One Piece, Volume 62

Chapter 604
The chapter starts with the crew wondering how far the ship had descended below the ocean. Usopp comments that the light almost cannot reach them anymore. Franky said they are past a level called the Euphotic Zone and are about to be out of another level called the Disphotic Zone, saying they were probably about 1000m below the surface. Nico Robin notes how quiet it is, completely different from a submarine, and how it reminds her of flying in the sky. A small pod of blue whales passes the ship. Brook cries, as they remind him of Laboon. Luffy thinks they look like Whitebeard and waves to them. While this is happening, the Caribou Pirates's ship is quickly approaching Thousand Sunny from behind, being towed by a shadowy sea monster. Caribou is heard rallying the crew, getting them ready for their upcoming attack. Caribou appears on his ship's deck, saying he wants to make their names known to the world by taking the Straw Hats' heads to display to the world.

Back on the Sunny, Usopp sees something gaining on them from the ship's six o'clock direction (the direction directly behind the ship). He thinks it is a sea monster and tells the crew there is a shadow heading directly toward them. Caribou's ship soon catches up and comes along side the Sunny. The ship looks like it is trying to ram the Sunny, but it is really trying to get the bubble roofs to touch. The Straw Hats wonder whose ship it is. Caribou leads the assault. At that moment, Nami recognizes the monster pulling the ship as Momoo, the pet sea cow of the Arlong Pirates. Momoo sees Nami, Sanji, and Luffy, remembering all three of them from the past. He remembers the beatings he received from Luffy and Sanji, and swims back the opposite way out of terror, towing the ship with him, but not before Caribou (and only Caribou) was able to make it onto the Thousand Sunny's deck. The Caribou Pirates still on the ship are completely dumbfounded as to what just happened. They also wondered why there was a sea cow attached to their ship.

Caribou, unaware he was left behind, commands his crew to introduce themselves by slaughtering all the Straw Hats. He immediately realizes that he is the only one of his crew on board the ship and immediately changes his tune. Franky picks him with one hand, Caribou begging him not to throw him out into the ocean calling them gentlemen, saying that human life is not something to be wasted, and that God is watching them. Franky, instead of throwing him out into the ocean, simply throws him against one of the side rails of the ship. Zoro asks if he was the captain of the ship that just went by. Caribou, realizing who asked the question, immediately denies this, saying he is just a human bullet for that crew, and that he is sick of being on that ship. He then asks the Straw Hats if it would be alright if he rode with them for a while. Chopper believes him, saying he might be a victim. Usopp, ironically, calls everything Caribou said a lie, which leaves Chopper surprised. Nami asks Caribou about why they had a sea cow pulling their ship. Caribou calls her a cutie-pie, asking her if she is "Cat Burglar" Nami. Sanji then intervenes, kicking him in the face and pinning him to a wall, saying he had no right to look at Nami with his despicable eyes. He is then about to tell Nami that everything is fine. However, before he could finish his sentence, he breaks out in another nosebleed. Usopp says that his nosebleeds are beginning to be a pain in the ass. Chopper suggests they rehabilitate him using low intensity pictures. Caribou explains that they had caught Momoo in the area, saying that having a sea monster pull their ship is the mark of a pro undersea traveler.

The scene momentarily switches back to the Caribou Pirates' ship, the crew trying to command Momoo to stop and asking him what happened. Coribou then says that Caribou will save them for sure.

Back on the Sunny, Luffy asks if anyone sees a sea cow anywhere, and then Nami asks him what he is planning. Usopp then notices that the ship had shifted direction and asks Nami if it was ok. The scene momentarily changes before her answer. Luffy is poking a tied up Caribou with a stick. Caribou is reworking his plan. Since he can get out of the ropes any time he pleases and since he cannot fight nine people at once, he thinks it would be best to observe the crew and wait for a chance to kill them one by one. He starts to come up with another idea but is cut off. Nami then said that the slight shift was fine, as they are supposed to be southwest of the log pose needle. Luffy asks if it would not be faster to travel in a straight line while Brook is saying he is starting to feel cold, and is about to say that he does not have skin but Chopper beats him to it, by saying that is amazing since he does not have skin. Nami explains that if they continue straight, they would just be swallowed up by currents and could hit a volcano or sea mountain before finishing their descent. Usopp says that the Grand Line's currents have always posed a hazard of some kind, and asks if there is a certain one to take.

Nami replies that there is only one, and tells everyone to put on a coat, saying the journey will get a lot colder. Zoro asks if they were going somewhere cold, saying he thought they were going to the deep sea. Franky corrects him, saying that the water in the deep sea is cold. Just like the bathtub, the water is colder on the bottom than it is on the top. Brook then adds that the colder levels have what are called Deep Currents, large ocean currents normally invisible to the naked eye that move in a completely different pattern than surface currents. Franky adds that all the currents on both levels eventually connect and reconnect with each other independent of depth or whether or not they are traveling east to west, comparing it to a giant dragon. He also added that the currents travel the whole world without ever breaking. Brooks then says that he has heard that the Deep Currents move very slowly across the ocean floor, and that once someone is down that deep, it could take nearly 2000 years to return to a part of the sea that gets sunlight. He then adds that there are many legends relating to the currents about monsters, curses, and ghosts. This excites Luffy and frightens Chopper. Nami says that to get there, they need to ride a descending current that takes them from a surface current to a deep current. Chopper asks how they find a spot like that. Robin replies that like a bath tub, cold water will move downwards. Usopp then concludes that they are going to a place where sea currents lose their warmth. Nami describes the Red Line as a group of adjoining islands, each with a different season. They are heading toward a climatic zone where there are winter islands, saying the area fulfills another prerequisite for currents to go down.

Luffy, suddenly interested, asks what the prerequisite is. Nami says it is about salinity, or the salt content found in sea water. Luffy said he played salinity all the time and Zoro said he always wanted a fire-sword. Luffy then asks Zoro how far he was sent away. With the two distracted, Usopp and Chopper ask Nami to continue explaining about salinity and ocean currents. Surprised by their enthusiasm, Nami goes on, explaining that a necessity for a downward current is the presence of cold, heavy water and that in cold areas, sea ice exists. Before she can continue explaining, Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Chopper are all seen drinking tea, saying simultaneously "So, it's a mystery current, huh?" This angers Nami to no end, and she yells that they should have just been quiet and rode from the start. Brook offers to sing. Franky then calls to her from the bow of the ship, saying "it" has come into view. Everyone goes to the bow. Luffy asks what the current looks like. Franky, in response to seeing it, says "Mother nature really knows how to get things done". Sanji asks what it is. Nami replies that it is called a Downward Plume. It is just like a giant undersea waterfall. Everyone looks at the Downward Plume in shock and awe. Robin comments on its massive flow, wondering how many hundreds of meters it was in diameter. Brook said that hearing it and seeing it are two completely different things. Usopp was scared that since it was too dark for him to see the bottom, assuming that the ship would crash and break up on the ocean floor. Nami questioned the current's safety, while Franky assured her that a ship born from Adam Wood could survive anything.

Caribou, who had been quiet the whole time, stands up and tells the Straw Hats to turn back immediately, saying that something was bad. Zoro, looked at him having forgotten he was there. Luffy says he sees a monster at the bottom. Caribou states he has never heard of that type of sea monster living in a place like a Downward Plume. He described the creature as such: "I've never heard that that thing was living in these waters!!!......!!! That legendary demon that roams the vast ocean, never tiring of the slaughter it leaves in its wake...!! The enemy of all humanity!!!" The monster in question is a kraken, a giant, mythological octopus. Franky adds that it's crushing all the ships in its tentacles and that it must have taken all the ships that had set out in the past few days. While Usopp is commenting on its gargantuan size, Chopper is foaming at the mouth out of shock. Caribou said it must have been preying on ships trying to ride the downward current and that he had never heard of anything like this happening before. He begs Luffy to turn back, telling him to wait a few more days. Luffy simply calls him noisy and tells him to shut up. The chapter ends with Luffy saying he is going to make the kraken his pet.

Chapter 605
The chapter starts with the rest of the crew shocked by Luffy's declaration that he will tame the kraken. Luffy wanted to tame it, so it could pull their ship. Usopp and Chopper try to deter Luffy by pointing out the creature's immense size and mythical, legendary status. Brook comments that he, a meatless skeleton, feels like the antipode to the kraken. Franky says that the creature looks tasty, while Robin sketches it, much to Chopper's shock at everyone's calm demeanor, saying how rarely seen it is. Zoro says he would not mind catching it and asks Luffy if he has a plan. Luffy says that the problem is that they are in the ocean. Usopp contradicts him, saying that the kraken's size was the main problem, while Nami gives the order to turn the rudder to the south. Luffy tells her instead to head straight for the kraken. Nami points out one of the crushed ships and asks Luffy if he wants that to happen to them. Sanji backs up Nami, almost having a nosebleed in the process, but controlling himself at the last second. Usopp, who is shocked by this, commends the chef. Chopper explains that it is the result of his rehabilitation and the fact that Nami is wearing a coat. Caribou is shocked by everyone's behavior, saying that in this situation, running away would be the proper, expected thing to do.

All of a sudden, Coribou and the Caribou Pirates' ship reappear. Caribou is delighted to see his brother and crew. Coribou shouts that he will save his brother. Before Coribou can save his brother, one of the kraken's gigantic tentacles descends on and wraps around Coribou's ship, bursting the coating bubble and crushing it. Coribou and the rest of the Caribou Pirates are all in shock while floating in the deep ocean. The Straw Hat Pirates and Caribou are all stunned by this sight. Caribou seems devastated by the loss of his crew, saying "Ohhhh, my bastards". When Zoro comments that they all look like jellyfish floating in the water, Caribou tells him to shut up, calling him Roronoa. The kraken then turns its attention to the Straw Hat Pirates. Zoro starts to pull out his sword and Luffy gets ready to go into Gear 3. Usopp stops both of them, saying their attacks would break the bubble. Franky says that they will dodge it with Chicken Voyage. Nami tells Franky to use Coup de Burst to propel them into the current so they can escape. Franky says they cannot, as the amount of air required to use Coup de Burst or Gaon Cannon is limited. Nami then asks what they are going to do. Luffy says they will not do anything, since he is going to fight the kraken. Chopper begs him not to, saying the bubble will break. Caribou chimes in, saying if Luffy wants to fight the kraken, then he has a way for him to do it.

Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are then covered in the coating resin, with a bubble forming around their bodies starting at their knees, with their lower legs simply coated without a bubble. The coatings act as diving suits. Caribou calls it "Barefoot Coating". Caribou goes on to tell them that the rope he gave them is their lifeline, letting them fight freely without being restrained by the ship, and so they do not have to worry about drifting away. Usopp is furious at Caribou, saying that they never asked for his help, saying that he ruined their plan to run away by enabling the Monster Trio to actually fight. Caribou retaliates, saying that he has been telling them to run away since they encountered the kraken. He then asks Usopp which idea he likes better: having them fight while on the ship or sending them out of the ship to fight. Usopp is convinced and tells Luffy to go and fight far away from them. Nami agrees, telling them that if they are going to fight, to do it away from the ship. Luffy states that the lifeline will get in the way. Nami protests, saying that they need the line, so they will not get separated from each other, but she is too late, as Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji have already left the ship. Sanji, delighted by the fact that Nami is worried about him, suffers a very minor nosebleed.

Luffy tells Zoro and Sanji to go ahead of him in order to buy him some time, saying he is going to take the kraken out with a single shot. Zoro replies that he will take the kraken out by the time Luffy is ready. Luffy says that slashing the kraken would be bad, since he wants to keep it as a pet. The kraken tries to attack the ship again. Franky counters it by launching rockets at the tentacle from his shoulders. Usopp, Luffy, and Chopper all marvel at the new upgrade. Another tentacle attacks the ship from behind, this one actually making contact. However, Chopper is able to counter it by quickly eating a rumble ball and using his new, much larger, Guard Point. Everyone is surprised by Chopper's development. Even though the ship is not damaged, the force of the attack was enough to send it toward a mountain. This time, it's Robin's turn to protect the ship. She said she should be able to use her powers for a moment even though they are under water. Her new technique, Mil Fleurs: Gigantesco Mano, produced two enormous hands, sprouting from the ship, which pushed it away from the mountain. Luffy then activates his Gear 3, imbuing it with Armament Haki, causing his fist to turn black and become hard. However, he could not attack, as the ocean was sapping him of his powers.

Sanji sees Luffy needs more time and moves to intercept the kraken's tentacle so fast that he actually broke out of his bubble with a technique called Blue Walk. Usopp and Brook are shocked to see Sanji move so fast, Usopp comparing the chef's speed to that of a fish-man. Sanji uses the memory of running away from the okamas for two years as motivation for his speed, even thinking the kraken was cute compared to the okamas. He then uses another new technique, Diable Jambe: Bien Cuit: Grill Shot. The attack hits the kraken's tentacle, burning it in the process. The scene then switches to Zoro, who is also attacking the kraken with a new technique, Santoryu Ogi: Rokudo no Tsuji. This attack cut one of the kraken's tentacles off after slicing it into six pieces lengthwise. Luffy then tells both of them to stop attacking as they are taking off the creature's legs. Luffy then hits the kraken with his new technique, Gomu Gomu no Elephant Gun. This is enough to send the kraken flying backward. As everyone is marveling at his strength, they all notice a shark that escapes from the kraken's mouth. The shark is wearing a Criminal brand t-shirt. Zoro notes its size while Sanji asks if it really has clothes on. Right after everyone sees the shark, the Monster Trio is sucked down by the Downward Plume current, along with the knocked-out kraken. The Straw Hats on board Thousand Sunny are also pulled into the current, as Nami tells them to keep the yards down tight and to not let up at all or else the ship suffer serious damage. After the ship is in the center of the current, it is shown that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are not too far ahead of them, still in their bubbles, Luffy apparently enjoying the ride.

Usopp was knocked unconscious at some time while the ship was in the Downward Plume. He is next seen waking up, after lying face-first on the ship's deck. He comments that they survived. He then asks why everyone looked so glum, also commenting on how cold it was. Robin tells him that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji got separated from the rest of the group and they cannot find them, saying hopefully they weren't ripped to shreds by some monster. Usopp adds that even if they are alive, the air in their bubbles will not last for very long. Nami regrets that they did listen to her and did not take the lifeline. Franky states that it will not do them any good to just sit and lament, saying that they should look for them as he has a light function built in. Chopper asks if it was with Franky's eyes, but the light instead comes out from Franky's nipples. The chapter ends with a narration stating that the crew is in the Deep Sea, where no light can penetrate, and normal sea creatures are not allowed to exist. It is called the "Underworld of the Sea".

Chapter 606
The Straw Hats still on board the Sunny are looking for Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji in the dark depths of the Deep Sea. It is hard to search the water due to it being so dark. Even the Sunny's headlight beams could not penetrate that far into the water. The ship is then surrounded by a school of enormous jellyfish. One of the jellyfish stuck one of its tentacles through the coating bubble. Chopper tries to touch it but Robin yells at him not to touch it, as they are poisonous. Franky uses a Coup de Burst just as a giant fish bites down on the jellyfish. Brook notices that the Coup de Burst lowered the air level on the ship somewhat. Right after he says this, the large fish turns onto its back, killed from the nerve toxin inside the jellyfish. Chopper notices that there are a lot of fish with white eyes. Brook comments that the eyes on a lot of fish at this level are vestigial, making them unable to see at all. Usopp and Chopper take advantage of this and start teasing the large fish. Robin then states that there are also fish whose eyes have evolved to see in the darkness. Resuming the search, Brook notices that Caribou had escaped from the ropes that were holding him. No one had seen Caribou since they had reached the Deep Sea, suggesting he might have been thrown overboard. Caribou is really hiding in a barrel nearby as everyone realizes he could be hiding anywhere on the ship and they need to be even more on guard. Caribou considers sneaking into the girls' room, saying he had been planning to do so. He seemed please that the Monster Trio is gone, thinking/saying they all must be dead by now. He was disappointed that he could not take Luffy's head, but figured the heads of the rest of the crew would be just as good. He will wait until the instant they land at Fish-Man Island to attack.

While he is thinking all this out. Franky notices him in the barrel. He forces the lid of the barrel down and seals the barrel with ropes and by bolting large metal holding plates along the sides of both ends of the barrel. Franky realizes that Caribou had let himself get hit by Sanji earlier in order to hide his mud-like Logia powers. Franky concludes that the crew would have been in trouble if Caribou wasn't such an idiot. As Franky walks away, Caribou, from the barrel, begs Franky to let him out, saying he would become Franky's slave if he did, calling him "Mister Trunks". Franky then notices that something was bothering Chopper and asks him what is wrong. Chopper says it has become really hot, and Usopp agrees. The crew then notices that they are heading into a cloud of smoke. Nami realizes that smoke under water, coupled with hydrothermal mineral deposits could only mean they were in a Deep Sea volcanic region. The Sunny is right above the mouths of several volcanoes. Franky realizes that if the volcanoes erupt, they would be killed instantly and proceeds to steer the ship away from the volcanoes. The crew is then chased by carnivorous tube-worms, a noppera crab, and several other creatures. Chopper complains that he cannot go on living and misses Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, saying he waited two years to see them and when he finally does, they disappear. Chopper then notices a light in the distance, wondering if they had reached Fish-Man Island. Nami says no, as they still have 3000 meters to go. Franky uses his Nipple Lights to ask in Morse Code "W-H-O-A-R-E-Y-O-U-?" The light turns out to belong to a giant angler fish. The fish tries to eat the ship, but is stopped by a giant humanoid creature. Usopp identifies it as an umibozu, a sea giant (sea devil). The giant punches the angler fish, whose name is Ankoro, saying it was not supposed to attack ships and that captain Vander Decken would be mad at them. Brook then hears someone singing. A ghostly ship approaches from behind the giant. The ship is old and parts of it are worn. Everyone was shocked at this sight, even Brook, which prompted Usopp to say that Brook shouldn't be surprised.

Brook identifies the ship as "The real thing", the Flying Dutchman. He then proceeded to give the history of the ship and its captain. It is called "The ship that should not be". The story dates back hundreds of years. On a stormy day, a captain became deranged and started throwing his crew overboard, killing all of them. The captain's name was Vander Decken. He incurred the wrath of God, and was doomed to an eternity of wandering the sea, forbidden to ever make port. That ship is the very same ship they see before them, the cursed ship of Vander Decken.

Vander Decken, whose whole body was shadowed except his arm, told the angler fish and the giant, whose name is Wadatsumi, that they would not get treasure if they ate the ship. He tells them to "knock it down." Someone yelled for Franky to use Coup de Burst, but Franky said they cannot since they ran out of fuel just then. They are saved, when the kraken shows up out of nowhere and punches Wadatsumi in the chin. Everyone on the ship is surprised to see it again. Vander Decken calls the Kraken "Monster of the Arctic". The Kraken continues to beat up the giant until ordered by Luffy to stop, which it did. Everyone is relieved to see that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are alive, all three are in the same bubble. Wadatsumi is unconscious with large bruises. Luffy tells them that his and Sanji's bubbles broke, so they all had to share Zoro's. Luffy did not like it in the cramped bubble. He sprawls out on the deck of the ship, happy for so much room. Franky notes how much vitality they all have. Nami asks if they actually tamed the kraken. Luffy says he is going to turn the kraken, who he named Surume, into a top-notch navigator as Surume places Thousand Sunny on his head. Usopp says they should be careful the ship is not crushed. Everyone then hears a rumbling sound coming from one of the volcanoes. Vander Decken's crew alerts him that there is trouble, as Nami realizes the volcano is about to erupt.

Chapter 607
The crews of both the Thousand Sunny and the Flying Dutchman realize that a volcano is about to erupt. Vander Decken tells his crew that they are retreating for now. He then commands Wadatsumi and Ankoro to pull the ship to safety. Nami realizes the full danger of the situation and tells Luffy to tell Surume to get the ship as far away from the volcano as possible. Luffy starts to call out the orders, but Usopp says he does not have to since Surume is already running away. Luffy says he wants to see the volcano erupt. Usopp tells Surume to escape to the front side, but Nami says it would not matter since it is only a few meters of difference. The volcano erupts. As the magma is making its way down to the ocean floor, Nami realizes that the water temperature is rising. Everyone looks up in time to see Wadatsumi and the Flying Dutchman get thrown around as the temperature differences caused by the magma create whirlpools. Sanji asks Nami which way they should go to get to Fish-Man Island, suffering a nosebleed immediately after asking the question. Chopper is surprised that he would get a guilty conscience in such a dire situation. Nami replies that they have to move forward a little more in order to get into a specific trench.

The trench in question was a precipice preceding a large drop off into total darkness. The crew could not believe that Fish-Man Island was really at the bottom of the trench. With the water heated by the lava catching up to the ship, Usopp exclaims that the darkness is scary and that he does not think will leave the trench alive. He tries to tell Luffy that the darkness will take them to Hell, but Luffy yells to Surume to jump in. The kraken jumps in just as the volcano lets out another burst of magma. Franky then notices something above the ship. It is a rockslide caused by the volcanic activity. Nami exclaims that the volcano has just destroyed the trench. A rock is falling towards the ship. Zoro orders Surume to get out of the way, as he is going to cut it. Before he can leave, Robin grabs him using her Devil Fruit ability, saying at 8,000 meters below the surface, the water pressure would crush him. Usopp then unveils a new attack: Midori Boshi: Sargasso. Seaweed sprouts from the rock face, catching the falling rocks. As Chopper looks in awe, Usopp says his attack will stop the rocks momentarily, leaving enough time for Surume to get away. Surume gets out from under the caught rocks just in time, as the plant holding them gives way. While everyone is praising Usopp, they do not notice the errant boulder falling toward Surume. The boulder hits Surume above the eyes, stunning him, possibly knocking him unconscious.

An narration box gives the crew's location as 10,000 meters below the surface, calling the bottom of the trench the ocean depths. In the same panel, Surume is lying in a heap and light is streaming down from above. Thousand Sunny is on its side but still on top of Surume's head. Everyone is grateful to be alive. Robin asks how there could be light so deep in the sea. Brook makes a joke saying the light is blinding him but that he does not have eyes. Franky calls everyone over to one side of the ship and tells them to look up. Usopp is having trouble seeing what it is since the light is so bright. Luffy asks Nami if that is it. Nami replies without a doubt, as the needle is pointing directly at it, that they have reached Fish-Man Island. They note that the island is surrounded by a large bubble, indicating that there is air on the island. Everyone cheers. Caribou, from his barrel imprisonment, also notes their arrival while laughing. Sanji states that he has wanted to visit this place since he was a kid, the place where beautiful mermaids dance. As he starts cheering, he succumbs to another nosebleed. Usopp and Chopper realize that the rehabilitation did not help Sanji in time, as all he had to do was fantasize about mermaids in order to get a nosebleed. Chopper suggests that it is not the best idea to meet a real mermaid now. Usopp argues saying that Sanji's dream is to meet a mermaid. Chopper replies that meeting one will cost him his life. Sanji says it does not matter, much to Chopper's surprise. Sanji goes on to say that he would rather die while looking perversely at mermaids than live a life where his dreams did not come true. Sanji declares that he will meet the mermaids. Luffy, meanwhile, is wondering what kind of meat goes into the food on Fish-Man Island. Nami tells him to wipe the drool from his chin and help them find the entrance. Franky then asks what some off-screen figures are doing there.

A voice asks Surume why he is letting humans order him around. Surume freezes in fear, then tosses Thousand Sunny up into the air and starts to run away. The ship is then blocked by six sea monsters resembling a rhino, a giraffe, a gorilla, an elephant, a lion, and a bear. Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Brook look at the massive creatures and exclaim that it is all over, despite making it this far. A figure riding on the giraffe-like sea monster says that since they are pirates, that means they are enemies of the humans, which means he is about to give them a choice. He then recognizes the Straw Hat crew by their jolly roger. The person speaking said he had heard a lot about them and recounted their defeating the Arlong Pirates, about how they saved and protected Hatchan, and about Luffy punching a Celestial Dragon, and then compared Luffy to Fisher Tiger. The person talking is revealed to be a tall, pike eel fish-man named Hammond. He is a combatant under the New Fish-Man Pirates. He was accompanied by a merman and a fish-man. Hammond asks the crew if they are friend or foe, if they fall under the control of the New Fish-Man Pirates or reject them. Hammond adds that if they refuse, they will be sunk then and there. Hammond has the jolly roger of the Fish-Man Pirates (Arlong's old crew) tattooed on his neck by his left shoulder. The sight of it seems to make Nami uncomfortable, and she tells Franky to refuel the ship. Franky asks what the fish-men think they are doing. Nami says that at 10,000 meters below sea level they have absolutely zero chance of winning in a fight against them. She tells Franky her plan. They are going to run away by using the air they have left in the ship to pull off one last Coup de Burst and charge right into Fish-Man Island. Much to Franky's disbelief, Nami said it was either that or die then and there. Robin agrees that that is their only option. As Franky handled the steering, Usopp refilled the fuel. Just as the Coup de Burst was at full power, Hammond asks Luffy one more time if he would become their subordinate, but Luffy refuses.

Chapter 608
Hammond becomes outraged at the fact that Luffy refused his offer to become a subordinate of the New Fish-Man Pirates. Luffy makes a face at Hammond, while Chopper pleads with Luffy not to irritate the fish-man. Hammond, now angry, states that he cannot let them through and orders the sea lion to attack. However, Usopp, in the energy room of the Thousand Sunny, tells Franky that they are ready to go. Luffy challenges Hammond to a fight but Nami quickly orders for the Coup de Burst to be fired. Franky states that he will settle the score with the sea lion another day. Hammond and his subordinate are surprised at the Coup de Burst. The usage of the Coup de Burst consequently drains the air out of the bubble around the Thousand Sunny, squashing the Straw Hat Pirates into the ship. As the Straw Hats attempt to enter Fish-Man Island, the bubble coating around the Thousand Sunny is ripped away by the bubble around Fish-Man Island. Robin quickly explains that the bubble is double layered, and that any ship would fall into the air pocket. The Straw Hats brace for another entry in to the actual Island itself. Water enters the ship (as there is no coating) and all the Straw Hats start to drown. Sanji despairs due to the four Devil Fruit users onboard the ship. Outside, Hammond and his subordinates are puzzled by the "absurd way of entering" Fish-Man Island. One asks if they should be pursued and Hammond, answers by saying yes. However, Hammond states that it would be annoying if the Neptune Army were to find the Straw Hats first. He then says that they should go back to "Noah" and tell the boss, to say that the one who crushed Arlong's ambition, Luffy, is here.

Meanwhile inside Fish-Man Island: as Luffy wakes up, he sees five little mermaids surrounding him. He coughs up water, which scares the girls away. Usopp celebrates that Luffy woke up, with Sanji and Chopper sitting beside him. As Luffy wakes up, he recognizes Camie. Much older now, Camie is seen cooking, with all the little girls around her waist. Sanji exclaims that she has become more cuter, whilst Camie herself apologizes for not picking the Straw Hats up, as she remembered the date incorrectly (a month off). Luffy becomes enthralled by the fact they entered Fish-Man Island. Usopp informs him that the mermaids saved him and that he, Chopper, and Sanji only had woken up recently. It is revealed that they are inside Camie's house, where half of the inside is water. Luffy is also informed that they had all been split up. Although looking worried, Luffy says that they should all be okay. Sanji agrees, saying that "Bones" (Brook) would be useless in the water (due to the Yomi Yomi no Mi) but that he should be okay since "Robo" (Franky) and "Green" (Zoro) would be there. Camie brings over soup to warm the four Straw Hats, but exclaims that cold soup would not warm up cold bodies. Usopp assures her that it is okay. The five mermaids return, saying that the clothes are now dry and bring the clothes over. Camie introduces them as the "Medaka Mermaid Quintuplets". Camie says that her house is in the "Mermaid Cove" part of the sea floor and that it is a dormitory for the female staff of the town's "Mermaid Cafe" and that there are lots of beautiful mermaids working there as waitresses (including herself). Sanji nearly crumbles at the idea, but soon gets a hold of himself, resisting the nose bleeds. Camie says that they should go up top now. While at the Underwater Coral Mansion Camie instructs a turtle elevator to take them up top, she explains that her house is part of an underwater coral mansion. Because her rent is cheap, she lives on the bottom floor, while the top floors are more expensive as they receive more light. The Straw Hats ask about Hatchan. Camie tells him that he has been recuperating in the "Fish-Man District" as he is a Fish-Man. She says that it is a scary place but that she would guide them to it, as Luffy wishes to thank Hatchan face to face. They also ask about Pappag. Camie informs them that the starfish was now a super famous designer and lives in Gyoverly Hills (Similar to Beverly Hills), a high class district. She invites the Straw Hats to come along to visit as she has to take up clams there anyway. Luffy asks why Camie is not with him as she was his master. Camie replies, saying that she "does not fit in". Around them, there are straw like currents, "water roads" which are used to travel. The Straw Hats reach the surface, where there is a mermaid swimming in the sky through a Water Road. A female voice calls out Camie's name, to Sanji's surprise. A group of beautiful mermaids are shown, all marveling at the Straw Hats's feat of "illegal entry". Camie introduces them to the mermaids. Sanji starts crying and exclaims in exaggeration that he has found the All Blue. He becomes shocked that a mermaid held his hand and asked him to dance in the sea. However, two mermaids find an intriguing barrel (the one used to contain Caribou). They assume it's treasure or alcohol and note that its locked very tightly. One asks if they should open it.

At Noah, Hammond is seen asking what he should do. A silhouetted face tells him to bring him here (referring to Luffy).

Chapter 609
The chapter begins with an infatuated Sanji playing in a pool with the mermaids in Mermaid Cove. The chef states his wish to live there, with a mermaid remarking how much fun he is. Luffy, soaking his feet on the side of the pool, comments on how nice it must be to swim. Camie suggests that Luffy could wear a bubble, much to his surprise. Usopp asks if Sanji is just acting the way he is out of nature. Chopper states that he is glad Sanji is back to normal, going on to say that his blood stock is out of Sanji's blood type, S RH-, an exceedingly rare blood type. Luffy tells Camie there is someone on the island he wants to meet. Camie asks if it is the Mermaid Princess, Luffy says it is not, and that he wants to see Jinbe, explaining how Jinbe helped him cope with the loss of his brother, Ace. Usopp asks if Luffy is referring to the ex-Shichibukai, to which Luffy replies yes, calling him his friend, much to Usopp's disbelief. Luffy then remembers Jinbe saying he would wait at Fish-Man Island for Luffy to get there. Luffy tells Camie about his promise to see him. Camie remembers reading an article where Luffy and Jinbe were seen together. When Luffy asks where he is, Camie replies that he is not on the island, going on to explain that after Jinbe abdicated his Shichibukai status, he could no longer stay on Fish-Man Island, so he and the Fish-Man Pirates had to leave. Luffy then asks if that meant he could not see him, and Camie explains that the details of why he left are complicated, and that after the war, a lot of things changed on Fish-Man Island.

They are interrupted by the Medaka Mermaid Quintuplets, who came to tell them that a ship is coming. Nika, one of the quintuplets, tells Camie it is a rare kingdom ship. Camie realizes that the ship might be coming to arrest Luffy, and tells him that he must hide. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper all hide behind rocks, while Sanji, still in the water, is shielded from view by a mermaid, trying to tell him to hold still while hugging his head to her chest, which the chef appeared to enjoy immensely. The ship, identified by Camie as a royal gondola, essentially a large oarfish with some sort of carriage with oars sticking out built into it, approaches them. A nearby mermaid does not believe that there could actually be royalty aboard it, asking why they would come from Ryugu Palace to this little corner of the island. Trumpets then sound, heralding the arrival of the princes of Ryugu Kingdom, the Neptune brothers. One of them greets the mermaids, saying he has a question for them. Three mermaids shriek with joy at the sight of the princes, asking them why they are there while Luffy, hidden behind a nearby rock, quietly looks on. He then wonders why there would be princes at Mermaid Cove, as do Usopp and Chopper. The Neptune princes, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi, then come forth. Fukaboshi explains that they received a report of illegal entry, asking if anyone had come by there. The mermaids reply that no one has come by. One asks if the people they are looking for really are important enough for the three princes to look for them in person. Fukaboshi then states that they have not confirmed if the illegal entrants are the people they are looking for.

From a distance, Hammond is watching these events take place. He is with a Fish-Man and a sea monster. The Fish-Man calls the princes the three strongest of the Neptune Army. Hammond wonders why they are at the cove, saying it could be problematic. Fukaboshi then thanks the mermaids for their time, saying that he will continue searching elsewhere and that the border patrol must have made a mistake. He then apologizes to the mermaids for taking up their time, to which they reply that it was not any trouble at all. His brothers apologize as well. At this point, Sanji loses all self-control. The ability to contain himself became too much while his head was clutched against the mermaid's chest, and he erupts in his most massive nosebleed ever. The blood spurted extremely high, taking the shape of a mermaid doing a sexy pose. Chopper yells out in shock as he runs toward him. The mermaid holding him screams, not knowing what just happened. The bottom half of Sanji's face is completely covered in blood and there is a lot more of it in the water. Luffy remarks that Sanji just lost a dangerous amount of blood. Usopp realizes that Sanji could not handle the excitement after all, and keeping it suppressed caused him to explode like this. Fukaboshi, checking some of the crew's wanted posters, realizes that the person he is seeing now must be Monkey D. Luffy. He then orders his Ammo Knights to advance. Hammond realizes that the Straw Hat Pirates are there now too. One crew member suggests capturing them while another argues that it would be bad if they got into a fight with the Neptune Army and that the princes are there too.

Chopper runs to Sanji's side, telling the guards to wait a moment while apologizing for entering illegally and asking the guards to postpone their arrest. He then asks for someone to donate blood, saying if not treated, Sanji would be dead in about thirty minutes. Chopper said Sanji's blood type is S RH-, an extremely rare blood type. He asks if anyone could donate and if fish-man or merman blood could be transfused into a human's body. The guards stop in surprise. Luffy yells out, begging for someone to give Sanji blood. As some mermaids look on in fear, Chopper asks again if anyone has the necessary blood type. Usopp finishes the plea by saying that they cannot let Sanji die in such a stupid way. Camie tells Chopper that humans, mermen, and Fish-Men all share the same blood and it is transfusable. She is about to explain more but is interrupted by laughter. The laughter came from Hammond. He tells the Straw Hat Pirates that they must be out of their minds and that there is not a single creature on the island who would give blood to humans and if someone did, they would get a "judgment in the dark" from someone who hates humans. Luffy then recognizes Hammond from their earlier encounter as Camie suddenly dives under the water. One of the guards tells Fukaboshi that the person talking is Hammond from the Fish-Man District. Hammond tells Sanji to stay bleeding as he is and to die helplessly. He then tells about the rule put in place long ago, forbidding fish-men and humans from sharing blood. Usopp and Luffy look at him in disbelief. Hammond goes on to explain that the rule, ironic to the situation, was put in place by humans, fearing the fish-men as monsters, to prevent the mixing of bloodlines.

Fisher Tiger died as a result of this rule. During a bloody battle, he needed a transfusion badly. Humans prevented the transfusion from taking place and Fisher Tiger died as a result. Hammond then ordered them to abandon the life of one crew member and come with them to the Fish-Man District, as their boss, Hody Jones, wished to see them. Usopp then shouted that he did not know the detail of that law, and that if someone with S RH- blood came forth to help, he would thank them in any way possible. Hammond, ignoring Usopp, remarks that they will just have to take the Straw Hat Pirates by force.

He shoots a Utase Ami from a gun at them. Luffy sweeps the flying net out of the way, saying he would not listen to Hammond and that he had told him this earlier. He then proceeds to knock out Hammond and his accomplices with one Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol each. Fukaboshi and some mermaids look on in shock while Ryuboshi begins to draw his sword. Hammond and the two other pirates have been knocked out cold. Someone then yells that Luffy forgot to deal with their sea monster. Luffy dispatches the monster by using Haoushoku Haki, intimidating it enough so that it would not fight, but not enough to faint. Chopper and Usopp were shocked at how the monster realized its own defeat without actually fighting.

Fukaboshi does not seem phased by this, saying he expected it, causing his brother to reply in disbelief. Camie then reappears, having hijacked the royal gondola. She tells them they should go into town, as she saw a lot of humans at the port. Camie then apologizes to the guards, promising to return the giant oarfish to them. Once everyone is on board, they set off, leaving everyone else, including the princes, at Mermaid Cove. On the gondola, Camie apologizes, saying she would be willing to help if she were the right blood type for Sanji, but she is not. Usopp tells her she has nothing to be sorry for, as it all goes back to Sanji having impure thoughts, pointing out the smirk on the chef's face as evidence. Chopper tells Sanji not to think of anything, as every second is precious.

Usopp then comments about the discrimination Camie and Hatchan faced at Sabaody Archipelago two years ago, and how its roots run very deep. He follows up by saying he never thought that Sanji's perverted nosebleeds would lead to something this dire. Camie changes the subject, saying she is worried about reaching town since she did not know if they would be able to find a compatible donor for Sanji. The reason for this is because no humans have visited Fish-Man Island in the past month except the Straw Hat Pirates. One of the Straw Hats asks why that is since the island is a famous spock. Camie corrects him by saying it is a famous spot, but she does not know why there have not been any humans. She said there are rumors going throughout the kingdom that someone might be pulling the strings behind it.

Back at Mermaid Cove, Fukaboshi is talking to the Mermaids, saying them covering for the pirates created a huge problem, asking why they did it. The mermaids apologize, saying that the pirates were not bad people and friends of Camie's and that they did not want the crew to get arrested for illegal entry. One mermaid says she hopes Sanji will be alright. Fukaboshi told the mermaids they were jumping to conclusions. Since the Straw Hat Pirates are already infamous pirates, it did not matter if they entered illegally, since the army more or less knew who they were dealing with. Ryuboshi adds that they were looking for them for a different reason. Behind a surprised mermaid, Caribou's barrel can be seen, still sealed, with Caribou apparently listening intently. Fukaboshi states that they had just lost their chance to give the Straw Hats a message from Jinbe.

Chapter 610
In the port town of Coral Hill, Sanji is waking up after having received donor blood. He asks where he is and Camie tells him he is at her friend's house. Chopper collapses face first on the bed, saying how happy he is to have found donor blood. Sanji, confused by Chopper's talk about blood, sits up while asking what happened. Camie quickly tells him to lie back down. Luffy, sprawled out in a chair, asks why no fish-men would help them, saying they had been all over the island. Usopp proceeds to say that he thought Sanji was a goner. Sanji, touched by his friends' concern, thanks them. He then tries to remember what happened to put him in such a state, but has difficulties doing so. Luffy and Usopp implore him to stop remembering, as he will lose blood again and there would be nothing they could do to help him again.

Usopp points to a curtain where only a hand is visible, saying they found the donor at a pub. From behind the curtain, Sanji hears a feminine voice. He then asks if they took the blood from a fragile young lady. Usopp pulls back the curtain to reveal two okama, the pirate twins Splash and Splatter. One of them even offers him more blood if it was necessary. Sanji screams and foams at the mouth in shock. While Usopp is telling Sanji to thank them, Chopper realizes that Luffy had been poisoned, noticing the entry point on his arm. Chopper is amazed at how Luffy did not react at all to such a deadly poison and that he already had antibodies to counter it. Luffy remembers Magellan's poisons almost killing him in Impel Down and gives that as the reason for his immunity. Luffy remembers the merman with the sword and the octopus legs, and attributes the poison to him, saying he seems strong.

The scene then changes to the merman in question. He is carrying the unconscious bodies of Hammond and the unnamed ally. The man Luffy was referring to is named Hyouzou, a poison blue-ringed octopus merman, and an assassin for the New Fish-Man Pirates. Hyouzou hears a scream coming from the cove. He just thinks it is noisy Mermaids having fun. A mermaid says that the scream came from Ishilly's group. Another Mermaid said she had heard it from where she was, and that Ishilly had mentioned something about opening a barrel. The barrel in question was the barrel that was keeping Caribou a prisoner. It is now broken open with no sign of Caribou.

The scene changes to the back of the Mermaid Cafe. Camie is talking to her boss, Madam Shyarly, who was asking about Sanji's well being. Camie thanks her for letting them borrow a room, and then asks Madam Shyarly not to go in to see Sanji as she is beautiful, therefore dangerous to Sanji. She also asks her to keep it a secret from Sanji that he is in the back of the Mermaid Cafe. Camie tells her that Chopper told her they would be in big trouble if Sanji found out where he was. Madam Shyarly comments on the irregularity of Chopper and Camie's requests. Luffy and Usopp find Shyarly's crystal ball, which she tells them not to touch. Camie explains to them that Shyarly is a fortune teller, and is rather well known.

Shyarly however, states that she is retired, as the future is better left unknown. Luffy then asks her "So, do mermaids poop?", and Usopp asks why he used "so" in his question. This angers Shyarly who calls Luffy a vulgar child. Camie quickly tell him to apologize, which he did. Shyarly then tells Camie to take the rest of the day off and show her friends the island. She says not to worry about the influx of human pirate customers, as she has enough hired help to start handling the crowd. The "star" part of the word "start" make Camie remember Pappag, and how she had to deliver a clam to him. Shyarly tells her that Pappag is in the cafe, making a ruckus about some old friend of his.

After leaving the room, Camie tells the Straw Hats about some of Madam Shyarly's famous predictions, such as predicting the Great Age of Pirates one year ahead of time. She also accurately predicted the war at Marineford and Whitebeard's death. Because of her accuracy at predicting disasters, she has come to hate her ability to see the future. She takes them to the main street of Coral Hill and the front entrance of the Mermaid Cafe. When Luffy stated how hungry he was, Camie said they have cakes, sea fruits, and shellfish, but no meat in the sense Luffy was thinking. Usopp tries to distract Luffy from his bitterness about the lack of meat by reminding him Pappag is inside.

That friend that Pappag was talking about turned out to be Brook. Pappag was glad to see Luffy and Usopp. Brook has a mermaid on either side of him. One of them kisses him on the cheek, telling him to come back soon, saying the whole time he was there was like a dream come true. After telling them he will be back, brook launches into a slew of his bone jokes, bodily jokes, and already dead jokes. Usopp was surprised by Brook's excitement. Pappag interrupts, saying he was about to show Brook his estate.

Pappag entices Luffy with sea monster meat, saying it is a staple of his diet and he always has a lot in his house. Camie gives him the Orient clam, which delights the starfish. Usopp was confused since it was a shellfish. Camie explained that fish-men can eat meat and fish while mermaids cannot. Luffy is relieved to hear there is meat on the island after all. As they call a taxi, Brook notices a wanted poster of Vander Decken. Pappag was surprised that the crew had met him, telling them he is like a bandit of the sea floor and the whole country has been searching for him for years. He then tells them to get on the taxi.

Pappag explained that it started with Vander Decken IX sending a letter once a week to the Mermaid Princess. The letters eventually became packages which eventually became threatening marriage proposals. The princess became too scared to ignore him any longer. Camie chimes in, adding that her father, King Neptune, became angry and had his three sons form an army. They have been searching for him without any success. Pappag tries to interrupt her, saying he had just been explaining that.

Camie summarizes it by saying that the Mermaid Princess is the younger sister to the three princes, and King Neptune is the father of all four of them. Brook then says he wants to hear about how Vander Decken, a pirate who was cursed hundreds of years ago, plays into it. Pappag explained that legends tend to get exaggerated, but that the "mad captain" known as Vander Decken really did exist. The legend had it that he came to Fish-Man Island and died. The ship they saw was the real Flying Dutchman, but the captain was his grandson (Camie interrupts here again to finish the story, leaving Pappag in despair), Vander Decken IX. Brook makes another joke about how seeing Vander Decken nearly scared the life right out of him.

Luffy then redirects the conversation by pointing out how a mermaid has split fins similar to Kokoro's. He asks Camie if that is how her fins will looks when she reaches age 30, to which she replies yes. Luffy then sees a fish-man dad with an older fish-man child and a merman baby. Luffy remarked how fun the variety in sizes and colors of each species. Pappag explains that when a Fish-Man and Mermaid marry, they could either have a baby that is Merman/maid or Fish-Man/woman, so there are four types of patterns. As they are about to get on a highway, Luffy asks about something in the distance.

Pappag replies that it is the Candy Factory. Luffy asks why there is a pirate flag on it. Pappag tells him there is a similar one at the entrance to port, as the island is now under the protection of Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, the Emperor. Pappag explains that after the war, Big Mom started protecting the island since Whitebeard had died. In return for her protection, she demands a large amount of candy every month. Camie explains that the island is so dangerous that they need something big protecting it, otherwise, the government could not function. Luffy thinks Big Mom must be nice if she decided to protect Fish-Man Island. Pappag said that Whitebeard did not require collateral, and that Big Mom might be looking at it from a business perspective. Luffy says she is one of the Four Emperors, like Shanks, and wonders if he will ever meet her some day.

Their taxi then arrives in Gyoverly Hills, where everyone is amazed by the size of Pappag's house. Back in Coral Hill, Madame Shyarly is making a scene outside, saying something is going to be catastrophic. Everyone is asking her what is wrong. She tells them to go and find the pirate wearing a straw hat (Luffy) and send him out of the country at once. A man asks what is going on and if she saw something in her crystal ball. Shyarly explains that she did not mean to see it, but she felt something from Luffy which prompted her to look into the future. Hiding her head in her hands, she says she hopes she is wrong. The fortune foretold that Fish-Man Island would be destroyed by Luffy's hand.

Chapter 611
The chapter begins in Noah, where people are seen escaping onto a ship. Someone gives an order for the men to be quiet and board the ship. One man says they were able to escape before they were found. Another voice says they are never coming back to Fish-Man Island again and they should abandon all hope of ever entering the Mermaid Cafe. The captain, pirate "Crab-Hand" Gyro, a pirate from South Blue, remarks how terrible their trip has been, recalling getting attacked by the kraken and then ambushed by the New Fish-Man Pirates and being forced to join them. One of his crew comes up to him in tears saying he had always dreamed of going to the Mermaid Cafe. His captain tells him to abandon all hope, saying they were lucky to escape with their lives. Next, Jones is seen asking if the crew had escaped, to which a subordinate replied that they had. Jones and his officers are then shown, talking about what to do about the human crew. Ikaros asks if he could take care of the crew. Jones says no and takes a few pills from a bowl. His muscle mass then expands and his eyes change.

The scene then changes to Pappag's house. Pappag is bragging how on Fish-Man Island he is the president and celebrity designer of the Criminal Brand Company. He goes on to say how he will open up shops all over the world and then mentions something about approaching Doskoi Panda. He then starts sobbing as Luffy had noticed something and was starting to talk over him. Camie tells Luffy that there is a Criminal shop on the first floor and realizes that someone is getting excited inside. A voice is then heard complaining about the store's high prices. They go inside and see Nami negotiating with the clerk, asking for less than half price for the clothes. Usopp is not surprised to see she is the one complaining. Luffy calls out to her, and Nami is happy to see him and Camie. The clerk is relieved to see Pappag and tells him about the unhappy customer. Nami picks up the starfish by the cheek and asks him why the prices are so high. Pappag explains it is since Criminal is a brand name and he is a popular designer. Nami demands a discount. Pappag tells her that he owes them for what they did two years ago, so she can take everything she wants for free. Nami, Luffy, Usopp, and Brook then proceed to empty the store of all merchandise, while Pappag yells at them to show restraint. There is then a commotion outside. One of Pappag's employees runs in, saying there trouble. Someone, described only as "you know who", was coming from the Ryugu Palace. They look up in the sky to see a whale. Camie and Pappag instantly recognize the person, Camie stating this is the first time she has seen him in person. One person wonders why he came alone instead of bringing the army with him. People wonder if the country is in peril or if pirates have invaded the island. Someone yells for an evacuation. The man in question turned out to be King Neptune, riding on his whale, Hoe. Usopp comments on Neptune's size, Brook says he prefers mermaids, Luffy remarks how weird looking the Merman is. Pappag tugs at Luffy's face, asking if he knew how rude he was being. Nami comments on how cute the whale looks. Neptune approaches the pirates, much to the surprise of the locals. Neptune asks Megalo (the shark that the Straw Hats had freed from the kraken) if he had the right people. The shark nods and Nami recognizes him from earlier. Neptune calls out to the crew, calling them "Straw Hat humans", and invites them to Ryugu Palace. Camie and Pappag are shocked out of their minds but Luffy seems confused.

The scene then changes back to the pirates from the beginning of the chapter. Someone on the ship is shouting for them to hurry up, or they will be noticed. Someone else says that it is hard to catch a current in the Deep Sea and adds that they should have fixed the ship with a paddle. Two crew members notice something in front of the ship. It is Hody Jones. Jones holds up his wrists to show he is handcuffed. Ikaros Much comments on how the Energy Steroid is a real treasure. Meanwhile, Jones has slammed into the ship and has bored a hole in the port side hull of the ship. One pirate calls for them to take out the fish-man, as he is all alone. Jones then bursts up through the deck, catching a crew member in his teeth and sending two others flying. Gyro then states he has fought fish-men before and overcame everything in front of him to come this far. He attacks Jones with his claw and Jones bites off part of Gyro's arm, breaking the claw. The crew then fires on the fish-man, but he emerges largely unscathed. He then bites into the mast of the ship and throws it away. A crew member realizes why Jones wore the handcuffs, to show that he could beat them without using his hands. Zeo, while holding an Energy Steroid, states that fish-men are naturally born with ten times the strength of humans. One Energy Steroid raises their power two-fold, and taking two would boost their power another two-fold, so four-fold, and since Jones took four, he is at least 160 times stronger than a normal human. In exchange, part of their life is shaved away. They do not care, as they will carry out their plans without the fear of death. Jones goes on to talk about how Fisher Tiger's life was destroyed by humans, as was Arlong's will. He goes on to say that the fish-men will end their dark history in this generation. The mast that was bitten off is now thrown upside down back through the deck, impaling the ship which is now trapped in a bubble. As he breaks off his handcuffs, Jones gives the order for the bubble to be sent back up to the New World, stating with some disappointment that the whole crew did not die. He says he needs them alive, he wants them to go back up to the surface and tell the humans what happened to them and who did it, and spread fear. He then declares that they will steal back Fish-Man Island, what he calls the center of the world, from Neptune, and pull all the humans down to the abyss that is the bottom of the sea, and teach them that fish-men are the supreme race.

Chapter 612
The chapter begins by going back to Mermaid Cove a few hours prior to the present storyline. Ishilly is prying off the metal holds off of Caribou's barrel with a crowbar, wondering what is inside it. She thinks the barrels are sealed so tightly because it contains high-end expensive alcohol. She gets some of the holds off, which is enough to allow Caribou to break out. As Caribou breaks out, he thanks the mermaids. The terrified mermaids scream and Caribou tells them not to go anywhere. Ishilly yells for everyone to get into the water, but Caribou says that it is too late and turns his midsection into his Logia form, thanking Ishilly for freeing him once more. One mermaid yells out that her body is sinking, while another one realizes it is a swamp and asks why there is a swamp in the middle of the rocks. Caribou says that they are in a bottomless bog that is impossible to escape from. He tells them he is a "swamp man" who ate the Numa Numa no Mi. He then tells them that struggling will cause them to sink more and that they shouldn't scream or worry as he will not kill them. Ishilly tries to call for help but Caribou covers her mouth with one of his hands in swamp form, calling her naughty for not doing as she was told. Another mermaid calls out for Ishilly, but Caribou does the same to her, telling her she has to "go sleepy-bye" for a bit. The last things seen above the swamp are the sinking hands of one of the mermaids. Caribou then reverts back to his human form, talking about how his body is infinite and forgetting how much mermaids cost. He remembers that at the Human Auctioning House, they would sell for about 70,000,000 each and gets excited when he realizes how much he could get with three of them. He then realizes that he owes all of this to the Straw Hat Pirates. Their illegal entry made it so that he would not have to be subjected to any kind of immigration examination. He is now free to hunt as many mermaids as he wants, calling it a "treasure island", and then laughs happily.

Back to the present, in Coral Hill, a lot of people have gathered outside the Mermaid Cafe. The Straw Hat Pirates are believed to be behind the kidnappings at Mermaid Cove. Hiramera tells the crowd that she never explicitly stated that they were the culprits and that they were nice people and friends of Camie's. A voice in the crowd suggests they were threatened. The crew's wanted posters are spread out, with an Ammo Knight saying the only truth they know is the only people at the cove other than the mermaids were the Ammo Knights, the defeated New Fish-Man Pirates, and the Straw Hats. Another knight adds that humans always have a reason for kidnapping mermaids, mentioning their high value on the slave market. A man says that they cannot suspect the Straw Hats exclusively like that. Another knight asks him if he has any idea how many pirates look innocent to get close to mermaids and then kidnap them. Meanwhile, Fukaboshi asks Madam Shyarly if she really did have a vision of Luffy destroying Fish-Man Island. A mermaid brings her a cup of water. Having calmed down, she tells Fukaboshi that her vision was the truth. Fukaboshi tells Shyarly that the accuracy of her predictions is even apparent to those who live in Ryugu Palace. This complicates their plans to get in contact with the Straw Hats as they were indebted to them for saving their sister's pet, but due to the prediction the pirates cannot be left at large, and they must "deal" with the pirates now.

Over in Gyoverly Hills, residents are still looking up at the sky in awe as the Straw Hats ascend with King Neptune to the Ryugu Palace. The Straw Hats, Camie, and Pappag ride on Megalo while Neptune rides on Hoe as he calls to them not to fall off. Luffy asks why that old guy is shouting so loudly. Pappag is appalled and tells Luffy to be more respectful and Pappag is now frightened of Luffy. Neptune explains that Megalo is his daughter's beloved pet. She could not stop crying over how Megalo had not come home, that Neptune did not know what to do with her. He thinks about how dangerous fighting the Kraken must have been, and thanks them for their great work. Luffy tells him that it was just a coincidence but he was glad to help. Pappag thinks about the Mermaid Princess and Brook asks him if he was right in remembering that Pappag was once best friends with the princess. Pappag gives him a long "ssshhh" and Brook realizes it was a lie. Camie asks Usopp if he was sure it was ok for her and Pappag to go to the palace too. Usopp says that Neptune told them to bring their company, so it was fine. Neptune tells them that he had sent his sons out to get them, but when they did not come back, he went out himself. He says that he was excited for the banquet's menu, and wanted to start as soon as possible. He then remembers that one of the Straw Hats was already at the palace. He had already started drinking, and would not listen when Neptune suggested it would be more fun for everyone to drink together. Usopp asks if it was Zoro. Nami states it was Zoro. King Neptune then says that he thought his name was Zori and gets corrected with the right name.

Neptune goes on to tell them that his soldiers will find all of the other Straw Hats and bring them to the castle. Luffy asks Nami if she knew where the others went. Nami told them that Franky went to look for one of Tom's relatives and Robin went to look up some important history, so the three split up. She tells them that they did not really have too many problems. Nami then asks Neptune a question, calling him grandpa, causing Pappag to comically bite her on the head and tell her to call him god of the sea, Master Neptune. She asks why Fish-Man Island is so bright despite being 10,000 meters below the surface. Neptune tells her that Fish-Man Island came to be when fish-men began living on the sea floor where there was light. He explained that the roots from a tree called Sunlight Tree Eve reach down to the sea floor and transfer light to Fish-Man Island. Scholars have come up with a scientific reason behind how it works, but it is still considered a mysterious, sacred tree whose roots emit the light it absorbs from the surface. The roots also supply air to the ocean floor by breathing. Usopp considers it like the boss of the Yarukiman Mangroves at Sabaody. When the sun is out, there will be light on Fish-Man Island, which means it will also be dark at night. Neptune considers the sun a blessing that many take for granted. Usopp takes notes about it to tell Franky later as the Sunlight Tree Eve could have a connection to the Treasure Tree Adam. Nami says the tree's name while being lost in thought. Luffy tells Neptune he is hungry, calling him grandpa again, much to Pappag's annoyance as they approach the entrance to the palace, the outside of a giant, dark bubble. Neptune rings a doorbell, saying it is him. A stammering voice says they will open the gate at once. Once they were in the corridor beyond the gate, Neptune says "let's go", in excitement, shouting his own name as a battle cry. He calls to Megalo to keep the bubble tight. Luffy says that he is excited to see the palace.

Upon arriving at the palace, everyone looks at it in awe. Luffy thinks that it looks cool. Brook says it made Pappag's mansion look like a flea, prompting the starfish to tell him not to compare them. Nami marvels at its beauty. Camie chatters her teeth while being speechless. Voices are heard saying that the king has returned. Luffy says that it looked like a cool palace with a lot of stuff. Neptune answers him bluntly saying of course it would as it is his castle. He then tells everyone to enjoy themselves. Once inside the castle, two men instantly start berating Neptune for going out on his own. He tells them he will be sure to be more careful in the future. Everyone but Luffy watch this scene, realizing the king is getting yelled at and told off like a child. Luffy, on the other hand, has caught the aroma of something pleasant. Neptune tells the men that he brought the people who saved Megalo from the Kraken. He also asks where his daughter, Princess Shirahoshi, is. The men tell him that "it" happened again just a moment ago. Neptune gets angry, telling the men that they did not set her up with the proper guarding to keep her from getting upset. One of the men retorts that the king disappearing during such a critical time would get the whole castle upset. He then lowers his head, apologizing and promising to take better care next time. The Straw Hats realize he is getting yelled at again. The two men who were berating the king are the Minister of the Right, a seahorse merman and the Minister of the Left, a catfish merman. The Minister of the Right apologizes for berating the king in front of his guests, but they have something important to discuss with him. The Minister of the Left tells them they received a message from Fukaboshi. As they go on to tell him, the scene switches back to the Straw Hats. Nami wonders where Luffy went. Brook wonders when the banquet would start. Usopp says that Luffy was with them just a minute ago and that he cannot hold still. Pappag wonders in horror what Luffy could be doing wandering around the sacred land.

Luffy has followed his nose but lost the scent. He sees a door that he thought the smell of the food originated from. The double door in question was huge, made of mostly metal, and had two sets of handles, ring knockers high above and then regular handles near ground level. Embedded in the doors were three swords and a double-bladed axe. Embedded in the wall around the doorway was an axe, another sword, and the head of a morning star. Luffy, completely ignoring the weapons embedded in the doors and walls, walks over to the door. He says the sturdy look of the walls reminds him of Impel Down. He wonders how good the food behind that sturdy door could be. When he goes through the door, it is pitch black, but Luffy sees food on the other side of the room, making him wonder if the room was the banquet hall. He then wonders if he had found the food vault. Luffy then decides that he would only take a little bit of the food, as his stomach was at its limit. While running across the room, he crashes into something. He thought it was coral that felt really soft. When he first touches the coral, he hears a grunt, but thought it was someone outside. He then began jumping on the coral, comparing its consistency to pudding. He then hears someone ask if someone was in the room. A light suddenly came on and Luffy suddenly begins to fall. He falls next to a gargantuan giant smelt-whiting mermaid, the Mermaid Princess, Shirahoshi. What he had thought was coral was actually the coarse material of her top and the softness he felt was actually her breast. She asks him what he was doing on someone else's body and who he was. Luffy is amazed by the size of the princess. She then asks him if he was here to take her life too, and that she was not scared. She tries to hide her fear by saying she is the daughter of Neptune. But, she could not hold back her tears, which were so big that Luffy had to actually dodge the falling water droplets. She then yells for her father and brothers to help her, as Luffy pointed out that he wasn't doing anything to her.

Chapter 613
The chapter starts with Vander Decken IX and Wadatsumi on the sea floor, waiting for a response from Princess Shirahoshi. Decken IX blames King Neptune, believing he is trying to set up an arranged marriage for the princess for political reasons and as a proof, he locked her in a steel tower for ten years. Vander Decken IX is revealed to be Japanese bullhead shark fish-man. He then takes out a giant axe with a rose painted on it and, using his curse, throws it towards her, claiming that no one will marry her but him and he will kill her if she marries anyone else. The axe, however, turns around and cuts off the mast of the ship. The crew of the Flying Pirates point out that he missed. Vander Decken IX responds by saying he never miss and goes on to say that Shirahoshi's fate is either marriage to him or death.

At Ryugu Palace, guards rush to Princess Shirahoshi's room. The princess cries for help as Luffy explains he was only looking for food. Then, the axe that Decken IX threw flies into the room, but Luffy detected it and deflected it, saving the princess. When the guards finally get to the room, the princess hides Luffy in her hand and places him behind her back. The Minister of the Right asks if she is alright, and she says that she just had a nightmare and apologizes for making them worry. The guards then say they are looking for Luffy, who had snuck away from his crew. Due to the suspicions of kidnappings, and Madam Shyarly's predictions, it has been decided that the Straw Hats will be held in the castle's prison, and Zoro had already been captured. The Minister of the Right then checks his watch and notices that five minutes have passed and must be going.

The princess first thanks Luffy and apologizes for her rudeness, asking for forgiveness. Shirahoshi says that she never imagined Luffy was the one who saved Megalo. She asks if he is Luffy, which the pirate says he is. She asks Luffy if he is a bad person for being a pirate, and Luffy replies that it is for her to decide. When she asks about his crew, Luffy says that it is alright, as there was no way they could actually be captured. Luffy then asks her about the axe and who threw it. She explains that the axe was thrown by Vander Decken IX using his Mato Mato curse, and that she was put in the tower for her protection. She also said that she had been there for ten years with her only companion being Megalo, and that soldiers could only stay in the room for five minutes. She cannot leave the tower for fear of her life. Luffy then understands why the feast was being held.

While Luffy is eating, Shirahoshi comments on his size being able to eat so much for someone so small. Luffy explains that Neptune was going to start the feast but kept getting yelled at, so he followed the scent of food. Luffy remembers that the guards called her princess, so she must be the Mermaid Princess. Shirahoshi says yes and introduces herself. Luffy says that her name is really hard to say. She comments on how Luffy really does not look like a bad person. She asks him if he goes on adventures since he is a pirate. She then asks him if he has seen the sun, or come across different flowers, furry animals, or forests. Luffy tells her not to ask so many questions while he is eating. She comments on the size of Luffy's cheeks and pokes them. Luffy yells at her for poking his cheeks while he was eating. The princess starts crying while telling him not to chastise her so loudly, saying he really is a scary person, and that she had never been yelled at before. Luffy then asks her why she is crying this time and tells her to stop. He also asks how someone so big could be such a crybaby. After that, he says that he does not like her causing her to cry even more. Shirahoshi states that she had never heard such words, calling Luffy a horrible man, and telling him to leave. She then says that she cannot take it anymore as Megalo growls at Luffy. Luffy then says he ate a lot and compliments the food. He says that being locked away for ten years would make him sick. The princess tells him to hurry and leave. Luffy asks her if there is anywhere she'd like to go. She says that there are several, but Luffy does not let her finish her sentence. He offers to go for a walk with the princess and protect her if any weapons flew at her, much to the princess' shock.

At the palace halls, Camie tells Usopp, Nami, and Brook that if they resist any further, they really will be considered criminals instead of just threats. Brook tells Camie that they have no reason for obeying them. Usopp tells her that they will be arrested if they do not resist, and that the guards are the one who came at them for some crazy reason. Usopp asks if she really thinks that they are going to let themselves get captured because of something they may do in the future. Brook pulls out his sword, saying he will fight as many of them as they wish. A guard remarks how many incidents the pirates have caused and that they are unbelievably strong even without their captain. Nami says she was really looking forward to the alcohol they would serve in the Ryugu Kingdom. Pappag is amazed at how confident Usopp is. The Minister of the Left tells the soldiers not to faulter, as this is surely a "prologue" for what is to come. He tells them to defeat the pirates at all costs and protect the country. Usopp tells him that if the guards had not attacked them in the first place, they would have no reason to go as wild as they are. Usopp then says that the crowd of guards is nothing compared to the collective insect attacks when he was on the Boin Archipelago. He then introduces his new weapon, the Black Kabuto. The Minister of the Left asks Neptune to use his power to help the guards. King Neptune says he wants more time to decide whether or not it is alright to arrest people because of a prediction, but tells the guards to capture them for now. Brook gets ready to block as Neptune is about to strike the pirates with his trident. However, Zoro appears and blocks the attack. Nami and Usopp are shocked to see him. Usopp says that he thought he was in prison. Zoro says that he heard a party getting started, so he came out.

The scene changes to Noah, where someone is alerting Jones of the arrival of Vander Decken IX. Vander Decken IX tells Wadatsumi to stay put. As he is led to Jones, Decken apologizes for being late, as he ran into some volcanic activity, and asks him if he is talking to the infamous Hody Jones. Jones says that they are both infamous. Both say that they are pleased to do business with the other. Jones goes in for a handshake, but Decken tells him to wait a moment as he puts on a glove. Jones says that their alliance is toward a single goal from which they would both profit. Their goal is to crush the Neptune Army and take Neptune's head. Zeo says that they are now invincible on the ocean floor, to which Daruma responds that two very powerful people just teamed up. The chapter ends with Jones and Decken saying the complete collapse of the Ryugu Kingdom will happen once they take Neptune's head.

Chapter 614
The chapter starts with the Straw Hats arguing in the palace. They have successfully defeated and tied up Neptune, the Minister of the Right, the Minister of the Left, and all of the palace guards and are arguing about why things went wrong so quickly. While arguing, they realize that Luffy is nowhere to be seen. Nami goes over to one of the tied up guards and asks to not be mean as they are in a hurry and to tell her something. Usopp asks him where Luffy is, but Nami asks him where the treasury room is, much to Usopp's annoyance. Nami asks why Usopp is annoyed at her, while trying to look innocent. Usopp yells at her to use some discretion. Brook tries to cheer everyone up by starting to sing, but is quickly told to shut up by Usopp. The Minister of the Right asks Neptune if he is alright. The king replies that he has not been suited for fighting ever since he strained his back, realizing that he has gotten old. He then apologizes for being unprepared. The Minister of the Right then yells at the Straw Hats, saying that they will not get off easily once the princes return. He then says that the castle should have filled with water, so the pirates would not stand a chance in battle, but unfortunately was drained out. The Straw Hats agree that they cannot stay on Fish-Man Island any longer. Zoro asks where the Thousand Sunny is, saying they should get everyone on board and head out right away. Usopp points out that the coating was taken off the ship when they went through the bubble and Nami said that the Log Pose was acting strange and had yet to lock onto another island. The Minister of the Left then tells them that they could never get to the New World with such a simple Log Pose. Nami asks him what he means and the Minister of the Left tells her that he would explain further if she untied him. Before she can answer him a loud doorbell is heard. The Minister of the Right realizes that it must be the princes.

The scene changes to outside the giant bubble containing the palace. The princes are waiting on their gondola for the gate to open, finding it odd that there are no guards there. A voice comes through on an intercom, asking who it is, another voice says not to answer. More voices call out for help to the princes, while another voice tells them to be quiet. Ryuboshi realizes that something must have happened in the palace. Manboshi agrees, wondering if their father and sister are alright. Fukaboshi tells the voice on the other side of the intercom who he is, and asks him to drop down the connecting corridor and to open the main gate and royal gate to the palace. Zoro, who is the one using a Den Den Mushi to speak to the princes, asks what would happen if they did, and saying sorry as he could not let them in. Usopp cannot believe what Zoro is saying, and yells at him to tell the truth.

Pappag asks that he and Camie be tied up along with everyone else, so that way they do not look like accomplices. Camie tells Zoro she is scared. Fukaboshi asks which Straw Hat he is speaking with. Neptune yells to his son that he is "Pirate Hunter" Zori, causing Zoro to angrily correct him. Zoro tells the princes they have a lot of hostages on their side, including Neptune, and if they cared about the hostages' lives, they would make arrangements for the Straw Hats to depart quickly. He also asked them to round up the remaining crew members: a dark girl (Robin), a robot (Franky), a raccoon (Chopper), and a perverted imp (Sanji). Nami tells him to ask for one billion belly as well, causing Usopp to yell at her to stop. Brook is laughing at Sanji being called a perverted imp, saying it hit his funny bone (another bone joke).

Fukaboshi goes over the basics of the demands. They let all of the Straw Hats leave as quickly as possible and the Straw Hats will not harm the hostages. One of his brothers objects, but Fukaboshi tells they have no other choice, as the corridor is the only way into the palace, as the layers of bubble surrounding the palace make any other form of entry impossible. Fukaboshi asks Zoro if he could tell him something. He did not want to tell the pirates this in such awkward circumstances, but he had a duty to Jinbe. He said he had two messages given to him directly by Jinbe that were supposed to be given to the pirates upon their arrival. The hostages murmur Jinbe's name in surprise amongst themselves. Usopp remembers Luffy saying that he was friends with Jinbe. Pappag adds that even though he is a pirate he is very well trusted on the island. Zoro tells Fukaboshi that Luffy is not with them, but he will convey the messages to him. The messages are "Don't fight Hody" and "I'm waiting in the Sea Forest". Zoro seemed confused by the message.

Back in Coral Hill, people are gathering, talking about how the Straw Hats actually took over Ryugu Palace. Someone wondered what they were planning to do. One mermaid cannot believe it, as she thought they looked nice people. Nika asked how they could do something like that. One man said that they must be the ones kidnapping mermaids and must definitely be the ones who appeared in Madam Shyarly's vision, and that thing are happening just as she predicted. Someone says that two of them are in the back of the Mermaid Cafe and a police squadron went to arrest them just now. Just then, a blast is seen coming from the back of the cafe.

Chopper is fighting several guards using a new technique: Kung Fu Point. Chopper, now much wider as a result of his transformation, tells the guards to move and not to disturb Sanji, as he is still recovering. He then asks what the guards meant by asking him to come to the Ryugu Palace, and if they were really there to arrest him and Sanji. Sanji walks through the rubble and says hello. Chopper tells him he cannot move around yet. Sanji asks one of the guards if the Mermaid Princess is in the Ryugu Palace. The guard says she is, but asks why Sanji wants to know. Sanji then declared he is going to the palace, even if it kills him. Chopper asked him if he understood that he would die instantly if the princess was beautiful.

Back at the palace, Luffy is talking with Shirahoshi. He is trying to convince her to go outside. He says he remembered she has somewhere she wants to go, and that he would go crazy if he were shut up in a room for ten years. He tells her it would be his way of thanking her for the food. Shirahoshi argues that it would be selfish and cause trouble for people at the palace. Luffy cuts her off asking her where she wants to go. At first she is hesitant about answering, but after a couple of seconds replies that she wants to go to the Sea Forest. She then goes back to saying that it would be selfish and is only a dream and starts crying. Luffy asks her why she is crying after telling him where she wants to go. She apologizes, saying she mustered too much courage. Luffy calls her a pain, hurting her again, but quickly apologizes. They then hear a loud noise outside the tower. Luffy comments on how loud it was. Luffy asked if something was thrown at them again, saying Vander Decken was a problem.

Neptune hears the sound too, and it worries him. He thinks it could be one of Decken's weapons and it came from the tower. He asked if there were guards posted by her door. He is told no, as they are all tied up with him. He then tells the Straw Hats to go make sure Shirahoshi is safe. Zoro wonders what the king is talking about. One of the guards objects, but Neptune tells him that some problems cannot be avoided without sacrifices. Neptune tells them that the tower is in the northeast part of the palace. When Zoro asks why they should take orders from a hostage, Neptune snaps at him, saying that Shirahoshi is his only daughter, and due to extenuating circumstances is being targeted for her life.

If anything happened to her while he is incapacitated, he would chase them to the ends of the ocean. Brook realizes that the daughter he is talking about must be the Mermaid Princess. He says that he will hurry to her, and asks if it is okay to ask to see her panties. The Minister of the Left is then scared for the princess' safety from Brook. The Minister of the Right asks Brook to take him along, leaving him tied up. Shirahoshi's tower is under his jurisdiction in the palace, and he would not be able to take it if something happened to her. Brook slings him over his shoulder, asking the minister if he is a fan too (referring to the princess' panties), to which the Minister of the Right replies not to be ridiculous. The Minister of the Left is furious, as Brook jokes that he will be going in front of Sanji.

The scene changes back to Luffy and Shirahoshi, who is telling the pirate how she has always wanted to go to the Sea Forest for ten years but was warned that it was dangerous to leave the tower, which scared her into staying. She then asks Luffy if he really will take her out and protect her, to which he replies yes. She then starts crying. Luffy tells her that if she cries, he will not take her out and she will have to take him out since he cannot swim. She apologizes, saying she is just so happy. Luffy calls her a crybaby and a weakling. Luffy then says that she is too big to go out normally, but that he has a plan for sneaking her out. As Brook and the Minister of the Right get near the tower, they see what was making the noise. The minister was surprised that it wasn't weapons hitting the wall. The sound came from human pirates crashing against the outside wall of the tower. He calls it insane and inhumane, calling out Vander Decken IX.

They then see the pirates beginning to stand up. The minister realizes the severe implications of pirates entering the supposedly impenetrable palace. He then realizes that it is meant to be a surprise attack and that the king is in danger, as well as the princess. In Shirahoshi's room, Luffy thinks it is safe to go as he does not hear anything outside and tells Shirahoshi, again calling her weakling. He tells Megalo he is counting on him. Megalo barrels through the tower's double doors, revealing that the princess is hidden away in Megalo's mouth with Luffy riding on his head in a flutterkick coating while shouting that they are going to the Sea Forest, taking out several of the invading pirates as a result. The chapter ends with Brook and the Minister of the Right being completely shocked to see Megalo and Luffy.