"Aqua Lagna (Gods of Water)"

"Damn it, if I'd known it was this far, I would've made them open the door and deliver it to me," Luo Ya grumbled as he hurried toward his lodging.

After asking for directions repeatedly, Luo Ya finally made it back to the hotel three hours later.

He had just finished a shower in his room when a familiar knock sounded at the door.

Knock, knock, knock. Luo Ya opened the door wrapped in a bath towel, and there stood Kalifa, still dressed in her agent uniform.

"So efficient? I haven't even been back for ten minutes."

"Blueno woke up after you left. We were discussing the follow-up plans, so it took a bit of time."

"Discussing what? Still unwilling to give up and wanting to clash with me?"

"No, discussing how to ensure you don't talk about what you know."

"Oh? And what conclusion did you reach?"

Kalifa adjusted her glasses and smiled.

"I apologize for gathering intelligence on you, but I am now confident I can make you keep our secrets."

Luo Ya was puzzled, wondering where she got such confidence. Before he could speak, Kalifa grabbed him and kissed him. She pushed him into the bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them.

With a thud, the two collapsed onto the bed. They pulled slightly apart, but they could still feel the heat of each other's breath.

"Ha, then I'll begin," Kalifa said softly before tearing away the bath towel wrapped around Luo Ya.

(Many words omitted here; ten thousand words would likely not be enough to describe it.)

By the following afternoon, Luo Ya finally dragged his exhausted body out of bed. Kalifa was long gone, likely off to continue handling the administrative affairs of Water 7. After all, her current identity was still Iceburg's secretary.

As for Kalifa's request to keep their mission a secret, Luo Ya had readily agreed the night before; one could only say that such matters were ultimately up to the World Government.

Last night, Luo Ya's worldview had been completely shattered. He never knew there were so many ways to play this game!

It was no wonder the Celestial Dragons were considered perverts; the training these agents received was just the leftovers of what those people played with.

After getting up and taking a shower, Luo Ya left the hotel and ducked into a roadside shop, ordering a few signature dishes to fill his stomach.

While waiting for his food, he heard a few people at the next table discussing something.

"The Gods of Water are coming again." "Yeah, let's finish our meal quickly and get to the shelter." "The Gods of Water are arriving earlier this year compared to previous ones."

Luo Ya became interested upon hearing this and walked over to them, handing out three cigarettes. The men took them and began puffing away.

"I just heard you mention the 'Gods of Water'? I'm new to Water 7, could you tell me about it?"

Luo Ya asked, feeling confused. Having been in this world for so long, he had long since realized it was completely different from the hot-blooded, idiotic manga he had read before.

So, his first reaction to the term was that there was actually some creature that visited Water 7 every year.

"Hey, kid, the Gods of Water is just the Aqua Laguna, a massive tsunami unique to Water 7. It comes once a year, though the timing isn't fixed."

"That's right. After the Gods of Water pass, they leave behind a large amount of sea salt on the rooftops. Food made with this sea salt is exceptionally fresh and delicious."

"Haha, and it's truly spectacular. A massive tsunami over a hundred meters high comes roaring in; you won't see a scene like that on any island other than Water 7."

Luo Ya finally realized that Water 7 was hit by a tsunami every year, and this tsunami had been named the Gods of Water.

Learning that the tsunami would strike in three hours, Luo Ya paid for the three men's meals as a gesture of thanks.

Seeing this, the trio ordered more beer and sat down with Luo Ya.

The four of them drank and ate for a couple of hours until the shop owner finished tidying up and came over to remind them that the Gods of Water were about to arrive.

"Haha, kid, let's drink another day. The Gods of Water are coming soon."

"Right, right, hurry to the shelter." "If you're not satisfied, we'll continue after the Gods of Water pass."

Luo Ya smiled and snapped his fingers, lighting a cigarette with a pop.

"Go ahead to the shelter; I'll go in a bit." Seeing this, the others didn't think much of it and left first.

Luo Ya called over the owner, who was about to leave, and ordered a large bottle of beer. It was a local specialty of Water 7—a blue beer with plenty of carbonation. It lacked the aroma of malt, tasting instead somewhat fresh and sweet. It was called Roof Fresh Beer. He learned upon asking that it was made using the sea salt from the rooftops.

Luo Ya carried the beer and smoked his cigarette, walking leisurely toward the harbor.

Along the way, the crowds rushing toward the shelter brushed past him, creating a stark contrast.

Suddenly, an old man grabbed Luo Ya's arm. "Kid, the Gods of Water are coming any second. Why are you still heading toward the harbor?"

"Hehe, old man, I've never seen a tsunami before, so I'm going to take a look."

"Don't be foolish! There are Den Den Mushi monitors in the shelter; you can watch the Gods of Water from there. Don't let curiosity get you killed. Every year, there are people who don't believe in the danger and die under the Gods of Water."

Luo Ya slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke to signal the old man not to worry, then took a drag and a sip of beer, continuing firmly toward the harbor.

Seeing this, the old man stopped trying to block him, assuming Luo Ya was just young and reckless. He hurried off with the others toward the shelter; after all, if his old bones were hit by a tsunami, he was a goner.

By the time Luo Ya reached the harbor, everyone in Water 7 had already entered the shelters.

Through the images on the Den Den Mushi monitors, they saw Luo Ya stumbling to the harbor, sitting down, and starting to drink.

His legs dangled over the edge, swaying in the wind.

"What is that young man doing?" "He isn't trying to end it all, is he?" "It's possible. Look at him drinking alone; he looks just like I did when I had my heart broken."

Just as the people were lamenting the young man's life, the Gods of Water had already begun to slowly gather.

At the extreme edge of Luo Ya's vision, the ocean waves had begun to rise slowly.

At the docks, the seawater began to recede, exposing the parched seabed where countless fish and shrimp flopped about on the sand.

As the water retreated into the distance, a massive wave over a hundred meters high roared toward Water 7 with a deafening crash.

As the wave drew closer, Water 7, which had been bathed in clear skies just moments before, was swallowed by darkness.

The thick, heavy tsunami blotted out all light.

"It's here! This is Aqua Laguna!" "No matter how many times I see it, the Gods of Water are terrifying."

"This is the power of nature!" "Wait, look at the harbor! What is that young man doing?"

Just as the people in the shelter were marveling at the might of the Gods of Water, sharp-eyed observers noticed Luo Ya, who had been sitting at the harbor, toss aside his empty wine bottle and stand up.

Black flames erupted from Luo Ya's body, the rolling inferno making him appear like a demon god descended upon the world.

The black flames rapidly expanded, taking on a humanoid shape, and did not stop growing until they reached a height of about thirty meters.

Once the growth ceased, the black flames condensed into the form of a demon with two horns reaching toward the sky, scarlet eyes, and a mouth full of jagged teeth.

The demon possessed a human-like body with arms and legs, and at its waist, an oversized version of Ryujin Jakka flickered in and out of existence.

Luo Ya had only fully developed this technique after devouring the Devil Fruit on the ship.

After all, the enemies he encountered were either damage sponges or hulking brutes, making every battle incredibly time-consuming.

Most of the time, he had to rely on the regenerative properties of his black flames to wear them down.

Therefore, Luo Ya drew inspiration from the abilities of a certain red-eyed clan, training for a long time until his control over the black flames reached a microscopic level, finally perfecting this technique.

Demon Form!

Of course, the reason he chose this specific appearance was purely because he thought it looked cool; there were no special stat bonuses.

Even the two horns on its head were strictly for show.

As the Demon Form fully took shape, the people in the shelter stared at the projected Den Den Mushi in shock, unable to speak.

Although the thirty-meter Demon Form still looked like a child compared to the hundred-meter-tall tsunami, it was at least a far cry from the hundred-fold difference they had seen at the start.

As the Gods of Water drew right up to the harbor, the Demon Form of Luo Ya crouched slightly and gripped the hilt of Ryujin Jakka.

His scarlet eyes flared with intense light! The black flames covering his body went silent for a moment before erupting violently, burning with fierce intensity.

Nadeshiko Slash! A sword aura formed from black flames, over a hundred meters long, collided with the tsunami, emitting a massive, hissing sound.

The high temperature and the seawater created a vast amount of steam, and as the mist filled the air, the people in the shelter lost their view.

They could only watch the screen, which was filled with nothing but water vapor.

As the mist slowly dissipated, Water 7, which should have been entirely baptized by the Gods of Water, now featured a ten-meter-wide dry path stretching from where Luo Ya stood all the way to the end of the island.

Using this path as a dividing line, the city on both sides remained as it had been, soaked by the massive volume of seawater, which now flowed off the rooftops and through the various waterways back into the ocean.

Luo Ya canceled his Demon Form, feeling extremely satisfied with the move. Now, whenever he encountered those hulking brutes, he would no longer have to worry about being unable to deal effective damage due to the difference in size.

Of course, this move was not without its flaws; after all, the only downside to good things is that they are expensive.

The drain on Luo Ya's stamina, soul power, and even Haki was immense.

Therefore, he had to finish the fight quickly when using this move; the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

Feeling content, Luo Ya snapped his fingers, lit a cigarette, and prepared to find a tavern to continue drinking and celebrate.

Little did he know, the people in the shelter—especially the three brothers from the restaurant and the old man who had urged Luo Ya to run—were already shocked into silence.

Iceburg, Kalifa, Rob Lucci, and the others were also left stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

Is this... is this the strength of a pirate with a bounty of 570 million? It's a good thing I agreed to his request.

Iceburg wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, secretly resolving to be even more meticulous with the modifications to the Black Pearl. Otherwise, if this gentleman were ever dissatisfied and decided to swing that blade at him, it would be the end.

Lucci looked at the slash with which Luo Ya had severed the tsunami, unable to believe his eyes. After a long moment, he gave a mocking laugh. So much for being the greatest genius in eight hundred years.

He wouldn't be able to withstand that strike even if there were eight hundred of him.