Luffy lay on the ship's railing, his eyes wide open, trying to see through the mist.
His nostrils twitched, and he suddenly frowned. "This fog smells..."
Before he could finish speaking, the ship suddenly jolted.
A wall of water burst open on the right side of the Thousand Sunny, and a gigantic Sea Kings emerged from the mist, with a serpentine body and a massive mouth filled with sharp teeth.
It crashed into Roy's Telekinesis: Barrier with a deafening roar.
Loki stood up from the warship at the rear, swung his Iron Thunder, Lightning exploded from the hammerhead, hitting the sea king head-on. The Sea Kings screamed and shrank back into the water.
"Don't let your guard down," Roy shouted. "There's more than one."
As soon as Roy finished speaking, the sea began to boil.
Dozens of enormous Sea Kings surged out from all directions, the smallest being tens of meters long, and the largest being ten times larger than the Thousand Sunny.
Their eyes were all cloudy white, as if controlled by something, and they attacked the fleet like madmen.
Zoro draws his sword, Sanji a cigarette, Luffy immediately activates Gear Fourth.
The three jumped off the boat and rushed towards the Sea Kings, stepping on the water.
Franky extended the cannon from the side of the ship and fired a series of Seastone shells.
Brook swung his sword, unleashing a frost-covered sword aura that froze a Sea Kings's tentacle into an icicle.
Roy unleashed his full Telekinesis Field, freezing the three Sea Kings in mid-air.
Their bodies writhed wildly under the Telekinesis, yet they were unable to move.
Loki charged up from behind, Iron Thunder sweeping across.
The two Sea Kings were sent flying, leaving two jets of water in their wake in the mist.
Luffy smashed the jaw of a Sea Kings with one punch, Sanji's Diable Jambe pierced the stomach of another.
Zoro unleashed his Demonic Aura Nine-Sword Style Sea Kings in half at the waist.
The battle lasted for twenty minutes.
After the last Sea Kings sank to the bottom of the sea, the surface of the ocean returned to calm.
The fog was still thick, but the scent of the Sea Kings had completely disappeared.
Nami was panting, her palms were sweaty.
"They... seem to be fleeing for their lives. Something is driving them ahead."
Roy looked ahead. He extended his Observation Haki to its fullest extent, and at the edge of the fog, he sensed an extremely large outline.
The silhouette exuded an ancient and profound aura.
The fog is about to dissipate.
Sure enough, the thick fog was torn apart from the middle like a curtain.
Sunlight poured down through the cracks, shining on the sea and blinding everyone.
Once their eyes adjusted to the light, everyone on board the Thousand Sunny was stunned.
A huge island appeared on the horizon.
Larger than Elbaf, the island's outline resembles a mountain city rising from the seabed.
Buildings combining metal and stone densely cover the entire island, with towering towers and continuous domes, and in the far distance, an extremely tall spire pierces the clouds.
But all the buildings presented a kind of dilapidated splendor.
The spire was broken, the dome had collapsed, and the walls were covered with some kind of glowing moss.
Looking from high above,
The entire island looks as if it was forcibly torn off from a larger continent, with clean cut surfaces visible at its edges.
Its layout is well-organized, resembling the inner city of an ancient city.
The streets are wide and straight, the architectural style is uniform, and the squares, fountains, and steps are all planned in an orderly manner.
Luffy was lying on the ship's railing, his mouth wide open.
Chopper and Usopp were speechless, their eyes wide open like saucers.
Franky gripped the railing, his lips trembling with excitement.
"This structure... this craftsmanship... it's amazing..."
Roy scanned the entire island with his Observation Haki, then withdrew it, his expression grave.
"There is no sign of life. The entire island... is empty."
Nami gripped the Clima-Tact tightly. "What's that?"
Robin closed the map, his voice calm but his fingers trembling slightly. " Laugh Tale."
Luffy up and took a deep breath.
The knot of his Straw Hat danced wildly in the wind, and he shouted:
" Laugh Tale--!! We're here--!!!"
The sound echoed through the ruined city, like a stone thrown into a deep well, making a few thuds before disappearing into the silence of the empty city.
The Thousand Sunny Coup de Vent and leaped out of the sea, flying towards the edge of the island.
The moment the ship lifted into the air, Roy sensed something.
He turned to look at the tallest spire deep within the island, where a faint black aura was slowly rising.
It shares the same origin as the Dark-Dark Fruit within him.
The Thousand Sunny landed back on the sea, its bow cutting through the waves as it headed towards the port.
The outline of the empty city became clearer and larger in everyone's eyes, like a giant beast that had been sleeping for eight hundred years, slowly opening its eyes.
Roy gripped the Shusui tightly, and the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit gave a slight thud in his heart.
It was as if someone from afar was knocking on a door that had been sealed for a long time.
When the Thousand Sunny docked, the pier was deserted, but the mooring lines tightened automatically.
Several thick cables sprang up from the iron piles on the dock and wrapped around the mooring posts of the ship like live snakes, the movements clean and efficient.
The boat came to a steady stop without even a sway.
Franky squatted on the dock and studied it for a long time before finally concluding:
"Automatic sensing system. Triggered by pressure."
The technical sophistication of this thing...
"At least a hundred years ahead of World Government."
Roy was the first to disembark.
The Observation Haki continued scanning, confirming that there were no living beings within a radius of several hundred meters.
Luffy jumped off the pier and looked around curiously.
Loki leaped, Iron Thunder, hoisted onto his shoulder, followed heavily behind.
Zoro's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, Sanji lit a new cigarette, Nami's palms were sweaty as she gripped the Clima-Tact.
Brook hummed a melody, the echoes reverberating through the deserted city, passing through squares, streets, and corners, finally disappearing into some unknown distance. It seemed particularly eerie.
"Yo ho ho ho... even the echoes here are so lonely." Brook took off his hat and bowed.
The city's main thoroughfare was wide enough for ten Giant Tribe to travel side by side.
The buildings on both sides are tall, with metal and stone blending perfectly, and each building facade has exquisite reliefs. Shops, residences, squares, fountains, and all living facilities are available.
But there was no trace of life there.
There was no trash, no dust, and no signs of use.
The road surface was as clean as if it had just been paved, the furniture inside the buildings was as neat as if it had just been arranged, and even the fountain Water 7 was still circulating, crystal clear.
Time stands still here.
Chopper discovers a petrified giant statue in the plaza.
The giant remained in a running posture, one hand outstretched forward, his face contorted with extreme terror, his mouth agape as if he were roaring.
There were several smaller stone statues at his feet, which looked like children.
Chopper was so frightened that he hid behind Robin.
Robin crouched down and carefully examined the surface of the statue. Her fingers traced the giant's arm, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper:
"Isn't this Boa Hancock's Devil Fruit power?"