The 30 Million-Beli Martial Artist of the Sea

That ancient kingdom had been exceptionally skilled in biological modification, even dabbling in souls. This place was part of an ancient ruin, and the purpose of that ball of light was to guard it.

It used illusions to grant people's wishes, then spawned three gigantic sea beasts to ambush and modify intruders, turning them into new monsters to guard this place.

That was why the bat had been separated from its body.

He had only been an ordinary pirate who had never eaten a Devil Fruit, yet his soul and body had been separated.

His soul had been modified into a bat, while his body had been left here to decay into dry bones. Only by defeating the three guardian sea monsters could the bat's soul and body become one again. But because of that black technology, even after turning into a skeleton, he would not die here.

Until someone shattered his shell of a body, causing his incompletely modified soul to collapse.

"Souls and bodies can be separated, but has the ancient kingdom's technology really reached such an absurd level...?" Ling Donglai looked at the charred bones scattered by the lightning strike.

"Is this ball of light the so-called flame of the soul?" Ling Donglai looked at the purple glow in his hand.

"Other than this flame of the soul, there's no other treasure here?" Nami looked speechlessly at the temple.

"Probably not. Even if there was, we wouldn't be able to find it. This place has completely sunk beneath the sea and decayed."

After searching for a while, Ling Donglai tossed the soul flame back where it had been and left the temple with Nami.

"There should still be people trapped here. Since we're here, we might as well meet them."

Ling Donglai took Nami down the mountain and wandered through the ruins of the settlement. In the end, they found several survivors, and the truth naturally came to light.

Pirate Zuku had heard the legend of the Navel of the Sea from somewhere. After much effort, he opened the sea vortex leading to the ocean floor and found the legendary treasure that could grant any dream—the ball of purple light.

It differed slightly from Ling Donglai's guess. The purple light had also interfered with the will of Zuku's subordinates, causing them to betray him in the name of justice. Afterward, Zuku's soul had been extracted by the gigantic sea beasts, modified into a bat, and locked inside the treasure chest.

As for the few survivors, the three immortal sea monsters constantly wandering around made it difficult for them to leave the Navel of the Sea through the rising current.

So the boy wrote down what had happened and placed it inside discarded bottles, allowing those bottles, which would not attract the sea monsters' attention, to fly out on the rising current in search of someone willing to help.

"This really was a dreamlike experience." As the sea cow Momoo pulled the ship through the rising current and onto the surface, Nami spoke happily.

Although they had not found any treasure, they had rescued the trapped people and learned a fantastical story. For little Nami, it had been a very satisfying journey.

"Not bad, I suppose. Though this rising current really is a little strange..." Ling Donglai pulled his cap lower.

"I'm a little sleepy. Can you have the food ready by the time I wake up?"

At those words, Nami's eyes immediately went dull.

Everything was fine after boarding the ship, except that she was responsible for the meals. She had originally volunteered to make lunch once as thanks for Ling Donglai helping her eliminate Arlong, but she had regretted it afterward.

Ling Donglai's appetite was enough to terrify even a professional restaurant. As a Zoan ability user with a modified body, combined with his constant cultivation of Current Drive, his stomach had always been remarkably capable.

If Nami had to satisfy Ling Donglai's appetite by herself, she would have to spend an entire day preparing food.

Thankfully, Ling Donglai normally restrained his appetite. Being only half full was enough for him.

But this time, in order to resist the illusion, Ling Donglai had unleashed all the electrical current stored in his body, which was why he was especially hungry.

"Captain, it's not time to sleep yet. A pirate ship is sailing toward us." Just as Nami was about to head to the kitchen, she spotted a skull flag on the horizon and hurriedly woke Ling Donglai.

Other than the sea cow Momoo, Ling Donglai was the only one on the ship capable of fighting.

As for the ship's cannons, wary that they might explode, Ling Donglai had always treated them as decorations. Nami had never worked as a gunner either, so she did not know how to fire them.

"Nami, shouldn't we make a flag of our own? Preferably one that makes people flee at the sight of it." Ling Donglai looked at the bare mast on his ship.

If they built up a reputation, some pirates would probably back off when they saw them.

If possible, Ling Donglai hoped his life at sea could remain peaceful until he mastered techniques like Geppo.

He took out two black cannonballs and placed them by his feet, hoping these pirates would not cause trouble.

Inside the office of Marine Branch 16, Captain Nezumi, whose hands had already been treated, held a Den Den Mushi as he reported the new criminal force that had appeared in East Blue to his superior.

Only after confirming that Marine Headquarters had received the information did Captain Nezumi hang up.

"Ha ha ha, damn Ling Donglai, did you think I wouldn't dare provoke you just because you killed Arlong's crew?

"Bet you didn't expect this—I'm not dead at all. I'll exaggerate your deeds and welcome the Marines' revenge! The martial artist of the sea with a 30 million-Beli bounty!!!"

At Marine Headquarters, directly under the World Government.

A group of Marines sat in their seats, looking over the documents before them.

"Judging by this man's strength, the forces of the Marine branches would find it difficult to restrain him. What concerns us most is whether his Devil Fruit ability could be the legendary Rumble-Rumble Fruit."

A Marine Headquarters major wearing sunglasses slowly organized the documents.

"Not only did he kill a fish-man pirate crew worth 20 million Beli, he also attacked a branch captain. Is he another newcomer trying to make a name for himself?"

"In the name of Absolute Justice, we'll make these evil forces understand that the Marines are not to be trifled with!"

"Captain, there are only two people on that huge ship! That's unbelievable..."

Shouts erupted from the approaching pirate ship.

A pirate ship capable of holding over a hundred people had only two people aboard.

"Idiot, do you have a death wish? That ship's appearance clearly resembles Shark Spab, the ship of Arlong, the 20 million-Beli great pirate! Use your eyes, you fool..."

The captain berated his subordinate, but when he looked up, he saw that the Shark Spab—the ship that had intimidated East Blue—really did have only two people on it. There was not even a sail; the entire ship looked as though it were simply drifting with the waves.

"How is that possible? Could they have stolen Arlong's ship?" the captain said in shock.

"No, that man is someone Arlong put a bounty on! Hahahaha, so he stole Arlong's pirate ship. No wonder Arlong wanted him... Fire the cannons! Capture him!"

On the sea, all news came through News Coo birds.

At this moment, word of Arlong's downfall had not yet spread.