_________________
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Chapter's Events:
— — — — — — — — — — — —
"Are you all paying attention?! A coated ship has the ability to reduce the surrounding pressure in several ways! In other words, once the ship is coated, it loses the ability to float on its own…" Nami requested the crew's attention to explain some crucial details at that moment.
"…So if we remove the buoyancy bag underneath the ship, which is currently supporting it, the ship will naturally begin to sink beneath the surface."
"I see…" Zoro said, although it was clearly impossible that he truly understood. That's exactly what Luffy assumed, as he immediately replied: "I can tell you didn't understand."
At that moment, Franky resurfaced from beneath the water and shouted, "I've released the buoyancy bag!!!"
Upon hearing that, Nami immediately ordered: "All right!! We're going under! Everyone, raise the sails!!"
"The sails?!" Both Brook and Chopper were confused—what was the point of sails if the ship was going to sink to the seafloor?
Robin noticed their confusion and explained, "Apparently, coated ships can use ocean currents as a substitute for wind to move forward."
"There's more to it than just sinking to the bottom?!" Usopp exclaimed in disbelief.
Ignoring the ongoing conversation, Luffy looked at Nami and asked, "So, are we finally setting sail, Nami?!"
"That's right, Captain!" she replied confidently.
"Well then, everyone!!! There are so many things I've wanted to say to you all this time…"
Zoro, Robin, and the rest of the crew smiled as they listened to their captain speak with genuine sincerity.
"…But for now, I'll leave it at this!!"
"Thanks for going along with my selfish wish over these past two years!!!" Luffy expressed his gratitude to the entire crew for accepting his request to train for two years in the places they were sent.
"Yeah, as if this is the first time we've been swept away by one of his crazy whims…" Sanji said with a smile.
"That's right!! This is exactly how you've always been!!" Even Usopp had to admit it.
…
"Rear Admiral!! The pirate ship is submerging!!" The Marines quickly spotted the Sunny-Go diving beneath the sea.
"Damn it!!"
"You fools! Do you have any idea how dangerous those criminals are?!"
"Rear Admiral!!!"
Hancock gazed toward the Rear Admiral with a blank stare, her beauty completely disarming him and his subordinates.
…
Immediately after the ship began its descent, Luffy took a deep breath and shouted: "SET SAAAAAAAAAAAIL!!"
The crew shouted back in unison: "YEAHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"FISHMAN ISLAND, HERE WE COMEEEEEE!!" Their voices echoed with pure excitement.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Marineford:
"It seems they've done it after all."
"What's with this unbelievable negligence from the Marines?"
"There's no way to explain it…"
"They managed to escape without any casualties…"
"You can't really say it was without sacrifice—they lost two years of progress."
"Lost two years? I'd say they gained two years!"
Sengoku voiced his opinion freely as he looked at those present.
"Well, at least in this arc, the allies and enemies have been clearly identified."
Said Sakazuki without emotion. He didn't seem to care about who was on which side.
But internally, he was seething with rage, like a volcano ready to erupt.
"Honestly, I believe the Shichibukai system benefits the Shichibukai more than it helps the Marines. It's obvious Hancock openly obstructed Marine forces to buy time for the Straw Hats to escape without any losses. She used her Shichibukai status to do it."
"Hmm, perhaps the Shichibukai system won't last much longer. It seems their value is starting to fade."
"That's true. With the emergence of advanced technologies like the Pacifistas, I bet the World Government is increasingly relying on science divisions and Vegapunk in particular to replace disobedient forces, including the Shichibukai."
Tsuru, Sengoku, and Zephyr exchanged looks as each of their theories became more certain.
"Even so, that won't happen overnight. The government still desperately needs the Shichibukai," said Tsuru.
Sengoku nodded—he agreed. He had the same instinct.
"Still, I think some Shichibukai are truly dangerous. It's better to keep them under control even if they're not entirely useful."
Kuzan joined the conversation with his view.
"Mihawk, Doflamingo… even Boa Hancock—they're all dangerous. Mihawk especially, he's terrifying," Borsalino added.
"As long as my counterpart is in the Marines, no one can destabilize it. The Straw Hats have escaped the Archipelago. That's fine… let them flee, let them move forward wherever they want. It only means one thing—their story is still ongoing."
"And just like Ace's story ended at the hands of my counterpart, there will come a day when Luffy's story—and his crew's—ends at mine…"
"Until that day, I'll just read this manga patiently… and enjoy as much entertainment as I can."
Hearing Sakazuki's arrogant words left everyone present in shock. His thoughts were truly extreme—to still take pride in what his counterpart did to Ace, despite almost dying in the process… left them speechless.
For a moment, Kuzan wanted to challenge him to say that publicly on the forum, but he stopped himself.
After all, he didn't want to take part in another failed rescue mission.
Last time, if not for the Five Elders, Sakazuki would've died at the hands of Roger and Whitebeard.
…
Sorbet Kingdom:
Dragon smiled as he watched the final scene, where Luffy shouted "Set sail…"
"It seems Luffy has quickly regained his captain's spirit… he's happier than ever."
Hearing Dragon's words, silence filled the room.
But only one particular old man didn't care for the moment of silence. He suddenly burst out laughing:
"Buwahahaha!!! That's my grandson after all! He's stronger, tougher, and more charismatic than ever!"
"What do you think of this journey to Fish-Man Island?" Dragon asked his father.
"My opinion on the journey? I think we'll see all kinds of political and social issues in that place. Luffy and his crew will surely deal with many of them—that's what we've come to expect from him, right?" Garp replied.
Upon hearing that, Dragon smiled. "That's right. My son and his crew have always acted like the Revolutionary Army. They're the best example of what the Revolution truly stands for."
"They're doing the work of a full army with just a handful of crew members. I'm really looking forward to this trip to Fish-Man Island."
Hearing the conversation between Dragon and Garp, the rest of the Revolutionary Army members smiled. They were somewhat in agreement with Dragon's words.
"So doesn't that mean the ones most excited for the next arc should be the Fishmen themselves?"
"Of course! No matter how ordinary, any Fishman is surely looking forward to this arc more than any human or other race."
"Isn't that right, Hack?"
Dragon looked at the newest member of the Revolutionary Army, who had joined just a month ago, coming from Fish-Man Island.
Hack, a full-blooded Fishman in his early twenties, had come searching for the light of revolution. Unlike others who joined bounty hunter guilds for more money, he chose the Revolutionary path. Naturally, Dragon welcomed him with open arms.
"Yes, Dragon-san. As a Fishman, I'm truly excited for Luffy and his crew's visit to my homeland. It's going to be amazing. There's so much mystery surrounding that place—I believe this manga is going to uncover it all."
Hack replied calmly, seated between Crocodile and Ivankov.
…
Fish-Man Island:
Here, where the eyes of the world had now turned, the people were the happiest on Earth after the end of the Return to Sabaody arc!
The reason? In just a month, the long-awaited arc—the core of the current saga—would begin.
"It seems the Fish-Man Island arc is next!"
Arlong grinned, revealing his sharp shark-like teeth.
This version of Arlong was 21 years old—a strong young man with none of the flaws of his counterpart. He had earned great trust from Tiger, who was seriously considering pushing him to join the King's Guard—especially since the current king had no heirs. He needed strong protection, and Arlong was a master of Fish-Man Karate at his age.
"Are you excited?" Jinbei asked, seeing him smile.
"Of course I am. My counterpart might return to the spotlight in this arc," Arlong replied.
"Or he could be remembered only as a disgraceful remnant of the past… Wouldn't that bother you?" Jinbei said.
"It doesn't bother me anymore. I've long moved past that."
Hearing his words, Tiger smiled and nodded internally.
"I just hope no villain appears who is even more hateful and malicious than my counterpart… I don't want to see that. After all, he could be one of those abandoned kids from the Fish-Man street… and seeing that would break my heart."
Tiger looked troubled by Arlong's words—he shared the same concern.
"No matter. We have no control or foreknowledge. We must simply accept whatever comes in the manga. After all, it represents the future we once rejected… but a future we must understand and learn how to avoid repeating."
Jinbei, Hatchan, and Arlong all nodded after hearing Tiger's words.
"Huh, there are still two extra pages in the manga. Isn't the arc over yet?"
"Fan Letter? Is that the title of the chapter?"
"No worries—let's dive in."
_________________
Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
_________________
Chapter 897: Fan Letter! (Part 1)
Chapter 898: Fan Letter! (Part 2)
Chapter 899: A Letter for Someone Dear to Me. (End of the Arc)
_________________
BlackStar_BH:
Join my Patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/BlackStar_BH
To support me and unlock advanced chapters. Get ahead with up to 30 chapters in advance:
- 5 advanced chapters for $5
- 10 advanced chapters for $10
- 15 advanced chapters for $15
- 20 advanced chapters for $20
- 30 advanced chapters for $30
_______
New! With the addition of the shop feature to Patreon, you can now purchase chapters without needing a monthly subscription! For the curious individuals who like the idea of buying just one or two chapters, you can now control the number of advanced chapters you want to read. I have ensured to set the lowest permissible price on the platform for the advanced chapters! Enjoy!
_______
Hey everyone!
I'm excited to announce that I'm now on Ko-fi. If you enjoy my content and want to support my work, you can now buy me a coffee! Every contribution helps me keep creating and sharing more with you all.
Check out my Ko-fi page here:
https://ko-fi.com/blackstar_bh
There are 30 chapters available there ahead of Webnovel.
The membership tiers on Ko-fi:
- 5 advanced chapters for $5
- 10 advanced chapters for $10
- 20 advanced chapters for $20
- 30 advanced chapters for $30