Supernova!

Very quickly, word that Hiko had detected people beneath the sea was relayed to the captain. The entire merchant ship immediately went on alert. Whatever had been following them, staying hidden for so long without revealing its intentions clearly meant it was up to no good.

The people aboard greatly admired Hiko for being able to detect someone underwater. Their gazes toward him had become somewhat respectful, practically saying, "As expected of someone who came from Garp's ship." Hiko rolled his eyes and ignored them.

"What should we do? Should we open fire and blast them out?" The captain instantly developed a sense of dependence on Hiko, who carried the air of an expert. After all, he had come from Garp's ship.

Hiko lightly tapped the ship's railing. Having a group of unknown people following beneath the ship he was riding on felt far too unpleasant. Moreover, he was certain that this submarine was most likely owned by Pirates. If those Pirates suddenly got the urge to drill a hole into the bottom of the merchant ship, and it sank, wouldn't he be stuck swimming again?

"Blast them out!" Hiko made up his mind. Rather than let these unknown people keep following them and remain a hidden threat, it was better to force them out and drive them away. At worst, they could just kill them.

With Hiko's approval, a weight lifted from the captain's heart. He immediately turned and gave the order to prepare for an attack.

The sailors swiftly took their positions, and all manner of firearms and weapons were readied. After Hiko slowly pointed out the submarine's location beneath the sea, the merchant ship immediately began firing shells into the water.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of shells blasted into the sea, exploding into towering columns of water.