Under Roy's Telekinesis control, the small sailboat continued to dive deeper into the sea.
The sunlight gradually dimmed, and the surrounding light became increasingly faint.
Lafitte and his two companions stood on the deck, gripping the ship's railing nervously, their eyes wide as they stared around.
Jesus Burgess swallowed hard.
"The ship, Captain... Is this really alright?"
"If we just dive down like this, won't we get crushed by the seawater?"
Roy stood at the bow of the ship, his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
"Rest assured."
"With my Telekinetic Shield in place, seawater can't get in, and pressure can't get in either."
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint fluorescent glow emerged from the surface of the ship.
It rapidly expanded, forming a hemispherical, transparent shield that enveloped the entire sailboat.
Outside the protective shield, the seawater was isolated, forming a transparent wall.
Occasionally, fish would swim past the protective shield, curiously observing the strange creatures inside.
Jesus Burgess reached out and carefully touched the protective shield.
Where the fingertips touched, faint ripples appeared, yet it was incredibly solid, showing no sign of breaking.
"Hahaha! It really can stop the seawater!"
"Captain! Your abilities are amazing!"
Lafitte and Van Augur couldn't help but reach out and touch the protective shield, their eyes filled with amazement.
Ignoring the three's excitement, Roy manipulated his Telekinesis to continue descending with the sailboat.
As you go deeper, the surrounding scenery begins to change.
The originally dark seawater was gradually illuminated by various bioluminescent marine creatures.
Groups of jellyfish, trailing long tentacles, drifted by slowly, their bodies emitting a soft blue light.
Colorful little fish swim in groups, their scales reflecting a dazzling light.
Occasionally, a few huge sea turtles would slowly swim past the boat, their shells covered with seaweed and barnacles.
"Wow..."
Jesus Burgess opened his mouth wide and his eyes widened.
"This... this is so beautiful!"
He lay sprawled on the gunwale, practically pressing his face against the protective shield.
Lafitte was equally engrossed, his eyes, which usually held a hint of cunning, now filled with shock.
"Is this the underwater world...?"
"I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like it."
Although Van Augur was taciturn, his eyes were fixed on the scenery outside the protective barrier, and his hand holding the spear trembled slightly.
Roy watched the three people's reactions, a faint smile curving his lips.
This is the expression on the face of anyone seeing the underwater wonders for the first time.
When he first dived, he wasn't much better off than them.
The sailboat continued its descent.
The number of creatures around us increased, and they became increasingly strange.
There are giant octopuses with countless tentacles, strange fish covered in sharp spines, anemones that look like flowers, and strange creatures hidden in the sand.
Jesus Burgess was overwhelmed by the sights, occasionally letting out a gasp of surprise.
"Hahaha! That fish is huge!"
"Captain, Captain! What's that over there?! It looks like a rock!"
"Hey! That octopus looks like it's glaring at us!"
Roy didn't answer, but simply steered the sailboat silently.
Sudden--
His brow furrowed slightly.
According to his Observation Haki, a large number of auras appeared ahead.
Those auras were immense, wild, and full of untamed energy.
Sea Kings.
Moreover, the number is considerable.
The sailboat continued its journey.
Soon, Lafitte and the other two also saw the scene ahead.
Jesus Burgess's smile froze on his face, and his voice trembled.
"The ship... Captain..."
"Wow... why... why are there so many Sea Kings?!"
Ahead, the once relatively empty sea area is now teeming with Sea Kings!
Even the smaller ones are hundreds of meters long.
Some are huge, reaching thousands of meters, or even tens of thousands of meters!
They come in various shapes and sizes.
Some resemble giant Sea Snake, their bodies winding and coiling, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Some are giant tortoises that resemble islands, their limbs moving slowly, each movement stirring up turbulent undercurrents.
Some were covered in ferocious spikes, and their gaping maws were filled with sharp teeth.
Some were covered in hard scales, and their eyes were as big as lanterns, emitting a cold, eerie light.
These Sea Kings, some swimming, some hovering, some lurking, were densely packed and covered the sky!
Lafitte's face turned deathly pale instantly.
Even though he was only a beginner in Observation Haki, he could sense just how terrifying the aura emanating from those Sea Kings was.
Any one of them could easily destroy a warship!
And now, hundreds of them have gathered here!
No, there are more than a hundred!
In the distance, even more Sea Kings are swimming in continuously!
"Captain..."
Lafitte adjusted his top hat and began to speak with difficulty.
"Are there always so many Sea Kings around Fish-Man Island?"
"This... this is almost as big as the Calm Belt!"
Van Augur's expression was equally grave, his hand gripping the spear tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Although he prided himself on his courage, he couldn't help but feel fear when faced with so many Sea Kings.
That's an instinct etched into our genes.
Fear of enormous creatures.
Fear of apex predators.
Roy did not answer Lafitte's question.
His gaze pierced through layers of seawater, looking towards a more distant place.
He unleashed his full Observation Haki, instantly covering an area of dozens of nautical miles around him.
Countless auras emerged in his perception.
The auras of those Sea Kings were dense and numerous, like hairs on a cow.
and--
In the distance, even more Sea Kings were swimming steadily toward this direction.
Some came from the deep sea, some from the open ocean, and some even from the direction of the New World.
As if summoned by some unspoken call, they all gathered on Fish-Man Island.
Roy's brow furrowed even more.
The last time he visited Fish-Man Island was two years ago.
At that time, although there were Sea Kings around Fish-Man Island, there were definitely not this many.
This time...
This is too unusual.
"Captain?"
Lafitte noticed the change in Roy's expression and cautiously asked,
Is something wrong?
Roy was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"This is definitely unusual."
"I encountered quite a few Sea Kings on my previous two trips to Fish-Man Island, but far fewer than this time."
Roy's gaze drifted towards the enormous creatures still swimming in the distance.
"And look—"
They are still gathering.
"Gathering continuously."
Lafitte and the other two followed his gaze, their expressions turning even more grim.
Those Sea Kings are indeed still coming in.
In the darkness of the distance, more enormous silhouettes could be vaguely seen, slowly approaching.
"Captain..."
Jesus Burgess swallowed hard.
"Should we... continue?"
"How about... we take a different route?"
Roy glanced at him,
"Take a detour?"
"This is the only passage to Fish-Man Island."
"To get to Fish-Man Island, you must cross this sea area."
Jesus Burgess ' face instantly fell.
Roy didn't say anything more.
He withdrew his gaze and looked again at the Sea Kings.
After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly activated his Telekinesis, maneuvering the sailboat to accelerate forward!
"Walk."