Thud!
Another dull thud, louder than the one before. The merchant ship rocked heavily, and faintly mixed within the noise was a pained screeching.
Jiat tilted his head, listening closely, then suddenly waved his hand.
"Right side of the stern, nine o'clock direction!"
Before his shout finished, the lookout at the top of the mast had already aimed the searchlight over.
Shano was nearly knocked over by sprinting sailors, and by the time he finally squeezed to the ship's railing, the pale white beam had already split the night and faintly revealed the outline of that thing.
Everyone couldn't help but gasp.
What they saw was a massive creature, dozens of meters long, its shape resembling both an eel and a sea serpent. Beneath its aqua-blue fins, its entire body was covered in iron-grey scales, reflecting a chilling, cold light.
"W-What the hell is that thing?!"
A young sailor shouted in panic.
"It's a Sea King, you idiot!"
"Damn it! Since when did Sea Kings show up on this route?!"
"Fire the cannons! Hurry and scare it away!"
"We can't! It's sticking too close to our hull—we need to create some distance first!"
In the midst of the chaos, Shano held tightly to the railing, forcefully suppressing the fear and instinct to retreat that rose in his heart. He squinted at the thing below.
Growing up in Cocoyashi Village, this was his first time seeing a Sea King.
The adrenaline rush made his senses sharper than ever—or maybe it was just the perfect angle. Through the pitch-black night, he could clearly make out the Sea King's features.
Its bloodshot eyes had narrow vertical pupils like a snake's. Interlaced fangs stretched back toward its neck...
The more he looked, the more wrong it felt—the more familiar it looked.
"King of the Coastal Seas?"
He blinked, furrowed his brows, and muttered uncertainly.
In his memory, the King of the Coastal Seas usually swam near the Goa Kingdom—still far from here. Did it change its territory after being scared off by Conqueror's Haki?
Or maybe this wasn't the same one at all, just the same species?
Thud!
Another heavy bang echoed across the sea. This time, many sailors saw it clearly—it was the Sea King deliberately ramming the ship with its belly.
What was it doing?
Even Captain Jiat looked puzzled. If it were hunting, the people on deck would've been eaten by now. It could probably flip the whole ship over, too.
But it didn't seem to have that intention.
"Hey, look over there!"
A sharp-eyed sailor suddenly pointed and shouted, "That monster's belly—there's something inside!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! As everyone turned to look, the Sea King's ramming grew faster. Each thump came harder and quicker. The ship rocked wildly, and the screeches from beneath the sea grew increasingly painful. Every time it arched its back, a strange bulge appeared on its stomach.
Around that bulge, its skin was covered in bruises and scars—blunt injuries, cuts, and many pus-filled wounds from infections.
It seemed like something was stuck inside its organs, driving it mad with pain. It kept smashing against hard things to scrape or knock it out.
Which had left it in this battered state.
Reefs, rocks, warships—from all kinds of scars, it looked like it had tried everything. But the problem still wasn't solved.
"This is real bad."
Jiat's face turned dark.
If this went on, the ship would eventually break apart. All the cargo and sailors would sink with it.
The snapping of cargo ropes and the sound of crates crashing into each other was already coming from below.
The old captain suddenly turned and looked at the helm. The young helmsman clung desperately to the wheel, barely avoiding being thrown off, veins bulging from his hand as he wrestled for control.
"Still can't get distance?!"
He roared, just as another wave of salty foam crashed over the deck, soaking everyone to the bone.
"Can't do it, Captain!"
The helmsman's neck was turning purple from strain, and his voice was filled with despair. "This thing is one of the agile types! Our ship can't match its speed. Even if we pull away a little, it latches right back on!"
"Damn it!"
Jiat spat blood-tinged saliva onto the tilting deck, leaving a dark red streak.
He tossed away his pipe, yanked the saber from his belt, and gripped it tight. His eyes, staring at the Sea King, now had a tinge of madness.
Fine, fine. No way out? You think I'm just some old fool? Even if I can't take you with me, I'll knock out a few of your teeth before I die!
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Don't be fooled by how kind and gentle he seemed now. In his younger days, he was a soldier who fought to protect the kingdom—someone who climbed out of piles of corpses soaked in blood!
"Logistics team! Take that kid, Shano, and hide in the secure cabin below. Maybe there's still hope for survival!"
"All combat personnel, get ready to fight with me!"
Jiat's voice came out hoarse between his teeth. "Damn it, if we're gonna die—!"
"Captain Jiat."
Shano's calm voice suddenly cut off his hot-blooded speech.
Huh?
Jiat turned automatically—and was shocked to see the boy clenching his fists, eyes fixed eagerly on the sea.
"Have the right-side cannons aim at the Sea King's belly. Fire a few rounds. Leave the rest to me—I've got a way to calm this thing down."
"Are you crazy?!"
Jiat's face turned dark with rage. He cursed without thinking, "Go hide in the cabin! This isn't the time to play hero, you damn brat! Don't go shouting nonsense!"
"Then what else do we do?!"
Shano spun around, his voice suddenly rising. "I know what you're thinking! Jumping over to die, swing your blade a few times before death, just to prove you're not a coward—what's the point?! If we're already desperate, why not let me try?!"
"And another thing!"
While yelling back, he tore off his thick coat and shirt, revealing a lean, muscular body.
His chest was sculpted with explosive strength, glinting in the night like steel. His panther-like back muscles flexed slightly, carving out ridges like blades.
"My mom might've forgotten to tell you something. Sorry about that."
The black-haired boy turned sideways to look at him. His youthful face and the deep, calm voice didn't match at all.
"In all of Cocoyashi Village—there isn't a man better at fighting than me."
"..."
Jiat's eyes went wide.
In the short time he'd known the kid, he thought of him as just a skinny little bean sprout. That wooden sword he carried around looked like a toy for kids.
But only now did he realize—that was just the bulky winter clothes, a mother's love, hiding the boy's true form.