The Revolutionary Army's headquarters, located on the mysterious island of Baltigo in a sea where sunlight never reaches, remained as secretive as ever.
At this moment, not only were the Revolutionary Army gathered here, but also Jinbe and Rayleigh.
Both had come here because of Luffy, led by the Revolutionaries themselves—without them, neither Jinbe nor Rayleigh could have reached this hidden island. As the World Government's most wanted organization, the Revolutionary Army posed a threat far greater than any of the Yonko.
The World Government had searched for Baltigo for years, yet still hadn't uncovered its location.
On top of that, the Revolutionary Army possessed Den Den Mushi designed to block eavesdropping. Not even the World Government could intercept their communications, let alone find the base itself.
"Ah…"
Ivankov sighed as he administered yet another sedative to Luffy, watching the boy finally calm down.
Though tranquilized, Luffy remained in a vegetative state — utterly blank, lifeless. Without the sedative, he was a raging, broken madman. Days had passed, yet he still showed no signs of recovery. The deaths of Ace and Sabo had crushed his spirit entirely.
"What do we do now, Ivankov?"
Even Dragon, a man who could summon storms, was at a loss. Sabo's death made him fear even more that Luffy might soon follow.
"I don't know… at this point, I'm helpless too."
Ivankov was just as devastated, drowning in grief over Sabo's death and Luffy's collapse. They hadn't imagined that losing Ace and Sabo would devastate Luffy to this extent.
"Luffy-kun will get through this" Jinbe said firmly.
"I believe in him too" Rayleigh added.
Dragon knew that Rayleigh, the legendary first mate of the Pirate King, wanted to personally guide Luffy—to help him grow stronger. Dragon held Rayleigh in the highest regard for that.
Everyone silently prayed that Luffy could overcome this tragedy.
Meanwhile, on Fish-Man Island—
Smoothie had arrived a day ahead of Elior. She stood right outside Fish-Man Island, ready to make her move.
The island's peace was unraveling. With Whitebeard gone, the pirates who once played tourist and sought delicacies had revealed their fangs. Now, they descended on the island with bloodlust.
After all, who wouldn't want to capture mermaids?
In the underground market of slave trading, mermaids fetched the highest prices—even the plain ones were worth more than the most beautiful human woman. The Celestial Dragons, in particular, craved mermaids, driving prices sky-high. Every resident of Fish-Man Island had value on the black market, but mermaids were the crown jewels.
News of Whitebeard's death had spread, and pirates, slave traders, and traffickers flooded toward the island to hunt. The island's defenses held off the first waves, but patrols couldn't catch every intruder sneaking in.
King Neptune, the ruler of Fish-Man Island, was at his wits' end. He knew his army couldn't hold out forever.
It was a cruel reality—the island had relied on Whitebeard's protection. Now, with him gone, they had no shield. They could only fight on their own.
Neptune feared the past returning—the days before Whitebeard's protection when Fish-Man Island was a living hell, raided and ravaged by passing pirates. Whitebeard's declaration had ushered in peace, but now? Those days might return.
"Ahh…"
Neptune sighed heavily. His duty was to protect his kingdom, yet he was growing weary. The people were anxious, uncertain how long they could hold out.
Elsewhere, another pirate ship arrived. The flag it flew made onlookers tremble.
"Is that… Big Mom Pirates' flag?!"
"Are you sure? That's one of the Yonko' crews!"
"I'm sure! I've been to Whole Cake Island myself!"
"That's Charlotte Smoothie, one of the Sweet Commanders! She looks terrifying…"
"So… is Big Mom coming to claim Fish-Man Island? If that's the case, our mermaid trade here is done for!"
"Not necessarily. They can't take over instantly. We should catch as many mermaids as we can before they fully take control. One good haul could set us for life! The Celestial Dragons pay top beri!"
"You're right! Let's get to work!"
Yet even as they plotted, they all gave Smoothie's forces a wide berth. The Big Mom Pirates, veterans of the New World, were not to be trifled with.
Smoothie ignored the lowlifes entirely. She was here to meet Neptune.
Fish-Man Island had stationed many troops at the entrance, but they were nothing against Smoothie. With a single sweep of her long legs, she laid waste to the defenders.
"Weaklings…" Smoothie muttered, unimpressed.
Soon she forced her way into Ryugu Palace and stood before King Neptune himself.
"Big Mom Pirates?" Neptune's face darkened upon seeing her. He knew who she was—one of Big Mom's top enforcers.
"Seems you recognize us, God of the Sea Neptune. Let me get to the point: My Mama, Big Mom, wants to offer her protection to Fish-Man Island."
Protection.
Neptune's face grew even grimmer. He knew exactly what that meant—Fish-Man Island becoming Big Mom's territory. But this was nothing like being under Whitebeard's flag. Big Mom was a tyrant.
For twenty years, Whitebeard had never asked for a single berry in protection fees. But Big Mom? The whole New World knew her greed and cruelty.
Yet what choice did he have? None.
Neptune's heart sank. In Big Mom's eyes, sending someone to "offer" protection was already an act of goodwill.
"What's your answer, Neptune?" Smoothie asked coldly. She was determined to return with success. Mama's wrath was not something anyone wanted to face.
"I… Let me think…"
Neptune thought of his soldiers guarding the gates, the patrols desperately keeping peace. How much longer could they hold out?
The answer was clear—Fish-Man Island couldn't protect itself.
"…Fine."
After several long minutes, Neptune gave his reluctant answer. Fish-Man Island would accept Big Mom's protection.
Smoothie snorted derisively. She knew taking the island was child's play.
"My Mama also wants ten tons of sweets. Can you have that ready in three days?"
This was another of Big Mom's demands.
Ten tons seemed like a lot, but for Big Mom, it was barely a month's supply—maybe less.
"Ten tons?!" Neptune was shocked. He knew of Big Mom's appetite, and that her territories paid tribute in sweets, but this was excessive.
"Is that a problem?" Smoothie asked.
Neptune sighed. "Ten tons is possible, but not in three days. I need at least a week."
"I can give you five days at most. And you know how strong and terrifying my Mama is."
"…Five days then. Fine" Neptune agreed with a heavy heart. He had no other choice—Big Mom's infamy was well-known throughout the New World.
"One more thing: since Fish-Man Island is now under Big Mom's protection, everyone here must refer to her as 'Mama'."
Everyone in Big Mom's territories called her "Mama". Her flagship was even named the Queen Mama Chanter.
Ultimately, for the sake of Fish-Man Island's safety, Neptune could only agree to all of Smoothie's conditions.
In that moment, Neptune fully understood the cruel reality of a world ruled by strength—how pitiful it was to be weak.
But what could he do?
The Ryugu Kingdom's army was powerless. Neptune shuddered at the thought of Fish-Man Island becoming hell on earth again. He couldn't let that happen—no matter the cost.
On the other side, while Smoothie was still negotiating terms with Neptune, Elior and his crew had also arrived at Fish-Man Island.
"What?! The Big Mom Pirates just showed up, and now…"
"It's Elior! The one who shook the New World in just a few days!"
"So young, but... just thinking about what he's done makes my legs go weak…"
"I can't stop trembling!"
"Could it be… he's here for Fish-Man Island too? What are we supposed to do?"
"Two Yonko-level forces on Fish-Man Island… and Elior came in person!"
The pirates and slave traders watching Elior's arrival were visibly shaking, their faces pale with fear.
As for Elior, the moment he entered Fish-Man Island and saw those wicked pirates and traffickers, he gave a simple order to the fool-like Weevil:
"Kill them all. Don't leave a single one alive."
"Got it, Brother!"
Weevil lit up with excitement, honored that Elior had personally instructed him.
Reiju, witnessing this, couldn't help but feel a chill. This boy, who looked so harmless, could decide the life and death of so many with a single word — even if those people were nothing but scum.
Yet deep down, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him.