Hawkeye's Attention

Lin Feng and Bart steered the Gale through the waves, continuing their adventure across the Grand Line.

The sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent as it slapped against their faces, bringing a hint of coolness.

"Whew... Life at sea really is full of unpredictable changes!"

Standing at the bow, Lin Feng gazed out at the ever-changing sea in the distance and could not help sighing.

Their nautical log was packed with records of everything they had encountered over the past few days: bizarre weather, sudden storms, and all kinds of strange marine creatures.

"Captain, when do you think we'll finally reach Sky Island?"

Bart's voice came from behind him, filled with simple earnestness and anticipation.

"Soon. As long as we follow this route, we should find the Knock Up Stream recorded on the Log Pose before long."

Lin Feng answered without turning his head, his gaze still fixed on the distance.

Just then, the relatively calm sea suddenly began churning violently.

"Rumble—"

A series of muffled booms came from the depths of the sea, shaking the entire ship violently.

"What's going on?"

Bart staggered and nearly fell. He hurriedly grabbed the railing to steady himself, his face filled with uncertainty and alarm.

"That commotion... Could it be..."

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed, and his expression turned grave.

Before he could finish speaking, a massive shadow suddenly burst from the seabed, sending towering waves surging into the sky before crashing viciously toward the Gale.

"Watch out!"

Lin Feng shouted, swiftly drawing Demon God from his waist and leaping into the air.

"Boom!"

The towering wave slammed into the Gale, producing a deafening crash.

The entire ship rocked violently, as if it might break apart at any moment.

"Damn it, what the hell is that thing?!"

Bart roared. His muscles instantly swelled, and a metallic sheen appeared across his skin, making him look like an iron giant.

"Steel Fruit: Steel Fortress!"

Bart shouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest and forcibly withstanding the impact of the huge wave.

"It's a Sea King! And... it's far larger than ordinary ones!"

From midair, Lin Feng saw the monster that had attacked them clearly, and his pupils contracted sharply.

It was a colossal Sea King as large as an island. It had a hideous, terrifying maw, its sharp teeth gleaming coldly as if they could bite through anything.

"Roar—!"

The Sea King let out a deafening roar. Its enormous tail whipped around, sending another towering wave crashing down toward the Gale.

"Damn you! Let's see how I deal with you!"

Bart roared, kicking off powerfully with both feet. His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, and he punched toward the Sea King's enormous maw through the huge wave.

"Steel Fruit: Steel Heavy Fist!"

Bart's fist gleamed with a metallic sheen and carried an unstoppable force as it slammed into the Sea King's lower jaw.

"Bang!"

With a muffled boom, the Sea King recoiled in pain, its enormous body pausing for an instant. But it quickly recovered and launched another attack at Bart.

"Roar—!"

The Sea King opened its bloody maw, revealing its sharp teeth as it bit down at Bart.

Bart neither dodged nor retreated, instead throwing another punch to meet it.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A series of muffled impacts rang out incessantly, making their eardrums ache.

Bart and the Sea King engaged in a fierce struggle, their fists striking flesh as neither side could gain the upper hand.

"This can't continue. I need to find a way to cripple it!"

Watching Bart and the Sea King remain locked in a stalemate from midair, Lin Feng knitted his brows tightly.

The Sea King was simply too enormous, and its defenses were astonishingly strong. Although Bart's attacks were ferocious, it was difficult for him to inflict lethal damage.

"Sun Breathing: Full Concentration: Constant!"

Lin Feng drew a deep breath and pushed Sun Breathing to its limit, while simultaneously wrapping Armament Haki around Demon God.

"Whoosh!"

A golden-red sword aura burst from Demon God, carrying an overwhelming force capable of destroying heaven and earth as it slashed toward the Sea King's eye.

"Roar—!"

Sensing the danger, the Sea King violently twisted its enormous body, trying to evade the sword aura.

But the sword aura was simply too fast, and it had no time to dodge completely.

"Slash!"

With a muffled sound, the sword aura struck the Sea King's right eye, instantly spraying blood and dyeing the surrounding seawater red.

"Roar—!"

The Sea King let out a shrill howl of pain. Its enormous body began thrashing wildly across the sea, sending towering waves surging in every direction.

"Now!"

Lin Feng's eyes lit up, and he launched another attack while the Sea King was injured.

"One Sword Style: Dragon Slash: Flame!"

An even larger golden-red sword aura burst from Demon God, carrying an aura that seemed capable of burning everything as it slashed toward the Sea King.

"Slash!"

With another muffled sound, the sword aura cleaved into the Sea King's body, leaving behind a wound deep enough to expose bone. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

"Roar—!"

The Sea King let out another shrill howl of pain, and its enormous body began slowly sinking.

"It's over, Bart!"

Lin Feng shouted, warning Bart to stop.

Upon hearing him, Bart ceased his attack and leaped back onto the Gale.

"Whew... That big guy sure packed a punch!"

Bart panted heavily and wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face filled with excitement.

"Indeed. This Sea King is probably much stronger than ordinary Sea Kings."

Lin Feng nodded, watching the Sea King's corpse gradually sink into the depths with a thoughtful look.

At the same time, in the nearby waters, a small boat was slowly making its way forward.

On the boat, a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a black overcoat was leisurely sipping red wine.

He had a pair of sharp hawk-like eyes and a short beard on his chin, and his entire body radiated a fierce, intimidating aura.

He was none other than Hawkeye Mihawk, one of the Shichibukai.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Hawkeye raised his head and looked sharply toward the distant sea, his brows drawing together slightly.

"This aura... Is it that kid from earlier?"

Hawkeye muttered to himself, a trace of doubt flashing through his eyes.

He recalled the powerful aura he had sensed near Alabasta not long ago, as well as the battle fluctuations that had reached him afterward.

"Looks like quite a few interesting things happened in Alabasta."

The corners of Hawkeye's mouth lifted slightly into an amused smile.

"That kid named Lin Feng seems to be even more interesting than I imagined."

Hawkeye set down his wineglass, picked up the black blade Yoru resting beside him, and gently caressed its blade.

"Let's go take a look. I hope he won't disappoint me."

Hawkeye spoke softly, a trace of anticipation in his voice.

He rowed the small boat toward the Gale's location. Moving at incredible speed, it vanished from the surface of the sea in the blink of an eye.

On the Gale, Lin Feng stood at the bow, gazing into the distance.

Suddenly, he felt a pang of unease, as if some powerful existence had locked onto him.

"This feeling... Could it be..."

Lin Feng knitted his brows tightly, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

He turned around and looked at Bart, saying in a deep voice, "Bart, we have a guest. Prepare for battle!"

"A guest?"

Bart froze, a puzzled look appearing on his face.

"What kind of guest?"

"A... very powerful guest."

Lin Feng drew a deep breath and slowly pulled Demon God from his waist, his eyes turning razor-sharp.