One Piece: Investing In Whitebeard At The Start.

After passing through the dark sea, a faint light gradually emerged. Even in the depths, it was now possible to see the surroundings.

The giant octopus used its two tentacles to carry Vane's ship, the King, from its former sea area to the edge of the descending current.

This powerful current surged downward like an underwater explosion. It was the only passage from the first half of the Grand Line to the New World.

Fearing Vane, the giant octopus had no choice but to obey his will. It dove into the abyss—into the bottomless drop of the descending current. They were now deep below the Red Line, perhaps even beyond 10,000 meters. The exact depth was unknown. The current they were in would eventually lead them straight to the waters outside Fish-Man Island.

No one knew how long the current stretched—it could be thousands of meters deep, winding and twisting through the ocean floor.

After an indeterminate amount of time, light appeared again. But this time, it wasn't the faint glow of the deep sea—it was as bright as a fluorescent lamp. Suspended in the ocean before them was Fish-Man Island.

"Is that Fish-Man Island?" Kalifa asked in awe.

The glowing island shimmered in the deep sea, surrounded by countless exotic fish and small Sea Kings—many of which Kalifa had never seen before.

"You can go," Vane said to the giant sea beast.

The massive octopus trembled slightly at his words. After carefully placing Vane down, it vanished without a trace.

Despite being 10,000 meters below the surface, Fish-Man Island enjoyed sunlight and clouds. The secret lay in the Sunlight Tree Eve, a massive tree rooted near the island that transmitted light from the surface. It allowed Fish-Man Island to experience day and night just like the world above.

Schools of fish swam around the glowing island, while not far away, sea beasts and Sea Kings hovered, observing.

One massive Sea King in particular loomed nearby—its size was incomprehensible. Compared to this creature, even Fish-Man Island looked small. If Poseidon was the emperor of the sea, these colossal beasts were his generals.

To Vane, Fish-Man Island had once been a place of fairy tales in his past life. Now, it was real.

"What a breathtaking sight," Kalifa murmured, stunned. For many women, this was a dreamlike paradise. But Vane wasn't here for the view, or for mermaids—he came for one thing: profit.

Vane ordered Kalifa to steer the King toward Fish-Man Island. But before they could get far, a humanoid sea monster suddenly emerged from the depths behind them—grotesque and massive.

It cast a shadow over the King, blocking some of the surrounding light. Vane turned and immediately recognized it. This creature was a subordinate of Vander Decken IX, captain of the Flying Pirates.

"Sir, what should we do?" Kalifa asked, concern in her voice. It was clear they had been targeted.

"Just keep sailing," Vane replied calmly.

He stared down the sea monster. His cold eyes pierced through the beast's fear. Even without using [Conqueror's Haki], the pressure he exuded caused the monster to hesitate. Vane had already developed the presence of a true powerhouse.

Though massive, the sea monster was weak in spirit. Just one glance from Vane sent shivers through its spine. It had intended to attack, but now it wanted only to flee.

But Vane didn't give it the chance.

In a flash, he appeared in front of the creature, slamming his right fist into its forehead. The sound of bones shattering echoed through the sea, even though muffled by the water. Vane's punch cracked the creature's skull, sending its huge body flying until it collided with a distant sea beast.

"The Flying Pirates... they're just another nuisance that needs cleaning up," Vane said flatly.

The Flying Pirates, under Vander Decken IX, were infamous. Obsessed with Shirahoshi, the giant mermaid princess, Decken had used the powers of the Target-Target Fruit to harass her and threaten the royal family. Years ago, he touched her hand, marking her as his target. Since then, he'd used thrown weapons to torment her and pressure Neptune into marrying her off.

Vane frowned and returned to the ship. The creature just now had been pulling the ship for Vander Decken.

The King began its final approach to Fish-Man Island. It passed through the first protective bubble. As the ship's membrane dissolved, Vane floated underneath, holding the ship aloft with his strength, preventing it from crashing into the coral forest below.

This was the air layer between the double bubbles surrounding Fish-Man Island—not seawater—so the ship couldn't float. Using his power, Vane carefully lowered the King in a diagonal arc and entered the island from below.

Meanwhile, far outside the island in the pitch-black depths where light could not reach, three enormous Sea Kings watched silently. Their focus wasn't on Fish-Man Island—it was on Vane.

The sea monster from earlier, now trembling, looked insignificant in comparison. Though it had towered over the King, it was less than a speck beside these ancient beasts.

These three were the largest Sea Kings in the region—perhaps in the entire world. Larger than islands, they had guarded this area for centuries. Once the loyal followers of Poseidon, the previous Sea King, they now lay dormant in this dark sea, awaiting the rise of a new Poseidon to command them once more.

Poseidon—one of the three Ancient Weapons—was arguably more terrifying than Pluton. Pluton was a man-made battleship, capable of wiping out islands. But Poseidon could command all Sea Kings, effectively gaining dominion over the oceans themselves. In a world dominated by water, controlling the Sea Kings meant controlling the entire planet.

"Does that human have ill intentions?" one of the massive Sea Kings asked.

"I don't know. But if he does, I'll crush his ship," another replied.

Their eyes—each the size of entire ships—narrowed as they gazed at Vane.

"He seems strong… He reminds me of that old man," one said, referring to Whitebeard.

Whitebeard had once claimed Fish-Man Island as his territory. His flag flew high above it, a deterrent to any pirate or Marine looking to exploit its people. Without that protection, the beautiful mermaid women of Fish-Man Island would be sold at exorbitant prices in the human world—especially at Sabaody Archipelago.

"I can feel it… The king is about to awaken," murmured another Sea King.

"It won't be long now."

"I've waited 800 years. A little longer won't hurt."

Their deep, rumbling voices echoed through the pitch-black sea.

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