the next day,
As the first rays of sunlight illuminated Fish-Man Island, Charon had already packed his bags. Looking at Dan, who was chattering incessantly beside him, Charon's eyes welled up with tears.
"Grandpa Dan, thank you for raising me all these years. I will definitely become stronger and become a qualified guardian!"
Seeing Charon suddenly become serious, Dan wiped away his moist eyes and hung an ancient seashell amulet around Charon's neck.
"This is a token passed down from generation to generation of tomb keepers. With it, Noah will protect you."
Are you ready?
Just as the two were saying goodbye, Roy's voice came from behind them.
Charon wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, looking at the Roy Pirates members who were already fully prepared and ready to set off.
He shouldered his pack, bowed deeply to Dan once more, and turned to walk towards Roy and the others.
"Let's go, let's set off!"
Led by Roy, the group left the Sea Forest and headed towards the port.
Roy found it awkward looking at Charon carrying a bundle bigger than a person, and gestured for Pea to keep the bundle for safekeeping.
Just as the handover was taking place, a small seashell bottle slipped out of the bundle and fell to the ground with a "thud."
Several pills emitting an eerie red glow lay scattered on the ground.
Roy's expression changed slightly, and with a flick of his finger, the pill on the ground floated into his hand.
"This is..."
"This is E·X's Energy Steroids, specially formulated for my constitution. Our lineage of ancient Fish-Man needs specific medications to maintain balance during our growth period..."
Roy certainly knew what it was, but wasn't this the same drug Hody Jones from Fish-Man Island used to enhance his strength?
How did it end up in Charon's possession, especially as a commonly used medicine?
Roy's expression turned serious as he looked at the ominous-smelling pill in his hand.
"How long have you been taking this medicine?"
Charon thought for a moment and answered honestly.
"It probably started when I was around ten years old. I had to take one pill every month. I had to keep taking it until I was twenty, at which point my blood circulation would stabilize."
"Wow! That's amazing!" Savi and Enel, pretending not to understand, nodded repeatedly.
Roy handed the pills to Charon, but a hint of doubt arose in his heart.
If this is indeed the E. X Energy Steroids, used to balance the two bloodlines in Charon's body,
So why did the version Hody Jones used later become so dangerous? Is there some unknown secret behind it?
"Are you sure there's no problem?"
Roy was still a little worried. Charon was now the lifeline of the Roy Pirates, and he couldn't afford to let him be ruined by drugs.
"Ah, no problem, boss!"
"Each time I take it, my strength increases, but correspondingly, my body bears a huge burden."
But Grandpa Dan said that once I fully master the power of my bloodline, I won't need to rely on this medicine anymore.
The Pea curiously peered closer to observe.
"This medicinal herb is quite unique; I can sense the violent power it contains."
Charon put the pills into a bottle and carefully placed it close to his body.
The group arrived at the port, where the Ark Maxim was quietly moored, with a squad of soldiers from the Ryugu Palace guarding it.
As the crowd approached,
The soldiers had just stepped forward when...
"Sir Roy, we are ordered to guard this ship!"
"Now that you've arrived, we should return to the Dragon Palace to report back."
Roy nodded to the somewhat familiar-looking captain of the guards.
Please give my regards to King Neptune and Queen Otohime!
After the soldiers left,
Charon then exclaimed in surprise.
"Is this our ship?"
"Hehehe! Pretty impressive, huh!" Tesoro put his arm around Charon's shoulder. "This is a ship that can fly in the sky!"
As everyone boarded the ship, Stella carefully inspected the condition of the Ark Maxim.
"They even prepared the coating for the ship's hull for us!"
"It seems the princess and the others value us highly."
Charon stood on the deck, curiously examining the golden ark.
When he saw the golden wings on both sides of the ship, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Can this ship really fly?"
"Haha! Of course!"
Tesoro snapped his fingers triumphantly, and the ship's hull immediately crackled with faint lightning.
"This is my masterpiece!"
"Alright! Savi, you show Charon around the area." Roy clapped his hands. "Everyone else, take your positions, ready to set sail!"
"Oh!"
Stella immediately went to the driver's seat and raised the coating.
Tesoro then strode toward the engine room to check the power reserves.
Savi excitedly pulled Charon along. "Come with me! Let me show you around the kitchen first..."
Suddenly, the entire ship began to shake slightly, and Stella's voice came over the loudspeaker:
"Attention all personnel, we are about to leave Fish-Man Island and enter the deep sea."
Charon followed Savi quickly to the observation room.
Through the specially designed observation window, he saw the bubble shield of Fish-Man Island gradually receding into the distance, and the boundless darkness of the deep sea rushing towards him.
"First time seeing something like this, isn't it?" Roy appeared behind them unnoticed. "The deep sea always makes you feel your own insignificance."
Charon nodded, his eyes fixed on the view outside the window.
This was also the first time he had left Fish-Man Island, and he could see the scenery in the sea through the light of the ship.
Occasionally, luminous deep-sea creatures swim by, leaving dazzling trails of light in the darkness.
"Large biological reaction detected ahead!" Stella suddenly warned, "It's Sea Kings!"
"Let me do it! In the deep sea, we Fish-Man can unleash our full potential!"
Be careful!
Seeing that Charon had volunteered, Roy nodded in agreement.
Charon leaped off the deck, took a deep breath, and nimbly pierced through the coating into the sea.
His dark green scales blended almost seamlessly with the sea; had he not been wearing trousers, he would have been nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye.
With a swift movement, he shot across hundreds of meters like an arrow.
" Fish-Man Karate - Ultimate Technique: Ocean Current Shoulder Throw!"
Grabbing one of the giant squid's tentacles with both hands, he stirred up the surrounding Water 7 and, using the force of the ocean current, actually flung the enormous creature away.
"That's awesome!" Savi shouted excitedly on the boat.
Both Bullet and Hawk Eyes nodded in satisfaction at Charon's clean and decisive decision.
Charon returned to the ship and, seeing everyone's eyes on him, smiled sheepishly.
"In fact, in the deep sea, we Fish-Man can exert ten times the strength we have on land."
"It seems that bringing you along was indeed a wise decision."
Roy patted Charon on the shoulder approvingly.
With the danger over, everyone dispersed. Roy sat down cross-legged and activated Life Return, wisps of smoke rising from his body.
The Ark Maxim continues its voyage in the deep sea, its hull coating emitting a faint blue light that illuminates its path.
Charon stood at the bow of the ship, feeling an unprecedented sense of mission.
At that moment, he truly became an indispensable member of the Roy Pirates.