I've been watching various teams for a week, waiting for a suitable target. As a result, the most acceptable option turned out to be a pirate gang led by Magnus Mason, a famous artist and, concurrently, a pirate.
His reward currently reached 85 million belli. Magnus was accused of looting and attacking peaceful settlements, where his team left traces of destruction behind them. The loudest of them was the chaos in the city of Nikaya, thanks to which he gained his impressive reward.
Magnus was the owner of the Iziru-Iziru no Mi fruit, which gives him the ability to quickly draw any objects in the air and turn them into reality. However, what he created disappeared over time or upon contact with water. Most often, he created weapons: bombs, powder barrels, and the like.
Besides him, there was another fruitman in the team, but his abilities, to be honest, left much to be desired. This guy possessed a body that transformed into an axe. He could literally make his limbs sharp and menacing, but in real combat, such a fruit didn't make an impression.
The time spent on surveillance helped me finally calm my conscience about the "innocent" victims of my abilities. Magnus' team was one that no one would mourn.
The capture of the ship was easy. I turned half of the team into puppets, leaving them under complete control. I left the rest as spectators. They became part of the terrifying spectacle that I played out in front of their eyes. The fear and horror on their faces is an excellent tool for asserting power.
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I watched the brilliance of the light, which was gradually lost in the depths of the ocean. Even here, in the silence and pressure, nature continued to amaze. As we advanced, the silhouette of the Fishman Island appeared ahead. The clear water offered a view of an underwater city surrounded by coral reefs.
Magnus's ship, hidden in a bubble of resin, glided among the shimmering streams of light. The rays of the Eva Solar tree, breaking through the water column, played with reflections on the coral walls. The city resembled a living work of art: the smooth curves of the buildings, the shining pearls adorning the bridges, and the soft flashes of colorful water lanterns created a sense of magic.
Several figures loomed at the edge of the city. The fishmen. They seemed to be a part of this environment, as if the water itself embraced them. I noticed one of them pointing a strange harpoon-like instrument at our ship. Apparently, it was some kind of perimeter protection.
The guards, I thought, grinning. I wonder what their reaction is to our unusual ship. Of course, interacting with them was not part of my plans.
They've probably dealt with people like me before. Too many outsiders use this route to get to the New World. I continued to watch, noting the silhouettes of buildings and the noise of life muffled by the water column.
As the city began to disappear into the distance, I recorded everything I saw. This knowledge could be useful later if I decide to come back here. Now, leaving the Fishmen behind, I headed on.
Our journey through the depths of the Grand Line was a real sight. The closer we got to the New World, the greater the grandeur and chaos of nature manifested around us.
The underwater world had its own life. The giant schooling fish, each the size of a small ship, moved so smoothly that they seemed to be a single creature. Their golden scales reflected the light, as if they were carrying pieces of the Eva solar tree with them. Flocks of tiny jellyfish scurried among them, their bodies pulsing, emitting a soft blue light.
But the nature of the Grand Line rarely left a feeling of peace for long. From somewhere in the depths, a giant eel, at least a hundred meters long, burst out, its black eyes glaring at our ship. I already thought that I would have to fight him, but fortunately, he was more interested in other prey. With a crackle and a hiss, he dragged his victim into the abyss, leaving us alone.
In some places, strange coral formations could be seen through the water column. Some looked like ancient castles, others like monsters frozen in eternal struggle. In places, they radiated a soft glow, as if crystals were hiding inside, accumulating the light of the stars.
On the fourth day of the trip, we met the sea king. Its size surpassed anything I had seen before: a huge snake-like figure capable of crushing our ship with a single movement. Fins resembling dragon crests grew on his head, and his skin shimmered with a fractured light—green, purple, and blue.
The puppets, of course, could not show fear, but the other pirates felt it with their whole being. Even in the water, his presence created waves, as if the sea breathed with him. I didn't dare to attack, instead I focused on manipulating illusions so that we would become invisible to his eyes. It worked — the giant was only slightly delayed, but then continued its movement.
By the middle of our trip, nature had again presented a surprise. We came across an underwater geyser spewing up streams of warm water and steam. Together with them, the wreckage of an unknown ship rose from the depths. Among the wooden planks and fragments of the hold, I noticed a gold coin covered with marine growths. After picking her up, I wondered which ship she might have belonged to and what fate befell her crew.
As we advanced, the pressure increased, and the light became fainter and fainter, absorbed by the water column. The systems of the bubble that kept us from certain death creaked and groaned, as if warning us of the approaching limit.
The sea below was coming to life more and more, creating the feeling that nature itself was preparing to enter the New World. At first, there were strange creatures that I couldn't even call fish. One of them resembled a mushroom hat, shimmering with bright lights. It moved slowly, swelling and contracting like a living lighthouse. The other was like a giant starfish, its many rays wriggling like tentacles, and at the end of each one glowed something like an eye.
At that moment, I was wondering what role these creatures play in the ecosystem of such harsh depths.
As we passed another underwater canyon, a strange streak appeared on the horizon. She shimmered like a border between light and darkness. It was the Final Whirlpool, a harbinger of escape from the underwater world.
The path to it was far from easy. A little off course, we were overtaken by another surprise: a giant flock of fish-like creatures with predatory teeth. They circled around the bubble, as if assessing our strength. The puppets and crew members readied their weapons, but there was no need to intervene. Another predator emerged from the depths — the sea king, noticeably smaller than the previous one, but big enough to swallow half of these creatures at a time. The predators scattered, and the king, satisfied with a light meal, continued on his way without even looking at us.
Closer to the exit, the current was getting stronger. The water whistled around, the bubble vibrated slightly, but held on. The final Whirlpool lifted us higher and higher, like a sea river leading to the surface. At some point, I noticed how sunlight began to break through the water column.
And so we broke out. The bubble burst with a loud pop, and the ship appeared on the surface. The sea around was boundless, and the sky was deep and bright, like a canvas painted with countless colors. It was a New World.