Fish-Man Island Arc

The Fishman Island arc is the twenty-fifth story arc in the series, and the second in the New World Saga of the One Piece series, continuing on from the Reunion at Sabaody Arc. The Straw Hat's finally head for Fishman Island after their two year hiatus. But many surprises await them as they head for their undersea destination.

After the Departure: Last Thoughts from Sabaody Once More.
After the Straw Hats escape, the scene changes to a section in Sabaody known as "No Man's Land". Coribou and Caribou along with their crew have captured the remaining Impostor Straw Hat Pirates and are digging their graves. The fakes beg the brothers to let them go but they refuse, revealing that they had planned to kill the real Straw Hats from the inside after joining them and were not amused when they found out they were lied to. When Fake Sanji continues to beg, Caribou reveals he is a Devil Fruit user, turning his arm into a gooey substance and smothering fake Sanji's face. The Fake Sogeking tries to shoot him, but the cannon ball ends up absorbed into his body, revealing that it is a Logia-type. Caribou orders his men to bury the imposters alive while he excitedly announces that he managed to confirm the real Straw Hats location.

Back in Grove 46, Sentoumaru reports back to his base, mentioning he managed to capture Demalo Black and most of Demalo's recruited pirates except for the Caribou Pirates and the other Straw Hat Imposters (sans Cocoa and fake Chopper), who somehow disappeared from the plaza. He also comments on the Straw Hats' newfound strength after easily destroying the two pacifista he brought along with him and tells his base to call Marine HQ in the New World and warn them that the Straw Hats have finally revived.

The scene then moves to a shore where Rayleigh is watching the ocean. Shakky joins him commenting on how quickly the Straw Hats left. She then asks if Rayleigh is recalling something. He jokingly comments "maybe" then remembers when he first met Roger who surprisingly looked very much like Luffy when he was younger, even wearing the same straw hat. Rayleigh then comments to Shakky that destiny is slowly taking shape and that Luffy has proven himself that he is worhty of wearing that certain Straw Hat. He also mentions that it wouldn't be a bad idea to live for a bit longer.

Undersea Voyage: The Straw Hats Descend


Meanwhile underwater, the Straw Hats marvel at site of the undersea world, one of which is the roots underneath Sabaody as well as the huge fish swimming around them. Luffy and Zoro try to catch them, earning them bumps on the head from Usopp and Chopper for nearly bursting holes in the coating bubble. Sanji asks Nami to explain more about the coating, but seeing her simply move once again gives him a nosebleed that propels him out of the bubble. He managed to pass through the bubble without bursting it but winds up in the ocean. Luffy manages to reach through and grab him but is weakened once his arm is in the water. He manages to pull Sanji back in. The others comment on how much more weak Sanji becomes when he is around women now and worries about what will happen when they reach Fishman Island.

Robin then notices that ship's bubble shares the shame characteristics as those on Sabaody. Nami confirms it, mentioning that anything strong enough to pass through the bubble will just go right through it, allowing them to fire the ships weapons if necessary. When Usopp asks what could break it, Nami answers that poking multiple holes in the bubble will indeed pop it, so they have to be careful not to let a Sea King bite into it or smash into a reef. Luffy and Zoro once more try to go fishing, forcing Usopp and Chopper to stop them again.

Luffy remembers Hancock had fixed him food, so he shares his bentos with the crew while Usopp wonders why Hatchan isn't guiding them like he promised two years ago. Franky, after confirming that the ship is stabilized with Nami, says he needed tell the crew something. In the two years they were gone, both Hachi and Duval protected the ship the best way they could but both were heavily wounded and Hatchan had to retire and head back to Fishman Island. A year after he left, the marines found out about Sunny and came to capture it. However there was one more warrior who protected the ship: Bartholomew Kuma.

The Truth Comes Out: Kuma's Selfless Action


Franky explains that after he arrived back on Sabaody he had found Kuma heavily damaged and rusted. Kuma then declared his mission was complete and headed off much to Franky's confusion. Franky then found out from Rayleigh that during their battle against Kizaru, Kuma had whispered to Rayleigh that he was a Revolutionary and wished to help the Straw Hats escape. After blasting the Straw Hats away, he later met with Rayleigh and told him he didn't have much time left. Since he was treated like a guinea pig with the Marines, his body was becoming more machine then human. He then made a deal with Dr. Vegapunk that before his personality was completely gone to have a program embedded in him to return to the Straw Hats's ship and guard it until one of the Straw Hats returned.

The Straw Hats are astonished that Kuma would go to such great lengths to protect them, figuring that Kuma did it as a favor to Dragon. Franky then warns them that while they are indebted to Kuma for saving them, the next time they meet he will have likely become a heartless human weapon. With that said, the group decides to eat the lunchboxes Hancock made for Luffy (once again earning Sanji's anger after he woke up and learned the truth). They are unaware that the Caribou Pirates are right behind them, and Caribou is still obsessed with destroying them.

Into The Breach: The Route To Fishman Island
Very soon the ship descends into an area of the ocean where very little sunlight can penetrate and crew begins to wonder how far the ship had descended below the ocean. Franky said they are past a level called the Euphotic Zone and are about to be out of another level called the Disphotic Zone, about 1000m below the surface. While they're sailing, the Caribou Pirates ship is quickly approaching Thousand Sunny from behind, being towed by a sea monster. Caribou is heard, rallying the crew, getting them ready for their upcoming attack, and planing to make him famous to the world by taking the Strawhats' heads.



Back on the Sunny, Usopp sees something gaining on them, thinking it is a sea monster and tells the crew there is a shadow heading directly toward them. Caribou's ship soon catches up and comes along side the Sunny. The Strawhats wonder whose ship it is. Caribou leads the assault. At that moment, Nami recognizes the monster pulling the ship as Mohmoo, the pet sea cow of the Arlong Pirates. Mohmoo sees Nami, Sanji, and Luffy, remembering all three of them from the past. He remembers the beatings he received from Luffy and Sanji, and swims back the opposite way out of terror, towing the ship with him, but not before Caribou, and only Caribou, was able to make it onto the Thousand Sunny's deck.



Caribou, unaware he was left behind, commands his crew to introduce themselves by slaughtering all the Strawhats. He immediately realizes that he is the only one of his crew on board the ship and immediately changes his tune. Franky picks him with one hand, Caribou begging him not to throw him out into the ocean. Franky, instead, simply throws him against one of the side rails of the ship. Caribou immediately denies he was the captain of the crew, saying he is just a human bullet for that crew, and that he is sick of being on that ship. He then asks the Strawhats if it would be alright if he rode with them for while. The Strawhats allow that, but tie him up with a rope. The scene momentarily switches back to the Caribou Pirates' ship, the crew trying to command Mohmoo to stop and asking him what happened. Coribou then says that Caribou will save them for sure.

Back on the Sunny, Caribou is reworking his plan. Since he can get out of the ropes any time he pleases and since he can't fight nine people at once, he thinks it would be best to observe the crew and wait for a chance to kill them one by one. Luffy asks if it wouldn't be faster to travel in a straight line, but Nami explains that if they continue straight, they would just be swallowed up by currents and could hit a volcano or sea mountain before finishing their descent. She also explains that there is only one same route, and tells everyone to put on a coat, saying the journey would get a lot colder, since the water in the deep sea is cold. Brook then adds that the colder levels have what are called Deep Currents, large ocean currents normally invisible to the naked eye that move in a completely different pattern than surface currents and also says that he has heard that the Deep Currents move very slowly across the ocean floor, and that once someone is down that deep, it could take nearly 2000 years to return to a part of the sea that gets sunlight. Nami says to get there, they need to ride a descending current that takes them from a surface current to a deep current. Franky then calls to her from the bow of the ship, saying "it" has come into view. Everyone goes to the bow. Luffy asks what the current looks like. Franky, in response to seeing it, says "Mother nature really knows how to get things done.", the great Downward Plume.



Caribou, who had been quiet the whole time, stands up and tells the Strawhats to turn back immediately, saying that something was bad. Luffy says he sees a monster at the bottom. Caribou states he has never heard of that type of sea monster living in a place like a Downward Plume. He described the creature as such: "Never knowing satisfaction where killing is concerned...It is a demon, running about the great deep and preying on ships!! The enemy of the human race!!!". The monster in question is a Kraken, a giant, mythological octopus. Franky adds that it can crush multiple ships in a single blow, and that it must have been staying there, feeding on the ships that traveled there in the past few days. Luffy, not intimidated by its massive size and appearance, decides to tame it.

Caribou's ship suddenly returns, with Coribou and the rest of the crew, inculding Moomoh, determined to save Caribou. However before they can get close, they're grabbed by one of the Kraken's tentacles who quickly destroys their coating bubble and their ship, making Caribou's crew submerge in the water much to his dismay. The Kraken then sets its sights on the Sunny. Luffy and Zoro prepare to attack but Usopp stops them, warning that they'll break holes in the coating bubble. Franky activates the ship's Chicken Voyage to avoid some of the tentacles. Noticing that Luffy won't change his mind on fighting, Caribou comes up with a suggestion. Soon Luffy, Zoro and Sanji are in their personal coating bubble which Caribou calls "Barefoot Coating", which is essentially man-made diving suits. Caribou tells them they can now go fight without damaging the ship and can find their way back using a rope lifeline. Usopp at first complains about this, but when Caribou make it clear which would be better: fighting on the ship or away from it. Usopp agrees with the latter. The "Monster Trio" head out though leave their lifelines behind as they feel it'll get in their way.

The Kraken attacks again to which Franky fires rockets from shoulders, repelling a tentacle. The Kraken attacks with another one but Chopper eats a Rumble Ball and goes into Guard Point, protecting the ship. The Sunny is knocked back as a result toward a mountain however, but Robin manages to conjure two big hands and keep it from crashing. Luffy goes into Gear Third and equips a Busōshoku Haki harding on his arm. However as he using it in the ocean, hes weaken as a result. The Kraken tries to grab him but Sanji dashes toward it outside his bubble. He then hits the Kraken with a Diable Jamble. Zoro goes in next and cuts off most of Kraken tentacles. Luffy complains to the two that they're gonna take off all its legs before hitting the Kraken with Gomu Gomu no Elephant Gun. This beats the Kraken though the group notice a large shark with a shirt on swimming around the Kraken. Before they can wonder whats going on, they're all swept up in the current of the Downward Plume and pulled further down. Franky, with Nami's navigation, manages to keep the ship from crashing, but the Monster Trio ended up separated from the ship.



Those onboard the Sunny find themselves in a very dark and cold part of the ocean, unaware of the sea monsters swimming around. As they activate some lights, they find themselves staring face to face with a few of them, much to their horror. A caption comes up, commenting that the area they're in is known as "The Deep Sea", a part of the sea where light can't reach and no normal creature exist. It's also known as "The Underworld of the Sea".

In The Darkest Underworld: Encounter With The Legendary Ghost Ship


The Straw Hats still on board the Sunny are looking for Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji in the dark depths of the Deep Sea. It is hard to search the water due to it being so dark. Even the Sunny's headlight beams could not penetrate that far into the water. The ship is then surrounded by a school of enormous jellyfish. One of the jellyfish stuck one of its tentacles through the coating bubble. Chopper tries to touch it but Robin yells at him not to touch it, as they are poisonous. Franky uses a Coup de Burst just as a giant fish bites down on the jellyfish. Brook notices that the Coup de Burst lowered the air level on the ship somewhat. Right after he says this, the large fish turns onto its back, killed from the nerve toxin inside the jellyfish. Chopper notices that there are a lot of fish with white eyes. Brook comments that the eyes on a lot of fish at this level are vestigial, making them unable to see at all. Usopp and Chopper take advantage of this and start teasing the large fish. Robin then states that there are also fish whose eyes have evolved to see in the darkness. Resuming the search, Brook notices that Caribou had escaped from the ropes that were holding him. No one had seen Caribou since they had reached the Deep Sea, suggesting he might have been thrown overboard. Caribou is really hiding in a barrel nearby as everyone realizes he could be hiding anywhere on the ship and they need to be even more on guard. Caribou considers sneaking into the girls' room, saying he had been planning to do so. He seemed please that the Monster Trio was gone, saying they all must be dead by now. He was disappointed he couldn't take Luffy's head, but figured the heads of the rest of the crew would be just as good, but he should wait until the instant they land at Fishman Island to attack.



While he is thinking all this out. Franky notices him in the barrel. He forces the lid of the barrel down and seals the barrel with ropes and by bolting large metal holding plates along the sides of both ends of the barrel. Franky realizes that Caribou had let himself get hit by Sanji earlier in order to hide his mud-like Logia powers. Franky concludes that the crew would have been in trouble if Caribou wasn't such an idiot. As Franky walks away, Caribou, from the barrel, begs Franky to let him out, saying he would become Franky's slave if he did, calling him "Master Bikini Pants." Franky then notices that something was bothering Chopper and asks him what is wrong. Chopper says it has become really hot, and Usopp agrees. The crew then notices that they are heading into a cloud of smoke. Nami realizes that smoke under water, coupled with hydrothermal mineral deposits could only mean they were in a Deep Sea volcanic region. The Sunny is right above the mouths of several volcanoes. Franky realizes that if the volcanoes erupt, they would be killed instantly and proceeds to steer the ship away from the volcanoes. The crew is then chased by carnivorous tube-worms, a noppera crab, and several other creatures. Chopper complains that he can't go on living and misses Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji, saying he waited two years to see them and when he finally does, they disappear.

Chopper then notices a light in the distance, wondering if they had reached Fishman Island. Nami says no, as they still have 3000 meters to go. Franky uses his Nipple Lights to ask in Morse Code "W-H-O-A-R-E-Y-O-U-?" The light turns out to belong to a giant angler fish. The fish tries to eat the ship, but is stopped by a giant humanoid creature. Usopp identifies it as an umibozu, a sea giant. The giant punches the angler fish, whose name is Ankoro, saying it was not supposed to attack ships and that captain Van der Decken would be mad at them. Brook then hears someone singing. A ghostly ship approaches from behind the giant. The ship is old and parts of it are worn. Everyone was shocked at this site, even Brook, which prompted Usopp to say that Brook shouldn't be surprised.



Brook identifies the ship as "The real thing", the Flying Dutchman. He then proceeded to give the history of the ship and its captain. It is called "The ship that should not be." The story dates back hundreds of years. On a stormy day, a captain became deranged and started throwing his crew overboard, killing all of them. The captain's name was Van der Decken. He incurred the wrath of God, and was doomed to an eternity of wandering the sea, forbidden to ever make port. That ship is the very same ship they see before them, the cursed ship of Van der Decken.



Van der Decken, whose whole body was shadowed except his arm, told the angler fish and the giant, whose name is Wadatsumi, told them they wouldn't get treasure if they ate the ship, telling them to knock it down. Someone yelled for Franky to use Coup de Burst, but Franky said they can't since they ran out of fuel just then. They are saved, when the kraken shows up out of nowhere and punches Wadatsumi in the chin. Everyone on the ship is surprised to see it again. Van der Decken calls the Kraken "Monster of the Arctic." The kraken continues to beat up the giant until ordered by Luffy to stop, which it did. Everyone is relieved to see that Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji are alive. All three are in the same bubble. Wadatsumi is unconscious with large bruises. Luffy tells them that his and Sanji's bubbles broke, so they all had to share Zoro's. Luffy did not like it in the cramped bubble, he sprawls out on the deck of the ship, happy for so much room. Franky notes how much vitality they all have. Nami asks if they actually tamed the kraken. Luffy says he is going to turn the kraken, who he named Surume, into a top-notch navigator as Surume places Thousand Sunny on his head. Usopp says they should be careful the ship isn't crushed. Everyone then hears a rumbling sound coming from one of the volcanoes. Van der Decken's crew alerts him that there is trouble, as Nami realizes the volcano is about to erupt.

An Adventure 10,000 Meters Under The Sea: The Straw Hats Arrive At Fishman Island.
As both parties realizes what going to happen, Van der Decken decides to pull out, ordering Wadatsumi and Ankoro, the angler fish, to pull the ship away from the area. Nami meanwhile tells Luffy to order Surume to run but Surume is already hauling tail out of there. Both parties get a good distance before the volcano explodes sending out a shockwave. The Flying Dutchman along with Wadatsumi and Ankoro are blow away though Surume is able to keep ahead as the magma begins to run down the volcano. Sanji asks Nami which way to which she points to another trench even darker then the Downward Plume. Usopp and Chopper panic through the ordeal, but Luffy just tells Surume to jump for it. Surume does so and fall into the trench as the volcano erupts again. Causing an an avalanche that destroys the trench above them and sends rocks falling toward the Sunny.

Zoro moves to go out of the bubbles to cut the rocks using Luffy's arms as a lifeline but Robin stops him, warning that the underwater pressure of their location will surely kill Zoro. Usopp takes action by firing another green star out of the bubble that turns to seaweed wrapping around the rocks and slowing their descent. Giving Surume time to get out of way. Everyone on board congratulate Ussop (even Zoro is impressed) but a stray boulder catches Surume from behind knocking him out and both the Sunny and he pummel into the abyss. Luckily, after a 10,000 meter drop, the Straw Hats find themselves still in one piece with the Sunny laying on its side at the bottom of the ocean floor. They notice light emitting from somewhere and find that its their long sought destination, Fishman Island, an island wrapped in gigantic bubble.

The crew celebrate though Sanji once again has nosebleeds just by thinking of all the mermaids he'll see. Chopper diagnoses that the rehabilitation might not have worked and that Sanji shouldn't see a mermaid. Usopp argues it one of Sanji's dreams though Chopper counters he could lose his life. Sanji comments he rather die giving perverted looks to mermaids before getting fired up, suddenly better. Luffy more excited about what food he'll be able to eat while Nami tries to get him to get Surume to take them to the island. Before they can, a voice calls out to Surume, demanding why he letting humans order him around. Surume becomes scared, lets go of the Sunny and runs off. And with good reason as the Sunny is surrounded by a variety of much larger sea kings. The voice from earlier calls out to them, commenting that since their pirates, their enemies of humans and have a right to choose. When the being spots the Straw Hats flag, he mentions he recognizes them and heard how they defeated Arlong's crew as well as protecting Hachi and punching a Tenryuubito. The voice turns to belong to a daggertooth piked conger fishman named Hammond, a combatant of the New Fishman Pirates. He then states said choice, they can join them or be sunk right then and there.

Nami, knowing Luffy all too well, tells Franky to quickly refuel the cola. Explaining that Luffy and the others will never go along with Hammond's demands. But as their 10,000 feet under the ocean and have very little fighting space on the Sunny, plus the limited air and the risk of breaking the coating bubble. The only choice the Straw Hats have is to run and charge straight toward Fishman Island with Coup de Burst. Robin agrees and Usopp tells Franky to take the steering wheel while he fill the cola. Hammond once again asks if Luffy will join him which, as Nami correctly predicted, Luffy refuses just as the preparations for the Coup de Burst are set and they prepare to blast off.