The Ice-Ice Fruit Acquired, Rescue of the Merfolk
"Kuzan, don't tell the Marines or the World Government what I just told you, okay? Otherwise, I can't promise that I won't make Garp's actions public," Sanders reminded with a smirk. He shared so much with Kuzan because he valued him, but he had no intention of letting the rest of the Marines know how much he actually knew.
Kuzan was silent, and his attacks grew more forceful. Sanders didn't mind; in fact, he was quite pleased. He was close to fully replicating the powers of the Ice-Ice Fruit.
The two fought near the coast for an entire day and night. Though they didn't go all out, the intensity was still staggering. The Marines monitoring the fight, as well as nearby pirates, were left in awe.
"This is terrifying!" "So this is the strength of a Great Pirate and a Marine Admiral? Just being in the area would kill me from the shockwaves alone!" "They've been fighting for a whole day and night… I wonder if they're as resilient in other ways too!"
"Watch your mouth, or I'll punch you!" "Who do you think you're calling ugly? Keep your hands off!"
Meanwhile, Sanders continued his battle with Kuzan, while the rest of the Thunder God Pirates stayed put. Though Law and Wyper initially wanted to join, they were held back by Robin.
As the sun rose higher, reaching noon, Sanders finally succeeded in replicating the Ice-Ice Fruit's power. After landing a punch to knock back Kuzan, Sanders gestured to pause the fight.
"Alright, enough. No need to keep going."
Now that he had the Ice-Ice Fruit ability, he'd lost interest in further fighting. After such an extended battle, he was starting to feel hungry too. Kuzan also seemed relieved; having to spar for an entire day and night was exhausting, even for someone who could sleep through briefings at Marine Headquarters.
"How about I treat you to a meal, Kuzan?" Sanders asked with a playful smirk as he dusted off shards of ice. After all, Kuzan had helped him obtain the Ice-Ice Fruit's powers, so Sanders thought he deserved a proper thank-you.
"No need," Kuzan replied, waving it off. A Marine Admiral fighting with a pirate was one thing, but sitting down to eat together would surely cause an uproar and lead to all kinds of misunderstandings.
"Alright, if you insist." Sanders didn't press the matter.
"I've held up my end, so don't forget what you promised," Kuzan reminded. The only reason he fought Sanders was to keep him from causing trouble on the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Fine, fine. As long as you Marines don't provoke me, I'm not interested in clashing with you," Sanders replied, clearly annoyed. With that, he lifted into the air and headed back to the Thunder God, the crew's ship.
Back at the ship, Rayleigh was busy coating the Thunder God in a protective bubble. The coating used resin from the Yarukiman Mangrove, a unique material found on the Sabaody Archipelago. This natural resin is secreted from the roots of the mangrove trees as they "breathe." It expands in the air, forming bubbles that float up to the sky. However, these bubbles only survive in the climate around the Yarukiman Mangrove. Once they leave the Sabaody Archipelago's atmospheric zone, the resin loses its properties and bursts.
Bubble cars, bubble Ferris wheels, houses built on bubbles… bubble culture permeates every corner of the Sabaody Archipelago!
To reach the New World, there are two main options. The first is to request permission from the World Government, allowing one to cross over the Red Line at Mary Geoise, located at its peak. However, this option requires abandoning the ship, is time-consuming, and expensive, though it's the safest method.
The second option is to coat the ship with Yarukiman Mangrove resin, dive 10,000 meters below the surface, and pass through a massive underwater cave beneath the Red Line, traveling through the "Undersea Route" to Fish-Man Island before entering the New World. This route, however, is extremely dangerous, with only a 30% success rate.
"You're back! I heard you had a fight with Kuzan," Rayleigh remarked, setting his tools down and smiling.
"Yeah, just killing time," Sanders nodded. "So, where is everyone?"
The ship was completely empty, with no sign of Wyper or the others.
"They didn't want to disturb the coating process, so they all went to explore the Sabaody Archipelago. They won't be back for a few days," Rayleigh said, taking a sip of the drink Robin had given him.
"Good stuff! Where did you get it?" Sanders rolled his eyes.
"Looted from a Celestial Dragon. This is all that's left, so if you want more, you'll have to go after another one yourself." Rayleigh chuckled. "Too bad; I was hoping for a peaceful retirement for a few more days."
"How long will the coating take? Need any help?" Sanders asked.
"About five more days. No help needed—I've got it," Rayleigh estimated.
"Alright, you keep busy then. After fighting all day and night, I need a feast and some solid rest," Sanders said, waving him off as he left the Thunder God.
Sanders found a restaurant and, to the amazement of the owner, devoured enough food for dozens of people, eating until he was stuffed. Using Life Return, he quickly digested it all, returning to his original form. After paying for the meal and grabbing a couple of bottles of sake, he went off to find a place to sleep.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Kuzan had returned after his fight with Sanders. Just as he was about to head to his office for a nap, a Marine approached him. Kuzan recognized him as Sengoku's assistant, a secretary whose main role was to run errands for the Fleet Admiral.
Before the Marine could speak, Kuzan said, "Three things. Tell Fleet Admiral Sengoku this:
First, Sanders does indeed possess the Float-Float Fruit and has developed it to an impressive level.
Second, as long as we don't provoke Sanders while he's on the Sabaody Archipelago, he won't cause any trouble.
Third, I'm going to my office for a nap—do not disturb me."
Without waiting for a response, Kuzan walked into his office, shut the door, and laid down on his sofa for a well-deserved rest. The Marine assistant stood there momentarily stunned, then turned to deliver the message to Sengoku.
Elsewhere on the Sabaody Archipelago, Law, Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi hid in a shadowed alley.
"Are we really going to do this? Won't we cause trouble for Captain Sanders?" Shachi asked, looking unsure.
"What's there to worry about?" Penguin shrugged. "Since the captain said he'd help Law get revenge, he'll have to deal with Doflamingo sooner or later. I found out that the slave auction house next door is owned by Doflamingo."
When they arrived on the archipelago, they heard that Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords, owned some businesses here. Penguin suggested they should cause trouble at one of his establishments.
Seeing Law's hesitation, Penguin continued, "We'll be heading to Fish-Man Island soon, which I hear is 10,000 meters underwater—a very dangerous journey. Only about 30% of ships make it through safely. Tomorrow, the auction house plans to sell a female mermaid. Right now, she's locked up with other slaves in the storage area behind the auction house. If we free her, she'll be grateful and can guide us safely to Fish-Man Island. Captain and First Mate will definitely agree with this plan."
Fewer and fewer people dare to capture merfolk, so whenever one is sold at auction, it's heavily advertised to attract buyers and maximize profits.
Upon hearing that rescuing a mermaid could improve their safety en route to Fish-Man Island, the hesitation on Law and Shachi's faces disappeared. The 10,000-meter dive to the seabed was daunting; no matter how powerful their captain and vice-captain were, as Devil Fruit users, their abilities would be limited underwater. A mermaid guide would indeed make the journey much safer.
"Alright, let's do this," Law said after some thought. "We'll plan it out and head to the warehouse tonight. We'll rescue the mermaid and free the other captives as well. But let's move quickly and try not to alert the other guards."
Hearing Law's agreement, Penguin was thrilled. "Got it! I'll gather more intel and make sure the plan is flawless." With that, Penguin immersed himself in the crowds of slave traders, criminals, and pirates populating the area.
Night fell quickly. Three men and a Mink hid in the shadows, watching the slave warehouse from afar.
"Room—Scan!" Law activated his Devil Fruit power, creating a spherical space and sensing the guards around the warehouse. Since this place was one of Doflamingo's holdings, few dared to cause trouble here, so security was light, with only seven guards.
"There are seven in total; everyone, let's move quickly," Law informed his team. Silently, they approached the warehouse. "Room—Scalpel!" A nearby guard suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and when he looked down, he was horrified to see a heart-shaped hole with no blood. He was about to scream when a furry hand covered his mouth, and he collapsed from the shock of having his heart extracted. Bepo then knocked him unconscious.
The team continued to incapacitate the guards one by one, using the same method. After securing the keys, they unlocked the warehouse door with ease.
Inside, Law found dozens of captives—men, women, young and old. But the most striking figure was a mermaid in a large water tank at the center of the warehouse.
"Wow, so this is a mermaid? She's beautiful! No wonder someone would pay a fortune for her," Penguin whispered in awe, noticing her immediately. The mermaid had twin ponytails with black hair trailing outside the tank, a black-and-white patterned tail, and a bikini top that matched her scales. Her fair skin was exposed, and her delicate features were captivating.
Penguin's voice seemed to stir her awake. Her long lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her tear-streaked, bloodshot eyes. She looked at Law and his crew with a mix of confusion and hope. Startled, she was about to scream when Shachi quickly covered her mouth.
"We're here to rescue you," he whispered in her ear. "We need you to help us get to Fish-Man Island. Don't make a sound, or we'll have trouble with the guards." The mermaid's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
By then, the other captives were also waking up. Law and Penguin quickly reassured them, explaining that they were there to free everyone. The captives' eyes shone with a glimmer of hope. Living in freedom was a dream none of them thought they'd see again.
"Do you have keys for the collars?" one slave asked in a hushed voice. "If not, we'll be caught soon even if we escape.
As long as they still wore their slave collars, the residents of the Sabaody Archipelago would report them, and the Marines would capture them. Escape would be impossible. Penguin searched the guards for a while and then walked over to Law, whispering, "What do we do? There aren't any slave collar keys. The auction house people are cautious—they don't leave them with the guards."
"Are you stupid?" Shachi rolled his eyes. "With Law here, those collars are useless. Just cut off the heads, remove the collars, then put the heads back on."
Penguin slapped his forehead, annoyed with himself. "How did I not think of that? Law, it's up to you."
Using his basic [Amputate] skill from the Op-Op Fruit, Law could cut objects or living beings into pieces without causing pain, bleeding, or death. Nodding, he approached the mermaid. In the shocked gaze of all the captives, the mermaid's head was instantly severed.
All the slaves were struck speechless by the terrifying sight. Moving quickly, Penguin removed the collar, and Shachi reattached the mermaid's head in one swift motion. The whole process took less than two seconds. Before the mermaid realized what had happened, her head was back in place, and the slave collar was gone.
Blinking in surprise, she touched her neck to confirm she was alive, relief and gratitude flooding her face. "My head came off, and I didn't die? No blood either. What a miracle!" This scene left the remaining slaves astonished, but Penguin quickly reassured them, "It's a Devil Fruit ability—stay quiet, and we'll get you all out soon." Many slaves nodded, tears of hope glistening in their eyes.
They worked with practiced efficiency—cutting, removing collars, and reattaching heads. In just over a minute, they freed all the captives. None of the freed slaves ran off immediately, likely feeling safer with a Devil Fruit user nearby.
"Alright, everyone, let's go—the guards outside are all down," Shachi told the slaves, picking up the mermaid and dashing toward the exit, with Law and the others close behind. Penguin muttered enviously, "Damn it, he got to hold the mermaid first."
As Law's group ran off, the freed slaves scattered, blending into the night without collars to mark them as anything other than ordinary people.
After a while, one of the guards slowly woke up. Looking around in confusion, his face paled as he noticed the open warehouse door. Rushing inside, he saw that every single slave was gone, leaving only a pile of abandoned collars scattered around.
"Not good!!" he screamed. "The slaves have all escaped!" His shout quickly roused the other guards, who soon arrived, throwing the place into chaos.
Meanwhile, Law's group kept running. "Shachi, are you tired? Want me to carry her for a while?" Penguin asked, concerned for his friend's stamina. Shachi, seeing through him, smirked. "I'm fine. I could run all the way to the North Blue right now."
"You're unbelievable, Shachi!" Penguin grumbled, gritting his teeth as Law and Bepo chuckled. The mermaid in Shachi's arms blushed, lowering her head in silence.
"Law, cover her with your coat. If people realize she's a mermaid, it could be trouble," Shachi suggested, glancing at her tail. Law nodded and draped his coat over her, concealing her tail.
Luckily, it was night, and they could move more freely.
--------------
T/N:
Access 30 chapters in advance on my P@treon: p@treon.com/OneFic