Kaguya furrowed her brow. If she remembered correctly, a long time ago when she came to Fishman Island, she had used the Celestial Central to store Noah into her space. So Noah's Ark should be in her space—how could it appear here again?
And how did she know this secret?
As if sensing Kaguya's thoughts, Shyarly took a puff from the pipe in her mouth and said, "I know, you want to ask how I know this secret."
Kaguya's eyes narrowed. That was indeed what she was thinking. As a top secret, it must be extremely well-guarded. Even the wealthy and powerful World Government had searched for it for a century without success. How could a mermaid from the Fishman race know such information?
"Actually, I'm not completely certain that Noah's Ark really is Pluto," Shyarly said, her gaze distant as she looked off into the distance. "But in my prophecy, I saw a massive warship that looked just like Noah's Ark. When it fired, it easily sank an island—this is exactly like the Pluto of legend."
Another prophecy. Kaguya hadn't expected Shyarly to see such a vision.
Her brow twitched slightly.
If they were still in the world of the original One Piece, she might have believed in Shyarly's prophecies. But ever since entering the world of One Piece, the timeline had drastically diverged from the original—sometimes even running counter to it. Could her prophecies still be accurate?
Shyarly turned to Kaguya and said, "If you're unsure, then just go and see for yourself. But let me warn you in advance, Noah is not something just anyone can take. Even if it were given to you, you wouldn't be able to carry it away."
Noah was a super warship, so massive it was almost the same size as Fishman Island. Such a huge ship had lost its propulsion system and could only be towed by equally massive Sea Kings.
Kaguya curled her lips and said, "If I don't try, how will I know?"
Shyarly gave Kaguya a deep look, turned around, and walked ahead. "If that's the case, then follow me."
Kaguya followed.
Noah's location was in Fishman District—a place filled with bloodshed and violence, essentially a large dump. Piles of household waste and debris had accumulated over the years, turning the area into a small mountain. Noah lay in the distance behind this garbage mountain.
As they walked, Shyarly suddenly stopped, turned her head, and stared at Kaguya. "Have we met somewhere before?"
"How could that be," Kaguya smiled slightly. "You must be mistaken."
"Is that so?" Shyarly didn't confirm nor deny, giving Kaguya a long look before turning and continuing forward.
After Kaguya's ten-year disappearance, she gradually faded from public view. Even now, with her reappearance, few had seen her true face. And in the isolated Fishman Island, even fewer remembered her. So it was understandable that she wasn't recognized.
As they entered Fishman District, they could feel many malicious gazes coming from the shadows. This area had long been home to criminals. Though Fishman Island had suffered devastating blows, the thugs of Fishman District had somehow survived.
These people were dressed in rags, emaciated, their eyes gleaming with greed, licking their lips as they looked at the newcomers as if they were some kind of delicacy.
In no time, a crowd had gathered in Fishman District. They kept a certain distance, following from afar, their blood-red eyes like wolves locked onto Shyarly's group.
Shark Star noticed the encroaching crowd from the corner of his eye and frowned, whispering, "We'd better get out of here quickly. These people are lawless scum. There's no need to get into conflict with them."
But as they ventured deeper, they gradually found themselves surrounded. Even Shark Star sensed something was off and gripped his trident tightly.
Just then, someone stepped out from the darkness, eyes sinister, cackling, "Didn't expect such a fat sheep to walk right into our trap today. What luck!"
Shark Star gripped his trident and shouted toward the distance, "Who's there? Come out!"
From the shadows emerged a thin man with a hideous face, messy long hair, and a green-spotted coat. He wore an arrogant expression and licked the corner of his mouth with a long tongue. "So rude… That's not very princely of you."
"It's you?" Shark Star's eyes narrowed. "Caribou!"
This thin man was the pirate Caribou, with a bounty of 210 million Berries, captain of the Caribou Pirates.
Shark Star's heart sank. This was a troublesome guy—not only powerful but also a user of the Swamp-Swamp Fruit, making him particularly difficult to deal with.
"I'm honored that His Highness still remembers me," Caribou cackled.
Shark Star said in a low voice, "What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Caribou licked the blade in his hand. "I'm after treasure. As a prince of Fishman Island, you must know where the Ryugu treasure is hidden, right?"
Shark Star's eyes narrowed. "Your target is the treasure?"
"Exactly," Caribou's narrow eyes gleamed. "Hand over Ryugu's treasure and I'll let you go. Otherwise—"
"Otherwise what?" Shark Star said.
"Otherwise—" Caribou sneered viciously, "I'll break your arms and legs and make you give it up anyway!"
As soon as he finished, Caribou lunged like an arrow, appearing before Shark Star in the blink of an eye. He raised his arm—his dagger gleaming coldly—and slashed down fiercely!
Shark Star was startled and quickly raised his trident to block.
Clang!
A sharp metallic clash rang out as the dagger collided with the trident, sparking brilliantly!
Shark Star grunted coldly and, with a forceful thrust, sent Caribou flying.
"Not bad, Your Highness," Caribou flipped mid-air and landed on a nearby wall, licking his lips. "But what about them?"
Shark Star turned his head—and his pupils suddenly shrank!
"Ah, ah—!"
Amid screams of agony, the Ryugu Kingdom's guards were slaughtered completely. They were merely powerful ordinary people. No matter how strong they were, they were still just that—ordinary. How could they possibly be a match for ruthless pirates?
The pirates closed in step by step, surrounding Kaguya and Shyarly, their faces twisted with lewd grins and eyes filled with lascivious glints.
"We meet again, my dear prince."
A sinister voice suddenly called out from not far away.
"It's you—!"
Shark Star pointed his trident at the voice in fury and shock.
"I told you I'd be back. Why didn't you believe me?"
From the shadows emerged a familiar figure—it was Rog, whom they had encountered earlier!
"So it really was you," Shark Star's eyes burned as he stared at Rog, his voice low. "I had long suspected Fishman District was colluding with pirates. I didn't expect it to be you!"
"It's just mutually beneficial cooperation, isn't it?" Rog walked over to Caribou's side, wearing a smug expression.
Shark Star and Shyarly's hearts sank. They hadn't expected an ambush, nor such a large number of enemies. The few guards Shark Star brought had already suffered heavy casualties from the earlier fight—most were gravely wounded and unable to fight.
Rog laughed arrogantly. "Today's my lucky day. Not only did I catch the prince of the Ryugu Kingdom, but also some top-quality merchandise. I'm going to strike it rich this time."
Caribou's eyes lit up at his words. He licked his lips. "Top-quality merchandise?"
"Exactly," Rog said, his gaze locked lecherously on the beautiful silver-haired girl in the crowd. "See that beauty? Isn't she the finest of goods? If we sell her to the Celestial Dragons, we won't have to worry about money for the rest of our lives."
"Right. If we get her to Albion, we can trade her for a fortune. Then—" Caribou abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his eyes fixed on the beautiful woman in the crowd. His expression changed drastically!
"The more beautiful the woman, the higher the price. We're going to make a huge score. After this job, we can retire and live in luxury like nobles. Don't you agree? Hehehe—"
But Caribou didn't respond. Rog turned to look and found him pale, drenched in sweat, wearing a look of terror.
"What's wrong, Caribou?"
Caribou swallowed hard, pointed at Kaguya in the crowd, and stammered, "Y-You are..."
Everyone's gaze followed his, landing on the silver-haired girl. They were puzzled—never before had they seen their captain so terrified.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Rog pushed his shoulder.
"She… she's Kaguya!" Caribou stammered, stepping back in panic.
Kaguya?
Everyone froze. What was he talking about—who was Kaguya?
Rog frowned. "What nonsense are you babbling? Are you drunk?"
"You fool!" Caribou suddenly pushed Rog's hand away and shouted angrily, "Don't you know who we're up against?! If you want to die, go ahead, but don't drag me down with you!"
Rog was stunned. He had known Caribou for years and knew him to be violent and cruel, with no fear of anyone—not even the Navy. Yet here he was, terrified.
Wait—
Rog suddenly caught on, his brow furrowing.
Kaguya?
Did he just say Kaguya?
Could it be—
A chill ran down Rog's spine as he looked toward the silver-haired girl. Her cold, watery eyes were now watching him with amusement. His pupils shrank in shock!
Could she be the legendary—Kaguya?!
Impossible!
He had seen Kaguya's wanted poster before—but that was years ago. After ten years, he had all but forgotten it, only remembering she was stunningly beautiful. It wasn't until Caribou reminded him that it clicked…
Cold sweat poured down Rog's face.
"Looks like you've all figured it out," Kaguya stepped forward slowly, her tone mocking. "A few years away from the Grand Line, and all sorts of worthless pirates come crawling out."
Shark Star stared at her in shock. She was the same Kaguya who had visited Fishman Island twenty years ago.
According to records, she had been a beautiful girl back then. But after twenty years, she should be about the same age as her deceased father. Yet now, she still looked like a young girl.
Shyarly, on the other hand, didn't seem surprised—clearly, she already knew Kaguya's true identity.
"What do you want?" Rog asked, his face grim, sweat sliding down his temple.
"You've offended me and think you can leave alive?" Kaguya gave them a sidelong glance and smirked. "Surely you understand that much."
Rog's heart leapt into his throat. Caribou, even more terrified, suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, pleading, "We didn't know who you were—please forgive us! We'll do anything, just don't kill us!"
The surrounding pirates were in an uproar. Their captain—begging like this? How disgraceful!
Kaguya raised an eyebrow, gazing down at him. "Anything?"
"Of course! As long as you spare us—"
But Caribou's eyes flickered. Suddenly, he sprang up from the ground, sneering, "You want me to surrender? Dream on!" His arm turned into sludge, and from it emerged a machine gun!
"Die!"
Rat-tat-tat—!
Amid flashes of light, a hail of bullets burst forth like a storm, hurtling straight toward Kaguya!
The surrounding pirates, also armed with guns, joined the assault. Amid crisp gunfire, muzzles flared with bursts of light.
Rat-tat-tat—!
Bullets rained down like a storm, pouring forth in a blinding barrage, stirring up clouds of dust and debris!
Click-click-click—!
The sound of empty magazines echoed. The assault lasted nearly a full minute. Once the bullets ran out, the attackers lowered their weapons, looking uncertainly at the dusty haze ahead.
"Did we win?" one pirate asked nervously.
"I think… maybe?" another replied hesitantly.
Caribou lowered his machine gun, straightened up, and sneered. "Fools. Arrogance like that… 'World's strongest'? What a joke."
"Idiot! You think that was enough to kill her?" Rog barked. He was far less optimistic, eyes fixed on the fading smoke, hand gripping his sword tightly.
"What gave you the illusion that you could defeat me with just these toys?"
A clear, melodic voice suddenly echoed around them, freezing everyone in place.
From the thick smoke emerged a graceful figure, wearing a mocking smile, looking down on them with scorn.
Rog's pupils contracted—she was completely unscathed. Not a single injury, not even a tear in her clothing!
Caribou's face darkened. But instead of panic, it triggered the fighter in him. He launched forward, feet flashing, transforming his arm into a sharp scythe of sludge. With a swift swing, the blade slashed toward Kaguya's neck!
But before it could reach her, a slender hand rose. Two fingers easily caught the scythe's edge!
Caribou's face turned pale.
"Swamp-Swamp Fruit?" Kaguya raised her head, her tone scornful. "Trash will always be trash. A Logia fruit in your hands is such a waste."
"Oh really?" Caribou unexpectedly smiled. "You fell for it, idiot!"
Kaguya blinked. At some point, the solid ground around them had turned into a muddy swamp. The sludge beneath their feet acted like a giant mouth, beginning to devour Kaguya, Shark Star, and Shyarly.
Shark Star and Shyarly were startled, dashing for solid ground. But before they could escape the swamp's range, several sludge tentacles burst forth and wrapped around them like lightning!
"Damn it!"
Shark Star struggled, slicing the tentacles with his trident. But the moment one was severed, another emerged, binding his arms and body tightly—he was immobilized!
Shyarly fared even worse. Her limbs were wrapped and tightly bound by the sludge tentacles. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Her twisting form only made her curvaceous figure look more alluring.
Kaguya too was completely entangled by the sludge, wrapped tightly like a dumpling.
"Hahahaha—!"
Caribou strutted over triumphantly. Gloating, he said, "How about that? Now you know my strength, don't you? I'm not one of those weaklings out there, hahahaha!"
Rog sighed in relief but remained vigilant. "Don't let your guard down. She's no ordinary opponent."
"What's there to fear?" Caribou scoffed. "No one has ever escaped my swamp."
"Still… stay cautious," Rog muttered, unease prickling at him.
At that moment, Kaguya raised her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "He's right. You'd better be cautious."
"What's there to be smug about? Hand over the treasure and behave, or you'll never get out!" Caribou snapped.
"Never get out?" Kaguya chuckled like she'd heard a joke. "That line should be mine."
"What?" Caribou blinked.
Then, in a cold voice, Kaguya whispered, "Earth Release: Yomi Swamp!"
The ground suddenly trembled like an earthquake. The swamp churned like stormy waves, and everyone staggered to maintain balance.
Caribou flinched at first, but seeing only tremors, he sneered. "Trying to shake my swamp? Pathetic!"
"The pathetic one is you," Kaguya replied icily.
Caribou frowned—then came the screams.
"Aaaahhh—!"
"Help us!"
"Why is the swamp swallowing us too?!"
"Captain, it's pulling us in!"
The pirates cried out in terror as they realized they were sinking. No matter how they struggled, the bottomless swamp dragged them under like a monstrous maw.
"What's going on?!" Caribou broke into a cold sweat. "I didn't—"
But to his horror, the swamp had already reached his chest!
He, a Swamp-Swamp Fruit user, should be in control. Yet now, this swamp felt completely beyond him—as if his power had vanished!
Kaguya strolled over, looking down at him. "So? How does it feel to be swallowed by your own swamp?"
"Impossible!" Caribou was pale with fear. "You can't have swamp powers!"
"Oh? You really want to know?" Kaguya smiled with narrowed eyes. "Sorry, not telling. Just die in peace."
With that, she raised her heels and stomped down, crushing Caribou's head, his skull exploding like a watermelon, blood splattering everywhere.
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