Chapter 81: A New Ally from the Deep

“Three of spades.”

“I’m down to my last card.”

The three of them glanced at Notty, but it was still too soon to tell who would win.

Davis pulled out a deck of playing cards from his pocket.

The group sat right down on the ground and started a round of Dou Dizhu.

This time, Karl was the landlord. He looked smugly at the other two, already grinning because his last card was the Joker.

Barring any surprises, he had this game in the bag.

But the more confident you get, the more likely something unexpected happens.

“Boom!”

Just then, a thunderous roar split the air, louder by far than any of the booms they’d heard earlier.

Davis quickly stuck his cards into the deck and jumped to his feet, eyes on the center of the battlefield. Notty and that Fishman’s fight was finally over.

Seeing this, Karl didn’t complain. He simply tossed his cards to the ground and stood up to watch too. After all, compared to a teammate’s safety, a card game wasn’t even worth thinking about.

As the smoke cleared, they could clearly see an uneven oval had formed in the middle of the battlefield. Notty and the Fishman both lay sprawled on opposite sides, blood splattered everywhere around them.

“It’s over.”

Karl, Davis, and Fields hurried over to Notty. Seeing his wounds, Karl was relieved they weren’t too serious.

“Step, step, step!”

Still dazed from the clash, Notty perked up at the sound of footsteps, then turned his head to spot the three walking toward him.

“Captain? What are you doing here?”

Notty had never noticed Karl and the others hiding among the coral, so he was a bit puzzled.

Karl, seeing that Notty was basically okay, glanced over at the Fishman on the other side.

“Hmph, we’ve been here all along.”

“You think you can get up?”

Notty nodded and sat up by himself. Fields quickly stepped in to help him the rest of the way up. Even though waves of pain shot through his body, at least nothing felt broken—he could still move freely.

“Looks like you’ll be fine.”

“You’re not hurt that badly—don’t waste it.”

“Relax, Captain Karl.”

Each member had a Rejuvenation Pill from Karl, and Notty knew his injuries weren’t life-threatening, so there was no reason to use the precious medicine.

It was better to save the pill for a real emergency.

Still, something nagged at Karl as he looked over the Fishman before him. He couldn’t spot anything about him that resembled the ones from Fishman Street.

“Who is he?”

“How’d you two meet?”

“Not really sure.”

“I came here just to test myself and feel what real pressure from the deep sea is like.”

“Didn’t expect to run into him training his body here too.”

“So we ended up sparring under the pretense of a friendly match.”

Karl heard Notty’s answer and immediately guessed this Fishman was probably a battle maniac too. Neither of them had tried to kill the other—this was definitely more of a sparring session than a true fight.

Notty noticed the Fishman still lying down and thought something might be wrong. He quickly called out.

“Hey, are you still alive over there?”

“Relax, I’m not dying.”

The Fishman, hearing Notty shout, struggled for a bit before finally sitting up slowly.

He glanced at Notty and nodded in respect.

“You’re the first human I’ve met who can fight like that.”

Notty grinned a bit at the Fishman’s praise, but quickly brushed it off. After all, the two guys with him were way stronger.

“That just means you haven’t seen much of the world.”

“There are countless people like me up on the surface.”

The newcomer looked startled. He’d lived in the deep sea since he was born, his entire family dwelling in pitch-black depths, never seeing daylight.

He didn’t know it, but the area where his family lived had been set aside by Fishman Island just for them. Their vicious, bloodthirsty natures would disrupt island life, so the place was basically an invisible prison filled with all kinds of dangerous Fishmen.

“Seriously?”

“Aren’t all humans supposed to be fragile and weak?”

He’d seen humans on Fishman Island before, but none had ever given him a genuine sense of danger.

“Shows what you know. You really are a country bumpkin.”

“My captain is Karl.”

Notty pointed straight at Karl.

“He’s insanely strong, and even he won’t say he’s the strongest human out there.”

The Fishman still looked doubtful.

Karl just chuckled.

A heartbeat later, Karl unleashed a surge of killing intent, laced with Conqueror’s Haki, aimed straight at the Fishman—but only held it out for a second before withdrawing it again.

“Ugh!”

The Fishman could feel the threat of death instantly. It only lasted an instant, but that moment chilled him to the bone.

“Hah… hah…”

He bowed his head, propping himself up with both hands and gulping for air.

After catching his breath, he looked up at Karl, face pale.

“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. Seems I still have a lot to learn.”

Karl had a hunch about this guy’s identity—anyone living on Fishman Island should know the greatest force on the seas was humanity.

This Fishman was still young, but already nearing the strength of a Vice Admiral. Karl’s mind began to stir with ideas about winning over his whole clan.

“So, what do you say?”

“Wouldn’t you like to test yourself against even stronger opponents?”

Karl knew the best way to attract a battle maniac was to let him face new, even greater rivals.

No fighter could resist an offer like that.

Sure enough, the Fishman’s eyes lit up, excitement brimming as he looked at Karl.

“You’d really let me join?”

“Of course, if that’s what you want.”

“Great! Please, take me to see these powerful fighters!”

Karl looked at the eager Fishman and grinned.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Halil, a Fishman of the Azure Dragon Clan!”

“Alright then, let’s set sail together.”

“I’ll show you what it’s like when real titans clash.”

Karl helped Halil to his feet, and together, the group made their way back to their temporary camp.

On the way, Karl asked more questions and confirmed his hunch—Halil really was from that exiled prison zone.

Locals there didn’t see it as a prison, though. To them, it was a deal struck with the Emperor of Fishman Island that let them unleash their wild nature without any restraints. Sometimes, it was all just a matter of perspective.

“This is Halil. He’ll be one of us from now on.”

After returning to their cabin, Karl gathered everyone together and introduced Halil.

Karl had his reasons for accepting Halil onboard, but once you joined his crew, you were a friend—no exceptions.

Later, Brown led everyone on a tour of Fishman Island’s many sights.

Brown was the perfect guide—he’d formed a unique connection with the local merfolk and learned firsthand all the best things the island had to offer.

That night, they returned to where they were staying.

A short Fishman from the seahorse tribe ran up to Sliya. He was on lookout duty, and, spotting Karl’s group approaching, had come to report immediately.

“Sir Karl has returned.”

“Good work.”

Sliya got up from the bench by the door and walked toward Karl, placing his right hand over his chest with a slight bow—the proper Fishman salute.

“Sir Karl, the banquet is ready and waiting for you all.”

Karl shot Davis a look, and Davis got the message right away, hurrying to take everyone’s things inside.

Sliya didn’t rush anyone but simply waited quietly to one side.

“Lead the way.”

As soon as Davis stepped out from the doorway, Karl turned to Sliya.

“Right this way, please.”