The name "Fish-Man Isnd" jured images of a distant paradise located deep beh the o, isoted and serene. But iy, it wasn't nearly as remote as it seemed.

  Geographically, Fish-Man Isnd was astonishingly close to Mariejois, Sabaody Archipego, and Marine Headquarters at Marineford. If one was adequately prepared and fao interruptions, the journey from Sabaody Archipego to Fish-Man Isnd could be pleted in half a day, a stark trast to the weeks or even months it took to travel between isnds above the sea.

  After all, Fish-Man Isnd was simply located 10,000 meters below the o's surface. In practical terms, it was only 10 kilometers straight down, not far at all in the grand scheme of things.

  As Cudius was chatting with Sengoku, he barely noticed the passage of time before Lenny, the excitable mermaid, shouted, "Yhness, we're here! We've reached Fish-Man Isnd!"

  Cudius blinked in mild surprise. "Already? That was quick."

  He walked to the edge of the ship and peered out. In the distance, he saw a massive bubble enveloping the isnd. While the isnd itself didn't look particurly rge at first gnce, what stood out most promily was the enormous tree that seemed to grow straight out of the sea, t over everything else. It was the rgest tree Cudius had ever seen, far more massive than the mangroves of the Sabaody Archipego.

  "What a tree…" Cudius murmured, awestruck.

  "Yhness, that's the Sunlight Tree Eve," Mero said excitedly. "It's the mother tree of our Fish-Man Isnd. Thanks to it, even though we're 10,000 meters uhe sea, we still see sunlight and blue skies. Without it, this pce would be shrouded in darkness."

  The enthusiasm in Mero's voice was evident. Both she and Lenny were practically glowing with excitement now that they were so close to their home.

  Cudius nodded, but his thoughts briefly wahe Sunlight Tree Eve was indeed a marvel, one said to rival the Treasure Tree Adam in legend. Uhe Eve, however, the Adam had suffered greatly over the years, its wood harvested for shipbuilding after being damaged by war. Cudius' own fgship, the Prometheus, used materials from the Treasure Tree Adam.

  Staring at the colossal Eve tree, a peculiar thought crossed Cudius' mind: What kind of battleship could I build if I chopped that tree down?

  Of course, he quickly dismissed the idea. Attempting such a thing would undoubtedly turn Fish-Man Isnd's popution against him, and he had no iion of creating such chaos.

  As the Prometheus sailed closer to the isnd, it entered a vast coral forest on the seafloor. The t coral formations were so massive that they resembled a sprawling jungle.

  Among the corals, Cudius noticed tless treasures scattered about, bck pearls the size of fists y strewn like ordinary pebbles. It was a mesmerizing sight, ohat spoke to the wealth hiddeh the waves.

  "This pce is a treasure trove," Cudius muttered, his voice low and ptive.

  "What are you thinking, Yhness?" Sengoku asked, notig Cudius' expression.

  "I'm thinking about how much the Wover has overlooked in the past few turies," Cudius replied with a hint of bitterness. "All this untapped wealth, all these treasures, and we've barely scratched the surface. I feel like I've missed out on hundreds of billions of berries just in my lifetime!"

  Sengoku raised an eyebrow, fused by Cudius' ment. As a Marine Admiral, his mind didn't work like a businessman's. While he ue-scale strategies like the Calm Belt project, the smaller, more practical ideas often eluded him. To him, the pearls and treasures scattered around the coral forest were just part of the local sery, beautiful but not particurly signifit.

  Cudius, oher hand, saw opportunities everywhere. His mind raced with possibilities: establishing trade routes between Fish-Man Isnd and the surface world could be immensely profitable. Exotic items from the surface could be sold to Fish-Man Isnd at exorbitant prices, while treasures like pearls and coral from Fish-Man Isnd could fetch astronomical sums on the surface, especially among the nobles.

  And that wasn't all. The untapped wealth of the o floor minerals, rare materials, and other resources represented an opportunity so vast it was almost overwhelming.

  "If I mao secure a monopoly on trade with Fish-Man Isnd," Cudius thought, his excitement building, "I could bee the richest man alive."

  His gaze shifted to Lenny and Mero, the two mermaids who had been with him for over a decade. He trusted them pletely, knowing they would never betray him, even with the freedom to return to the sea. If he needed reliable agents to manage his business is on Fish-Man Isnd, they were the perfect didates.

  "Good deeds really do pay off," Cudius mused, feeling rather pleased with himself. "All these years of treating Lenny and Mero well, turns out I was iing in my future."

  Lenny's excited voice broke his train of thought. "Yhness, this is Coral Hill, the most prosperous port on Fish-Man Isnd! All major fleets arrive here first. Once we dock at Coral Hill, we disembark."

  Cudius smiled as he took in the sight of the bustling port. Coral Hill was indeed vibrant, its bright coral structures trastiifully against the deep blue of the surrounding o.

  "This is my hometown," Lenny tinued, her voice tinged with both excitement and nostalgia. "Mero and I used to live here before...before we were captured by svers. It's hard to believe how far we've e sihen."

  The two sisters g each other, their eyes filled with gratitude. Though their journey had been harrowing, meeting Cudius had ged everything.

  Sengoku, the port ahead, remarked, "It looks like Kiune is prepared to wele us."

  Before leaving Sabaody Archipego, Sengoku had sent word to Kiune, inf him of Cudius' arrival and emphasizing the importance of the visit. As a ruler, une was obliged to extend the utmost respeeone of Cudius' status, even if he did so with some trepidation.

  At the port, the Fish-Man Isnd huard had cleared the area, f a grand weling procession. Standing at the forefront were Kiune and his wife, Princess Otohime. As the Prometheus approached, the two exged uneasy gnces.

  u frame seemed tense, his expression filled with uainty. Watg the enormous ship draw closer, he couldn't help but wonder: Is the arrival of Saint Donquixote-Cudius a blessing for Fish-Man Isnd or a curse?

  Sensing her husband's ay, Otohime pced a gentle hand ouail. Her bright, hopeful smile seemed to dispel some of his worries. "Don't fret, my king," she said softly. "Didn't Admiral Sengoku assure us that Saint Cudius es with goodwill?"

  une frowned. "Marine officers like Sengoku may be honorable, but they would never dare speak ill of a Celestial Dragon. How we trust their words entirely?"

  Despite his doubts, une could only hope that this meeting would bring his people closer to a brighter future and not pluhem into deeper despair.

  ***

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