Dawn breaks.
Tesoro stood on a broken ship plank, the lightning around him gradually receding.
He glanced at the burning wreckage on the sea and curled his lip.
"This is it? They dare to mess with the people from Hachinosu?"
Jin landed on the Fish-Man ship, sheathing his longsword. He glanced at Fisher Tiger, who was covered in blood, and coldly asked, "Still alive?"
Fisher Tiger leaned against the gunwale, grinning to reveal bloodstained teeth. "I won't die. If you'd come any later, things might have been different."
Aladdin, supporting Fisher Tiger with slightly red eyes, said, " Fisher Tiger, you're injured like this, so don't say anything!"
Tesoro jumped onto the boat and sized up Fisher Tiger.
His body was covered in wounds, some of which were still bleeding, but given the Fish-Man's physique and the recovery ability after the Bloodline Transplantation, these wounds looked scary, but they were not fatal.
"Not bad, at least you're not dead." Tesoro patted Fisher Tiger's shoulder, making Fisher Tiger wince in pain. "Easy! I'm injured!"
Tesoro ignored him and turned to Aladdin: "What about the casualties?"
Aladdin wiped the blood from his face and calmed himself down. "Thank goodness. Only three brothers were slightly injured, no one died. Thanks to Brother Fisher Tiger for covering the retreat, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Tesoro nodded, took out Den Den Mushi, and dialed the number for Hachinosu.
Blub Blub... Blub Blub...
Soon, Roy's voice came from the other end. "How's the situation?"
"All done, boss."
Tesoro glanced at the still-burning wreckage.
"A bunch of arrogant bastards who tried to steal our Fish-Man. Now they're all fish food."
Where are Fisher Tiger and the others?
"He's alive. Fisher Tiger's tough skin; he looks miserable, but he's actually fine."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Roy's faint laughter.
"Alright. You guys keep an eye on the lanternfish. Report back immediately once you find them."
"Clear!"
Tesoro hung up the phone, plopped down on the gunwale, and looked at the gradually brightening horizon, muttering to himself.
"These pirates are out of their minds, daring to mess with the people of Hachinosu."
Jin leaned against the side of the cabin, pretending to doze off with his eyes closed, too lazy to reply.
Fisher Tiger sat on the deck as Aladdin bandaged his wounds.
He gazed at the burning shipwrecks and suddenly smiled.
"What are you laughing at?" Tesoro asked.
Fisher Tiger shook his head. "It's nothing. I just remembered that back on Fish-Man Island, those humans captured us and enslaved us. All we could do was run and hide."
And now? You come here when someone dares to touch us."
Tesoro paused for a moment, then grinned. "Of course. We're on the same side, how could we ignore it?"
Fisher Tiger looked at him without saying anything, but his eyes were a little red.
In the days that followed, with Tesoro and King escorting them, the Fish-Man of the Sun Pirates were finally able to search with peace of mind.
During the day, the Fish-Man dive into the deep sea, searching inch by inch.
That evening, they returned to the ship and drew up their findings on nautical charts, comparing them with each other.
Tesoro spends his days sunbathing on the deck, occasionally asking about the progress.
Jin remained standing at the bow of the ship, like a statue, staring motionlessly at the sea.
Fisher Tiger's injuries improved day by day, and by the fifth day, he was able to go into the sea.
That evening, as the sun was about to set, a Fish-Man suddenly burst out from beneath the sea, so excited that he could barely speak:
"Found it! Found it!!"
Fisher Tiger jumped to his feet. "What?!"
The Fish-Man, panting heavily, pointed to the sea below. "A lanternfish! That lanternfish! It's right down there!"
Without a word, Fisher Tiger jumped into the sea.
The seawater was cold and dark, but his eyes adjusted quickly.
He desperately dived down, remaining submerged for a full ten minutes before finally spotting the thing.
A fish.
A huge fish.
Fisher Tiger estimated it to be at least tens of thousands of meters deep! That enormous body lurked in the deepest part of the sea, like a sleeping mountain.
Especially the "lantern" on its head, radiating a golden light, stood out conspicuously in the dark depths of the sea, like a small sun.
Fisher Tiger's heart nearly stopped.
He quietly surfaced, returning to the sea, panting heavily.
Tesoro and Jhin were already waiting at the side of the ship. Seeing him board, Tesoro immediately asked, "How did it go?"
Fisher Tiger wiped the water off his face, his eyes shining brightly.
"Found it! That's the one!"
"It's tens of thousands of meters tall, and the lanterns on its head light up—exactly as Captain Roy described!"
Tesoro and Jhin exchanged a glance, then simultaneously perked up.
Tesoro took a deep breath, pulled out Den Den Mushi, his fingers trembling slightly.
Blub Blub... Blub Blub...
This time, the call was answered exceptionally quickly.
"Found it?"
Roy's voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with barely concealed urgency.
"Found it, boss!"
Tesoro's voice was trembling.
"Right beneath our feet! A giant lanternfish over ten thousand meters long! Its head is glowing, there's no doubt about it!"
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
Then, Roy's low laughter rang out.
"Good. Very good."
Tesoro could tell that Roy was suppressing his emotions. After two years of searching, there was finally a result.
"You all stay put and keep an eye on that fish. Don't let it get away. I'll be there soon."
"Clear!"
The call ended.
Tesoro put away the Den Den Mushi, looked at the darkening sky in the distance, and grinned.
"The day has finally come."
Jin remained expressionless, but his grip on the knife tightened slightly.
Hachinosu, main island palace.
Roy put down the Den Den Mushi, stood by the window, and gazed at the distant sea for a long time without moving.
The setting sun painted the entire sky orange-red, seagulls circled overhead, and everything looked so peaceful.
But Roy's heart was in turmoil.
It's been two years.
After searching for two whole years, that damn fish has finally been found.
Roy turned around, and everyone in the conference room stared at him, waiting expectantly.
Bullet was the first to exclaim, " Roy! Have you found him?!"
Roy nodded.
boom--
Bullet slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, the force of which shattered the table.
"Then what are we waiting for?!"
"Let's go now!"
"I'm going to tear that fish to pieces!"
Kaido sat to the side, took a swig of sake, and grinned wildly.
"Hehehehe!"
"Finally, we can have a proper fight! My bones are practically rusting!"
Although the others didn't speak, the light in their eyes was impossible to hide.
Who wouldn't be tempted by the allure of immortality?
The Red Count, leaning on his cane, slowly asked, " Roy, when do we depart?"
Roy looked at everyone,
"No rush. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. Get a good rest tonight."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
"Tomorrow's battle may be very fierce."
The three emperors, the navy, the Holy Knights, the Underworld... everyone is watching us.
So, tonight, let's eat and drink to our hearts' content.
Tomorrow, let's have a good time playing with them.
Bullet grinned. "Don't worry! I've been waiting for this for ages!"
Kaido raised his gourd of sake. "Come on! Let's have a drink first! Then we'll have a good slaughter tomorrow!"
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became lively.