After leaving Amazon Lily, the Voyage sailed directly through the Calm Belt and entered the South Blue.
Due to the previous live broadcast, nearly everyone in the world was now aware of Eriri and her companions, which meant that their journey remained completely unimpeded.
Every pirate ship that spotted the Voyage kept a safe distance, fearing that approaching might bring about their demise.
After roughly ten days of travel, Eriri and the others completed their circuit around the South Blue and once again crossed the Calm Belt, returning to the first half of the Grand Line.
They did not linger in the first half for long. Upon reaching the waters near the Sabaody Archipelago, they immediately set sail for Fish-Man Island beneath the sea.
Since the Voyage was already equipped to withstand seawater, there was no need for it to undergo a coating process.
The underwater scenery was entirely different from the surface, with various species of fish swimming around the Voyage.
After some time, the Voyage successfully reached a depth of ten thousand meters below sea level. Along the way, any Sea Kings that attempted to attack were effortlessly obliterated by the ship's protective barrier.
The Voyage then passed through two layers of membranes and successfully arrived at Fish-Man Island, also known as the "Undersea Paradise."
As soon as the Voyage appeared at the port of Fish-Man Island, it was quickly noticed by nearby fish-men.
Due to a chain reaction, it wasn't long before all of Fish-Man Island was in an uproar over the arrival of Eriri and her group.
By the time Eriri and the others arrived at Coral Hill, a bustling port town in the southeast of Fish-Man Island, King Neptune, the Great Knight of the Sea and ruler of the Ryugu Kingdom, had already arrived before them, accompanied by his three sons and several guards.
Upon seeing Eriri, Neptune immediately bowed respectfully, lowering himself as much as possible.
"Honored guests, welcome to Fish-Man Island. I am Neptune, King of the Ryugu Kingdom. Please forgive me for not coming to greet you at the first opportunity," Neptune said with great reverence, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Faced with a group that had eradicated the Celestial Dragons, Neptune had no choice but to tread carefully. No one knew what attitude Eriri and her companions held toward the fish-men.
Although it was Hancock who had wiped out the Celestial Dragons, everyone knew that Eriri's strength surpassed Hancock's by countless times. The devastating power of the energy she had casually unleashed remained vividly etched in their memories.
That said, deep in his heart, Neptune held a favorable impression of Eriri and her group—after all, the fish-men had long harbored deep hatred toward the Celestial Dragons.
Without waiting for Eriri to respond, Neptune, still filled with apprehension, continued to ask, "May I inquire about the purpose of your visit to Fish-Man Island?"
"Neptune, there's no need for you to be so tense. I hold no hostility toward your people," Eriri said nonchalantly, waving her hand dismissively. "We're just here to look around Fish-Man Island before heading to the New World."
Hearing Eriri's words, Neptune and his three sons instantly let out a sigh of relief. As long as their people were not in danger, that was all that mattered.
Although Neptune had no idea why Eriri and her group didn't simply travel to the New World through Mary Geoise, he wasn't foolish enough to ask.
Thus, he could only muster a strained smile as he said to Eriri and the others, "I see. In that case, would you like me to arrange for someone to guide you around Fish-Man Island?"
"No need, we can explore on our own. By the way, you wouldn't mind if we take a look around Ryugu Palace later, would you?" Eriri asked.
"N-No, of course not! Ryugu Palace always welcomes your esteemed presence," Neptune replied, wiping away his sweat, his nerves on edge.
After all, he was well aware that his daughter, Shirahoshi, was the current Poseidon, one of the Ancient Weapons. If Eriri and her companions were to discover this, who knew what kind of trouble it might bring upon his daughter?
Yet, he couldn't refuse Eriri's request. If he angered them over something as trivial as this, the consequences would be dire.
However, he quickly recalled how, just ten days ago, Eriri had effortlessly destroyed the World Government's Ancient Weapon, Uranus. Given her immense strength, it was likely that the so-called three Ancient Weapons, which were said to be capable of destroying the world, meant nothing to her.
This realization put him somewhat at ease—at the very least, Eriri wouldn't target Shirahoshi just because she was Poseidon.
"In that case, I won't disturb your sightseeing any further. We shall take our leave," Neptune said before bowing slightly and departing with his three sons and guards.
His three sons had remained silent the entire time, knowing that in such a situation, speaking recklessly could lead to disaster. When dealing with someone like Eriri, exercising extreme caution was never excessive.
After Neptune left, Eriri and her companions began wandering around Fish-Man Island.
As usual, they didn't stick together but split into separate groups to explore wherever they pleased.
Ophis and Scarlet followed Eriri as always, but this time, they were also accompanied by the "Bible Loli Goddess" Seira and Gabriel, who served by Seira's side.
Perhaps because Neptune had interacted so amicably with Eriri and her group, the residents of Fish-Man Island no longer seemed as fearful of them. At the very least, they weren't hiding anymore.
Unlike how they treated other humans, they didn't display any hatred toward Eriri and her companions. The residents of Fish-Man Island weren't fools—they knew very well what actions were appropriate and which ones weren't.
The population of Fish-Man Island was divided into two races: the merfolk and the fish-men. Merfolk had human-like upper bodies and fish-like lower halves, and most of them possessed exceptionally beautiful features—though there were a few exceptions.
Fish-men, on the other hand, had completely fish-like appearances but retained human-like legs. Their looks didn't conform to human aesthetic standards—perhaps only fellow fish-men could truly appreciate them.
The merfolk and fish-men lived separately. Fish-men resided in an area known as Fish-Man District, a rather chaotic place where most of Fish-Man Island's criminal groups were concentrated.
However, Eriri had no interest in Fish-Man District whatsoever. What intrigued her was the place where the merfolk lived—Mermaid Cove.
After some time, Eriri and her companions naturally found themselves wandering into the area where Mermaid Cove was located.
Compared to other places, Mermaid Cove was like an entirely different world. There were no oddly shaped fish-men here—only mermaid ladies dressed in bikinis.
Although the mermaids were somewhat nervous about Eriri and her group's arrival, it no longer affected them much.
Since Eriri and the others had been friendly throughout their visit, the residents of Fish-Man Island had inevitably developed a vastly different impression of them.
Upon seeing the mermaids, Eriri decided to put her earlier plan into action.
"Hello there, lovely mermaid ladies," Eriri greeted with a smile as she approached the edge of the cove.
"Greetings, honored guest. May I ask what brings you to us?" a blue-haired mermaid at the forefront asked respectfully.
"It's nothing major—I just wanted to ask if any of you would be interested in living in my world?"
Eriri didn't bother beating around the bush and stated her intentions outright. While she could have discreetly transferred this group of mermaids into the Martial Arts Tournament world without anyone knowing, she saw no need to do so.
After all, this was just an idea of hers, not something absolutely necessary. Even if no mermaids were willing to go, it wouldn't be a big deal—at most, it would just be a slight disappointment.
However, Eriri believed that once she revealed her offer, there wouldn't be many mermaids who could resist the temptation.
"Huh? Live in your world? You mean in your domain?" The blue-haired mermaid was momentarily stunned—she hadn't expected Eriri to make such a proposal.
That said, she found herself a little tempted. After all, Eriri's overwhelming strength was undeniable, and living under the protection of such a powerful figure would surely mean never having to worry about safety.
She wasn't concerned about Eriri deceiving her—there was simply no need for that.
With the power Eriri and her group possessed, they could abduct the entire population of Fish-Man Island without any difficulty. She wasn't arrogant enough to think that Fish-Man Island could stand stronger than the Holy Land of Mary Geoise.
Still, she felt some reluctance about leaving Fish-Man Island—it had been her home for nearly twenty years, after all.
The other mermaids around her also appeared deep in thought, contemplating Eriri's proposal. Their perspectives might have differed from the blue-haired mermaid's, but the differences weren't significant.
However, Eriri's response was beyond what they had expected.
"I think you misunderstood me. When I said 'world,' I didn't mean an island in this world—I meant a completely different world."
"What? A different world???"
As gasps of astonishment escaped the mermaids, Eriri continued, "It's a world that I personally created. At the moment, it is inhabited only by animals and does not have any humans."
"If you agree to relocate, you will be the first humanoid race to settle in that world."
"Will we be able to return to Fish-Man Island after moving there?" a green-haired mermaid cautiously raised her hand and asked.
Although Eriri's words sounded rather unbelievable, they subconsciously believed what she was saying.
"No. Once you move, you will become inhabitants of that world, and this world will no longer have anything to do with you." Eriri shook her head decisively. These mermaids were not like Hancock—what she needed were stable residents, not individuals who could come and go as they pleased.
Upon hearing this, almost all the mermaids abandoned the idea of accepting the offer. In their eyes, being unable to return was no different from losing their freedom.
After all, they had no real concept of what another world was like, instinctively treating Eriri's so-called "different world" as a relatively small, isolated space.
"U-Um… Lady Eriri, may we refuse?" A black-haired mermaid mustered her courage and asked timidly.
While they wanted to decline Eriri's invitation, outright rejecting her without any reservations was impossible—who knew if she would be angered by their refusal?
"Of course you may. I am merely presenting you with an offer. Whether you accept or decline is entirely up to your own will."
Eriri's response brought relief to the mermaids, but just as they were about to voice their refusal, her alluring voice rang out once again.
"However, if you do agree to relocate, I will provide you with benefits so enticing that you won't be able to refuse."
Hearing the word "benefits," the mermaids were momentarily stunned, and whatever words of refusal they had prepared were swallowed back down.
"Umm… Lady Eriri, may I ask what these benefits are?" the blue-haired mermaid asked curiously.
"If you agree to relocate to my world, I will grant you eternal youth and significantly extend your lifespan," Eriri said with a soft smile, her tone brimming with temptation. "Well? Doesn't that sound appealing?"
Appealing!
How could it not be? Even setting aside the promise of an extended lifespan, the prospect of eternal youth alone was more than enough to make them flock to the offer.
The pursuit of beauty transcended species—no girl wanted to watch her appearance fade with time.
And once again, Eriri had no reason to deceive them, so they had no doubts about the truth of her words.
All they could do was marvel at Eriri's power—she was capable of granting eternal youth and extending lifespans, feats that defied all logic.
At this point, nothing else mattered to them. There was only one thought in their minds—to move to Eriri's world as soon as possible and obtain eternal youth and beauty.
As for rejecting Eriri's offer… Had anyone even considered that just now?
Just as the mermaids were about to eagerly accept Eriri's invitation, they were interrupted once again.
"But…"
Hearing those two words, the mermaid ladies, who could barely contain their excitement, suddenly felt their anticipation being strung along.
"But not everyone will be allowed to enter my world and live there. If you wish to relocate, you must first pass my selection."
The mermaids were once again stunned. What they had originally thought was a simple matter of agreeing had now become shrouded in uncertainty.
It would be fine if they were chosen by Eriri, but if they weren't—wouldn't they regret it for the rest of their lives?
As a result, each and every mermaid gazed at Eriri with eager eyes, hoping she would pick them.
"Alright, now you can go and inform the other mermaids about what I've just said. Tomorrow at noon, have all those who are interested in relocating gather here. At that time, I will personally select the mermaids suited to move to my world," Eriri said with a smile.
"Make sure to notify as many mermaids as possible. The number of participants won't affect your chances of being chosen. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention—my world will have no males, so only female mermaids will have a chance of being selected."
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