This Is a Trial

No matter how much he stimulated his cells, his current limit remained firmly stuck at 350,000 volts.

To go any further, what did he need besides training...?

All he needed was even higher-intensity energy—better-quality meat.

Giant sea beasts, Sea Kings, Giant Sea Kings...

Having tasted the flesh of a giant sea beast once, Ling Donglai could never forget that delicious flavor.

If he wanted to advance further, he could only choose to hunt them.

He took off his shirt and tossed it aside, revealing an almost perfectly imposing physique. Even men would be astonished by muscles trained to absolute perfection.

Every inch of him seemed to bear the words invincible.

Not a single inch of muscle had gone untrained. It was a perfect body.

Ling Donglai's hair began to rise upward, taking on the hairstyle of a Super Saiyan.

"Nami, even I feel uneasy when facing an opponent like this. This is a trial... I believe it is a trial for conquering the sea, merely the first wave of trials. Only by defeating such a terrifying opponent can I go further in these dangerous waters and become even stronger..."

Blinding Azure Thunder flickered in his eyes.

Nami clung to the mast. Even she could feel the fighting spirit pouring from that man.

He was serious. He truly intended to challenge the ruler of the Calm Belt!

This man...

"I can feel your fear, because I too fear an opponent like this. Before a Giant Sea King, we are like ants. Fearing the strong is merely instinct. There is nothing shameful about it."

"I will overcome my fear in this trial. No matter how many times I fail, are you willing to believe in me?"

Ling Donglai asked softly.

Who could avoid fear when facing a hundred-meter-tall monster?

"I believe in you. After all, when you defeated Arlong, I became yours, didn't I? Captain!" Little Nami hugged the mast and nodded firmly.

"I have a plan to repeatedly lure monsters at the edge of the Calm Belt. Momoo, it can only be carried out as planned with your cooperation...

Remember, do not act rashly. Our goal in this first battle is to sever one of that octopus monster's tentacles, then immediately withdraw from the Calm Belt!"

"Then I'll shatter both your fear and mine. Go, Momoo!"

Tears shimmered in Momoo's eyes, and snot was practically about to run from its nose.

I don't want to go!

That's a Sea King among Sea Kings, a ruler among rulers!

I'm just an ordinary sea cow! I only pull your ship!

Though the sea cow was on the verge of tears, it still went full speed ahead, pulling the Shark Spab forward.

It did not know whether charging ahead would get it killed, but it knew for certain that not charging ahead would get its butt electrocuted!

The lightning behind it was already growing impatient. Beneath that blinding Azure Thunder, Momoo's adrenaline surged wildly, and it seemed to already feel the pain of Azure Thunder touching its skin.

The instant they entered the Calm Belt again, tentacles burst through the sea one after another. Even with the sea cow's help, the Shark Spab swayed amid the wind and waves whipped up by the enormous tentacles.

"350,000 Volts: Thunder!"

The long-restrained lightning roared out, striking those tentacles hard. Dazzling arcs of electricity hit them.

A piercing scream spread from beneath the sea.

It was not that Ling Donglai had dealt the Sea King a heavy blow. Rather, the octopus monster had felt pain.

Just as a human would feel pain after being struck by a toothpick.

The octopus monster... was enraged!

As one of the rulers of the sea, the octopus monster's head emerged above the surface, and several more tentacles rose up in an instant.

The waves raised by the tentacles sent the Shark Spab... flying over!

Giant sea beasts could be tamed, but Sea Kings could never be tamed.

That was the difference between them!

"Moo!!!" Momoo was wrapped in iron chains. With a swing of its head, it bit down on the iron lock, effectively carrying the entire Shark Superb on its back.

Then it laboriously flipped over in midair before falling back into the raging sea.

This was a sea cow that had learned to unleash its potential under electrocution!

"Nicely done!"

"350,000 Volts: Maximum Discharge: Blade!"

Every bit of electricity in his body was squeezed out. From afar, it looked like a high-energy beam as it pierced through one tentacle!

Then Ling Donglai yanked downward fiercely, and the tentacle fell onto the Shark Superb, flopping about nonstop. Its immense force smashed the deck into a complete mess.

"Time to retreat, Momoo!" Ling Donglai fired a bolt of lightning at Momoo.

The instant it was electrocuted, Momoo leaped from the sea and ran out of the Calm Belt.

Momoo cried as it ran: Why, why? I clearly followed your instructions, so why are you still shocking me!

Stimulated by the electricity, Momoo slipped out of the Calm Belt in an instant. Since they had only fought at the edge, it was easy to flee across that boundary.

The octopus monster raged at the edge of the Calm Belt. It had lost a tentacle!

Yet as it watched the ship sail away, it could do nothing. The Calm Belt was its territory; once they crossed that vague boundary, it would not pursue them.

Filled with resentment, it could only sink to the depths, carrying unforgettable hatred with it.

"I didn't expect even a single tentacle to possess such immense strength."

Ling Donglai landed on the ship and wrapped both arms around the constantly thrashing tentacle. Even he could not hold down the severed tentacle and was instead dragged around the ship, smashing into everything.

"Captain, hurry up and cut this thing up! It's terrifying!"

Tears glimmered in Nami's eyes. That enormous tentacle falling from the sky had truly frightened her, and she had climbed all the way to the top of the mast.

Cracks continued to spread through the mast as the tentacle swung about.

Ling Donglai continuously discharged electricity into the tentacle. Only after he shocked it to about thirty percent done did it finally settle down.

The entire process lasted a full hour!

"Hahaha, Nami, this is a good start, right?" Ling Donglai sat atop the tentacle and laughed.

"Repeatedly jumping around at the edge of the Calm Belt... I actually agreed to such a dangerous plan!" Nami shook her head, patting her forehead.

"I'm going to change clothes before cooking such a huge piece of meat. I feel like it'll use up all the seasonings we bought..."

Nami changed into a refreshing short shirt and shorts, then emerged from the cabin carrying a kitchen knife and seasonings.

The tentacle was so huge that half the Shark Spab had been damaged, and it would not even fit in the kitchen.

They could only cook it outside.

While Nami was changing, Ling Donglai had already heated the tentacle with thunder-fire until it was thoroughly cooked. With no bones, Nami cut through it smoothly.

The meat was delicious and full of vitality. It only needed sauce to remove the fishy taste before it could be eaten. It was wonderfully springy, and even Momoo ate with great enjoyment.