In the deep sea, Mushi stood at the bow of Vander Decken's dilapidated ghost ship, anxiously looking ahead at the wrecked boat being towed by the Wadatsumi and Anglerfish.
Wadatsumi hesitated as he took steps, turning back to ask Mushi a question every two steps.
"Aren't we going to be punished by the captain if we set off without orders?"
"Ah!!!
Damn it!
I've told you so many times, if you don't speed things up, we might get punished!!!
Speed up! Can't you go any faster? It's been a whole day already!!!
Who knows what kind of chaos Fish-Man Island is in right now? If we dawdle any longer, we'll miss the victory celebration banquet!!!
Mushi was going crazy, but no matter how much he yelled, he couldn't make Wadatsumi even a single step faster.
"But... even though you've said a lot, you're not the captain. Won't the captain scold me?"
"No, absolutely not, you big bald guy!"
"Can't you learn from that Anglerfish and not talk so much?"
"So if I learn from the Anglerfish, the captain won't punish me?"
"Go to hell!!!"
Mushi completely abandoned his plan to talk to Wadatsumi.
Standing at the bow of the ship, Mushi looked utterly exhausted and helpless. If he hadn't thought that Wadatsumi could become a source of strength for Brother Hody, he wouldn't have wasted his time here with this bald man!
What a pity! Judging from the tone of my brother's last words on the Den Den Mushi, they've probably already started their operation!
To think I missed such an important operation... I'm so unlucky... Ugh!
While pondering something, a glimmer of light ahead distracted Mushi, who frowned and gazed into the distance...
On the other hand, Gawain, along with Gion, Jinbe, and Shirahoshi, bid farewell to the crowd of people who came to see them off on Fish-Man Island.
Looking at the sorrowful old men duo with their arms around each other's shoulders, and then at Tris and her group of rescued Merfolk with snot and tears streaming down their faces, waving at them incessantly.
Gawain smiled knowingly.
Beside him, Shirahoshi waved her arms, shouting excitedly to the farewell party.
"Everyone, I will be the first to step onto land and prove to you just how beautiful the sunshine and the forest are!"
Gawain is very kind to me, so please don't worry about me.
Waaaaah, I'll miss everyone, I already do, I... I'll be back!!!
"Waaaa, Princess Shirahoshi, don't go, Princess!"
"The princess has already ascended to heaven as soon as she came out of the tower!"
"That's going to land, you idiot! Although that place is indeed higher up in the sky above our Fish-Man Island!"
"May the princess have a safe journey!"
Hearing his people's blessings for Shirahoshi, the man in the crowd, Manboshi, burst into tears. The next second, he picked up a harpoon and shouted with a sorrowful expression.
"Red Opah, be careful of slave traders! Don't get captured and become a slave of the Celestial Dragon... Huh?!!"
Fukaboshi and Ryuboshi together desperately covered their third brother's mouth.
"Manboshi, where's your brain?! Where's your brain?!"
"Third brother, Saint Gawain is Celestial Dragon! What are you thinking?!"
On the deck of the ship, which had just floated up with the bubbles, Shirahoshi chuckled upon hearing her third brother's voice.
While laughing, Shirahoshi bent down and buried her face between Gawain and Gion.
"Gawain, you wouldn't really turn me into a slave, would you?"
"You never know, after all, Merfolk as beautiful as you would definitely fetch a high price, right?"
"I don't believe it!"
Shirahoshi shook her head in protest, her hair cascading down Gawain's side. But after shaking her head, Shirahoshi quietly turned her head and asked in a low voice.
"Is it really... beautiful?"
"Of course, you'll find out later."
Gawain replied with a smile.
As Gawain spoke, their ship rose higher and higher, breaking through the Fish-Man Island's coated link zone and merging into the deep sea.
In Shirahoshi's eyes, her hometown became farther and farther away, smaller and smaller, until it looked like a marble.
Gawain and Shirahoshi were looking at Fish-Man Island together when they saw the Fish-Man Island, which looked like a marble, and the roots of the Sun Tree Eve, which were shaped like the arms of a slingshot, on either side of it.
Gawain gestured and asked softly.
"Look, the roots of the Sun Tree Eve combined with Fish-Man Island look like a giant slingshot, don't they?"
"You jest, sir. How could there be such a large slingshot in the world?"
While it does resemble it somewhat, we can't find such a huge rubber band that could stretch the entire Fish-Man Island!
Jinbe's voice was very serious; he looked much like Gion five days ago.
Seeing this, Gawain patted Jinbe's arm.
"Dude, don't be so serious. Lighten up, I'm not a troublesome person."
As for the slingshot spring you mentioned, to be honest, it's not impossible for it to exist in this world!
You guys think it would be amazing if we could find an incredibly huge rubber band, even bigger than Fish-Man Island.
Then, a group of powerful giant Sea King were brought in to handle loading and stretching.
Finally, what if we find an excellent sniper who specializes in using a slingshot as a weapon?
At this point, Gawain held his left hand in front of him and made a gesture of pulling his right hand back.
Call out!
He pretended to flick the imaginary bullet out of his hand.
"Like I said, if such a slingshot were locked onto Mary Geoise and fired."
Do you think that Fish-Man Island, being a projectile, could shatter the Red Line where Mary Geoise is located, thus completely opening up the passage between the New World and the Grand Line?
"Ha ha!"
"You're so funny, sir."
"Hehe, Gawain is so humorous."
The three Gion members burst into laughter. Jinbe, in particular, laughed loudly as he spoke to Gawain.
"Sir, that's the most outrageous joke I've ever heard, haha."
Not to mention the 10,000-meter-wide sea separating Fish-Man Island and the Red Line, just calculating the chaotic ocean currents would require at least one extremely professional navigator.
Let's just talk about using slingshots as weapons.
In all my years, I've never seen a sniper use a slingshot.
Even the world's undisputed number one sniper, Yasopp from Red-Haired Shanks's ship, personally took action.
He couldn't possibly handle such a massive slingshot while also having to consider the underwater obstacles that are countless times more severe than air resistance!
Finally, regarding the Sea King capable of pulling such a slingshot.
Fish-Man Island is a large island that can accommodate tens of millions of people at the same time. To use such an island as a marble, the tension of that rubber band would probably require countless giant Sea King.
Aside from Princess Shirahoshi, probably no one else in the world could possess such power, but how could Princess Shirahoshi possibly destroy Fish-Man Island?
After saying that, Jinbe and Gion laughed even harder. They felt that since the adults had told a joke, they should laugh a little longer.
Besides, the joke is actually quite funny.
Shirahoshi, however, was slightly taken aback.
"Why?
Do I... do I have that ability?
Can I summon countless Sea Kings?
No, I can only talk to the fish.
"Well!"
Jinbe; after all, he was Whale Shark Fish-Man, and his reaction time was indeed a beat slow.
Upon hearing Princess Shirahoshi's words, Jinbe immediately looked at Gawain with trepidation.
Gawain waved his hand casually.
"You do have that ability, but that's okay. Who would be willing to send a girl like you to the battlefield?"
If the Sea King you summon are injured or even die, you'll definitely cry a lot, right?
Besides, no matter what level of ambition I want to achieve, my ambition should not be reduced to the point where I have to rely on a little girl!
Jinbe, don't you think so?
"Ha... haha, of course!"
Jinbe felt relieved, and at the same time, he confirmed the doubts he had had when he first met Gawain.
Once, in the Ryugu Castle, when everyone was talking about King Neptune's daughter...
Although Saint Mjosgard was unaware of this, Jinbe, with his excellent Observation Haki, clearly heard Gion whispering Poseidon's words to Gawain!
After that, Jinbe wanted to ask, but he couldn't make up his mind. He was afraid that if Gawain didn't know the secret, his questioning would expose Princess Shirahoshi's identity.
As for now, he doesn't need to think anymore, because Gawain really knows Shirahoshi's identity, and he doesn't seem to care much about that identity!
Thinking of this, Jinbe smiled easily, looked at Gawain, and said.
"Although I do not yet know what your ambitions are, sir, I have already witnessed your magnanimity. I..."
As they were talking, Jinbe suddenly shut his mouth and turned his head to listen.
A moment later, Jinbe raised an eyebrow at Gion.
"Did you see that patch of light getting closer?"
Giant Anglerfish and ships are approaching us. Gion Vice Admiral, please be prepared. Underwater, our Fish-Man Observation Haki must be even more sensitive!
"OK!"
Gion had no doubts. She picked up Kompira and turned to shield Gawain and Shirahoshi behind her.
At the same time, two voices, one loud and one soft, gradually drifted from afar.
"Hahaha, that's Celestial Dragon's ship! Brother Hody must have succeeded! The Celestial Dragon have already started to flee!"
But how could the eldest brother let them escape?
Never mind, Wadatsumi, speed up, speed up!!!
"Shoot down that ship, capture the Celestial Dragon, and Vander Decken will reward you handsomely!"
"Really? Then Wadatsumi don't want a reward, I just want the captain not to punish me!"