Big Sister-in-Law Candidate?

In the end, Amphitrite did not remain on the ship to descend with the second group. She followed Nereus and the others into the water first.

All Amphitrite did to prepare was take a deep breath.

"That little girl really is... persistent. Sambel, do you think in a few years, we'll have to start calling her big sister-in-law?"

"Who knows? That's Big Brother's family business, isn't it?"

Babel and Big Pan remained on the ship at this point. They would descend alongside the vessel.

Although coating technology had become quite mature on these seas, the descent itself could not be called completely foolproof. Conditions underwater changed constantly.

Shifting currents and all kinds of deep-sea creatures could threaten a coated ship, so capable people still needed to accompany it.

Sebastian and Sambel followed behind the diving group, acting as the rear guard.

The seawater made their voices sound somewhat muffled, but Fish-Men could still communicate normally.

"I think that rather than saying she chose to join us, it would be more accurate to say she chose to follow Big Brother."

"What's the difference?"

"Of course there's a difference. Haven't you noticed that she's always by Big Brother's side?"

"Isn't that because she's learning from Big Brother? Come to think of it, she learns incredibly fast. She mastered the basics of Armament Haki in just a few days."

"I shouldn't have brought this up with you..."

Sebastian did not continue discussing the matter with Sambel. Sambel was another honest, simple-minded fellow, as guileless as Big Pan, completely unable to grasp what Sebastian meant.

Other than the welcome banquet that day, Amphitrite had actually interacted very little with the others. When she appeared before them, she did not always wear that mummy-like outfit, but she still kept herself tightly covered.

The few times Sebastian had seen her face uncovered were when he had gone to speak with Nereus about something.

It was a habit she had developed, and overcoming it would take time.

Yet now, even for these few hours underwater, she had chosen to go ahead and stay behind Nereus. That only strengthened Sebastian's belief.

This is pretty good too. With that girl's racial talents, if she has a child with Big Brother someday... that child might even surpass Nanamo.

But if it really comes to that, who should we support as Big Brother's successor...

Sebastian's thoughts ran far ahead. In any case, he was a Fish-Giant. Even after a few more decades, when the next generation had grown up, he would still be in his prime.

Perhaps by then, many people's descendants would call him uncle or grandfather, or gradually grow stronger under his training.

He had always believed that the Nereus he followed would build a kingdom powerful enough to thrive.

As time passed, the group descended deeper and deeper. The light around them gradually weakened, and the surrounding sea began to darken.

They were already more than three thousand meters below the surface. Sunlight could not reach this place at all. Fish-Men and Mermaids could sense the path ahead through the movement of the seawater, forming a rough map in their minds.

But Amphitrite realized that she had underestimated the sea.

Holding her breath for a long time was nothing to her. She had done such things before, but she had never dived this deep.

The water pressure did not affect her much, but she could not easily light a fire underwater. Even if flames erupted from her body, they would quickly be extinguished. The claustrophobia and loneliness brought by the darkness made her uncomfortable.

"Amphi, this way."

At that moment, a hand landed on her shoulder, and Nereus's voice reached her ears through the current.

"This stretch is a little dark, but it can't be helped. This is the only route to Fish-Man Island. Once you pass through this darkness, you'll see the dazzling pearl of the deep sea.

"There's a fast current ahead. Hold your breath and leave the rest to me."

As he spoke, Nereus took Amphitrite's hand. Although a Water-Repellent Membrane now covered his body, it did not affect him in the slightest, nor was there any risk of his hand slipping.

To Nereus, it was at most like wearing a pair of PVC gloves.

Unlike humans, who had to consider decompression even at depths of a few hundred meters, the Fishman Race, the Merfolk Race, and even Amphitrite of the Lunarian Tribe could all directly adapt to such conditions.

With the help of the current, the group moved through the dark waters. Before long, Amphitrite noticed a faint glow ahead.

An island stood with a massive tree at its back, floating in the deep sea within a gigantic bubble.

The source of that light was Eve, known as the Sun Tree.

This tree could be called Fish-Man Island's mother tree. Its crown absorbed sunlight, which traveled through the trunk to its roots in the deep sea, causing the roots to emit sunlight-like radiance and synchronizing the day-night cycle beneath the sea with that on land.

The oxygen produced through the tree's photosynthesis could also be carried into Fish-Man Island through its roots, improving the island's bubble system and allowing humans to survive here as well.

"Fish-Man Island. We're here."

Scattered ships waited around them to enter. Fish-Man Island actually had its own defensive measures; the bubble membrane outside it had a double-layered hollow structure.

There was a large space between the two membranes. If someone forced their way in, the first layer would absorb the coating around the ship, causing it to fall directly. That could easily result in a wreck and loss of life.

This special "city wall" provided at least some defensive value, so most ships queued to enter this way.

Nereus and the others did not need to queue. They entered directly through the national gate to one side. Seeing Fish-Men and Mermaids, the Neptune Army guards did not even give Nereus's group a second glance before allowing them through.

"Is this your home?"

It was Amphitrite's first time arriving at Fish-Man Island. There were many bays within the island, and all kinds of coral reefs formed a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Shell-shaped houses were everywhere. There were even bubble-made waterways in the sky, with schools of fish swimming through them.

"Yes, this is Fish-Man Island. Let's rest here for now. We'll be going to the Fish-Man District later. That place is outside Fish-Man Island."

Nereus had wanted to give Amphitrite a general introduction to Fish-Man Island, but an argument suddenly broke out near the checkpoint.

Fish-Man Island had only one entrance and exit. Whether entering or leaving, everyone had to pass through here.

At present, a merchant ship intending to leave was arguing with Neptune Army soldiers.

The cause was not complicated. A pair of parents claimed they had seen someone bring their child aboard that ship, and the Neptune Army soldiers wanted to go aboard and take a look.

But the people on the ship refused to let the Neptune Army board for an inspection. They even issued threats.

"I already told you, the ship is carrying our secret merchandise! There's no way we'll let people like you come aboard! If you insist on inspecting us, we'll never deliver supplies to Fish-Man Island again!"