It remained to be seen whether these young pirates would go on to achieve even greater feats.
But one thing was certain: for now, the Whitebeard Pirates still stood at the peak of the seas.
As long as they remained, their territories would not be allowed to fall.
So far, the El Pirates had not made any aggressive moves or shown open hostility toward Fish‑Man Island. But what if they changed their minds?
This crew was different from all others.
If they decided to strike suddenly, even if the Whitebeard Pirates rushed to the rescue, it might already be too late to save the island.
"We set sail directly for Fish‑Man Island!" Whitebeard declared, his spirit flaring.
"It's high time we see just what this young man is truly capable of!"
It had been years since Marco had seen his captain so fired up and eager. Could the El Pirates really be that formidable?
"But your health, Pops…" Marco said, his voice heavy with concern.
The era that belonged to Whitebeard was slowly drawing to a close.
Times were changing; a new era was dawning.
It was undeniable that Whitebeard and the other legends of his generation were steadily losing their strength.
And Whitebeard's own condition was growing increasingly fragile.
No one knew this better than Marco the Phoenix, who served as the crew's chief doctor.
"Does it matter?" Whitebeard laughed, already reaching to pull out the tubes and needles attached to his body.
"We are pirates! Do you expect me to lie in bed and waste away until I die?"
"Wait, Pops—hold on!" Marco rushed forward to stop him.
"There's no need to do this right now. We can remove all the equipment once we are close to Fish‑Man Island!"
Even with his Devil Fruit powers, Marco's healing abilities had limits.
When it came to his own injuries, his regeneration was near‑perfect; but when healing others, its effect was far weaker—helpful, but only to a small degree.
That was why Whitebeard still relied mostly on conventional medicine, monitors, and nutrient drips to sustain his body.
Whitebeard, however, paid little attention to all these restraints.
He was forever trying to tear free of the countless tubes and wires binding him, and it was only because Marco stayed constantly at his side that he rarely succeeded.
This time, driven by his resolve to set sail, he finally managed to yank everything loose and "free" himself.
…
"Captain… do you think they've come to welcome us?"
Doflamingo, seeing the scene unfolding before them, was just as surprised.
Two orderly lines of nobles and officials stood at the entrance, all bowing respectfully toward their ship.
Though Doflamingo had seen much of the world, he knew that Fish‑Man Island had always been hostile toward humans, or at best sought only uneasy peace.
This warm reception was completely at odds with every rumor and story he had heard.
"To be honest…" El said, looking just as confused, "I have no idea what this is about. I don't recall having any history with this place."
"Is it truly the El Pirates who have honored us with their arrival?"
Not only the island's nobles, but King Neptune himself had come out to greet them.
"That is King Neptune, the Knight of the Sea," Hancock whispered, leaning close to El.
"Ah… right. King Neptune… greetings," El replied, still unsure how to respond.
It was hard to turn away someone who greeted you with such open hospitality—and that was exactly what Neptune intended.
He wanted to keep the El Pirates calm and contained, at least until the Whitebeard Pirates arrived to back him up.
"Please, come in, come in! The El Pirates are most distinguished guests!"
Neptune called out. "We have prepared the finest feast the island can offer in your honor!"
The warmth and eagerness were so overwhelming that El and his crew could barely make sense of it, but there was no time to ask questions.
Before they knew it, they were being gently ushered and escorted inside.
As for danger? El feared nothing less. No matter what scheme Fish‑Man Island might be plotting, if they chose to strike, he would answer in kind.
Located near the halfway point of the Grand Line, Fish‑Man Island served as the vital link between its two halves.
By rights, such a strategic location should have made it one of the busiest and most prosperous places in the world.
Yet for centuries, the Fish‑Men had suffered greatly.
They were physically weaker than humans and often captured and sold as slaves by other races.
For a long time, they had no way to defend their home.
But things had changed, largely thanks to the efforts of Queen Otohime, the late wife of King Neptune.
Through her work, relations between Fish‑Man Island and humanity—and more importantly, with the World Government—had improved dramatically.
She had even managed to gain the attention and favor of the Celestial Dragons, the highest authority in the world.
The World Government was the most powerful organization in existence, yet it ultimately answered to the Celestial Dragons.
These "World Nobles" rarely concerned themselves with daily governance, but their status as the world's "founding fathers" was absolute.
Long ago, the World Government was formed by the royal families of the twenty most powerful nations.
Rather than returning to their homelands, they chose to remain in the capital, enjoying their elevated status.
Their descendants became the Celestial Dragons, rulers who stood above all others, with even the Marines and the World Government forced to serve them.
With the Celestial Dragons' approval, Fish‑Man Island finally broke free from its history of being treated as nothing more than a source of slaves.
The journey had been long and painful, and the price paid was immense.
Today, King Neptune ruled with extreme caution, walking a tightrope to preserve his people's independence and stability.
He maintained relations not only with the World Government and the Marines but also with the powerful pirate emperors of the New World—balancing alliances and interests with great care.
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