"It really is beautiful, but that's only because we haven't reached sufficient depth yet. Once we dive deep enough, everything will be pitch black. Then, who knows, some giant sea monster might swallow us whole in one bite." Robin's speculation dampened everyone's high spirits. They fell silent one by one. Did she have to think of something so terrifying?
And it made so much sense. The possibility was very high.
"It's okay. If any monster gets close, I'll definitely sense it. And Uncle Enel is monitoring the surroundings too. It's fine, it's fine. Wow, that octopus has such plump legs! Uncle Bomber, blast one off for us to eat." Natalie said, pushing Mr. 5 toward the ship's railing, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"No problem, watch me." Mr. 5 was eager to try as well. Since they had bubbles covering their bodies, they weren't afraid of general deep-sea combat. Of course, Devil Fruit users would still be greatly affected.
But just being able to use his ability was enough, since it was only to deal with a mere octopus.
"I advise you not to. The smell of blood might attract deep-sea behemoths. The area near Fish-Man Island, ten thousand meters below the surface, is often frequented by massive Sea Kings. I've heard they can be several thousand meters long." Bonez' words stopped Mr. 5. It wasn't an exaggeration; such things did happen.
"Sea Kings several thousand meters long?" Mr. 5 was taken aback. That dangerous? Forget it. He wasn't afraid for himself, but he shouldn't cause any trouble for the BOSS.
In the underwater world, sunlight still filtered through, and the roots of the Sabaody Archipelago were incredibly mysterious. Countless colorful fish swam back and forth, relaxed and carefree. It was like an undersea forest maze.
From time to time, schools of fish and shrimp of various sizes swam past the Dawn. Even great white sharks appeared, but in this ocean, great whites weren't particularly strong. There were at least hundreds of creatures that could swallow one in a single bite.
Still, the scenery was fantastical and highly enjoyable, far more interesting than any ocean aquarium.
"Haha, I caught a giant lobster." Natalie suddenly let out an excited laugh. While Mr. 5 had hesitated, she had walked over to the railing, seized an opportunity, and knocked out a lobster half her size with a shield bash, dragging it inside.
"Hey-hey." Just then, the little sea cow suddenly passed through the coating and returned from outside, dragging the tail of a large white fish. The fish was as big as Natalie herself, and it was Master's favorite.
"That lobster looks good." Rosen's voice suddenly drifted out from the captain's quarters. Natalie's expression changed upon hearing this. She tried to run away with the lobster, but was too slow. A sandy hand stretched out endlessly from the captain's quarters, effortlessly snatching the lobster from Natalie's arms. The arm then pivoted and delivered it directly to the kitchen.
"Ah, give it back, give it back..." Natalie flew into a rage and charged towards the captain's quarters, but the little sea cow intercepted her halfway. After a moment's thought, the little sea cow offered the large white fish to Natalie.
"This is good too." Natalie, satisfied, strode towards the kitchen with the large white fish in tow.
Law, Urouge, and even most of the crew were captivated by the undersea scenery before them. Even Law, who had a submarine, admitted the visibility wasn't as good, and probably only beneath the roots of the Sabaody Archipelago could so many species of fish gather like this.
A short while later, the large fish and the lobster were served at Rosen's personal dining table, where Robin and a disgruntled Natalie joined him.
"What? You get to eat, and you're still unhappy?" Seeing Natalie's expression made Rosen happy. The lobster was prepared very well, though too much of it would get cloying.
The pan-seared white fish, on the other hand, was something he could eat a lot of without getting tired.
"It's all mine. You're mooching off my food."
"Hey, we're on the same ship. There's no such thing as mooching. Fine, starting tomorrow, I'll give you a salary of ten thousand Berries a month." Rosen said casually. He hadn't originally wanted Natalie to live a life of luxury like some "rich" person.
But Rosen noticed that even without a formal income or a share of the plunder from underworld dealings, simply by moving among the adults, her little room was now piled high with gold, silver, and treasures.
This left Rosen feeling a bit melancholic. It seemed everyone was treating Natalie like a daughter. Being young really had its perks.
"Really?!" Natalie beamed. Ten thousand Berries was a small amount, but it meant she was someone who earned money too.
"Eat your food, don't talk, or it doesn't count."
"Okay." Natalie immediately sat up straight.
After a satisfying meal, Natalie was sent off. Rosen and Robin sat side by side on the sofa, gazing at the scenery outside through the floor-to-ceiling window. For a moment, they felt completely at ease.
However, they maintained a slight distance. After a while, Robin moved closer, wrapping her arms around Rosen's waist and leaning against his chest.
Her fragrance was captivating.
Rosen was a bit surprised. Robin's demure, feminine side was rarely seen. But it was nice. At least when they were alone, Rosen preferred it this way. Stroking Robin's hair, his thoughts began to wander.
What exactly was their relationship now? It seemed like everything, yet also like nothing. Rosen knew that if he wanted to, they could take the next step. But he didn't push it. At the same time, he was somewhat afraid: what if he were to die one day...
He hadn't worried about it before, but having attachments changed things. Rosen didn't see this as a weakness, but as an intrinsic part of humanity. Now, more than ever, he needed to become stronger. On this journey, Doflamingo had to be defeated by his own hands. He hoped that Doflamingo's value as a fighter was at least one billion Berries or more.
That way, he could push his own strength to the next level. Even if his progress was becoming less noticeable, any improvement brought a sense of security and solidity.
As time passed, the ocean gradually darkened. They passed through many dangerous ocean currents, currents that had claimed countless pirate and Marine ships over the years.
Of course, if you were strong enough and didn't let sea monsters attack the ship frequently, the safety level was quite high.
As long as the coating remained intact, the ship was safe. And with so many powerful fighters aboard the Dawn, they could handle most sea monsters. Even the little Kung Fu Sea Cow jumped into the sea and knocked out a bunch of them.
Following the Log Pose and the navigator's analysis, they made it to the upper reaches of Fish-Man Island without major incident. They could see Fish-Man Island shining like a brilliant pearl in the dark ocean.
Just before entering Fish-Man Island, they often encountered fish-man thugs and the like.
But Rosen didn't know that Fish-Man Island had been unsafe lately.
After Whitebeard fell, the island had yet to come under Big Mom's protection. However, Big Mom had recently taken a liking to the sweets of Fish-Man Island. Jimbe was currently negotiating, hoping that the Emperor Big Mom would offer the island her protection. Currently, it seemed quite likely to succeed.
Jimbe knew that he and the Ryugu Kingdom alone were not enough to protect this vital route for pirates heading to the New World.
Now, without Whitebeard's protection, countless mermaids were being captured and sold by thousands of pirates. Although the Ryugu Kingdom had deployed many soldiers, it was a drop in the bucket, unable to curb the chaos on Fish-Man Island.
As Rosen and his crew arrived, a pirate ship was hurriedly passing through the bubble curtain surrounding Fish-Man Island. On the deck stood over a hundred pirates, with many young and beautiful mermaids tied up beside them.
"Haha, we've hit the jackpot this time! Forget becoming Pirate King. If we sell these mermaids for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions each, we'll be rich! They really have fish for brains, not even realizing we raided their backyard." The pirate captain laughed joyfully.
They were about to leave. By the time King Neptune realized what had happened, they would be long gone.
"Pirates, huh? It's been a while since we last had a job. Bonez, Valentine, Mr. 5, and Sea Cow, go say hello. Don't wreck the ship, or we'll lose the treasure too. Also, submit an entry application to Fish-Man Island's palace. They don't turn away pirates here, so let's try to follow the proper procedures as much as possible." Rosen watched the fleeing pirate ship in the distance and smiled.
(End of Chapter)