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Going down alone would be much easier. There weren't any real threats on Fishman Island, and the only one who could put up a fight against him was Jinbe.
Speaking of which, Amazon Lily, the kingdom ruled by Boa Hancock, was located in the Calm Belt, southwest of the Sabaody Archipelago. However, now wasn't the right time to claim Hancock.
If he wanted to take her, the only way was to defeat, kill, or kidnap a Celestial Dragon.
Going to Amazon Lily also carried some risks.
He wasn't entirely sure if he could resist Hancock's petrification ability. After all, if anyone claimed they had no lustful thoughts toward her, even he wouldn't believe it.
Although his lightning-fast speed made it nearly impossible for her to hit him directly, he worried she might pretend to surrender and then catch him off guard.
For example, if they worked together and she made subtle physical contact with him, his desires might peak—leaving him vulnerable to petrification.
If that happened, he would have nowhere to cry!
After explaining everything to his crew, he transformed into lightning and shot toward the sea.
As for why he wasn't taking a "Goddess" with him to Fishman Island to enhance his strength…
Well, most of the mermaids on Fishman Island were already well-known. When he arrived at his destination, with his "abilities," finding pleasure wouldn't be an issue.
Underwater, near the Sabaody Archipelago.
Using the power of the Pika Pika no Mi, Hikaru controlled a massive sphere of seawater, shaping it into a hollow bubble around himself. Then, he turned into lightning and dove deeper into the ocean.
In this part of the sea, enormous "Sunlight Trees Eve" grew, transmitting sunlight from the surface all the way to the depths. Thanks to them, even the deep sea wasn't completely dark—allowing a dim glow to illuminate the ocean floor.
Fishman Island thrived under the Sunlight Trees Eve, which provided daylight and night cycles. The island's residents called this phenomenon "the grace of the sun."
Because of this, Hikaru could still see a fair amount of the seafloor as he descended.
However, the water was still filled with impurities, marine life, and various obstructions, making visibility limited.
Remaining on guard against sea beasts, he recalled what he knew about Fishman Island.
"I wonder if I'll run into Camie. She's always so absentminded... She's been swallowed by sea beasts at least twenty times but always manages to escape somehow."
As Hikaru dived deeper, the sea beasts grew more aggressive, and the number of Sea Kings increased. The powerful creatures were actively hunting smaller sea beasts, making the waters even more dangerous.
At that moment, the sea around him turned pitch black. A thick, inky smoke spread throughout the water, shrouding the area in darkness and severely limiting his vision.
Hikaru frowned slightly and moved to the side, his eyes flashing red as he activated Observation Haki to glimpse into the future.
[If he flew to the left, a bottomless abyss would suddenly open beneath him, devouring the surrounding darkness.]
[If he dodged randomly, he would still be swallowed by the abyss, forcing him to unleash a terrifying barrage of lightning strikes to illuminate his surroundings.]
[The lightning would reveal the abyss's true form—an enormous mass of bloated, pulsating flesh. Thick, putrid, and highly corrosive liquid would drip from above, forming a wall of flesh that trembled ominously.]
[If he attempted to escape upward, he would find a colossal squid waiting above. The pitch-black sea was its handiwork...]
It was a Sea King hunting another Sea King!
And he had unknowingly gotten caught in the middle of it.
The red glow in Hikaru's eyes faded as he processed the situation.
"Door—Different Space!"
In an instant, he stepped into a separate dimension, standing on the solid green void of his alternate space.
The very next second, the abyss-like mouth below him closed in, devouring the surrounding waters. Even though the giant squid above spewed more ink, it couldn't escape its fate of being swallowed whole.
Hikaru's thoughts shifted, and he transformed into lightning, flashing away to a safe distance. From afar, he could finally take in the full appearance of the monstrous creature.
It was a long and "thin" Sea King, stretching at least 2,000 meters in length. Its body was covered in irregular black and white stripes, and its head—bizarrely—resembled that of an oversized hippopotamus.
Its body was covered in smooth, elastic skin, a clear sign of its incredible defensive capabilities.
As far as Hikaru knew, when Shirahoshi awakened the power of the Sea Kings, the creatures she summoned were said to be "over 5,000 meters long."
This hippopotamus-like Sea King bore a striking resemblance to the ones Shirahoshi had called upon. There was a high chance it shared a familial bond with them—perhaps a parent and child relationship.
Facing such a colossal beast, Hikaru couldn't help but feel just how small he truly was...
It's decided! He needed to find a Devil Fruit that could make him bigger!
(Mainly because Shirahoshi was just too massive. If he couldn't grow in size, he'd be left bouncing around like a flea on a trampoline—what a miserable fate that would be.)
Although Sea Kings were enormous, they were often weak-willed. Their intelligence generally increased with their size, and some were even as smart as humans.
For most people, attacking a Sea King underwater was nearly impossible—their flesh was far too tough to be damaged by conventional means. However, while mental attacks couldn't kill them, they could intimidate and drive them away, making it the most effective strategy.
Hikaru decided to give this one a little electric therapy.
With a single thought, blue arcs of lightning crackled around his body as he stepped out of his alternate space.
Even underwater, his lightning powers remained undiminished. Every wave of his hand unleashed powerful electric currents, instantly boiling the surrounding seawater.
"6,000,000,000 Volts: Brontosaurus!"
A massive thunder dragon surged forth, roaring as it galloped through the water. Everywhere it passed, the sea hissed and bubbled as the heat from the lightning evaporated it instantly.
With an earth-shaking explosion, the thunder dragon crashed into the side of the hippopotamus Sea King. The sheer force of the blast peeled away layers of its thick skin, sending violent shockwaves rippling through the ocean.
"Mou~~"
[Ouch~ Who's hitting me?]
Hikaru was momentarily stunned.
Did the hippo just... speak?
Was this the Sea King's voice? Or had he somehow awakened the ability to hear the Voice of All Things?
The massive hippopotamus turned its head toward the source of its pain. Spotting the tiny figure of Hikaru it wasted no time—it opened its enormous maw and inhaled forcefully, sucking in massive volumes of seawater as it lunged forward.
The powerful current wrapped around Hikaru, trying to drag him into its mouth.
But it was useless. With the power of the Pika Pika no Mi, he remained completely unmoved, floating effortlessly in place.
"Piao Piao: Sea Bind!"
Infusing the surrounding seawater with his abilities, Hikaru shaped it into a colossal, thousand-meter-long hand. The watery appendage shot forward, clamping tightly around the hippopotamus' massive body.
With a flick of his wrist, he intensified the grip, compressing the water to increase its binding force.
"MOUUUU!!!"
The hippopotamus' agonized cries echoed through the ocean depths. Thousands of fish and sea beasts in the surrounding area fled in terror, scrambling to escape.
However, the true rulers of the sea—the other Sea Kings—were unfazed. Instead, they began to gather, drawn by the commotion.
[Stop hitting me! Please stop... I feel terrible... Wuwuwu...]
Hearing the giant creature's plea, Hikaru's gaze sharpened.
At that moment, his Conqueror's Haki surged forth!
The entire sea trembled.
The enormous hippopotamus immediately froze. Its resistance vanished as its body locked in place, eyes wide with sheer terror.