Under Prince Neptune's personal guidance, the Jellyfish Pirates slowly sailed the Flame Fang through the flowing light of the entrance passage, officially setting foot in the dreamlike kingdom ten thousand meters beneath the sea—Fish-Man Island.
"Wooooow——!!!"
The sight before them made even these well-traveled pirates cry out in amazement.
"No way?! There's a sky… under the sea?! And clouds too?!"
"The clouds are moving! They're actually drifting!"
"How is this even possible?!"
By this point, Prince Neptune and several of his subordinates had already boarded the deck of the Flame Fang.
Hearing the endless exclamations from the crew, the prince burst into hearty laughter and pointed toward a colorful, densely built district ahead on the island.
"Look over there—that place is called Coral Hill. It's one of the busiest towns on Fish-Man Island. Let's dock there!"
"Coral Hill? That's such a nice name!"
"Those houses… they're glowing! Are they made of coral?"
"Look! The streets are so lively! There really are tons of merfolk and fish-men!"
Guided by Neptune, the Flame Fang steadily sailed toward Coral Hill's harbor.
Along the way, even more wondrous sights entered their view.
"Hey! Look at that! What are those transparent tube things?" one sharp-eyed crewman shouted while pointing upward.
Everyone raised their heads.
Above the town floated winding transparent pipelines, with water visibly flowing through them.
"Oh, those," Neptune explained proudly, "are waterways crafted by the island's bubble artisans. They use special bubbles to encase flowing water and form transportation channels. Fish can move freely through them, and they also allow merfolk and fish-men to travel quickly through the air above the city. Watch."
Before he even finished speaking, a female mermaid gracefully slipped into the entrance of a nearby tube.
Her body swayed fluidly through the water like she was flying through the sky itself as she glided along the transparent passage toward another part of town.
"Swimming… in the sky?!" Marcus stared with wide eyes.
"That's incredible! So you can do something like this!" Even the usually calm Kahlo revealed genuine admiration.
"But, Your Highness," Riberra Sami asked the question lingering in everyone's mind as he pointed toward the blue sky and drifting white clouds overhead, "why does a sky exist this deep beneath the ocean? This light, this scenery… what exactly makes it possible?"
"Hahaha!"
Neptune laughed loudly, his orange-red curls bouncing slightly.
"Amazing, isn't it? This is one of Fish-Man Island's greatest miracles. Hundreds of years ago, genius craftsmen used the roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve to channel sunlight from the surface down to the seabed. Combined with giant bubble membranes and special technology, it created this underwater sky unique to Fish-Man Island."
He scratched his head slightly.
"As for the full principles behind it—even this prince can't claim to completely understand them. Let's just call it a blessing from the sea!"
As they conversed, the Flame Fang finally docked steadily at Coral Hill's harbor.
The gangplank lowered, and the crew stepped onto the land beneath the sea.
Standing within the city itself made the sense of wonder even stronger.
"So this… is Coral Hill!" Hans looked around with eyes full of curiosity and fascination.
"There really is coral everywhere… all kinds of colors and shapes!" Henry couldn't resist reaching out to touch a branching coral nearby that emitted a faint blue glow.
"The houses really are made from shells and coral! Look at that one—it looks like a giant scallop! And that one's shaped like an upside-down conch shell!"
The streets were broad and spotless, while the architecture possessed a fantastical harmony.
Massive shells formed rooftops, colorful coral decorated the walls, and pearls alongside luminous stones glittered throughout.
Fish-men and merfolk bustled through the crowded streets.
Some sold deep-sea specialties from roadside stalls, others gathered around open-air cafés naturally formed from coral reefs, laughing and chatting together. Children rode gentle miniature sea beasts through the streets in playful chases.
It was a scene of prosperity and peace.
What stood out even more, however, was that every resident who passed by—whether rough-looking fish-man merchants or beautiful mermaid maidens—would stop to warmly greet Neptune the moment they saw him.
"Good day, Prince Neptune!"
"Your Highness, back from patrol already?"
"Prince Neptune, thank you again for your help this morning!"
Neptune carried absolutely no arrogance.
He always smiled and nodded in return, sometimes even pausing to ask his citizens about their daily lives.
Watching all this from beside him, Riberra Sami quietly remarked:
"Your Highness, the respect you command here is truly admirable."
"Hahaha!"
Neptune thumped his chest proudly.
"Protecting my people and ensuring they can live peacefully is simply this prince's duty!"
Amid Neptune's hearty laughter, Riberra Sami shifted his gaze away from the beloved prince and toward the surrounding streets.
He noticed something.
Whenever those enthusiastic residents finished greeting Neptune and their eyes shifted toward the hundred-plus humans behind him, traces of caution—and even disgust—would flash through their expressions.
After respectfully greeting the prince, they quickly turned away or hurried back to their own affairs without saying another word.
It seemed the people here were not particularly fond of humans…
Neptune, however, appeared not to notice the subtle emotional shift among his citizens.
He turned, preparing to continue leading Riberra Sami and the others deeper into the town while introducing more of Fish-Man Island's unique sights—
"Your Highness!"
A hurried shout interrupted him.
A Ryugu Palace guard rode in rapidly atop a speed fish from the direction of the city center, nearly failing to stop near the harbor.
The guard quickly leapt off his mount and whispered several urgent sentences into Neptune's ear.
The cheerful smile instantly vanished from Neptune's face.
His brows furrowed, and when he turned back toward Sami, his expression now carried apology.
"Captain Sami, my sincerest apologies. An urgent matter has arisen at Ryugu Palace requiring this prince's immediate attention. It seems today's tour must end here for now."
The sudden change surprised Riberra Sami slightly, but he immediately nodded in understanding.
"Your Highness carries many responsibilities. If urgent business calls, please don't mind us."
"Thank you for understanding."
Neptune wasted no further time.
"If fate allows, this prince shall fulfill his duties as host another day. During your stay on Fish-Man Island, please stay safe and obey the kingdom's laws. Farewell!"
With that, he swiftly mounted his sea beast alongside the messenger guard and several close attendants before hurrying off toward Ryugu Palace.
Watching Neptune's hurried figure disappear beneath the dreamlike sky, Riberra Sami slowly withdrew his gaze and turned back toward his companions.
The crew both aboard ship and already on shore continued staring in the direction the prince had left, leaving the atmosphere briefly quiet.
Riberra Sami clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, brothers, plans have changed. Same rules as always—split into groups, and every group must have an officer leading it."
He looked toward Hans.
"Hans, take part of the crew and handle docking registration and supply procedures with the harbor."
Then his gaze swept across Coral Hill as he lowered his voice slightly.
"Remember, this place is very different from other islands. We already saw it ourselves—the locals may hold strong prejudice or even hostility toward humans."
His expression turned serious.
"Everyone stay alert. We didn't come here to cause trouble. Keep yourselves under control. Absolutely no provoking locals or stirring up incidents. Understood?"
"Understood, Captain!"
"Well then," Riberra Sami waved a hand, "split up according to plan. Stay in contact."
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