Ten thousand meters beneath the sea, light from Sunlight Tree Eve streamed down from the dome, illuminating the enormous bubble membrane surrounding Fish-Man Island.
But at that moment, the membrane was no longer as smooth as a mirror.
Seen from outside Fish-Man Island-from the deep seawater-the island's entire outer bubble was covered in a lattice of dusky blue hexagonal cells, like a meticulously woven giant cage.
Between the cells, brand-new bubble membrane had just solidified, paler than the original membrane walls.
The patterns glimmered beneath Eve's light, like cracks in glass or patterns on ice.
From a distance, all of Fish-Man Island seemed wrapped in a fragile, cracked bubble that might shatter at any moment.
A merchant convoy from the Sabaody Archipelago was slowly approaching Fish-Man Island along an established current route. It consisted of three medium-sized cargo ships, with the flags of a human kingdom's merchant association hanging from their bows.
Most of the sailors aboard were experienced deep-sea navigators who had traveled to and from Fish-Man Island for years.
But when the navigator saw the "crack-riddled" bubble ahead through the observation window, his face instantly went deathly pale.
"Stop-stop the ship!" he shouted, his voice exploding through the cabin.
The captain strode to the observation window, narrowed his eyes for three seconds, then abruptly stumbled backward, striking the helm with his back.
"What's going on? Has something happened to Fish-Man Island?" The captain's hand was already reaching for the Den Den Mushi at his waist. "Is the bubble about to burst? Or did pirates attack?"
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind-lost cargo, a disrupted route, even the entire convoy being swept into the deep sea. His hand trembled, but he had already pulled the Den Den Mushi from its shell.
Just as he was about to call his