Out of the Calm Belt (1)
In the New World, deep in the Calm Belt, on an unnamed island, at night!
A medium-sized island, densely covered with primeval forests, from which terrifying sounds occasionally emanate.
Soaring straight to the clouds, towering mountains rise majestically. At the foot of the mountain, in a blank space, a bonfire burns, roasting chunks of Sea Kings meat over a hundred meters long, emitting a fragrant aroma.
"Sizzle"
As the flames heated them, drops of oil residue fell, making the fire burn even brighter.
All around, there were five unidentified animals, some over forty meters tall, lying there, drooling and smacking their lips in a human-like manner.
The largest was a ferocious beast shaped like a lion, but with two horns on its forehead. It crouched like a dog, its thick tail swaying back and forth, kicking up clouds of dust.
Beside it was a giant crocodile over fifty meters long; its enormous body was enough to make one's scalp tingle just by looking at it.
The five guys were all staring at the chunks of meat on the grill, constantly swallowing their saliva.
Even so, none of them dared to extend their claws; they simply squatted down and wagged their tails.
Most importantly, these five enormous creatures even knew to flip the meat over from time to time to prevent it from burning.
Five ferocious beasts, seemingly humanized, are actually squatting together having a barbecue? You can imagine how shocking this scene would be.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sound of the campfire crackling. Suddenly, a soft footstep came from the jungle.
The five enormous creatures, which had been drooling, suddenly shuddered and quickly lowered their massive heads to the ground, trying to appear less ferocious and more endearing.
Under the firelight, a long shadow slowly began to shorten, eventually coalescing into a figure only about 1.89 meters tall!
"Big Lion, not bad, you didn't burn it this time!" A cold, arrogant voice slowly approached.
"Roar!" The giant lion with the horn on its forehead roared softly in response.
"Moo"
Then came four more roars; if one understood animal language, one would certainly hear four boastful voices.
The giant lion shifted its body, revealing a blank space. That human-like fawning was utterly awful!
Reaching the empty space, Ye Chen revealed a slight smile. Looking at the five nervous guys, without making any move, the huge roasted meat was divided into six pieces, slamming onto the ground with a slight tremor.
Two years have passed since Ye Chen arrived in the Calm Belt. This is the third island Ye Chen has cultivated on. The most powerful creatures on the first two islands have already become fertilizer.
In the past two years, Ye Chen has once again secluded himself from the world, devoting all his energy to cultivation. This time, his cultivation is vastly different from the previous six months, because it is comprehensive.
Ye Chen worked extremely hard on everything— the Three-Color Haki, physical skills, Devil Fruit abilities—breaking his own limits time and time again.
As Ye Chen leisurely ate his barbecue, his mind was filled with thoughts.
"I wonder if anything major has happened in the past two years! My current cultivation methods are no longer effective; it seems I need to go out and take a look."
With disheveled hair, Ye Chen's upper body, covered in scars, was exposed, revealing his perfectly toned flesh. He wore a pair of tattered shorts, which, judging from their appearance, had previously been long pants.
The savage lifestyle didn't make Ye Chen feel lonely; he only had the illusion that time was passing too quickly.
The aura emanating from Ye Chen now is unremarkable, completely imperceptible. If one had to pinpoint a difference, it would be that Ye Chen is no longer delicate and refined, but exudes a completely masculine strength.
"You five, I'm leaving tomorrow."
Sitting between the giant lion and the giant crocodile, Ye Chen was like an ant, insignificant, and easily overlooked if one wasn't paying attention.
As soon as Ye Chen spoke, the five enormous creatures that were wolfing down their food immediately raised their heads, revealing dumbfounded expressions.
"Roar"
Covered in grease, the giant lion lowered its head, its enormous head seemingly trying to nuzzle Ye Chen.
"Stop! You've got food all over your face, don't get it on me."
Ye Chen gave him a look, and the giant lion immediately stopped, letting out a mournful roar.
"From now on, live well here! If fate allows, I will come to see you again!"
Ye Chen rolled his eyes at the five guys who looked dejected.
He was sure those five guys were secretly delighted, probably already impatient for him to leave. Their current dejected expressions were just for show, but he didn't call them out. After all, after more than a year together, he still couldn't bring himself to do anything to them.
The campfire slowly began to burn, and the beasts and humans, having eaten and drunk their fill, began to rest.
Ye Chen, leaning against a large tree, gazed up at the endless starry sky, lost in thought.
The next day, under a clear blue sky, Ye Chen left the island.
There wasn't a single wave; the entire sea was as calm as a mirror, without even a Flower Capital.
Stepping onto a wooden plank, with a loud bang, Ye Chen shot out like an arrow.
The Calm Belt, the lair of the Sea Kings, seemed to have shaken the entire ocean at the moment of the explosion, with countless enormous heads emerging from the sea, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Looking at the bizarre and enormous creatures around him, Ye Chen remained indifferent and continued walking.
"Roar"
Piercing eardrums like needles, the continuous roars stirred up a storm.
Suddenly, a serpentine Sea Kings noticed Ye Chen, swooped down, opened its blood-red maw, and in an instant, darkness fell, as if the entire sky had vanished.
Looking up, Ye Chen's eyes were cold as he stared at the Sea Kings. Suddenly, the sea churned, the Sea Kings's huge pupils shrank slightly, its whole body trembled, and it disappeared into the sea.
Boundless will descended, and an invisible storm rose in arc, engulfing an area of thousands of meters in radius.
With expressions of terror, all the Sea Kings that were near Ye Chen desperately darted into the sea and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Along the way, wherever Ye Chen passed, all the Sea Kings fled, creating huge waves.
Two hours later, Ye Chen slowly Calm Belt, and frowned slightly as he looked at the situation before him.
Before him was a pirate ship slowly passing by, but the pirates on board were all staring at Ye Chen with their Big Mouth agape.
Run!
Even pirates who can operate in the New World, even if they aren't very strong, still have basic eyesight.
Ye Chen was tattered and torn, having Calm Belt with only a wooden plank. No matter how you looked at him, it was clear he was not someone to be trifled with. Therefore, the captain of this pirate crew, without hesitation, immediately issued an order.
"Captain"
Suddenly, all the pirates on the deck looked behind the captain, swallowing hard.
The captain suddenly drew his pistol from his waist, turned around, and fired.
Minutes later, a deafening explosion occurred, and a figure vanished above the horizon, leaving behind only the glowing flames of a gradually sinking ship.
This is an extra chapter for the ladies in the WeChat group—it's a beastly request from the single guys there! Awooo!