The sudden appearance of an enormous iceberg outside Fish-Man Island immediately drew the attention of everyone within. Both Fish-Men and Merfolk stared nervously at the distant sight. They knew exactly what this power signified—Admiral Aokiji had arrived!
Upon hearing the news, the inhabitants of Fish-Man Island descended into panic. At Mermaid Café, the proprietor, Madame Shyarly, gazed at the massive iceberg with deep concern. Anxious about the island's future, she took out her crystal ball to perform a divination.
But this time, unlike before, her usual visions eluded her. Instead, the crystal ball emitted a golden light, filling the entire room. Madame Shyarly's face darkened as she pondered the ominous glow. What was happening? Why was her foresight failing her?
This was unprecedented. She had previously foretold the death of Whitebeard, one of the mightiest figures of the sea, and even predicted the Great Pirate Era at the age of four. Yet now, her crystal ball revealed nothing but radiant golden sparks.
In the Dragon Imperial Palace, King Neptune stood at the palace gates, gazing toward the distant iceberg. Despite the distance, the massive formation was unmistakably visible.
As the king of the Ryugu Kingdom, Neptune was well aware of the growing tension between Fish-Men and humans. Many residents of Fish-Man District harbored deep hatred for humanity, with some even contemplating war.
However, Neptune understood that humans vastly outpowered the Fish-Men. A war would lead only to their destruction.
Now, with Aokiji's sudden arrival, he feared this might provoke those hateful Fish-Men to attack the admiral, sparking a conflict between Fish-Man Island and humanity.
Determined to prevent this, Neptune swam swiftly toward Aokiji's location. He had to meet the admiral, understand his intentions, and stop any hostilities before they spiraled into war.
---
Meanwhile, Alex casually disposed of the New Fish-Man Pirates' crew by tossing them into his pocket dimension, where they became food for the Sea Kings he had collected. Afterward, Alex and the Straw Hat crew proceeded through the proper channels to enter Fish-Man Island.
Though the crew was wanted, they were still allowed entry. As a critical hub connecting the New World and the first half of the Grand Line, Fish-Man Island received countless pirates each year. Denying them entry could lead to catastrophic consequences for the island. Instead, allowing them to visit, coupled with Whitebeard's protection, ensured a relative peace and safeguarded the beautiful mermaids.
Once inside, Alex released Camie, Hatchi, and Pappag from his pocket dimension. The trio eagerly began guiding the group, showcasing the island's unique beauty.
With their guidance, Alex gained a deeper understanding of Fish-Man Island, including aspects not covered in the original story. The island's rich culture and stunning scenery left an impression on him. He used his energy to inscribe these memories as keepsakes.
As they toured the island, a towering figure suddenly blocked Alex's path.
A muscular Fish-Man stood before them, wearing a pink hat and a white wolf pelt around his neck. His left arm bore intricate tattoos. His twisted expression revealed his rage as he snarled, "Where's Hammond? What did you do to him?!"
Alex instantly recognized the figure—Hody Jones, captain of the New Fish-Man Pirates.
As a child, Hody had witnessed the brutal treatment of Fish-Men by humans. The death of Fisher Tiger at human hands had cemented his hatred. He despised humanity to the core, even murdering fellow Fish-Men who sought peace with humans.
Without Alex's interference, Hody would have attempted a coup against Neptune two years later, seeking to spark a war with humanity, only to be defeated by Luffy.
Recalling these details, Alex smirked and looked at Hody with amusement.
"Oh, Hammond?" Alex said casually. "Of course, I killed him. What else would I do? Keep him around for the holidays?"
Although Hody Jones had anticipated this outcome, hearing the news of his comrade's death ignited an uncontrollable rage within him. He summoned several droplets of seawater from the surrounding air and hurled them at Alex.
Through his unique technique, the seawater transformed into numerous water arrows, each with immense piercing power capable of penetrating steel with ease.
"Die, you filthy human!" Hody roared.
However, his attacks proved utterly ineffective. As soon as the water arrows neared Alex, they were intercepted by the Infinity and froze mid-air, trembling but unable to move forward.
Several other figures from the New Fish-Man Pirates soon joined Hody. They glared at Alex with unbridled hatred, ready to tear him apart.
Seeing his attack fail, Hody's face twisted even more. He barked orders at his crew:
"Comrades, Hammond was brutally murdered by this despicable human. We must avenge him! Take the Energy Steroid, E.S., kill them, overthrow Neptune, and rule Fish-Man Island! Then we'll launch our assault on humanity!"
Dosun, carrying a massive hammer shaped like ram's horns, growled in agreement: "For our brother's revenge! Revenge against the humans!"
"For our brother's revenge! Revenge against the humans!" the other Fish-Men echoed fervently.
Without hesitation, the pirates each took a pill from their pouches and swallowed it. Their eyes immediately turned blood-red, blood vessels bulging ominously as if they might burst under immense pressure.
With renewed strength, Hody once again used his earlier technique, but this time he condensed a fist-sized droplet of water and launched it with even greater force.
If his previous attack had the power of a sniper rifle, this water droplet now carried the destructive force of a missile. It could easily pierce through several mountains if aimed elsewhere.
But even with its amplified power, the droplet was no match for Alex. Like the earlier attacks, it halted in mid-air, trembling as it was suspended by the invisible barrier.
"No! Why is this happening?!" Hody screamed in frustration, his disbelief and fury growing with each passing second.
Hody Jones broke down when he realized that even using the Energy Steroid, burning his life force for an attack, had no effect.
The other Fish-Men also launched attacks at Alex and his crew, but as they neared a ten-meter range, they hit an invisible barrier.
Dosun placed his hand against the unseen wall and called out,
"Boss, this seems like the Barrier-Barrier Fruit's ability, but… something feels different."
Hearing this, Hody's face twisted with even more rage. He pulled out another vial of Energy Steroids and swallowed it all in one go. His body began to convulse violently, veins bulging grotesquely beneath his skin as his power surged to its peak.
"Hahaha! So what if it's the Barrier-Barrier Fruit? With this power, there's no way you can stop me—"
Before he could finish, his body suddenly exploded. Blood and flesh scattered across his crew, leaving the remaining members of the New Fish-Man Pirates stunned.
"Boss Hody Jones is dead!" they screamed in disbelief.
Alex lowered his long leg and let out a lazy yawn. With that single kick, he had crushed the New Fish-Man Pirates' dreams.
Seeing the leaderless and terrified group of Fish-Men, Alex didn't even bother considering them for his collection. With a snap of his fingers, chaotic vectors twisted their bodies beyond recognition, and they disintegrated into nothingness.
The Straw Hat crew, along with their new maid, Jewelry Bonney, and Sharlia, remained unfazed. They had long grown accustomed to Alex's seemingly limitless abilities. At this point, even if Alex claimed to be a god, they would have no reason to doubt him.
However, the rest of Fish-Man Island's inhabitants were in shock. They knew Alex was the infamous "Worst Criminal" for killing two Celestial Dragons, but they had no idea his power was so overwhelming.
Unlike other battles where the victor's methods could be understood, Alex's casual snap that obliterated an entire group only added to their fear.
At that moment, a commotion arose in the distance. A massive figure floated toward them on a bubble.
Seeing the approaching figure, the residents of Fish-Man Island immediately bowed in respect.
Luffy, eyes wide with excitement, exclaimed, "Whoa! A giant mermaid!"
Nami, irritated, promptly activated her Armament Haki and smacked Luffy on the head. "Show some respect! That's King Neptune of Fish-Man Island!" she scolded.
After the sudden appearance of the ice mountain, King Neptune hurried to investigate, trying to understand why Admiral Aokiji had come to Fish-Man Island. Coincidentally, one of Whitebeard's commanders was currently on the island. If a conflict arose between them, it would spell disaster for the entire island.
Although Neptune was the king, he felt powerless in the face of both the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines. This was the bitter reality of lacking personal strength.
As he arrived at the port, he realized the situation was even worse than he feared. The most notorious criminal, Alex, had arrived on Fish-Man Island. Could it be that Admiral Aokiji was here to capture him?
What should he do?
Neptune knew more than the average Fish-Man. He was well aware that Alex's strength was formidable, potentially surpassing even the Admirals. Rumors had already spread that Alex had defeated Aokiji in their last encounter.
Could this mean Aokiji wasn't alone? Perhaps two or even three Admirals had come together to apprehend Alex?
The more Neptune thought about it, the more terrifying the scenario became. If Alex were to clash with the Admirals on Fish-Man Island, the entire island could be destroyed.
After a moment of contemplation, Neptune made his decision.
He approached Alex and his group, speaking diplomatically:
"Mr. Alex, welcome to Fish-Man Island. However, a massive ice mountain suddenly appeared just outside the island. If I'm not mistaken, Admiral Aokiji has arrived. I believe his target is you. If you have no urgent business here, I suggest you head to the New World immediately."
As soon as he finished speaking, Neptune noticed the Straw Hat crew giving him odd looks, leaving him confused.
Jewelry Bonney turned to Alex, awaiting his cue. Once he nodded, she stepped forward and revealed the truth to Neptune:
"King Neptune, that ice mountain wasn't Aokiji's doing—it was mine."
Neptune looked at Bonney, his expression skeptical. While several Devil Fruits could grant ice-based powers, creating a mountain of ice in an instant was a feat only Aokiji was known for.
Moreover, he recognized Bonney as one of the Worst Generation, and her Devil Fruit ability allowed her to manipulate age, not create ice.
Sensing Neptune's disbelief, Bonney didn't argue. She simply smirked and transformed her body into ice, demonstrating the powers of the Ice-Ice Fruit. Then, she cycled through a series of other abilities: the Light-Light Fruit, the Op-Op Fruit, and more.
Finally, she explained, "Lord Alex granted me the power of the Ice-Ice Fruit and enhanced my strength. I am now at the level of an Admiral!"
Bonney raised her chin proudly, her face full of confidence. She suddenly felt that being Alex's maid wasn't shameful at all. On the contrary, with Alex's overwhelming power, even being his maid granted her a status higher than most. Wasn't this better than struggling as a pirate?
Neptune, and all the surrounding Fish-Man Island residents who witnessed this, were utterly stunned. Their eyes bulged out in the signature exaggerated expressions unique to the pirate world.
Anyone familiar with the seas knew that consuming more than one Devil Fruit was a death sentence. The conflicting energies would cause the body to explode, no matter how strong the individual.
Yet Bonney had displayed not just two, but several Devil Fruit powers. Not only was her body intact, but she also wielded each ability with ease. Moreover, her physical prowess had increased significantly.
Everyone turned their gaze to Alex. From Bonney's words, it was clear that her transformation was entirely his doing.
Neptune, incredulous, asked,
"Mr. Alex, what's going on?"
Alex smiled.
"Devil Fruits are not as immutable as you think. Once you understand their principles and address their flaws, you can wield multiple abilities. You can even create new Devil Fruits from scratch."
Neptune: "…"
The citizens: "…"
What did he just say? Understand the principles of Devil Fruits?
Even Vegapunk, whose technology was said to be 500 years ahead of the world, hadn't achieved this level of mastery!
Wait a minute!
From Alex's words, did he mean he had fully grasped the nature of Devil Fruits and could even create them himself?
Everyone slowly came to a realization. If this revelation spread, Alex's bounty would undoubtedly skyrocket once again!
But this raised another question: how did Bonney's physical capabilities improve so drastically?
°°°
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