But even so, Zeff found himself in a difficult battle.
"Fire! What kind of monster is this!"
The pirates of the Chef Pirates fired bullets at the Gyarados, but the flintlock gun's rounds were powerless against the Gyarados' arched armor. The inherited scale armor from Magikarp and its slope-like curvature rendered these old-fashioned firearms ineffective.
Survival of the fittest is the law of nature. The offspring of the first generation Magikarp set out into every sea area following Arceus's command, and then thrived and reproduced there.
The different ocean environment from the Pokemon World led them to evolve a new group consciousness. Predators of Magikarp are almost nonexistent, but these Sea Beasts, Sea Kings, and various strange fish are a different story, with some even becoming natural enemies of Magikarp.
This Gyarados was acting out its own revenge. As the generations grew in number, the inherited instinct in their bones boiled down to just one activity: pilgrimage.
Every season, schools of Gyarados lead Magikarp towards the New World. Some biologists have begun studying this newly discovered strange fish species.
So far, no conclusive findings have been made, and those results do not concern Zeff. As the Gyarados dove back underwater, he felt even more panicked.
"Turn the rudder! Full rudder! It's coming!"
The Gyarados's only purpose in diving was to attack the ship from below, intending to capsize it. Zeff knew well that once they fell into the water, they would be at the monster's mercy.
Fortunately, their Chef George was agile. The Gyarados, due to its relatively low level, lacked the strength to directly capsize the ship, so it had to dive to build up enough momentum, buying them some preparation time.
"Captain, the Grand Line is too dangerous; we should go back!"
Some were terrified by the Gyarados surfacing from the side, not expecting creatures on the Grand Line to be so formidable.
"Fool! Before saying such foolish things, think about how to deal with this monster!"
Zeff leaped from the deck, kicking the Gyarados that had burst out of the water below its chest. Ordinary Sea Beasts of this size couldn't withstand his kick, as his kick could deform steel.
But the Gyarados merely let out a painful cry and opened its mouth wide to bite at Zeff again.
"Isn't it a sea snake...? What species is this...?"
Sea Beasts also follow certain biological traits. For instance, Sea Dogs like bones, and catnip works for Sea Cats. The Gyarados seemed like a mutated sea snake, so Zeff tried to attack its vulnerable spot, but to no avail.
Their battle seemed to attract other Sea Beasts, but because the Gyarados found Zeff difficult to deal with, it chose to retreat.
Even after it submerged and left, the members of the Chef Pirates remained anxious for a long time before they could relax.
"Captain, we should head back. The Grand Line is terrifying."
Though they had heard of its dangers before, this Gyarados as an appetizer was a bit too frightful for them.
"The Inverted Mountain cannot be navigated downstream. Do you want to try crossing the Windless Zone now? There are even larger and more terrifying Sea Kings there."
The powerful currents of the Inverted Mountain left these windships at a loss. Theoretically, with enough power, they could go upstream, but their Chef George was clearly incapable of it.
"....."
"This is just the first test; keep sailing. Think optimistically; perhaps that was the greatest danger."
Of course, this was merely to reassure people. Having just arrived, merely facing one hardship wouldn't cause Zeff to retreat, but he did take out his little notebook to start recording his journey.
...
In early October 1502, Mandfeish's ship once again arrived at the Shampodi Islands, and the Hundred Beasts Fruit branch in Shampodi had already brought over the Coating Craftsman.
They didn't trust other craftsmen's methods, so they sent some of their people to learn the coating techniques. This matter was crucial and couldn't be treated carelessly.
Within the Hundred Beasts Pirates, only Arceus and Kaidou could carry a ship over the Red Earth Continent.
Others could at most take a few people across; the remaining ships still had to travel underwater. However, ships without Ability Users, like Mandfeish's, had fewer reservations about submerging.
"Do it carefully; don't rush."
"Rest assured, Master Mandfeish, these are skilled workers. You know our inspection system,"
No one knew how effective the coating would be before diving. The Hundred Beasts also had numerous bases in the New World, with Coating Craftsmen rotating among them. Every time a ship got its coating, half of the craftsmen would travel with the ship to replace their work location.
While they might not care about others' lives, they would never take their own safety lightly, performing their tasks with maximum concentration each time.
During this period, Mandfeish didn't stay idle. He led his subordinates on a shopping spree at the Shampodi Islands, purchasing local specialties like the Great Pack and Great Snail, which were quite popular on Ghost Island.
Even if the crew didn't like them, they were great for gifts or prizes for the locals. Some pirates in the crew had even started families in Wano Kuni.
"Don't dawdle; the coating will be finished in one more day. If we head back now, we should still make it to Miss Yamato's birthday celebration."
"Brother Mandfeish, you're actually the slowest one here. How long have you been standing there?"
Pierman passed by carrying five boxes of snails. When he went to buy the snails, Mandfeish was already standing there. When he returned, Mandfeish still hadn't moved, standing in front of a shop claimed to sell "Love Chocolates."
"Brother Mandfeish, don't tell me you're really interested in that woman?"
The chocolate seller often associated their products with love. Outside the shop where Mandfeish was standing were countless advertisements of that kind.
As Mandfeish's deputy, Pierman was well-acquainted with his boss's habits and had guessed a few things.
"That woman may be pretty, but Boss, she's already married..."
"I don't really care about marriage... Why do you care so much! Get lost already!"
Mandfeish raised his foot to scare him off, and Pierman hurried away with the snails. After some thought, Mandfeish still decided to buy some chocolates, such an amount was insignificant to him.
The next day, the coated ships started to submerge. The even bubble texture indicated the craftsman's meticulous efforts, but Fishman Island was different from before; a new Pirate Flag had been added at the entrance.