In the deep sea where sunlight could not reach, pressure squeezed the water into an almost solid inky blue. Silence was the sole ruler here, and only the occasional passing deep-sea creature, emitting a wan fluorescent glow, proved that time was still flowing.
A medium-sized sailing ship glided silently through this eternal darkness. A tough, transparent resin bubble coating encased its hull, keeping the deadly deep-sea pressure and seawater outside. On its sails, a blood-red sun emblem, drawn in bold, rough lines, stood out even in the faint light-the Sun Pirates, founded by the late Fish-Man Hero Fisher Tiger and now led by Jinbe, the "Knight of the Sea."
Yet in horrifying contrast to the absolute silence outside, a fierce conflict was on the verge of exploding inside the ship's meeting room.
The senior officers had gathered in the cramped cabin. The air was stale, thick with suppressed anger and the distinctive saltiness of the sea. On either side of the long table, the atmosphere was charged.
Arlong sat at the head of the left side, his saw-toothed nose twitching slightly with anger, the thick veins in his neck bulging and throbbing like writhing earthworms. Behind him stood Chew and Kuroobi, their expressions equally hostile. Arlong clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked, his eyes burning with deep-rooted hatred for humans and extreme dissatisfaction with their present circumstances.
Across from him, Jinbe sat upright, his massive blue body as steady as a mountain, but his tightly pressed lips and taut jaw betrayed the turmoil within him. His reliable deputy, Aladdin, stood behind him. Little Koala huddled behind the crack in the door, watching the adults inside with terrified eyes, her body trembling constantly. Her closeness to the Fish-Men made the terrifying atmosphere all the more painfully jarring.
"**Enough! Blue Fatty,