"You're really breaking this down like a manual, Coby," Franky said with a laugh. "But it's good to know where we all stand."
Coby nodded, leaning against the railing casually. "Now, let's talk higher levels. Level 3 of Observation Haki is advanced range. It lets you extend your Haki much farther, whether it's for sensing or attacks. But Level 4? That's where things get specialized. But don't get me wrong—you don't pick what you specialize in. It's innate. There are three known types: Future-sight, Aura-vision, and Immense Range."
Luffy chimed in, his usual grin stretching across his face. "Oh yeah, I remember Rayleigh saying something like that."
The crew nodded along, while Usopp, his eyes wide with curiosity, asked, "Wait, you can actually see the future?"
Coby shrugged. "Yeah, a second or two, but it can be pretty useful."
Usopp's jaw dropped a little. "That's insane."
Coby smirked and continued. "As for Armament Haki, Level 3 is called Emission. It lets you project your Haki outside your body over a short distance. Remember Sentomaru from two years ago? He could hit us without touching."
Luffy grimaced, clearly recalling the fight with Sentomaru. The others nodded, understanding the technique.
"Now, Level 4," Coby said, "is Internal Destruction. Instead of just coating your attacks in Haki, you can send it into someone's body and break them from the inside out. You can do it by grabbing them or even from a short distance."
Sanji flicked his cigarette, clearly impressed. "So, it's like exploding someone from the inside. Sounds deadly."
Coby nodded. "Exactly. But it takes some serious control. You can't just go around blasting everything."
Zoro grunted, leaning on one of his swords. "That'll come in handy."
Luffy cracked his knuckles, clearly hyped. "I gotta get better at that!"
Coby grinned, "You sure will." He then explained the last one, "As for Conqueror's Haki, it's too mysterious to speculate. All I know is guesswork. Level 3 is Wide-Range Impact, like I said earlier. The range and how many people you can knock out depend on your willpower and mastery. As for Level 4, it's Infusing Conqueror's Haki into physical attacks. This makes your strikes way more destructive. Your blows become overwhelming, not just physically but with your willpower backing them up. Beyond that? Who knows. There's probably higher levels, but it's a mystery to me too."
Luffy scratched his head, grinning wide. "So I can make my punches even stronger with Conqueror's Haki? Sounds awesome! I'm gonna use it in my Gear Fourth!"
Coby chuckled. "That's the idea, Luffy. You'll get it."
Sanji, arms crossed, still looked skeptical. "And what about you, Coby? Where do you stand with your Haki? You keep breaking it down for us, but where are you?"
Coby smirked, shrugging casually. "Me? Let's just say I've been keeping up."
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You think you've got the edge on us?"
Coby laughed. "Maybe. Guess we'll find out soon, huh?"
Zoro grinned. "We'll see."
As the Sunny sailed deeper into the sea, passing through the murky depths, the silhouette of the Flying Dutchman appeared. The infamous ghost ship creaked eerily as it approached, its ominous presence casting a shadow over the ocean floor.
Coby's eyes narrowed at the sight of Vander Decken's ship. He felt an urge to take the guy out right then and there, but he shook it off. "Nah, I'll leave him for later," he muttered to himself. He wasn't planning on letting plot play fully but he still had a few points he wanted to protect.
The ship continued its descent, moving past the Dutchman. It was still dark, but suddenly, a bright glow filled the water. Fishman Island appeared below them, massive and beautiful, bathed in light from the Sunlight Tree Eve.
The crew marveled at the sight of the massive bubble encapsulating the island. "We made it!" Luffy shouted, leaning over the railing with his trademark grin.
But the excitement was short-lived. At the entrance to Fishman Island, a group of figures blocked their path. The New Fishman Pirates—Hammond, Kasagoba, and Hyouzou—stood there, sneering at the crew.
Hammond at the lead said, "Straw Hat crew, we heard a lot about you. You killed Arlong, which is a sin on your side, but you also protected Hachi-san, and beat up Celestial Dragons, which is a worthy act our leader Fisher Tiger would approve of. So, it's really difficult to decide. How about it, Straw Hat Pirates, will you pledge your allegiance to the New Fishman Pirates or will you decline?"
Coby didn't waste any time. In an instant, Shusui was in his hand, and before the Fishman Pirates could react, he was already among them. Three quick slashes, and their heads were off, bodies collapsing to the ocean floor in a spray of blood. He had no patience for their bullshit.
Without a word, he sheathed his sword, returned to the ship, and barked, "Kraken, to the entrance."
The massive sea creature obeyed, pulling the Sunny forward with powerful strokes. The ship glided smoothly toward Fishman Island's gates, leaving the decapitated pirates behind.
Luffy leaned over the railing, watching the whole scene with wide eyes. "Damn, Coby, didn't even let them finish."
Coby shrugged. "They were wasting time."
Nami nodded, "Yeah, and we don't need any more delays."
At the entrance of Fishman Island, the Ryugu Kingdom soldiers stood guard in an expansive U-shaped area, where they processed all incoming and outgoing visitors. As the Thousand Sunny approached, they flagged the crew down, signaling them to stop for registration.
One of the soldiers stepped forward, holding a clipboard. "Welcome to Fishman Island. We need to register your crew before entry. You are free to explore, but any law-breaking will be met with heavy retaliation. This island is under the protection of Big Mom."
The crew exchanged glances. Luffy didn't seem bothered, his grin wide as he looked at the soldier. "Sure, we won't cause any trouble," he said, casually waving a hand.
The soldier nodded, marking them down. "Good. You're cleared to enter, but be warned—Fishman Island has been experiencing unrest. Keep to yourselves, and there won't be problems."
"Got it," Zoro muttered, already half-distracted by the sights of the island.
As the crew prepared to move on, a group of figures appeared in the distance, moving quickly toward the entrance. The three princes, Fukaboshi, Ryuboshi, and Manboshi, approached, their imposing forms casting shadows as they came to a halt in front of the Sunny.
"You must be the Straw Hat Pirates," Fukaboshi said, his deep voice carrying across the water. "Our father, King Neptune, has invited you to the palace. Please come with us."
Luffy looked at Coby, and Coby gave him a simple nod. He had a good idea why the princes were here—something about Jinbe needing them at the palace. Coby didn't remember every detail, but it was better than playing cat and mouse all over Fishman Island like in the original timeline. The real action was at Ryugu Kingdom anyway.
The reason Coby didn't go after Hody right away was simple. The Fishmen were already prejudiced against humans, and Jinbe wanted Luffy to be seen as a hero. That was the gist of it. For now, Coby just had to make sure King Neptune got kidnapped at the right time, and then Luffy would swoop in, save the day, and be the big hero. Simple enough. As for Shirahoshi, she was beautiful, no doubt, but mentally, she was still like a child. Coby wasn't interested in wooing someone who hadn't matured. That would leave a bad taste in his mouth.
The crew made their way into the Fishman Island after leaving Sunny at the dock of the Kingdom. The island was a vibrant, colorful place, filled with coral buildings and fishmen of all shapes and sizes moving about. The glowing lights from the Sunlight Tree Eve made the underwater city shimmer. Luffy, as expected, had already darted ahead, gawking at everything with his usual wide-eyed excitement.
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