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Fishman Island's Ascent
Hikaru waved his hand helplessly and said, "Shirahoshi, tell them that you're leaving the sea. Ask them to help transport Fishman Island and Noah upward, and then request one Sea King to remain near Fishman Island."
"Only request Sea Kings larger than 5000 meters! Don't waste your power!"
Hikaru knew that if Shirahoshi kept one nearby, even if she couldn't fully awaken her ability to summon Sea Kings yet, she could still command them.
Shirahoshi nodded and conveyed Hikaru's instructions in her gentle voice.
The Sea Kings responded immediately, diving beneath Fishman Island and Noah, preparing to lift them toward the surface.
Seeing this, Hikaru quickly brought Shirahoshi back to Fishman Island.
Soon after, more than a dozen massive Sea Kings emerged from the depths, pushing Fishman Island and Noah upward on their massive heads.
This spectacular sight was common in the Calm Belt but extremely rare in the turbulent waters of the New World.
Unfortunately, only the residents of Fishman Island were fortunate enough to witness such an incredible spectacle.
Hikaru controlled the island's ascent at a careful angle, guiding it far from the Red Line until it appeared in the waters near Raijin Island.
"Goodbye, my friends!" Shirahoshi called to the Sea Kings.
Hikaru continued the operation, allowing Fishman Island and Noah to rise to an altitude of 7000 meters above the White Sea before temporarily halting their ascent.
With Fishman Island no longer at the bottom of the sea, all Marines and pirates who had relied on it as a waypoint to the New World lost their underwater haven.
This meant anyone attempting to reach the New World via the seafloor would face significantly greater dangers.
Not only that, but travelers would now need to prepare Log Poses calibrated for the New World in advance at Sabaody Archipelago to navigate safely.
Whoever would be the first to discover Fishman Island's disappearance without proper preparation would likely meet their end...
After settling everyone, Hikaru spent two more days enjoying himself with the mermaids at Shirahoshi's private estate before departing for Raijin Island with great satisfaction.
As a user of the Thunder-Thunder Fruit, Raijin Island was a must-visit destination. He hoped to find something that might help strengthen his abilities.
Unfortunately, despite exploring the island thoroughly, he discovered nothing special. He even attempted to absorb some of the natural lightning, but it yielded no results.
He had initially imagined finding some kind of "inheritance" similar to those in fantasy tales, but found nothing of the sort. It seemed he had been merely daydreaming.
This temporary setback didn't discourage Hikaru. Following his original plan, he crossed the Red Line from the Calm Belt on the left side of the New World and flew back toward Sky Island.
Not long after flying over the Red Line, an island in the sea caught his attention.
This place was close to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. It reminded him of the Lulusia Kingdom.
This was a nation that would be destroyed by Im using ancient weapons powered by Vegapunk's "Mother Flame" two years after the Reverie concluded.
This was also where Belo Betty, commander of the Revolutionary Army's East Army, and three other commanders had passed through before the Reverie began. They had defeated the Peachbeard Pirates who were pillaging the country and saved a milk maiden named Moda.
Unfortunately, it was still too early for that...
The Revolutionary Army was elusive, so finding Belo Betty and Karasu would take time.
However, he could find Moda, the milk maiden.
No—he could save her!
This would prevent her from joining the Revolutionary Army out of grief after her country and family were destroyed.
Now, he just needed to confirm if this island was indeed part of the Lulusia Kingdom.
In a flash of lightning, Hikaru appeared at the island's largest port.
The sounds of shouting, cargo unloading, and merchants hawking their wares blended together in a bustling cacophony that was somehow not unpleasant.
Ignoring the startled expressions of people around him, he randomly selected a "lucky" person from the street. Hikaru fixed the man with an indifferent gaze, making him feel as though his heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand, leaving him barely able to breathe.
"Where is this place?" Hikaru asked.
The man blurted out instinctively: "Ostana Port!"
"I mean, what country is this?"
"Lulu...Lulusia Kingdom!"
Hikaru nodded. People would instinctively tell the truth when questioned this way.
Now that he had confirmed this was indeed the Lulusia Kingdom, Moda wouldn't escape his attention.
With that thought, he immediately extended his Observation Haki across the entire kingdom, carefully searching for the small cattle farm and Moda herself.
After a while, he finally located Moda by a stream.
Without hesitation, he transformed into lightning and vanished from the spot.
The "lucky" man was left gasping for breath on the ground, along with the surrounding onlookers who felt they had narrowly escaped death.
At that moment, Moda was sitting by a stream wearing her cow-shaped hat, her eyes downcast with a sorrowful expression. She hugged her knees against a large tree, looking like a young girl who had just finished crying.
Beside her sat the large milk bottle she never parted with—big enough to cover her upper body and crucial to her livelihood.
As she stared blankly at the distant stream, blue lightning gathered before her, and Hikaru materialized from within it.
The sudden appearance of another person interrupted Moda's thoughts. She quickly composed herself and looked up at Hikaru timidly.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."
Hearing Hikaru's attempt at reassurance, Moda became even more frightened, though she tried to appear calm as she softly replied, "I... I'm not afraid!"
"My name is Hikaru. What's yours?"
"My name is Moda."
Having lived her entire life in this small town rarely troubled by pirates, Moda had never seen anyone who could fly. When she heard his confident tone, she wondered if he might truly be someone extraordinary.
Hikaru nodded, satisfied that he had found the right person. Her evident sadness gave him an opening to start a conversation.
"I saw you from above, looking sad and alone. I was worried you might do something reckless."
After explaining his presence, Hikaru continued in a gentle manner, "Keeping painful feelings bottled up inside for too long can make you sick. Your parents would be sad if that happened. If you don't mind, why not share your troubles with a stranger like me?"
Parents...
When Moda heard those words, her heart sank further. How had he immediately touched upon her most painful subject?
"Thank you for your concern," she replied. "But... my parents seem to have abandoned me. We haven't seen each other for several years now. Even if I got sick, no one would feel sad about it..."
"What?!"
Hikaru frowned. He remembered that when Moda eventually reunited with her parents in the manga, both sides appeared overjoyed. How could they have abandoned her? Was there some hidden story here?
Unfortunately, this detail was only briefly mentioned on a cover page of the manga, and the limited information wasn't enough for him to understand the full picture.
Moda : A kind-hearted girl with long golden hair who makes her living selling milk. She is sweet, sincere, and surprisingly brave. Because of her milk-selling profession, she... giggle~