After confirming repeatedly that the pointer was directing them correctly and that this was indeed their ultimate destination, Deuce and the others looked around with obvious curiosity.
This appeared to be an island of average size—low along the edges with slightly higher elevation toward the center—that looked unremarkable at first glance.
If there was anything particularly special about it, the first notable feature was that despite having no plants or organisms capable of producing bubble coatings along its perimeter, a protective membrane surrounded the entire landmass, shielding the island from seawater intrusion.
The second remarkable aspect was that even at this incredible depth, various common wild mammals were living peacefully on the island, and a clear river flowed from the central highlands toward the periphery before eventually reaching the ocean.
Seeing this pristine environment, Jerry's eyes immediately lit up as he locked onto the river's location and steered the Black Nova directly toward it.
"Perfect! I don't care what the rest of you plan to do next—this is my fishing paradise!"
Jerry maneuvered the ship to dock steadily along the riverbank, delivered this declaration, and rushed off with his fishing equipment before anyone could respond.
Watching Jerry sprint to what he considered the optimal fishing spot, skillfully set up his position, and begin casting his line without another word, everyone aboard exchanged bewildered glances.
"I've mentioned this before," Skull said with a resigned shrug, "the final island and the greatest treasure probably aren't worth a single fish scale in Boss Jerry's estimation."
Deuce shook his head with understanding. "Forget about him—let's explore the island's interior ourselves."
Before he finished speaking, two figures shot forward like arrows released from a bow.
"Let's go!" Carina's voice carried from the distance. The moment she'd set foot on this legendary island, she was already eager to begin treasure hunting.
"Woohoo! I'm going first!" Ace declared with equal enthusiasm, disappearing into the coastal vegetation in a flash of orange flame.
The remaining crew members looked at each other before hurriedly gathering Farul and Kotatsu to join the exploration.
"This is perfect!" Jerry sighed contentedly as he collapsed into his portable reclining chair, turning his head to observe the fishing float bobbing in the clear water before shifting his gaze to the sky above the island.
After the initial period of turbulence, the center of the surface whirlpool had descended below the island's level, allowing this mysterious landmass to see natural sunlight once again.
Although swirling currents still surrounded them on all sides, this didn't seem to affect the island's remarkable stability.
A gentle breeze whispered across the water. Jerry observed the crystal-clear river and the fish swimming casually around his hook, muttering under his breath with growing frustration, "What are you swimming around for? Hurry up and take the bait! If you keep swimming so freely... ugh, you're freer than the Pirate King himself."
Jerry stared intensely at his submerged hook while mentally encouraging the river fish to bite.
There was no doubt this was genuinely Laugh Tale—after all, Jerry had received the system's quest completion notification the moment they'd arrived.
After years of traveling across the world's oceans, Jerry had successfully completed nearly every fishing quest from his global "fishing pond" network. Only two tasks remained: Laugh Tale, which had been missing for so long, and another quest that had remained hidden in the shadows—one whose location was still completely unknown to him.
"Come on, Little Yellow, Little Red, Little Black," Jerry coaxed the small fish playing around his bait. "Come up and bite! The hook isn't that big—there's no need to be afraid. It doesn't hurt at all..."
Jerry continued staring at the fish swimming near his line while providing constant encouragement and commentary.
Perhaps his genuine sincerity moved some divine force, because finally—after he'd consumed several glasses of water and continued his relentless chatter—one of the fish took pity on him and bit down on the hook.
"Yes! Here we go!"
As he lifted his rod, the system notification sounded with perfect timing.
[Ding! Congratulations on completing the Laugh Tale fishing quest.]
[Reward: Wall-breaking Bead.]
"Not bad at all," Jerry observed with satisfaction. "Seems like the difficulty of this particular quest was simply locating this island in the first place."
Jerry smacked his lips appreciatively, quickly packed away his fishing gear, examined the additional Wall-breaking Bead, and inserted it into the lotus pod's groove without hesitation.
An invisible surge of energy suddenly erupted from Jerry's position, sweeping outward in all directions. The force not only scattered various objects across the island into chaos, but extended its influence to the surrounding ocean as well.
The churning whirlpool abruptly ceased its rotation before resuming with renewed vigor. The surrounding ocean currents were also affected, becoming temporarily disordered.
Countless objects that had been trapped within the vortex suddenly broke free from its grip, were launched outward, and ultimately sank into the deeper waters.
After several long moments, Jerry—who had been standing motionless throughout the phenomenon—finally moved.
He twisted his neck experimentally, stretched his joints, and gazed at his open palms while muttering thoughtfully, "My Observation Haki has broken through as well, which means all three types of my Haki have reached their peak levels. It seems I can still push further..."
As he spoke, Jerry glanced at the single remaining groove in the lotus pod from within his consciousness, then turned his attention to the quest log, which finally revealed the location of his final task.
"What the hell?!" Jerry exclaimed with a mixture of confusion and surprise.
He shook his head after a moment. "Whatever—that location works fine too."
Immediately afterward, Jerry activated his newly perfected, peak-level Observation Haki. After carefully sensing his surroundings, he suddenly scratched his head in bewilderment. "Huh? What exactly are they doing over there?"
In a flash, Jerry vanished from his fishing spot entirely.
Soon afterward, he materialized near a massive cliff face on the island's central highlands, though he maintained his distance and didn't approach rashly.
"Hey! Have you all been infected with some kind of contagious laughing disease?"
Jerry called out loudly after observing the scene for several moments. He could see Deuce and the others below the cliff, all laughing with obvious neurotic intensity.
"Oh hahaha! Boss Jerry... let me tell you... it's not what you think... haha..." Skull managed to respond between fits of laughter, taking deep breaths between his words.
Seeing this bizarre behavior, Jerry suddenly thought he understood and interrupted, "I see! There's an artificial Devil Fruit here, and eating it turns you into a laughing maniac!"
"No... yohohoho... Jerry-san, you're making me... laugh so hard my stomach hurts, even though I... don't have a stomach! Yohohoho!" Brook was sprawled on the ground, practically writhing with uncontrollable mirth.
Jerry had another sudden inspiration. "Oh! That's right—you already have a Devil Fruit. After you defeated Queen earlier, you must have been infected by his virus, and it's just now manifesting!"
"Hahaha... stop guessing wildly!" Deuce tried to explain while fighting back laughter like some kind of stoic warrior. "It's because there seems to be... some kind of strange drumbeat here, and it makes us want to laugh uncontrollably..."
Hearing Deuce's explanation, Carina and the others voiced their breathless agreement.
"Eh? Is that so?" Ace scratched his head with genuine surprise. "I thought everyone was laughing like that because they were happy! Hahaha!" Unlike the others, Ace didn't seem to be experiencing uncontrollable laughter fits.
Hearing this response, Jerry suspected he was beginning to understand the situation, but he didn't voice his theories. Instead, he tilted his head and asked practically, "Then why don't you just come over to where I'm standing so you can't hear it anymore?"
"I don't have... the energy to move anymore... haha, ha..." Cavendish lay flat on the ground with an expression of complete despair, occasionally erupting into fresh laughter.
Jerry blinked and asked again, "Didn't any of you think to retreat earlier?"
"Haha... but Big Sister Carina wanted to... see if there were any valuable treasures here," Carrot explained weakly while she and Carina supported each other.
"What about you, Kotatsu?" Jerry turned his attention to the side, where he spotted the large cat also sprawled on the ground in exhaustion.
"Meow..." Kotatsu was obviously completely drained.
Ace glanced around the situation, looked back at Jerry, and shrugged helplessly before beginning to physically drag Deuce and Skull away from the cliff face, pulling them one by one toward Jerry's position.
Jerry waved his hand, causing streams of blue water to gather around everyone and assist their movement away from the mysterious mountain wall.
Then he looked up at the enormous cliff face covered with ancient characters and murmured with growing understanding, "Just as I expected from Laugh Tale itself."