"Th-That's a huge Sea King!"
Seeing the gigantic figure suddenly burst from the ocean and snap downward with lightning speed, Perona immediately screamed and jumped onto Arashi's back.
Arashi had originally been about to draw his sword.
Perona's sudden leap completely ruined his timing.
Left with no choice, he raised his head sharply, his pupils narrowing slightly.
A dizzying hum suddenly erupted.
The next moment, an invisible yet overwhelmingly domineering shockwave spread outward, instantly enveloping the enormous creature diving toward them.
"ROOOAAAR—Wuu..."
Just as the giant beast reached the airspace above the Traveler, its massive body froze.
A frightened howl echoed across the Calm Belt.
"That's not a Sea King."
After using his Conqueror's Haki to suppress every giant creature that had emerged from the sea, Arashi finally got a clear look at the enormous figure standing before the ship.
It was a sea lion.
The portion of its body above the water alone measured nearly twenty meters long.
Under the pressure of Arashi's Conqueror's Haki, it remained frozen in its pouncing posture, as if struck by lightning.
Its giant crimson eyes were filled with fear.
Its enormous body trembled uncontrollably.
It clearly wanted to run away, yet did not dare move.
The sight was almost comical.
Sea lions were not Sea Kings.
They were sea beasts.
Sea beasts belonged neither to fish nor Sea Kings.
They were a lower life-form than Sea Kings.
Sea beasts were mammals—such as sea monkeys and sea lions.
Most grew to around fifty meters in length.
Sea Kings, on the other hand, encompassed a far wider range of species.
Poisonous sea serpents.
Gigantic sea frogs.
Ancient sea turtles.
Any gigantic non-mammalian marine creature could be classified as a Sea King.
The largest known Sea Kings exceeded five thousand meters in length.
The title "King of the Sea" was fully deserved.
Sea Kings generally resembled fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and countless other non-mammalian creatures.
Sea beasts, meanwhile, possessed the upper bodies of land mammals and the lower bodies of fish.
And Sea Kings were usually vastly larger.
Most importantly, Sea Kings possessed long lifespans and intelligence comparable to humans.
They could not be domesticated.
Sea beasts, however, could.
At this moment, every creature surrounding the Traveler was a sea beast.
Not a single Sea King had surfaced.
That immediately puzzled Arashi.
Deep beneath the Calm Belt.
Several Sea Kings awakened by the shockwave from Perona's Ghost Bomb had been preparing to rise to the surface.
But before they could do so, they felt the invisible pressure descending from above.
Then they watched the foolish sea beasts that had surfaced first become completely suppressed by that overwhelming force.
One Sea King spoke.
"That human is very strong. We'd better stay underwater."
Another responded.
"What are you afraid of? If we all charge together, we can smash his ship into pieces instantly."
A third interrupted.
"Don't be reckless. That human is terrifying."
Suddenly another Sea King hesitated.
"Strange... why do I feel like that human can hear us talking?"
"I feel it too."
"What is going on with that human?"
"The sea beasts are finished."
"They're definitely going to be killed."
"Even better."
"I was getting hungry anyway."
Standing aboard the Traveler, Arashi finally understood why no Sea Kings had surfaced.
The voices coming from beneath the ocean had reached his ears.
And all of it was thanks to the ability he had obtained in Loguetown:
The Voice of All Things.
So Sea Kings really did possess intelligence comparable to humans.
More importantly, their conversations were surprisingly amusing.
Unfortunately, the Voice of All Things only allowed him to hear them.
Otherwise, he would have loved to sit down and have a proper chat with those giant creatures.
By the time Arashi fully realized what was happening, the voices had vanished.
Clearly, the Sea Kings had assessed the situation and wisely decided to remain hidden.
They were simply waiting for Arashi to kill the sea beasts so they could enjoy an easy meal afterward.
Seeing the voices disappear, Arashi stopped listening.
Instead, he looked toward the trembling sea lion standing directly before the ship.
In a deep voice, he said,
"If you don't want to die, become my mount."
As his words fell, the invisible pressure covering the area vanished.
The moment the pressure disappeared, the surrounding sea beasts immediately dove back into the ocean and scattered in panic.
Unfortunately for them, the waiting Sea Kings opened their gigantic mouths and swallowed them one by one.
The sea lion had initially intended to flee as well.
But after sensing the far more terrifying presences lurking beneath the sea, it shivered violently.
Then it lowered its head and obediently crouched before the Traveler.
Seeing this, Arashi immediately called out:
"Perona, bring some ropes."
"We'll have this sea lion pull us through the Calm Belt."
Beneath the sea.
Seven or eight gigantic Sea Kings, each over a thousand meters long, gathered together after finishing their feast.
They silently watched the ship being pulled away by the sea lion.
Their expressions were filled with confusion.
"He really heard us."
"What exactly is that human?"
One Sea King suddenly growled.
"I can't help it."
"I want to destroy that ship."
"Don't be stupid."
The largest Sea King replied.
"My instincts are telling me we can't afford to provoke that human."
With those words, the others fell silent.
Then they slowly turned and disappeared back into the deep sea.
Aboard the Traveler.
Hearing the distant voices from beneath the ocean once more, Arashi couldn't help laughing.
These Sea Kings were genuinely entertaining.
If, when he eventually traveled to Fish-Man Island, the system rewarded him with an ability that allowed actual communication with all things, that would be perfect.
"Mr. Arashi."
Robin suddenly walked over and handed him a telescope.
"If I'm not mistaken..."
She looked toward the horizon.
"We should be approaching Amazon Lily."
Arashi placed the telescope on the table beside him and nodded.
"That's right."
"That is Amazon Lily."
From the moment the Traveler emerged from the portal into the Calm Belt, Arashi had already known that his next destination would be one of the most mysterious islands in the world of One Piece.
Amazon Lily.
Still, he was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected the portal from South Blue to transport the Traveler directly into the Calm Belt.
Back when he first stepped through it, he'd honestly assumed they would arrive somewhere around Whisky Peak.
Instead, they had come straight to the doorstep of the Kuja Kingdom.
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