The bearded man and the other Marines of the G5 branch stared blankly at the Vice Admiral before them, who wore an expression of bitter disappointment, feeling as if they were dreaming.
They could understand if it were just them—a bunch of roughnecks struggling to survive in the New World—but why was someone like him, the "King of the North Blue" and one of Marine Headquarters' most powerful Vice Admirals, so familiar with the art of plundering?
Manpower, influence, money, weapons... he lacked nothing!
Arthur and the other elite Marines from headquarters were just as stunned.
When Daren said he was "angry," they had assumed he was furious at the G5 branch's lawless behavior.
But they never expected his anger stemmed from the fact that their plundering methods were too unprofessional!
What the hell was going on?
Yet soon enough, they remembered something else—the other infamous title of the Vice Admiral standing before them...
"The biggest scumbag in the Marines."
At that thought, they all fell silent.
"So... you're not blaming us for the plundering?"
The bearded man, slowly recovering from the shock, cautiously watched Daren's expression as he asked.
It seemed this new superior parachuted from headquarters wasn't anything like the other Marine leaders they knew.
Daren chuckled carelessly and said lightly,
"Existence justifies itself... The fact that you've managed to survive and root yourselves here in the New World without any backup proves there's some merit to your methods."
"Of course, now that I'm here at G5, I'll do everything I can to help you change your circumstances."
Truth be told, Daren knew that the G5 branch members weren't bad at heart. From what he remembered in the original story, they hadn't done anything too outrageous.
Their so-called plundering and violence were mostly directed against pirates or fleets tied to dark forces. When it came to ordinary civilians, they tried their best to protect them.
During the Punk Hazard incident, they had even risked their lives to protect Tashigi... They were, in a way, a band of righteous "outlaws."
Given their impressive combat prowess and outstanding swimming skills shown earlier... with a bit of proper training, they might even become the core members of his underwater fleet.
Thinking of this, Daren smiled slightly.
"Rest up for a few days. I'll find you again soon."
Then he turned to Arthur and said calmly,
"Set aside part of the ship's supplies and provisions for G5. Vice Admiral Borsalino will accompany you back to headquarters."
Arthur was stunned for a moment but nodded and went to carry out the order.
Naturally, Daren wasn't planning to return with them. His appointment to the G5 base had already been finalized, and under normal circumstances, he had to stay here and maintain command.
After finishing all the arrangements, Daren exchanged a glance with Borsalino. The next moment, his figure shot into the sky with a loud swoosh, quickly disappearing into the sea of clouds.
"Is that our new commanding officer?"
The bearded man stared dazedly at the distant sky where Daren had vanished, murmuring to himself,
"He... might actually be pretty damn good."
...
The New World, Fish-Man Island.
Fish-Man Island lies 10,000 meters beneath the surface, directly under the Holy Land Mary Geoise. It's a crucial waypoint for anyone entering the New World, and the birthplace of most fishmen and mermaids. Known as the "Underwater Paradise," it is a dreamlike wonderland.
At this moment, a grand pirate ship was sailing steadily through the deep sea, heading toward Fish-Man Island.
The Oro Jackson was wrapped in a massive transparent bubble membrane. On the deck, Shanks and Buggy clung eagerly to the bow, wide-eyed with amazement as they gazed at the distant island bathed in shafts of deep-sea sunlight, hardly believing what they were seeing.
"So this is Fish-Man Island... It's just as spectacular as the rumors said."
Ahead of the Oro Jackson, a stunning island slowly emerged from the dark depths.
The island was surrounded by an enormous, double-layered semi-circular bubble membrane, with a layer of air trapped between the two shields.
Despite being located deep beneath the ocean, a sky complete with clouds stretched above Fish-Man Island.
As they drew closer, they could vaguely make out a colossal, awe-inspiring tree rising straight up from the island, twisting as it soared toward the sky.
Brilliant coral reefs, distinctive architecture, streams, hills—rainbows of seven colors hung all around. The scenery before them was breathtakingly beautiful.
"It's truly spectacular! I never imagined such a wonder existed overseas... I'm lucky I boarded your ship, Captain Roger."
The one-armed Kozuki Oden was equally captivated by the magnificent view, stepping forward to the bow with bright eyes.
The melancholy that had once shrouded him seemed to have completely vanished, replaced by a fresh curiosity and yearning for the sea and for adventure.
Unlike the Whitebeard Pirates, who ruled over fixed territories, ever since joining Roger's crew, Kozuki Oden had been swept into a life of constant adventure.
They had set out again from the East Blue, crossed the wondrous Reverse Mountain, and entered the Grand Line.
Along the way, he witnessed the tranquility of the East Blue, the marvel of Reverse Mountain, the ancient history of Alabasta, and even reached the legendary Sky Island.
He encountered sights and people he had never seen back in Wano, or even when he had sailed with the Whitebeard Pirates.
It was these novel adventures, along with the carefree, bold spirit of Roger's crew, that helped Kozuki Oden gradually step out from under the shadow cast by a certain figure from his past.
For the first time in a long while, this legendary samurai from Wano glowed with a fresh, unrestrained vitality.
"Wahahaha, Oden! Didn't I tell you so!"
Hearing Kozuki Oden's words, Roger laughed heartily, slinging an arm around his shoulders, his two nose hairs proudly twitching.
"What's so exciting about staying with that bastard Newgate, stuck in the same seas every day? Don't you get bored?"
At their captain's bragging, the rest of the crew couldn't help but break into exasperated smiles.
Wasn't it you who once knelt in front of Whitebeard begging to borrow people?
"But there's something that's been bothering me. There's supposed to be a legend about the City of Gold on Sky Island... so why didn't we find it?"
Roger suddenly muttered, scratching his head.
The reason they had come to Fish-Man Island in the first place was because, back on Sky Island, Kozuki Oden had deciphered a Poneglyph that contained information about the Ancient Weapon, Poseidon.
Following that clue, Roger's crew had journeyed down to this place, 10,000 meters beneath the sea.
"The residents of Sky Island said the City of Gold, Shandora, did exist," Rayleigh said thoughtfully as he adjusted his glasses, "but about a year ago... the entire Shandora vanished overnight."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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