton, desperate to frolic with mermaids underwater, had come up with the idea of coating his entire body with a bubble.

"What's the rush? Coating is a delicate art. You gotta be precise. You could've just used a normal air bubble like the rest of us, but no, you had to go and coat your whole body. So troublesome," Lafitte muttered, still applying the film.

"Bahahaha.. you just don't get it. A coating already dulls the sense of touch. If there's air trapped inside too, that totally kills the vibe."

Shameless as ever, Walton ignored Lafitte's grumbling entirely.

Minutes later, a rotund, lecherous man waddled off in his full-body coating, a bubble helmet perched atop his head for breathing. 

He slithered into the group of mermaids, swaying back and forth like a catfish.

"Captain, I regret helping him. He's an embarrassment to our whole crew," Lafitte sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he watched the mermaids being dragged off by Walton.

"Wahahahaha…."

The rest of the crew, who had been stifling their laughter, finally burst out laughing at Lafitte's misery.

"Seeing you all this cheerful really puts my mind at ease."

Just then, Neptune, having returned to Ryugu Palace, stepped into the scene. 

Mistaking the crew's laughter for their enjoyment of Fish-Man Island's music and dance, he smiled with satisfaction and nodded approvingly toward the Minister of the Left. 

The poor minister, unsure how to explain the real situation, could only nod back awkwardly.

Following behind Neptune was an even larger flounder, carrying none other than the Roger Pirates, newly returned from the Sea Forest.

Worried about potential conflict between the two pirate crews, Neptune had arranged for the Roger Pirates' flounder to settle on the left side of the Helgrave Pirates, with himself positioned in between to mediate.

With even more guests arriving, the performers below threw themselves into their routines with renewed vigor. 

Bubbles filled with gourmet food and rare spirits were continuously delivered to both crews.

….

As Ashen and the others teased Walton, who had just returned due to running out of oxygen, Roger, Rayleigh, and Oden entered the bubble.

"Wahaaha…. You sure know how to enjoy yourself."

Roger chuckled as he spotted the mountain of empty bottles surrounding Ashen. 

Without ceremony, he plopped down across from him. Rayleigh and Oden followed suit. Seeing that things were peaceful, Neptune chose not to interrupt whatever conversation might unfold.

"A pirate's motto, 'Drink deep while the night is young'. Judging by your mood, I take it you got what you came for, Roger."

Ashen tossed a few more bottles toward them and popped open another for himself.

Glug...Glug…

Roger took a swig and chuckled. "I figured you'd know what we were after."

"Wasn't hard to guess. Ever since Oden joined your crew, the path you've taken, and the Navy's sudden focus on chasing you, made things pretty clear to anyone paying attention."

Ashen, of course, couldn't reveal he was a transmigrator. He had to stick with a plausible explanation.

"I heard from Neptune you also went to the Sea Forest. Are you interested in those things too?" Roger asked.

"History doesn't concern me. I live in the now." Ashen paused, then added.

"I only went to the Sea Forest to confirm the location of that Poneglyph. I'll be taking it with me when we leave tomorrow. Frankly, for Fish-Man Island, it's nothing but a ticking time bomb."

Roger fell silent for a moment before nodding. "You're right. Fish-Man Island shouldn't have to bear that burden. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. Since Fish-Man Island now flies my flag, I have to consider its future."

Ashen understood Roger's gratitude, but he wasn't doing this to clean up the Roger Pirates' mess, so he didn't accept the sentiment.

"So, what's your goal, then? Want to be King of the World like Rocks?" Rayleigh asked, clearly curious about Ashen's ambitions, given his former ties to the Rocks Pirates.

"It's too early to talk about goals. Without strength, everything else is just delusion. Once the Helgrave Pirates rise, you'll know what I want.

The seas are calm right now. The Navy and World Government still hold absolute power. I'm waiting for you to stir the pot, to plunge the world into chaos.

That's when I'll act.

Isn't that what you want too, Roger?"

"Wahahaha…. This guy's something else, Rayleigh. Who'd have thought we'd meet someone like him…"

After chatting a while longer, Roger and his crew got up to leave. 

Before they went, Oden offered Ashen a sincere apology for the events earlier that day, which Ashen casually waved off.

…

The next morning, when Ashen woke, the Roger Pirates had already set sail.

Breakfast had been prepared for the Helgrave Pirates at Ryugu Palace. After washing up, the crew dug in.

"Captain, the Poneglyph has been secured. We can leave at any time. 

Also, there are about a hundred Fish-Men ready to join the Helgrave Pirates. They've all been briefed and are ready to go. And…"

The report came from Jinbe, who paused halfway through, visibly uneasy.

"What is it, Jinbe?" Ashen set down his knife and looked up.

"News just came in from the Fish-Man District… Tiger and some of the men left last night. They were angry with King Neptune's decision and said they're setting off to become pirates."

Jinbe bowed deeply. 

"If they end up going against the Helgrave Pirates because of this, please, for the sake of Fish-Man Island, show them some mercy. I'll find them and bring them back as soon as I can."

"…Alright. For Neptune's sake, if it's nothing too outrageous, I'll let it slide."

They were just a bunch of street thugs from the Fish-Man District. Other than Fisher Tiger, none of them were worth Ashen's attention.

"Thank you, Captain. I'm deeply grateful."

…

After breakfast and a farewell to Neptune, the Helgrave Pirates boarded a submersible pod and were escorted away from Fish-Man Island by a team of Fish-Men.

Behind them, more Fish-Men guided sea beasts that towed the Poneglyph in its massive bubble, faithfully following in their wake.

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Bonus chapter for 50 stones.

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