Chapter 162

"Yes."

In Ayn's mind, the face and voice of the black-haired boy surfaced, and her delicate, beautiful features curled into a smile tinged with nostalgia.

It's been six years since that incident…

That boy, who used to be shorter than her shoulder, must now be more than a head taller than her…

Time really flies.

At this moment, a newspaper gull flew across the sky and dropped a newspaper.

Ayn reached out and caught it; upon seeing the content, her beautiful eyes widened sharply, her heart jolted, and she blurted out:

"What?!"

"What's wrong?"

Zefa looked at her; Binz beside him also turned toward her.

Ayn, utterly stunned, turned her head to Zefa, swallowed hard, and said:

"It's about Luo En."

Zefa's eyes narrowed: "What did that brat do now?"

"He, he took control of an island and attacked Mary Geoise…"

"What?!"

Zefa's pupils shrank violently.

"... and Marineford."

Crack!

Zefa's cup shattered in his grip.

……………………

While countless people across the seas were stunned, pale with shock, and unable to believe this monumental event.

Beneath the sea.

The Traveler, wrapped in a coated bubble, drifted slowly with the current toward Fish-Man Island.

Around the seabed, various sea beasts, marine creatures, and Sea Kings swam past; compared to their massive bodies, the Traveler appeared tiny.

On the dining table inside the cabin.

"Captain, isn't it unsafe to eat like this?"

Konis gazed at Luo En, who sat with his eyes closed, knife and fork in hand, worriedly: "Shall I feed you instead?"

Upon hearing this,

Guina, Luo Bin, and Bonney, seated around the table, all flickered their eyes and turned to look at Konis.

Xia Qi said one of the four women on the ship liked Luo En—could it be Konis?

"No need. I can still smell where the food is."

Luo En smiled, reached out, speared a steak from the plate in front of him, and began devouring it.

"Closing your eyes and still finding food precisely—Master is amazing!"

Xiao Qi's face was full of admiration.

"Standard practice. Practice enough and you can do it too."

"Really?! Then I'll try too."

Xiao Qi spoke, activated Kenbunshoku Haki, closed his eyes, and reached out with his chopsticks.

Then…

He knocked over an entire dish.

Crack!

Guina slapped him on the head.

"Don't copy everything Luo En does."

"Ow."

…………

Year 1517 of the Grand Line Calendar, the last month of the year.

The Traveler Luo En, for transporting an island and attacking Mary Geoise, the seat of the World Government, and Marineford, the Marine Headquarters, saw his bounty surge again, breaking past one billion and reaching a staggering 1.34 billion Berries!

Meanwhile.

At ten thousand meters beneath the sea, beneath the sunlight emitted by the giant tree 'Yang Shu Eve'.

The Traveler slowly sailed into the massive bubble enveloping Fish-Man Island.

143, Check-in at Fish-Man Island, Listen to the Voices of All Things (Combined)

On Fish-Man Island.

As the Traveler passed through the double-layered bubble membrane, it was detected by the Fish-Man Island Marine Guard.

Simultaneously, as this illegal vessel appeared at a coral harbor on Fish-Man Island,

Several officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates, accompanied by giant sea beasts and Prince Three's Marine forces, arrived at the scene.

Several officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates sat atop giant sea beasts on the shore.

Following Captain Hody Jones's orders, the New Fish-Man Pirates sought to recruit human pirates to strengthen their power.

Thus, whenever an illegal vessel entered Fish-Man Island, these officers would come to inspect and recruit.

"Hamon Hamon, this one doesn't seem to be a pirate."

The drunken Baocang, sipping liquor, squinted at the ship: "Huh? Not a pirate ship…?"

The drunken Bao Cang squinted at the ship through bleary eyes as he drank. "What, isn't that a pirate ship..."

"It's still too early to say. There have been cases before of humans posing as pirates and hiding their identities, right?"

The long-haired, double-bunned shark-man Dosu said, arms folded, as he gazed at the ship.

The Third Prince Shark Star, Emperor Star, and Capsized Star led the Sea King Army aboard a fish-shaped vessel flying through the sky.

"Is it a pirate ship that illegally intruded?"

The First Prince Shark Star looked toward the ship approaching the bay's shore and said.

"Doesn't seem like it. I don't see any pirate ship markings."

Capsized Star said.

Under their watchful gaze.

A group of people walked out from the ship's cabin and onto the deck.

"Wow, look quick, there's actually white clouds and sky here!"

Conis pointed at the sky, her face full of pleasant surprise, and said.

"Just what kind of structure is this?"

Luo Bin, with sunglasses pushed up onto her forehead, wearing a light-blue hoodie jacket and black trousers, pinched her chin and gazed at the sky, her eyes full of curiosity.

Bonney, with long pink hair, heart-shaped lipstick, and denim shorts, looked around, her face full of anticipation as well: "What kind of food will Fish-Man Island have? Is there takoyaki?"

"Are there any strong guys here?"

Xiao Qi was also full of anticipation.

"Before we talk about all that…"

Kuina — wearing steel bracers on both arms, twin swords hanging at her left hip, her long blue hair tied in a high ponytail, dressed in a white training outfit — swept her sharp, calm gaze forward and back: "Shouldn't we be considering our current situation first?"

"Looks like we illegally intruded and got caught."

A calm voice rang out behind the several girls.

Under the watchful eyes of several officers of the New Fish-Man Pirates and the Third Prince.

A black-haired youth in a black training outfit, with a black sword at his waist and his eyes closed, walked out from the cabin and appeared in their line of sight.

The instant they saw that face.

Dosu, Jeo, and Hammond of the New Fish-Man Pirates all froze at first, stared hard at that black-haired youth's face, and then gradually widened their eyes, opened their mouths, and turned pale with fright!

"Th-that, that guy is…?!"

"Could it really be… that person?"

"How did he get here?"

The First Prince Shark Star, who had not recognized Luo En and the others, opened his mouth and asked them:

"Humans, who are you people? Are you pirates?"