After receiving confirmation from Sengoku, Michael could no longer suppress his grin.
Heaven helps those who help themselves!
He had been worrying about how to intervene in Fish-Man Island and now the perfect opportunity had fallen into his lap.
Only the World Government could be this accommodating!
Michael had never seen anyone so eager to hand opportunities to others on a silver platter.
Moreover, losing affiliate status wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At least now, the Ryugu Kingdom could openly defy the World Government's will.
"So, you want me to handle this situation?"
"To be precise, prevent Fish-Man Island from descending into lawlessness... and while you're there, ask King Neptune and Queen Otohime what exactly happened to warrant the World Government stripping the Ryugu Kingdom of its affiliation?"
"No problem there... but am I going alone?" Michael shrugged. "I've never been to Fish-Man Island, and I'm not exactly familiar with them."
"I've already discussed this with Garp. He's an old acquaintance of King Neptune. Tomorrow morning, he'll set off with you."
"Uh, does it have to be Garp? There are plenty of other candidates who could go with me, like Gion—"
"Garp's been living the retired life for years now—it's time he got moving." A sly smirk crossed Sengoku's face.
"Collecting a salary while staying home to dote on his grandson? Not a chance!"
Michael swallowed hard.
It seemed Sengoku still harbored some resentment toward Garp.
*****
The next morning, when Michael arrived at the Marine Headquarters' dock, Garp's flagship was already prepared and waiting.
At the bow of the ship stood the Marine hero, now a grandfather of two children.
Monkey D. Garp.
His imposing demeanor was instantly ruined by an undignified yawn.
Michael effortlessly flew aboard Garp's personal flagship, feeling completely at home.
After all, in terms of sailing time, he'd spent more hours on Garp's warship than even the Seraphim Ship. (Seraphim ship is SWORD ship from vegapunk)
"Tch, I don't know what's gotten into Sengoku, making me accompany you to Fishman Island..."
"Oh quit pretending you're not enjoying this, you old coot. Did you really think you could get paid without working?" Michael rolled his eyes. "Besides, weren't you always curious about the recruitment sources I mentioned? This time, we're visiting one of them."
"Hmm?" Garp immediately perked up. "You mean Fishman Island is part of your plans?"
"Not just part of the plan." Michael shook his head with great seriousness. "You could even say it's the most crucial component of the entire recruitment strategy."
After all, the main battlefield in the One piece World had always been the ocean.
In this maritime domain, fish-men and merfolk possessed overwhelmingly natural advantages.
Through various techniques, they could even manipulate ocean currents.
In a sense, this racial ability to harness the forces of nature was absolutely unparalleled in the entire One piece world.
"Alright, alright! Then I'll have to see exactly how you plan to pull this off!" Garp's interest was thoroughly piqued by Michael's words.
He stretched mightily, his joints cracking like firecrackers.
"Michael, I've always had high expectations for your schemes."
Michael's lips twitched slightly.
He could confirm once again that this shameless old man would undoubtedly become the perfect figurehead for his plan to overturn the current Marine system.
Those with D in their names...
All had rebellion written in their bones.
*****
Of course, they couldn't head straight to Fish-Man Island.
They still needed to undergo the "coating" process first.
So Garp's flagship had to make a stop at Sabaody Archipelago first.
This gave Michael a slight headache.
If it were the Seraphim Ship, they could have simply switched to submarine mode and descended directly.
Fish-Man Island's geographical advantage was too significant—located deep beneath Sabaody Archipelago, with the Yarukiman Mangroove channeling sunlight and oxygen downward, giving the undersea island day and night cycles.
One might even say Fish-Man Island and Sabaody Archipelago were two sides of the same coin.
With all coating craftsmen mobilized, what would normally be a lengthy coating process was compressed into just a few hours.
Soon after, they successfully submerged and set course for Fish-Man Island.
"Bwahahaha! Even though it's not my first time, it always feels miraculous!"
Garp laughed heartily as he took in the kaleidoscopic undersea scenery.
Michael actually understood Garp's reaction.
After all, Marines usually traveled to the New World via the elevator through the Red Line.
Unless on special missions, they would never visit Fish-Man Island.
The journey there carried considerable risks.
Just like Reverse Mountain that stood between the four seas and Paradise, weeding out those with inadequate navigation skills or unable to pass such challenges.
Similarly, Fish-Man Island served as the "Reverse Mountain" between the New World and Paradise.
In those terrifying ocean depths, countless pirates had met their end—
Not by Marine hands or rival crews, but by the crushing pressure of the 10,000-meter abyss when their coating failed.
Yet despite this, Fish-Man Island remained teeming with pirates.
After all, any pirate who made it this far was undoubtedly stronger.
Luck, too, was part of one's strength.
When sailing the Grand Line, fortune sometimes mattered more than raw power itself.
After some time navigating, Michael began cross-referencing their position with nautical charts.
"Old man Garp, we're nearly there... if I'm reading these charts right, once we cross this trench, Fish-Man Island should be just ahead."
As Michael spoke, the faint glow around them grew increasingly brighter.
Gradually, it became indistinguishable from the surface of the sea.
This meant...
Fish-Man Island was now right before their eyes.
*****
"Hey! Look! There's a Marine warship coming towards us!"
"What!? A warship!? Did some reckless pirates steal it? The Marines wouldn't just come to Fish-Man Island for no reason!"
"Hmph, even if it really is the Marines, is that any better? When those Marines came to Fish-Man Island before, didn't they just unleash their human nature, they're no different from pirates!"
"Humans have never treated us as equals... Yet Queen Otohime still dreams of us living openly under the sun."
"Enough, let's not talk about it. We're not even a member of the World Government anymore. For now, let's focus on protecting Fish-Man Island... Let them pass!"
After the hushed whispers among the fish-men and merfolk, Garp's flagship officially entered Fish-Man Island.
Michael looked at the docks where ships were moored, his lips twitching slightly.
"This... There must be at least forty or fifty pirate ships here?"
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