King of the East Blue?

Thump!

Another dull impact, much louder than before, shook the merchant ship. Faintly, amidst the sounds, they could hear pained screeches.

Gart listened closely and waved his hand.

"Starboard stern, nine o'clock!"

Before his shout even finished, the crow's nest at the top of the mast had already swung its searchlight over.

Xiannuo stumbled as frantic sailors bumped into him. By the time he managed to reach the ship's railing, the pale beam had already sliced through the night, vaguely revealing the silhouette of the creature.

Everyone couldn't help but gasp.

It was a colossal beast, over ten meters long, shaped like both an eel and a sea serpent. Below its sky-blue fins, its body was covered in iron-gray scales that reflected a chilling cold light.

"What... what the hell is that thing?!"

A young crew member cried out in panic.

"It's a Sea King, you idiot!"

"Damn it! Since when have Sea Kings appeared on this route!"

"Fire! Hurry and fire, scare it away!"

"No! It's right up against our hull, we need to create some distance first!"

Amidst the clamor and chaos, Xiannuo gripped the railing, forcibly suppressing the instinctive fear and trepidation that welled up in his heart. He squinted and stared down.

Having grown up in Cocoyasi Village, this was his first time seeing a Sea King.

The exhilaration brought on by adrenaline seemed to sharpen his vision at this moment.

Or perhaps it was the angle; through the ink-black night, he could clearly see the Sea King's features.

Its bloodshot crimson eyes had narrow, snake-like vertical pupils, and ferocious fangs crisscrossed its mouth, extending almost to its neck...

The more he looked, the more something felt off, the more familiar it seemed.

"A King of the Near Sea?"

He paused, frowning, and murmured uncertainly.

As he recalled, Kings of the Near Sea usually roamed around the Goa Kingdom area, which was still quite far from here. Could it be that after being scared off by Conqueror's Haki, it had directly changed its hunting grounds?

Or perhaps it wasn't the same one, just of the same species?

Thump!

The dull, heavy sound echoed across the sea again. This time, many sailors could clearly see that the Sea King was actively ramming the ship's hull with its belly.

What was it doing?

Everyone, including the old captain Gart, was bewildered. If it were hunting, it would have swallowed several people on deck by now, or even capsized the entire ship.

But this Sea King didn't seem to have any such intention.

"Hey, look!"

A sharp-eyed sailor pointed and shouted, "The monster's belly, there seems to be something inside!"

Thump! Thump! Thump! As everyone looked, the Sea King's ramming frequency suddenly increased. One after another, the merchant ship pitched more violently, and the cries from beneath the sea grew more pained. Each time it arched its back, its stomach would briefly bulge unnaturally.

The skin around the bulging area was covered in scars and bruises, with blunt trauma and scratches, as well as many pustules from festering infections.

It seemed something was lodged in its organs, causing it unbearable pain, making it constantly seek hard objects to ram and scrape against, trying to force it out.

Ultimately, it had ended up in this battered state.

Reefs, giant rocks, ships... judging by the varied wounds, these might have all been targets, but none had solved the problem.

"This is really bad news."

Gart's face turned ashen.

If this continued, the ship would inevitably break apart. The cargo and the sailors would all end up sinking into the sea.

The sharp snaps of cargo ropes breaking and the dull thuds of them colliding in disarray had already been coming from the hold.

The old captain abruptly turned his head, looking at the pale face behind the helm. The young helmsman was practically hanging on, barely avoiding being thrown off, the veins on the back of his hand bulging with each turn.

"Still can't get away?!"

As he roared, another wave of salty spray crashed onto the deck, drenching everyone.

"Can't do it, Captain!"

The helmsman's neck turned purple, his voice laced with despair. "This guy is agile, our ship speed can't compare. We barely pull away before it's right back on us!"

"Damn it!"

Gart spat, a trail of blood mixed with saliva from his gums marking a dark red path on the pitching, tilting deck.

He dropped his pipe, drew the saber at his waist, and gripped it tightly. When he looked at the Sea King again, a hint of madness flashed in the old man's eyes.

Fine, fine! You're giving me no way out, treating me like a pushover! Even if I can't take you down with me, I'll at least knock out a few of your teeth before I die!

Don't let his current kind demeanor fool you. In his youth, he was a veteran soldier who had fought on battlefields to protect the kingdom, a survivor who had emerged from piles of corpses reeking of blood!

"You in charge of logistics, take that kid named Shano to the safety pod below. Maybe there's still hope of survival!"

"All other combat personnel, get ready to risk your lives with me!"

Gatt spat out hoarse words through gritted teeth, "Damn it, at worst..."

"Mr. Gatt."

Shano's calm voice abruptly interrupted his pumped-up charge.

Huh?

Gatt instinctively turned his head, only to be shocked to see the young boy clenching his fists, staring at the sea with eagerness.

"Aim the starboard cannons at the Sea King's belly and fire a few shots. Leave the rest to me. I have a way to calm this guy down."

"Are you kidding me!"

Gatt's face darkened, and without thinking, he cursed, "Hurry up and hide in the safety pod! Is this the time to play hero, you brat! What kind of stupid idea is this!"

"Is there any other way!"

Shano suddenly turned his face back, his voice suddenly rising an octave, "I know what you're going to do! Jump over and die. Swing a few times before you die to show you're not cowards. What's the point! It's a desperate situation, so what's wrong with letting me try!"

"And!"

As he yelled, he tore off his thick jacket and shirt, revealing a well-defined, muscular physique.

His chest, full of explosive power and aesthetic beauty, reflected a cold, hard sheen like iron in the dark night. His leopard-like back muscles, with the slightest twitch, instantly carved out chiseled grooves.

"My mom might have forgotten to tell you something. Sorry."

The black-haired boy looked at him sideways, his delicate and young face completely mismatched with his low, calm voice at this moment.

"In the entire Cocoyasi Village, you won't find a man who can fight better than me."

"..."

Gatt's eyes widened instantly.

From their brief interactions these past few days, he remembered this clearly as a thin, weak bean sprout, and the wooden sword he carried seemed like a child's toy, laughable.

Who knew that only now did he realize that it was the overly bulky maternal love of autumn and winter that had sealed the other party's true physique.