Not long ago.
Twenty thousand meters directly below Garen, Fish-Man Island.
Known as the "Undersea Paradise," Fish-Man Island was an unavoidable passage from the first half of the Grand Line, "Paradise," to the latter half, the "New World."
The Navy, travelers, and merchants generally traveled overland through the Holy Land Mariejois, but their ships could not cross the Red Line that way.
Therefore, if those with legitimate identities needed to bring their massive ships to the New World, they had to coat their vessels and take the underwater route through Fish-Man Island, just like pirates.
That day, a Navy warship visited Fish-Man Island.
It was a costly Sea Stone Warship, issued only to officers of rear admiral rank and above.
The Navy officers in command of the warship were Rear Admiral Smoker and Major Tashigi.
As the annual top performers within the Navy system, they had long since received their promotion orders.
So unlike when they had hitched a ride to the East Blue years ago, Smoker had finally traded up and acquired a massive warship of his own.
After parting with Garen at Cocoyasi Village, Smoker and Tashigi boarded this Sea Stone Warship, crossed the Calm Belt directly from the East Blue into the Grand Line, and prepared to travel through Fish-Man Island to take up their posts at G-5 Base in the New World.
After parting from Garen in the East Blue, they had unexpectedly arrived at the same place nearly a month later, from two entirely different directions.
Fish-Man Island's scenery was rare in the world.
An enormous spherical bubble membrane enveloped the entire island, shimmering with brilliant colors beneath the sunlight carried down through the roots of the Sun Tree Eve.
Deep-sea creatures bathed in the rare sunlight in great schools, swimming freely around the prosperous