One Piece Whirlpool (Straw Hat version)

The Thousand Sunny sails through the Grand Line beneath an unusually quiet sky. The ocean is strangely calm, almost unnaturally so. The Log Pose points steadily ahead while the crew goes about their usual routines.

Luffy: "I'm hungry..."

Usopp: "You just ate!"

Luffy: "That was before I got hungry again!"

Nami: She studies the Log Pose, her expression slowly becoming more confused. "That's strange..."

Robin: "Something wrong?"

Nami: "The needle hasn't moved for the past hour."

Jinbei: He looks toward the horizon. "That's unusual."

Sanji: "Perhaps the current is interfering with it."

Jinbei: "Perhaps..."

Jinbei continues staring at the sea. His expression becomes increasingly uneasy.

Zoro: He opens one eye from where he's resting against the mast. "You recognize something?"

Jinbei: "...Not exactly."

A deep rumbling suddenly travels through the ocean.

Chopper: "What's that?!"

Franky: "SUPER earthquake?!"

Jinbei: "Everyone, get ready!"

The sea suddenly begins spinning.

Nami: "A whirlpool?!"

Jinbei: "No...!"

A gigantic whirlpool erupts beneath the Thousand Sunny without warning. The water twists violently, dragging the ship toward its center.

Usopp: "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO US?!"

Franky: "HOLD ON!!!"

Luffy: "WOOOOOOAH!!!"

Nami: "JINBEI, CAN YOU DO ANYTHING?!"

Jinbei: "The current is too powerful!"

The Sunny is dragged completely beneath the surface.

For several moments, the crew expects the ship to be crushed beneath the ocean.

Instead, the impossible happens.

The seawater surrounding the Sunny suddenly forms a massive cylindrical passage. The ship continues moving forward as though it were sailing through an underwater river. Everyone can breathe normally.

Chopper: "We're underwater!"

Usopp: "WHY CAN WE BREATHE?!"

Brook: "Perhaps the sea has finally taken pity upon us! Yohohoho!"

Nami: "That's not funny!"

Behind them, the entrance to the whirlpool rapidly closes.

Nami: "...The entrance is gone."

Zoro: "So we're trapped."

Jinbei: His eyes widen as he studies the tunnel. "...I know this."

Robin: "You know this place?"

Jinbei: "Not this place itself."

Jinbei looks deeply troubled.

Jinbei: "This method of transportation..."

Luffy: "Transportation?"

Jinbei: "There are old stories from Fish-Man Island. Stories the elders used to tell us when we were children."

Usopp: "What kind of stories?"

Jinbei: "Warnings."

Glowing fish suddenly appear in the darkness ahead. Their bodies shine with blue, green, violet, and white bioluminescence as they swim alongside the Sunny.

Chopper: "They're lighting the way!"

Robin: "They're following us."

Jinbei: "According to the stories, this current wasn't made by nature. It was said to be a passage that could carry ships into a place that shouldn't exist."

Nami: "And where does it lead?"

Jinbei: "...The territory of the Mermodis."

The crew falls silent.

Usopp: "The... what?"

Jinbei: "Mermodis."

Luffy: "What's a Mermodi?"

Jinbei: "A creature from an extremely old legend."

The Sunny continues descending as the glowing fish surround the ship.

Jinbei: "The elders described them as beings made from several bloodlines of the sea and land. Sea Kings, dragons, humans, snakes, and mermaids."

Chopper: "All of those?!"

Jinbei: "Their bodies are said to be approximately thirty-five percent Sea King, twenty-five percent serpent, twenty percent human, fifteen percent dragon, and five percent mermaid."

Franky: "That's one seriously mixed-up blueprint."

Jinbei: "They are considered cousins to some of the largest and most aggressive Sea King breeds."

Zoro: "That explains why you look worried."

Jinbei: "It does."

The tunnel descends farther and farther beneath the ocean.

Jinbei: "The stories say they possess a serpent-like naga tail covered in a mixture of dragon and Sea King scales. They have gills along their hips and neck, sharp claws, serpent tongues, and fins at the tips of their tails."

Sanji: "So they're amphibious?"

Jinbei: "Yes. They can survive both on land and underwater."

Robin: "And their humanoid bodies?"

Jinbei: "Their upper bodies are said to have armored dragon scales beneath skin that feels surprisingly similar to human skin. Their bodies supposedly adapt to almost any environment."

Franky: "That's incredible..."

Jinbei: "And extremely dangerous if the legends are true."

The glowing fish become more numerous as the tunnel continues deeper.

Nami: "You mentioned their territory. What makes it so dangerous?"

Jinbei: "Their treasure."

Nami: Her eyes immediately widen. "Treasure?"

Jinbei: "Mermodis were said to be obsessive hoarders. Pearls, gemstones, gold, diamonds, amethyst, Sea Prism Stone..."

Nami: "Sea Prism Stone too?!"

Jinbei: "According to the legends."

Luffy: "What else?"

Jinbei: "...Devil Fruits."

Luffy's expression immediately changes.

Luffy: "DEVIL FRUITS?!"

Usopp: "Don't get excited!"

Jinbei: "The elders always emphasized that their treasure wasn't ordinary. Some stories claimed a Mermodi's hoard could rival the wealth of royalty."

Nami: She grabs the railing. "Royalty?"

Jinbei: "And that was supposedly only the beginning."

Nami: "...We need to find this place."

Robin: "Nami."

Nami: "What?! I'm just saying it's historically important!"

Zoro: "Sure."

The tunnel suddenly becomes darker.

Jinbei: "But treasure wasn't the reason the elders warned us."

Chopper: "Then what was?"

Jinbei: "The Mermodis themselves."

Jinbei's expression becomes solemn.

Jinbei: "They were exceptionally rare. Their forms varied greatly, and humans could never predict what a Mermodi's human form would look like. Their personalities were said to be remarkably human, but they were almost impossible to catch."

Sanji: "How fast?"

Jinbei: "Twice as fast as an ordinary mermaid."

Usopp: "TWICE?!"

Jinbei: "And according to the old stories, even the weakest mixed-colored Mermodis were worth three fortunes."

Nami: "...Three fortunes?"

Jinbei: "That's how valuable their bodies became to hunters."

Jinbei looks down.

Jinbei: "Their blood was especially sought after."

Robin: "Why?"

Jinbei: "Because Mermodi blood hardens quickly after being removed from the body. Once hardened, it could supposedly be sold for enormous sums."

Chopper: "They were hunted for their blood..."

Jinbei: "For their blood, their scales, and everything else people could take from them."

The atmosphere inside the Sunny becomes noticeably heavier.

Jinbei: "A single scale could supposedly cost a small fortune depending on its type. Pearl-colored scales were particularly valuable. Pure diamond scales were said to be worth several times more."

Franky: "That's horrible."

Jinbei: "The elders said the Mermodis were hunted relentlessly during the Void Century."

Robin: Her expression becomes serious at the mention of the Void Century. "The Void Century..."

Jinbei: "Yes."

Jinbei: "The Marines supposedly hunted them alongside pirates. Generation after generation disappeared. Eventually, the survivors vanished into hiding."

Robin: "Which would explain why almost nothing remains in modern records."

Jinbei: "Exactly."

The tunnel continues downward.

Jinbei: "After centuries of being hunted, the remaining Mermodis became hostile toward humans. The elders said that if a Mermodi was encountered, you were never supposed to approach it simply because you saw treasure."

Luffy: "Why?"

Jinbei: "Because the treasure would belong to the Mermodi."

Luffy: "Oh."

Nami: "...That's unfortunate."

Jinbei: "And the stories said they didn't merely collect treasure."

Jinbei looks toward the darkness below.

Jinbei: "They buried themselves in it."

Usopp: "They what?"

Jinbei: "They would hide within their own treasure hoards. Gold, gems, pearls, everything. Sometimes only their eyes would be visible."

Brook: "That sounds rather terrifying."

Jinbei: "It was meant to."

The Sunny finally reaches the bottom of the tunnel.

Far below the ocean floor, the darkness suddenly gives way to an enormous seabed. Ancient sand stretches in every direction.

Nami: "We're at the bottom..."

Jinbei: "No."

The sand beneath the Sunny begins rotating.

Jinbei: "We're not."

The seabed opens like a gigantic spiral, revealing another passage beneath it.

Usopp: "THERE'S ANOTHER TUNNEL?!"

Franky: "SUPER underground tunnel!"

The Thousand Sunny is pulled downward once again.

The passage eventually reaches the depths surrounding the Mariana Trench. Yet the ship remains completely protected from the pressure.

Jinbei: His voice becomes quieter. "This is exactly how the elders described it."

Robin: "Then the stories weren't merely legends."

Jinbei: "I'm beginning to think they weren't."

The tunnel suddenly curves upward.

Chopper: "We're going back up!"

Luffy: "Maybe we'll find the surface!"

Nami: "I don't think that's where we're going."

A distant glow appears ahead.

Usopp: "There's something up there!"

The Sunny rises toward the light and eventually emerges into an enormous cavern.

The entire crew goes silent.

The cavern is enormous—far larger than any natural cave should be. Bioluminescent plants cover the walls, ceiling, and floor, casting blue, violet, green, and pale-white light across the chamber.

And then Nami sees the treasure.

Nami: "...Oh."

Her eyes widen.

Nami: "OH."

Mountains of gold cover the cavern floor. Pearls are scattered across enormous piles of gemstones. Diamonds and amethysts fill ancient chests. Golden crowns and statues are stacked among weapons and artifacts. Sea Prism Stone is embedded into several enormous treasure piles.

Nami: "THERE'S SO MUCH!"

Usopp: "That's not treasure!"

Franky: "That's a whole economy!"

Brook: "Yohohoho! Even royalty would have difficulty matching this!"

Nami: "This could rival an entire kingdom's treasury!"

Luffy: "Whoa!"

Nami: "Nobody touch anything!"

Luffy: His hand slowly moves toward a golden statue.

Nami: "LUFFY!"

Luffy: "I wasn't touching it!"

Nami: "YOU WERE!"

Jinbei doesn't respond.

He's staring at the enormous treasure hoard with a completely different expression.

Jinbei: "...This is it."

Robin: "What?"

Jinbei: "The elders said the entrance would lead to a treasure chamber."

Jinbei: "But they also said one thing very clearly."

Sanji: "What?"

Jinbei: "If you find the treasure..."

Jinbei looks toward the walls.

Jinbei: "...the owner is never far away."

Everyone freezes.

Zoro: "You saying we're not alone?"

Jinbei: "I'm saying we should assume we're trespassing."

Robin suddenly looks toward the cavern wall.

Robin: "Wait."

The bioluminescent plants surrounding the cavern suddenly brighten.

Ancient symbols begin appearing across the stone walls, illuminated by the living light. They form enormous lines of writing unlike anything the crew has seen since entering the cavern.

Robin: "Those aren't ordinary markings."

Jinbei: "Can you read them?"

Robin slowly approaches the wall.

Robin: "Yes."

Her eyes narrow.

Robin: "They're written in the same language as the Poneglyphs."

Everyone becomes silent.

Nami: "Robin..."

Robin: She places her hand against the ancient stone, studying the first symbols. "If these stories are connected to the Void Century..."

Robin keeps her eyes fixed on the ancient writing, preparing to decipher it as the cavern falls completely silent once again.

But no one can find a way back to the tunnel.

The passage they entered through has completely disappeared beneath the cavern floor.

The Straw Hats are trapped deep beneath the sea, surrounded by an unimaginable fortune, an ancient message written in the language of the Poneglyphs... and somewhere in the darkness, the owner of the treasure is waiting.

The Thousand Sunny sails through the Grand Line beneath an unusually quiet sky. The sea is so calm that the surface looks almost like glass. The crew is scattered across the deck, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.

Luffy: "I'm hungry..."

Sanji: "You just finished eating, Luffy."

Luffy: "That was a long time ago!"

Nami: She checks the Log Pose and frowns. "Something's wrong. The needle hasn't moved in almost an hour."

Robin: She looks up from her book. "Perhaps there's an unusual current nearby."

Jinbei: He gazes toward the horizon, his expression becoming uneasy. "There may be."

Nuka: She walks over to Luffy and deliberately positions herself beside him. "Luffy, you know, if you were hungry, you could have asked me."

Luffy: "Asked you what?"

Nuka: "To get you something to eat, silly."

Luffy: "Oh! Can you get me meat?"

Nuka: "...Sure."

Nami: She sighs quietly. "He's already got Sanji for that."

Nuka: She glances toward Nami. "I know. I just think Luffy deserves someone who actually pays attention to him."

Nami: "He has an entire crew."

Nuka: "I know. I'm just saying I'm more attentive than some people."

Robin: She calmly turns a page. "How considerate."

Nuka: She gives Robin a forced smile before turning back toward Luffy. "Anyway, Luffy, you know I'm always looking out for you."

Luffy: "Shishishi! Thanks!"

Before Nuka can say anything else, a deep rumbling sound travels through the ocean.

Chopper: "Huh?"

Usopp: "What was that?!"

Franky: He immediately looks over the railing. "SUPER strange!"

Jinbei: His expression suddenly becomes serious. "Everyone, hold on."

Nami: "Jinbei?"

Jinbei: "Something is moving beneath us."

The ocean suddenly begins rotating beneath the Thousand Sunny.

Nami: "A whirlpool?!"

Jinbei: "...No."

A gigantic whirlpool erupts beneath the Sunny with terrifying speed. Water spirals around the ship, dragging it toward the center.

Usopp: "WHIRLPOOL!!!"

Franky: "EVERYONE HOLD ON!!!"

Luffy: "WOOOOOOAH!!!"

Nuka: "LUFFY!!!"

Nuka grabs onto Luffy's arm as the ship tilts violently.

Luffy: "Whoa! This is fun!"

Nuka: "HOW ARE YOU HAVING FUN?!"

Sanji: He grabs Nami and Robin, keeping them from being thrown across the deck. "I've got you!"

Nuka: She notices and frowns before tightening her grip on Luffy. "Luffy, stay close to me!"

Luffy: "Okay!"

The Thousand Sunny is dragged completely beneath the surface.

For several terrifying seconds, the crew expects the ship to sink into the abyss. Instead, the water around the Sunny suddenly separates into an enormous cylindrical passage.

Chopper: "We're underwater!"

Usopp: "WHY AREN'T WE DROWNING?!"

Brook: "Yohohoho! Perhaps the sea has decided to spare us!"

Franky: "We're breathing normally!"

Nami: "And we're still moving!"

Behind them, the entrance created by the whirlpool suddenly closes. There is no visible path back to the surface.

Nami: "...The entrance is gone."

Zoro: His expression becomes serious. "So we're trapped."

Jinbei: He stares at the underwater tunnel in disbelief. "...I know this."

Robin: "You recognize it?"

Jinbei: "Not the place itself. The method of transportation."

Luffy: "Transportation?"

Jinbei: "There are old tales from Fish-Man Island. Stories the elders used to tell us when we were children."

Usopp: "What kind of stories?"

Jinbei: "Warnings."

Tiny lights suddenly appear in the darkness ahead.

Chopper: "Look!"

Hundreds of glowing fish emerge from the darkness. Their bodies shine blue, green, violet, and white, illuminating the underwater passage as they swim beside the Sunny.

Nuka: She moves closer to Luffy. "They're pretty..."

Luffy: "Yeah!"

Nuka: "Not as pretty as me, though."

Luffy: "Huh?"

Nuka: "Never mind."

Robin: She watches the fish carefully. "They're following the ship."

Jinbei: "According to the stories, this passage was created to carry vessels somewhere hidden beneath the sea."

Nami: "Where?"

Jinbei: "...The territory of the Mermodis."

Usopp: "The what?!"

Jinbei: "Mermodis."

Nuka: She raises an eyebrow. "That sounds like some old fairy tale."

Jinbei: "I thought so too."

Jinbei watches the glowing fish pass the Sunny.

Jinbei: "Until now."

Luffy: "What's a Mermodi?"

Jinbei: "A creature from an ancient legend. The elders described them as beings descended from five different kinds of creatures: Sea Kings, dragons, humans, snakes, and mermaids."

Chopper: "All five?"

Jinbei: "Yes. Their bodies were said to consist of roughly thirty-five percent Sea King, twenty-five percent serpent, twenty percent human, fifteen percent dragon, and five percent mermaid."

Franky: "That's one crazy combination!"

Jinbei: "They are considered cousins to the largest and most aggressive breeds of Sea Kings."

Zoro: "So they're dangerous."

Jinbei: "Extremely."

The tunnel continues deeper and deeper beneath the ocean.

Jinbei: "The elders described every Mermodi as having a long serpent-like tail, with dragon and Sea King scales covering it. They possess gills along their hips and neck, serpent tongues, sharp claws, and a fin at the tip of their tail."

Sanji: "And they can survive underwater?"

Jinbei: "They're amphibious. They can live on land or in the sea."

Robin: "What about their humanoid forms?"

Jinbei: "They're unpredictable. No two descriptions were exactly alike."

Nuka: She folds her arms. "Well, if they're as rare as you're making them sound, I'm probably more interesting than they are."

Nami: "You haven't even seen one."

Nuka: "I don't need to."

Robin: She smiles faintly. "Confidence is certainly useful."

Nuka: She gives Robin an annoyed look. "I just know what I bring to the crew."

Luffy: "Meat?"

Nuka: "...Yes, Luffy."

The glowing fish continue guiding the Sunny deeper.

Jinbei: "The legends say Mermodis are known for hoarding treasure."

Nami: Her attention immediately snaps toward Jinbei. "Treasure?"

Jinbei: "Pearls, gems, gold, diamonds, amethyst, Sea Prism Stone..."

Nami: "Sea Prism Stone?!"

Jinbei: "And, according to the oldest stories, Devil Fruits."

Luffy: "DEVIL FRUITS?!"

Usopp: "Don't get excited!"

Nami: Her eyes sparkle. "How much treasure are we talking about?"

Jinbei: "Enough, according to the elders, to rival the treasury of royalty."

Nami: "..."

Nami: "Jinbei."

Jinbei: "Yes?"

Nami: "I suddenly feel very motivated to find this place."

Nuka: "Of course you do."

Nami: "What?"

Nuka: "You're always obsessed with money."

Nami: "And you're always obsessed with Luffy."

Nuka: "At least I'm not obsessed with money."

Nami: "You were just talking about how much treasure was here."

Nuka: "...That's different."

Robin: She quietly hides a smile behind her book.

Nuka: "And don't think I'm competing with you, Robin."

Robin: "I wasn't."

Nuka: "Good."

Jinbei continues speaking as the tunnel carries them farther into the abyss.

Jinbei: "The elders also warned that Mermodis were exceptionally difficult to catch. They were said to be twice as fast as mermaids."

Usopp: "Twice?!"

Jinbei: "Even the weakest mixed-colored Mermodis were supposedly worth three fortunes."

Nami: "Three fortunes..."

Jinbei: "And that was before considering the value of their blood and scales."

Chopper: "Their blood?"

Jinbei: "Mermodi blood supposedly hardens quickly once removed from the body. Hunters would drain them and sell the hardened blood."

Chopper: His expression darkens. "They were hunted for their blood?"

Jinbei: "For their blood, scales, and anything else that could be sold."

Jinbei's voice becomes heavier.

Jinbei: "The elders said they were hunted throughout the Void Century. Pirates and the Marines both pursued them."

Robin: She slowly closes her book. "The Void Century..."

Jinbei: "Exactly."

Robin: "Then that's why modern records contain so little about them."

Jinbei: "Most of their kind disappeared. The survivors went into hiding."

Jinbei: "After centuries of being hunted, the remaining Mermodis became hostile toward humans."

Nuka: "I can't blame them."

Everyone briefly looks at Nuka.

Nuka: "...What?"

Robin: "Nothing."

The tunnel suddenly descends even farther.

Jinbei: "Their scales were also said to be extraordinarily valuable. A single pearl-colored scale could cost a small fortune."

Nami: "And diamond?"

Jinbei: "Three times as much, according to the legends."

Nami: "...I'm going to faint."

Nuka: "You really love money."

Nami: "You really love Luffy."

Nuka: "...Yes."

Luffy: "I love meat!"

Usopp: "Nobody was talking about meat!"

Luffy: "I know!"

The tunnel finally reaches the ocean floor.

The Sunny approaches the ancient seabed, but instead of crashing into the sand, the ground begins rotating beneath them.

Jinbei: "...It's starting."

Nami: "What's starting?"

The sand opens into an enormous spiral, revealing another hidden passage beneath the ocean floor.

Usopp: "THERE'S ANOTHER ONE?!"

Franky: "SUPER!"

The Sunny is pulled downward once again.

The tunnel descends into the depths surrounding the Mariana Trench. The pressure outside becomes immense, yet the ship remains completely unharmed. The glowing fish continue swimming alongside them.

Jinbei: "This is exactly how the elders described it."

Robin: "Then the tales were accurate."

Jinbei: "I'm beginning to believe they were warnings based on firsthand knowledge."

After what feels like an eternity, the tunnel suddenly begins curving upward.

Chopper: "We're going back up!"

Luffy: "Maybe we'll finally get out!"

Nami: "I hope so."

Nuka: She leans against Luffy's shoulder. "Don't worry, Luffy. If we're trapped down here, I'll stay with you."

Luffy: "Okay!"

Nuka: "...You really don't understand flirting, do you?"

Luffy: "Huh?"

Nuka: "Never mind."

A faint light appears ahead.

Usopp: "There's something up there!"

The Sunny rises toward the light and eventually emerges into an enormous underground cavern.

The entire crew falls silent.

The cavern is colossal, with a ceiling disappearing into darkness. Bioluminescent plants cover the walls and floor, bathing the chamber in blue, violet, green, and white light.

Then Nami sees the treasure.

Nami: "...Oh."

Her eyes widen.

Nami: "OH MY GOD."

Mountains of gold stretch across the cavern floor. Pearls spill from ancient chests. Diamonds, amethysts, gemstones, golden statues, jeweled crowns, ancient weapons, artifacts, and enormous piles of treasure are scattered throughout the chamber.

Nami: "THERE'S SO MUCH TREASURE!!!"

Usopp: "That's not treasure!"

Franky: "That's an entire country's economy!"

Brook: "Yohohoho! Even royalty would have trouble competing with this!"

Nami: "This could rival the treasury of an entire kingdom!"

Luffy: "Whoa..."

Nuka: "I don't see what the big deal is."

Nami: "You're standing in more money than you've probably ever seen in your entire life!"

Nuka: "I'm not impressed by gold."

Nami: "Really?"

Nuka: "No."

Nuka glances at Luffy.

Nuka: "I'd rather have something more meaningful."

Luffy: "Like meat?"

Nuka: "...Sure."

Jinbei, however, isn't looking at the treasure.

He's staring at the walls.

Jinbei: "...This is it."

Robin: "The Mermodi territory?"

Jinbei: "According to the elders' tales."

Jinbei's expression becomes grim.

Jinbei: "They warned that Mermodis often buried themselves inside their treasure."

Zoro: His hand slowly moves toward his swords. "So we shouldn't assume we're alone."

Jinbei: "Exactly."

The bioluminescent plants suddenly brighten.

Chopper: "Look at the walls!"

Ancient symbols begin appearing across the cavern walls, illuminated by the living light. The writing stretches across enormous sections of stone.

Robin: She slowly approaches the wall. "Those symbols..."

Nami: "What?"

Robin: "They're ancient."

Jinbei: "Can you read them?"

Robin studies the markings carefully.

Robin: "...Yes."

Everyone looks at her.

Robin: "They're written in the same language as the Poneglyphs."

Silence fills the cavern.

Luffy: "The Poneglyphs?"

Robin: "Yes."

Nuka: She looks toward Robin, visibly irritated by the attention she's receiving. "Of course you can read it."

Robin: She calmly looks at her. "Is that a problem?"

Nuka: "No. I'm just saying..."

Nami: "Nuka."

Nuka: "What?"

Nami: "Not everything has to be a competition."

Nuka: "I wasn't making it one."

Zoro: "You absolutely were."

Before Nuka can respond, a deep rumbling sound echoes through the cavern.

Luffy: "...Did you hear that?"

Zoro: "Yeah."

Jinbei: His eyes narrow as he looks toward the mountains of treasure. "...We're not alone."

Something enormous shifts beneath the treasure in the darkness.

A few gold coins slide down one of the treasure piles.

Then silence.

Robin keeps her eyes fixed on the ancient Poneglyph-like writing, preparing to decipher it, while the rest of the crew slowly realizes that the tunnel they entered through is nowhere to be found.

Nami: "...Where's the way back?"

Franky: "I don't see it."

Usopp: "Don't tell me we're trapped..."

Jinbei: "...We are."

The Straw Hats are stranded deep beneath the sea, surrounded by a fortune capable of rivaling royalty, ancient writing from the Void Century, and the hidden territory of creatures believed to have nearly vanished from the world.