Seven days after the battle on Sky Island, a celebration banquet was held on Angel Island.
Long tables covered the cloud ground, with Sky Island specialties-Water Water Meat and Cloud Dial Wine-piled into little mountains. Shandia warriors sat alongside Sky Island residents, four hundred years of estrangement melting away amid ringing bells and laughter. Children ran around the Flame Emperor, Chopper was pulled aside by a group of Sky Island doctors asking medical questions, Ace competed in a drinking contest with Wyper, the Shandia warriors' leader, Tashigi taught swordsmanship to Sky Island girls, and Robin was surrounded by scholars asking about history...
Lin Yan sat at the head of the table, watching the scene with a gentle smile.
"Captain." Isuka approached and handed him a report. "The ship has been resupplied. We've loaded fifty each of the local Wind Dials, Flame Dials, and Cloud Dials, enough for three months. Also, the Sky Island Version Flame Emperor Pills Dr. Chopper developed are now in mass production. Everyone has been issued ten."
"Thanks for the hard work." Lin Yan took the report. "Any news about Blackbeard?"
"Yes." Isuka lowered her voice. "They took advantage of the Raigo explosion to escape, but their ship was badly damaged. Repairs will take at least a month. Also, our people found a gravely wounded Fish-Man on the outskirts of Angel Island. He said he escaped from Fish-Man Island and has important information."
A Fish-Man?
Lin Yan's gaze sharpened. "Bring him to me."
Ten minutes later, a blue-skinned Fish-Man covered in wounds was helped over to Lin Yan. He looked to be in his thirties. His left arm was broken, and whip marks covered his body. He had clearly suffered severe torture.
"Are... are you Lord Flame Emperor?" the Fish-Man asked weakly.
"I am. Who are you? Where did you come from?"
"My name is Hack. I'm a guard of the Sea Forest on Fish-Man Island," the Fish-Man said through gritted teeth. "A month ago, there was a coup on Fish-Man Island. Hody Jones-one of Arlong's former followers-led the New Fish-Man Pirates in an attack on Ryugu Palace. They kidnapped Princess Shirahoshi and imprisoned King Neptune! They want to use Princess Shirahoshi's ability to summon the Sea Kings, destroy every human ship, and establish a purely Fish-Man nation!"
Lin Yan's expression changed, as did those of the crew around him.
Princess Shirahoshi... Poseidon... had been kidnapped?
"How did you escape?" Robin asked.
"It... it was Queen Otohime's former followers. They risked their lives to cover my escape." Tears streamed down Hack's face. "Before the queen died, she said that if Fish-Man Island ever faced a crisis, we should go to the Blue Sea and seek the 'heir to the sun.' I heard about your deeds at the Sabaody Archipelago, Lord Flame Emperor, and followed your trail all the way to Jaya Island. Then I rode the Knock Up Stream to Sky Island..."
He fell to his knees. "Please, save Fish-Man Island! Save Princess Shirahoshi! If Hody really summons the Sea Kings, humans won't be the only ones to suffer. Fish-Man Island will be destroyed by their rampage too!"
Lin Yan helped him up. "Recover from your injuries first. Fish-Man Island... we'll go there."
He turned to the crew.
"The banquet ends now. Everyone, finish preparations to depart within an hour. Our destination-"
"Fish-Man Island!"
"Yes!"
The crew immediately sprang into action, the festive atmosphere turning grim.
An hour later, in the Flame Emperor's meeting room.
Everyone was present, including Hack, who was still recovering.
Lin Yan stood before the nautical chart and pointed to Fish-Man Island. "The regular route from Sky Island to Fish-Man Island goes around the Red Line and takes at least two months. But we don't have that much time. Hack said Hody injected Princess Shirahoshi with 'concentrated Energy Steroids' to force her ability to awaken. In ten days at most, she'll lose control completely."
"What do we do, then?" Ace frowned. "We can't exactly fly there, can we?"
"That's exactly what we'll do." Lin Yan pointed to a mark on the chart. "Below Sky Island, there's a Descending Current that leads straight to the waters around Fish-Man Island. It's a permanent air passage formed four hundred years ago, when the Knock Up Stream carried Jaya Island up here."
"A Descending Current?" Chopper shrank back in fear. "Won't we smash to pieces?"
"That's why we need upgrades." Lin Yan looked at everyone. "You all grew during the battle on Sky Island. Now it's time to turn that growth into actual fighting strength."
He looked at Chopper first. "Chopper, how effective is your Flame Emperor Pill: Sky Island Exclusive Version?"
Chopper immediately puffed out his chest. "It works great! But during the banquet, I discovered a new formula. Mixing Resonance Gold Dust from the Golden Bell with Cloud Dial Grass can produce the Flame Emperor Pill: Awakening Version. It triples the user's basic abilities for ten minutes, with no side effects!"
"How long would mass production take?"
"With enough materials, I can make a hundred in three days!"
"Good. You have three days."
Next, Lin Yan looked at Tashigi. "Tashigi, what insights did you gain into your Flame-Infused Swordsmanship on Sky Island?"
Tashigi drew Shigure, and the Flame-Infused Inscription on its blade shone with crimson-gold light. "While fighting the Divine Soldiers, I discovered that flames can do more than coat flying slashes. They can also be shaped-like this."
She swung her sword. Instead of a crescent slash, a crimson-gold bird of flame shot out. It circled through the air, changed direction, and finally struck a distant target, bursting into flames.
"Flame Shaping?" Robin's eyes lit up. "That requires an extremely high degree of control."
"The captain taught me." Tashigi looked a little embarrassed. "He said a swordsman's ultimate realm isn't 'cutting,' but 'creating.' I'm still figuring it out, but I can already make simple animal forms."
Lin Yan nodded. "Very good. Over the next three days, I'll teach you Flame-Infused Swordsmanship: Hundred Beasts Style-using flames to imitate the attack patterns of a hundred fierce beasts."
"Yes!"
Robin was next.
"Robin, what breakthroughs did you make with your Flower-Flower Fruit on Sky Island?"
Robin crossed her hands before her chest and closed her eyes. A moment later, over a hundred arms sprouted simultaneously from the walls around the meeting room. Rather than attacking, the arms began... forming hand seals.
The intricate hand seals kept changing until, finally, every arm pointed at the ceiling at once.
"Flower-Flower Fruit: Secret Technique, Thousand-Armed Flame Buddha, First Form-"
"Thousand Hands: Sealing Array."
An enormous flame array appeared on the ceiling, with a sun pattern at its center. Though it dissipated after only three seconds, its sacred, solemn aura made everyone's hearts tremble.
"This is..." Ace was stunned.
"I learned it from the Ancient Script on the Golden Bell," Robin explained. "The basics of the Sealing Technique left behind by the Sun God Nika. Though I've only scratched the surface, I can already use it to seal an enemy's abilities-for instance, temporarily preventing an ability user from turning into their element."
Appreciation flashed in Lin Yan's eyes. "Just what I'd expect from Robin. This move has tremendous potential. Keep developing it."
Finally, he looked at Ace.
"Ace, how far has your Flame-Flame Fruit's awakening progressed?"
Ace grinned, flames igniting in both hands at once-blue-white in his left and crimson-gold in his right.
"Blue flame represents 'penetration and purification,' while crimson flame represents 'explosion and creation.'" He brought his hands together, merging the two flames into a peculiar Glazed Flame-transparent, yet radiating terrifying heat. "I can now use both properties at once, and even fuse them briefly. But I can only maintain it for thirty seconds. Any longer, and I'll exhaust myself."
"Thirty seconds is enough to decide a battle." Lin Yan patted his shoulder. "Over the next three days, I'll teach you Twin Flame Style: Secret Technique-how to use that thirty-second burst at the most critical moment."
After assigning everyone their training plans, Lin Yan turned to Hack last.
"Hack, you'll describe Fish-Man Island's terrain, the deployment of Hody's forces, and the exact location where Princess Shirahoshi is being held. We need to draw up a detailed rescue plan."
"Yes!"
Three days later, at the entrance to the Descending Current.
The Flame Emperor had undergone a complete overhaul. Wind Dial thrusters had been installed beneath the hull, Iron Cloud armor covered its sides, and a Flame Dial energy core was embedded at the top of the mainmast. The entire ship looked more imposing, even giving the impression of a futuristic warship.
On deck, everyone's equipment had been upgraded.
Chopper carried an enormous medical bag filled with various Flame Emperor Pills; Tashigi's Shigure had a new scabbard engraved with a Hundred Beasts Flame Pattern; Robin now wore a golden bracelet around her wrist, a Sealing Medium made from Resonance Gold Dust; Ace had changed into a specially made fireproof combat suit, with two-colored flames dancing on its shoulder guards.
Lin Yan stood at the bow, holding two shards-the Earth Shard, gold, and the Sky Shard, silver. As the shards drew close, they began resonating, projecting an illusory pointer toward the deep sea below.
"Fish-Man Island..." Lin Yan murmured. "The third shard, the Ocean Shard, is there. And Poseidon... needs us to save her."
He turned to the crew.
"This time, our enemy isn't a Shichibukai or a god of Sky Island. It's an extremist organization blinded by hatred. They kidnapped an innocent princess and intend to use her power to destroy the world."
"Our mission is clear: infiltrate Fish-Man Island, rescue Princess Shirahoshi, defeat Hody Jones, and obtain the Ocean Shard."
"But more importantly-"
"We need to prove that humans and the Fish-Man Race can coexist peacefully. Just like the Skypieans and the Shandia."
The crew answered in unison, "Understood!"
Lin Yan nodded, then raised his right hand high.
"Then, let's set sail!"
"Our destination, ten thousand meters beneath the sea-"
"Fish-Man Island!"
The Flame Emperor sailed into the Descending Current.
It was an enormous hole in the clouds, spiraling downward. The moment the ship entered, the airflow swept it up, sending it into a rapid plunge. Their surroundings changed from blue skies and white clouds to the pitch-black depths of the sea, with only the Glow Dials on the hull providing illumination.
The descent lasted twenty minutes.
When the Flame Emperor burst out of the current, a dreamlike sight lay before them-
An enormous Double-Layer Bubble Membrane enclosed an undersea kingdom. Coral buildings glowed softly, and merfolk and Fish-Men swam gracefully through the water. But a closer look revealed traces of fighting in the streets, vicious eyes on the patrolling soldiers, and an oppressive atmosphere.
They had arrived at Fish-Man Island.
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