In the waters outside Wano Country, a strange ship floated on the sea.
It was strange because this vessel lacked the traditional sails and masts of a pirate ship.
It looked more like a massive bowl, deeply concave, with no engine room, cabins, or even a proper deck.
At the moment, this bizarre ship was completely deserted.
But deep beneath it in the ocean, over a hundred bizarrely shaped fish-men were scattered about, searching for something.
"Kitajimo, look what I found!"
A fish-man with a comical elephant-like trunk swam over from a distance, holding up a two-meter-long lobster toward a muscular fish-man wielding a katana.
The fish-man named Kitajimo narrowed his eyes impatiently.
"What are you messing around for? Didn't I say everyone should be looking for Sea Kings? The Fleet Admiral wants giant beasts, giant beasts! Do you understand?"
The trunk-nosed fish-man's smile stiffened. He glanced fearfully at the katana in Kitajimo's hand but mustered his courage and pressed on:
"No, listen—this isn't just any lobster. Well, I mean, it is just a normal lobster, but—ugh, why can't I explain this right?"
Kitajimo tightened his grip on the katana, his gaze turning dangerous as he stared coldly at the dim-witted fish-man before him.
"Idiot, what the hell are you trying to say?"
The trunk-nosed fish-man scratched his head, swimming closer to Kitajimo and pointing at the lobster.
"This is a normal lobster, but it's grown this big, and its strength is insane—I could barely hold onto it. Kitajimo, don't you think that's... unnatural?"
"What's unnatural about it? The deep sea has Sea Kings in it. A damn shrimp is nothing!"
The trunk-nosed fish-man grew frantic, stammering before finally blurting out.
"Doesn't this remind you of the animals on that island?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
Kitajimo stiffened, snatching the lobster from his hands.
The lobster was over two meters long, its shell gleaming, its massive claws broken but still attached to the wounds—monstrously huge.
It wasn't dead yet, thrashing violently in his grip with terrifying strength.
"This thing's power really is abnormal..."
Kitajimo frowned.
With a swift motion, his razor-sharp katana sliced downward, cleaving the lobster clean in two.
Bright red and green blood sprayed out, dispersing in the water.
Almost instantly, drawn by the scent of blood, swarms of small fish rushed in like a stirred hornet's nest.
The lobster's remains were devoured in seconds.
A swordfish that had ingested quite a bit of lobster blood happened to be caught in Kitajimo grasp.
Under his watchful gaze, the fish began undergoing a miraculous transformation at an astonishing speed.
The swordfish, originally no larger than a palm, rapidly grew to over a foot long in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, its slippery, writhing body slipped free from Kitajimo fingers and vanished into the surrounding seawater.
"Mutation? No... the fish in these waters are abnormal."
With this thought, Kitajimo glanced at his subordinates, who had yet to find any trace of Sea Kings.
He immediately bellowed:
"Listen up! Forget the Sea Kings—everyone, start catching fish! Any species in these waters, gather as many different types as you can!"
Leading by example, he dove into the deep sea and began seizing fish himself.
Several hours later, all the fishmen returned to the massive ship.
By now, the bowl-shaped vessel was packed with a vast assortment of fish.
Kitajimo examined the fresh wound on his wrist—courtesy of an octopus—and frowned as he surveyed the endless expanse of ocean before him.
"That colossal elephant, supposedly the world's largest creature... I've searched for days without a trace. I might fail the Fleet Admiral's mission. But if I bring back these fish—which exhibit similar traits to the experimental specimens on the island—perhaps Doctor Indigo will find them interesting."
As he pondered, his head suddenly jerked up in shock.
A brilliant golden streak flashed across the dark horizon before disappearing from sight.
"What was that? A golden meteor?"
Shaking his head, Kitajimo retrieved a Den Den Mushi from his coat.
After dialing, he remained silent, merely tapping on the receiver before hanging up.
Minutes later, the enormous bowl-shaped ship, previously motionless, began to rise steadily.
Its hull lifted from the sea's surface, ascending swiftly into the sky!
The massive vessel, as large as a small mountain, drifted effortlessly upward, soaring higher into the heavens.
...
Wano Country, the Ruins Town.
This town was once home to the destitute and homeless.
True to its name, the settlement had been a dilapidated wreck—crumbling walls and debris everywhere, as if ravaged by fire or earthquake.
The impoverished residents of Wano had barely scraped by, scavenging scraps and surviving on leftovers.
But ever since Hiyori was appointed Queen of Wano by Caesar, things had changed.
With the authority granted by the Beast God Pirates and the trust of the local populace, she convinced the men and women of Ruins Town to cultivate wasteland and grow crops.
The stronger among them found work in iron refineries, while women were hired for cooking, laundry, and other less physically demanding tasks.
In just a month, life in Ruins Town gradually improved.
At first, they no longer starved.
Then, they began earning enough to buy clothes and daily necessities.
With the help of samurai recruited by the Beast God Pirates, the town's ruined houses were demolished, replaced by small, sturdy homes built from wood, stone, and clay.
That afternoon, the new town mayor, Binbou, sat on his doorstep, leisurely puffing on a water pipe as he watched the setting sun paint the horizon.
That's right, he was the old man whom Hiyori had swindled out of all his possessions.
After Hiyori, in her capacity as queen, apologized to Binbou and promoted him to the position of mayor of the Ruin Town, Binbou completely forgave her.
"Komurasaki—no, I mean, Her Majesty the Queen. She had her reasons back then. Life isn't easy for anyone, especially for a weak woman in these turbulent times, forced to go with the flow. How could I, Binbou, hold a grudge against a helpless woman?"
Binbou took a deep drag from his pipe, his wrinkled old face lighting up with fervor, an expression peculiar to a certain canine breed.
"Her Majesty the Queen... is so beautiful. I'm willing to be your loyal hound for life! I will surely develop Ruin Town into a prosperous place, even rivaling the Flower Capital!"
Just as Binbou was lost in his beautiful fantasy, he suddenly saw a figure soaring through the air above the streets of Ruin Town, stepping on cannon fire!
Radiating an overwhelming killing intent!
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