“What?”

  Somewhere on the Red Line.

  On a rugged, pitted cliff, El—wearione shackles and sweating profusely as he trained—was taken abad blurted, “Thor found that nternfish?”

  “We’re irely sure yet, but it’s highly likely…”

  Somewhere out at sea.

  Fire Camity Afar and Dal had chased their quarry to this location.

  Looking at the now still Vivre Card in his hand, Afar said helplessly, “We followed its guidance up to here, but suddenly the card stopped pointing anywhere. At the same time, it still shows he’s alive… I’m guessing he went uer, probably swallowed by that mohe Den Den Mushi’s signal is messed up, so we ’t get through!”

  “That brat—always so reckless… You two stay right there. I’m on my way!”

  El’s eyelids twitched.

  Without hesitation, he removed his Seastone handcuffs.

  He immediately picked up his Den Den Mushi, took out several Vivre Cards he carried, and found the one beled “Fire Camity.”

  He kept “backups” of the Vivre Cards of his children—Thor, Sif, and others—as well as for the key members of the Fallen Angel Pirates, so he could rush to their aid at a moment’s notice.

  Swish—!

  In a fsh, El’s aura fred as he shifted into his huma form.

  Predatory in demeanor, his scaly armleaming, he unfurled two pairs of wings—one blue, one bck—behind his back.

  “Woo-hoo-hoo…”

  Following the Vivre Card’s guidance, he soared into the sky.

  The fmes behind his head extinguished, pushing his speed to its limit, aransformed into a streak of bck light, hurtling away at incredible velocity.

  Barely two hours ter, thanks to that astonishing speed—and guided by the Vivre Card—El arrived at the sea where Fire Camity Afar and Dal were waiting.

  “El-sama…”

  “Dad!!”

  Afar and Dal greeted him.

  El hen turned his gaze to the waters below. “This is the pce?”

  “Right. I sense a huge preseh a frightening aura hiding about ten thousaers down,” Afar said.

  The moment El had e near, that highly trained Observation Haki—honed day and night—immediately locked onto the massive creature deep below.

  A faint red glint fshed in his eyes as he peered through the roiling sea.

  He could see the colossal beast, aiced a glowing “ntern” on its head that lit even the dark depths.

  “It’s defihat giant nternfish…” El said with aed grin. “Looks like Thor’s luck isn’t half-bad!”

  A trace of delight shone in his eyes as well. With this discovery, he wouldn’t have to worry that his beloved panions and key pirate officers would grow old too soon—at least not before they achieved their grand ambitions.

  “So it really is the nternfish?”

  Afar had suspected as much, but he was still amazed aed. Legend had it that Pure Gold might lie within this creature—who wouldn’t get excited about the possibility of a longer life span?

  Moreover, as a top-ranking member of the Totto Land Kingdom and also a Lunarian, if they really did secure a rge quantity of Pure Gold, he knew El wouldn’t hesitate to share.

  “Shall we call over Jien and the others?”

  Trying to keep his emotions in check, Afar spoke in a deep voice. “It’s all the way at the bottom of the sea, which isn’t going to be easy… Plus, Prihor is still i!”

  “Don’t worry,” El replied with a calm smile.

  He took out a rge mirror—about two meters aade from a shape-memory alloy that would be difficult to damage, and ha to Afar. “I already told Barry, Jien, Uthan, and the others to stand by in the Mirror World for secrecy’s sake. They should be here any minute now!”

  “The in touch again and have them bring some sealed metal tainers at least twenty timeters thick. Pure Gold shines way thtly, so we’ll o lock it up to keep that glow from attrag attention.”

  If El was right, not only the fish’s body but also the “ntern” on its head could tain a substantial amount of Pure Gold. T it bader the radar, he’d have to rely on the power of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit. Simply taking the nternfish down in pin sight and hauling off the Pure Gold might draw unwanted notice from other fas.

  Swish—

  Wasting no time, El pulled out a seed from the Yarukiman Mangrove that he always carried on him…

  In an instant, the tiny seed sprouted roots in his palm a growing until they anchored themselves right there on the sea’s surface.

  tless roots spread like a spider’s web, secreting copious sap that formed a huge bubble around teers in diameter. Under Afar’s astonished gaze, the immense bubble enveloped El’s tall figure.

  “Dad, I wanna go with you!”

  Their third son, Dal, used his Traransfer Fruit to teleport ihe bubble and perched on El’s broad shoulder, refusing to budge.

  “All right, e along,” El said, knog lightly on Dal’s forehead with a smile.

  “You two be careful!” Afar called, holding the rge mirror. He wasn’t too worried, though. The Lunarian race was said to be able to survive in areme enviro—nd, sky, or even uer. Even if El’s Devil Fruit powers were nullified deep below, his monstrous body alone would keep him safe.

  Spsh…

  Waves ed as the huge bubble submerged, revealing a dark uer world for El and Dal. Far below, however, was an orb of intense light, like a miniature sun.

  Desding deeper, they passed schools of fish and sea beasts. Some creatures tried to attack, but one fierce gre from El sent them fleeing.

  “Bubbles…”

  Streams of bubbles floated upward, and the immeern” appeared before them.

  “Wow, that’s sht…” Dal excimed in wonder, still perched on El’s shoulder. “Dad, is that glowing thing the Pure Gold?”

  He’d already heard Afar’s expnation. He never imagihere was something in this world—Pure Gold—that could grant people aended lifespan. It was almost too fantastic to believe.

  “Yes. There’s Pure Gold ihat ‘ntern,’ though it’s not actually quite that rge. But it should still be a signifit amount,” El said with a smile.

  Just then, the giant nternfish noticed their presence. In an instant, it gaped its massive maw and swallowed them whole—bubble and all—roots of the Yarukiman Mangrove and everything…

  Bleam