Fish-Man Island
In this battle, most of the island was sunk, with only a few parts remaining above sea level.
One can imagine how intense the battle was.
Teach was defeated. Faced with such a legend, he was defeated after holding out for a day and a night and lost his ability to fight.
Rediat appeared beside Teach in an instant, his shadow spreading out beneath his feet and enveloping Teach's body, Teach sank into the shadows.
He glanced at Rayleigh with slight wariness, then returned to his companions. "Let's go," Rediat said, using the same method to bring the other members back into the Shadow Space.
Immediately afterwards, dragon wings sprouted from its back, and with a gentle flap, Rediat flew into the air, quickly heading towards the Sabaody Archipelago.
This is also to prevent any accidents; being cautious is never excessive.
Rayleigh, slightly out of breath, smiled and didn't seem to mind.
Shanks and Buggy's hearts remained unsettled for a long time after the battle ended.
I felt a sense of urgency and immense pressure, pressure emanating from the Night Pirates.
Having witnessed this battle firsthand, one realizes just how strong the Night Pirates truly are. Even though Teach lost, he was still honorable, for his opponent was the legendary pirate, "Pluton" Rayleigh.
It's terrifying that someone under twenty years old could fight Rayleigh to this extent.
Moreover, this battle will not be easy for Rayleigh either.
It seems that arduous training is inevitable, Buggy and Shanks thought to themselves. Even Shanks has no interest in traveling around. Let's wait until we improve our strength.
"Mr. Rayleigh! Are you alright?"
Seeing that the battle was over and the members of the Night Pirates had left, Buggy and Shanks looked at Rayleigh and rushed over with some concern, asking him worriedly.
Shakky had already arrived beside Rayleigh, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Looking at Rayleigh, she smiled and said, "Looks like you haven't gotten old yet." She then handed Rayleigh his glasses.
Such an injury was not serious for Rayleigh; the most serious one was the bloody hole in his waist, which would require some time to recover, since the loss of flesh and blood needed energy to replenish it.
Shanks and Buggy knew Rayleigh was mostly alright, but they were still a little worried.
"Hehe, it's nothing." Rayleigh chuckled, took the glasses and put them on. "Now you can prepare for your training. I'll take you there in a couple of days."
Rayleigh's injuries need time to heal; he can't recover solely through his own regenerative abilities, especially since his regenerative abilities are declining with age.
The next morning, Teach sat on his throne, draped in a black pirate coat.
Teach's powerful vitality and the Life Return, after a day of rest, Teach's injuries were almost completely healed. There was no trace of his previous injuries. When the bandages were removed, the only difference was that he now had another scar on his body.
Teach's injury is not fully healed yet; his hand bone is broken and he will not be able to fully recover in a short time. He will need several more days to rest.
However, it no longer affects the battle.
The crew of the Night Pirates gathered and returned to their ships. In three days, all three pirate ships had been coated.
During this period, although not many people dared to provoke the Night Pirates, the members still caused quite a bit of trouble, since not everyone would print the Night Pirates' mark in such an obvious place.
Moreover, on an island that is already somewhat chaotic, it's normal for things to go wrong. For Teach, it's a minor matter, because it's unlikely that the members of the Night Pirates will suffer.
At the same time, given the formidable reputation of the Night Pirates, many people want to board this ship and join the Night Pirates, after all, it's good to have a big tree to shelter under.
As the last stop on the first half of the Grand Line, the Sabaody Archipelago is a gathering place for the best of the seas and the Grand Line. Pirates, bounty hunters, and lone wolves are all quite powerful. While they might not cause much of a stir in the New World, they are still far superior to ordinary pirates.
Teach did not refuse the addition of these people; the Night Pirates also needed to expand before entering the New World.
After a selection process, nearly four hundred elite men were chosen, including pirates with bounties exceeding one hundred million.
The Night Pirates had a total of over 1,600 members, with all three pirate ships at full capacity, equivalent to the size of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The Whitebeard Pirates sixteen divisions, each with around one hundred members, totaling exactly sixteen hundred people, but you also have to include Whitebeard.
However, the Night Pirates are still far behind the Whitebeard Pirates, both in terms of crew strength.
Some pirates even wanted to become vassals of the Night Pirates, that is, affiliated Night Pirates crews, hoping to gain their protection.
Someone with a bounty of less than 100 million Beli naturally doesn't qualify, Teach simply told them to go to the New World to find him.
"Let's prepare to set off. Destination: Fish-Man Island."
The three pirate ships slowly sank into the deep sea.
The crew of the Night Pirates sat on the deck at the bow of their ship, watching schools of fish swim among the roots of the enormous mangrove trees. There were many different kinds of fish, large and small, and they were all different colors. This was a beautiful sight that could not be seen on land.
But while they admired the scenery, they didn't forget they were in the deep sea and remained constantly vigilant about their surroundings, as any unexpected event could be disastrous.
After all, the most dangerous Sea King, but for Teach and his crew, there's nothing that Conqueror's Haki can't solve.
Apart from the sounds of the undercurrents and the low growls of the enormous sea monster, there were no other sounds from the seabed. As the pirate ship sank and moved further away from the surface, light could no longer reach the deep sea, and the surroundings grew darker and darker, making the atmosphere somewhat eerie.
From the surface to the depths of the seabed, they soon came to a descending current.
Along with the Knock Up Stream, this is a wonder of the seabed. However, this downwelling current is fixed and always exists in the same place. Due to the unique geographical location, it pushes ships down to the seabed through high-density water, and the temperature decreases as the ship goes deeper.
This is also an important route to Fish-Man Island.
They encountered no danger along the way; no sea monsters or Sea King appeared, because Teach's invisible Haki made them instinctively sense the danger and dare not approach.
The beauty of the deep sea was breathtaking; being my first time there, it felt incredibly novel and exciting.
Having been to the sky at an altitude of 10,000 meters and then to the deep sea, it was truly a fascinating experience.
As they went deeper, the temperature around them dropped lower and lower, becoming extremely cold. A few crew members who were shivering had already put on the cotton-padded clothes that had been prepared for them.
Then, the pirate ship slowly sailed forward and arrived at the hot water mineral deposit area, which is also the underwater volcanic area.
Huge, round stone pillars stood upright on the seabed, billowing thick smoke and hot air, making the surrounding area extremely hot and causing many members of the Night Pirates to sweat profusely.
This is clearly an active volcano, but volcanic eruptions are not so easy. Often, there are early signs that are discovered by Fish-Man Island, which then informs the sea. During that period, no one goes to Fish-Man Island. Of course, if you're looking for death, there's nothing more to say.
Teach and his companions encountered nothing, and after a series of close calls, they finally arrived at the ocean trench 8,000 meters deep.
At a depth of 8,000 meters, the immense water pressure can crush almost everything. Only the bubble layer can reduce this super-strong deep-sea pressure. Just 2,000 meters deeper and you will reach the bottom of the deep sea where Fish-Man Island is located.
In the dark, icy depths of the sea, bright Lamp Dial shone from the Sky Island. Placed on the ship, it wasn't so dark as it slowly made its way to the bottom.
After an unknown amount of time, Teach and his companions finally saw a glimmer of light ahead.
This told them that they would soon be arriving at Fish-Man Island.
Although it wasn't for very long, the deep sea was undoubtedly oppressive and terrifying, leaving a deep impression on them and instilling in them an instinctive fear of the deep sea.
The light grew brighter and brighter, and everything around them gradually became clearer. Teach and the others were very excited about Fish-Man Island, as it was Teach's first time visiting it.
Beneath the brightly lit depths of the sea, the massive roots of mangroves stand tall, like towering pillars reaching to the heavens; enormous sea beasts and Sea King roam among these roots, encircling the Fish-Man Island.
They roamed peacefully and freely, unusually refraining from fighting. The seabed was dotted with brightly colored coral reefs of all sizes, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
The beautiful scenery caught the eye of many, who were captivated by it. Fish-Man Island is already a famous tourist destination.
Through his Observation Haki, Teach could also sense enormous figures hidden around and deep within Fish-Man Island.
A 5,000-meter-long, dominant Sea King slumbers outside Fish-Man Island, like a guardian deity.
Fish-Man Island, nestled among the roots of those enormous mangrove trees, is enveloped by a massive double-layered bubble membrane. The island is studded with various pearls and rare seashells, making it exceptionally dazzling.
"A delicious cake, yet lacking the power to protect it. If it weren't for living ten thousand meters below the sea, Fish-Man Island would probably have ceased to exist long ago. Even so, Fish-Man Island is still remembered by others, which is truly tragic."
Teach at the bustling Fish-Man Island, Teach couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Life on Fish-Man Island was incredibly peaceful. Although Fish-Man often disappeared, it was insignificant compared to the millions of people on the island.
Despite the fact that Fish-Man are born with a stronger physique than ordinary people, even if they can't compare to the Mink Tribe, each Fish-Man can be a formidable fighting force if properly trained. Moreover, living at a depth of 10,000 meters in the ocean, they are still subjected to wanton bullying, and slave trading is rampant.
Although there are fewer slave traders nowadays, most of them are no longer so arrogant and instead operate in the shadows.
In reality, Fish-Man Island is quite powerful, capable of producing many strong individuals. However, in Teach's view, the reason it has fallen into its current state is due to the weakness of Fish-Man Island rulers, or rather, the powerful Fish-Man being ruled by kind-hearted mermaids, which is a tragedy.
To establish oneself in this world, one needs absolute strength, but one cannot be kind.
A pirate ship is coming!
The Fish-Man warriors on duty spotted the pirate ship slowly approaching Fish-Man Island and became alert.
Three enormous pirate ships drew closer and closer. Finally, they could see the flags on the pirate ships, and their hearts leaped into their throats.
"It's the Night Pirates! They've come to Fish-Man Island! Quickly report this to the King!" the leading Fish-Man warrior said solemnly, gripping his weapon tightly. All the Fish-Man warriors tensed up.
The Fish-Man warriors, having received their orders, nodded earnestly and hurriedly boarded the unique vehicles of Fish-Man Island, heading towards the Merman King's Palace.
We arrived at the main entrance of Fish-Man Island.
"Welcome to Fish-Man Island, members of the Night Pirates." The Fish-Man warriors from Fish-Man Island ran over and greeted Teach and his group very politely.
Needless to say, they should at least show the right attitude. The Night Pirates are no ordinary pirates. Even if the Whitebeard Pirates' flag is planted on Fish-Man Island, it doesn't mean they dare to provoke the Night Pirates.
"Ah! You're too kind, gentlemen. Could you please help us find a place to dock our boat? This is our first time on Fish-Man Island, and we're not familiar with any of your taboos or customs. To avoid causing any trouble, we'd really appreciate your help."
Such a matter naturally couldn't be left to Teach to discuss, so Lafitte stepped forward, smiled gently, and, holding his cane, gave a very polite bow, like Gentleman.
"You're too kind, please come with us!"
Lafitte's words flattered the Fish-Man, instantly increasing their goodwill towards Lafitte and the Night Pirates. They hadn't expected the Night Pirates to be so easy to talk to.
This is also why Fish-Man Island is located underwater. Although the Night Pirates are famous, they don't know much about many of their Night Pirates members. If they had learned more about Lafitte, they wouldn't be like this; instead, they would feel fear.
Lafitte was never a kind soul; what they saw was merely appearances. Once Teach ordered the slaughter of these Fish-Man, Lafitte would show no mercy.
"What? The Night Pirates are here!"
"Ryugu Palace, Mermaid King's Palace, King Neptune of Fish-Man Island exclaimed in surprise."
Wearing a crown, he was more robust than the average mermaid, with thick, fluffy orange-red hair and beard, flame-like tattoos on his arms, and dense body hair. He held a trident in his hand.
He knows more about the Night Pirates. As a former member of the Whitebeard Pirates, Teach had a friendship with Whitebeard and paid special attention to Teach after his rise to power.
Although there was the connection with the Whitebeard Pirates, this connection was disregarded when Teach became independent. The Night Pirates were not to be trifled with; they destroyed a powerful nation and slaughtered a large number of marines for a single Devil Fruit, which frightened him.
His body shifted slightly uncomfortably, as if Teach was afraid that something on Fish-Man Island had caught his eye.
"Don't worry," Princess Otohime comforted him, patting his tail.
"No amount of preparation will help when facing a man like that," Neptune with a wry smile. But as a responsible and dependable king, he quickly made up his mind. "Let's go and greet them with the highest honors, so they can feel our sincerity."