Roy's suggestion caused Neptune and Otohime to frown.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.
" The Calm Belt?"
Neptune frowned.
"That place is too dangerous, and the Sea Kings are numerous and ferocious. What if Shirahoshi becomes emotionally unstable and loses control of her abilities..."
"Yes, Lord Roy."
Otohime also looked worried.
" Shirahoshi has never tried this in front of so many Sea Kings before, I'm afraid she..."
"Don't worry."
Roy spoke, his tone very confident.
"With me here, there won't be any problems."
You can practice controlling your abilities gradually; nothing will happen.
Moreover, this force will be needed sooner or later in this battle.
"Testing it early gives you peace of mind."
Neptune and Otohime were still hesitating.
At this moment, Shirahoshi suddenly raised her head, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Father, Mother, I want to go."
She clenched her fist, her tone very serious.
"I also want to help; I don't want to always hide behind everyone else."
Everyone is working hard, and I want to do my part too.
"And with Lord Roy here, everything will be fine!"
She looked at Neptune and Otohime with unwavering determination in her eyes.
Neptune looked at his daughter, then at Roy, and remained silent for a long while.
Finally, he sighed heavily and nodded.
"All right.
"Then you will go with Lord Roy. You must be obedient and not cause any trouble."
"I know, Father!" Shirahoshi immediately beamed, her eyes curving into crescents.
Queen Otohime stepped forward, gently smoothed Shirahoshi's hair, and softly instructed:
"Be careful on the road, listen to Lord Roy, and don't be reckless."
"Yes!" Shirahoshi nodded emphatically, her face full of anticipation.
She had long wanted to see what her power really looked like.
The power of the King of the Deep Sea is finally about to be revealed to the world.
·························
The news that Shirahoshi was to be taken to the Calm Belt to test the power of Poseidon somehow spread among the executives on Hachinosu.
Early the next morning, a large group of people arrived on the deck of Ark Maxim.
Bullet stood with his arms crossed at the ship's side, looking eager to get started.
Tesoro also temporarily abandoned the task Roy had given him and chose to go along.
Hawk Eyes stood in the corner, carrying the Black Blade Yoru on his back. Although his face was expressionless, his eyes revealed a hint of curiosity.
Yamato, carrying a spiked club, huddled next to Shirahoshi, chattering away and asking all sorts of questions.
When Roy stepped onto the deck, he saw the room full of people and raised an eyebrow.
Why are you all here?
"Boss, this is the legendary power of Poseidon!"
Bullet has a loud voice.
"We might never see something like this in our lifetime, so of course we have to come and broaden our horizons!"
Tesoro nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, boss. It won't cause any trouble anyway, and having a few more of us can help out."
Roy shook his head helplessly.
This group of people were all incredibly warlike and incredibly curious.
"Alright, everyone follow."
But let me make this clear beforehand: once we get there, we mustn't say anything out of turn, and we mustn't disturb the Sea Kings.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Everyone nodded repeatedly, and they all became much more well-behaved.
The Ark Maxim slowly sailed away from the port, transforming into a streak of light and speeding towards the Calm Belt.
The boat was moving very fast, with waves surging on both sides and the sea breeze whistling against our faces.
Shirahoshi stood at the bow of the ship, gripping the railing with both hands, her fingertips turning slightly white.
She pursed her lips, her cheeks flushed slightly from the wind, her eyes filled with a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
Yamato stood next to her and casually patted her on the shoulder:
Don't be afraid, Shirahoshi!
"With us here, even if the Sea Kings misbehave, we can help you keep them in check!"
"Um!"
Shirahoshi nodded and took a deep breath. She didn't know if she could do it well, but she wanted to try.
After sailing for most of the day, the sea gradually calmed down.
Even the wind had vanished, and the sea was as flat as a giant mirror, without a single ripple.
"We've entered the Calm Belt," Hawk Eyes said in a low voice.
Everyone perked up and stood up straight, looking out at the sea.
Dead silence.
The entire sea was eerily quiet; not even the sound of the flowing water could be heard, except for the soft murmur of the Ark Maxim cutting through the surface.
The underwater world seems to conceal endless darkness; no one knows what lies beneath.
" Shirahoshi."
Roy walked to her side and spoke softly.
"We can begin."
Take your time, don't rush.
"Um."
Shirahoshi responded, closed her eyes, and slowly raised her arm.
She breathed very softly, and her thoughts, guided by the power of her spirit, slowly spread out in all directions.
An invisible ripple spreads outwards from the Ark Maxim towards the deep sea.
At first, the sea was completely still; nothing happened.
Bullet couldn't help but blink, and was about to say something when Tesoro grabbed his arm.
Tesoro made a shushing gesture, signaling him to wait.
A few more seconds passed.
Suddenly, a "glug" sound.
A bubble rose from the water near the side of the boat.
Then, more and more bubbles appeared, bubbling and gurgling, like water boiling.
The entire sea surface seemed to boil!
"Splash--!"
A gigantic Sea Kings suddenly burst out of the water, its body, tens of meters long, sending up a spray of water everywhere.
Then came the second, the third, the tenth, the hundredth...
Hundreds and thousands of Sea Kings rose from the deep sea one after another, densely covering the area in front of us.
The larger ones are hundreds of meters long, while the smaller ones are tens of meters long. They come in all shapes and sizes, some with huge fangs, some with coiled bodies like giant snakes, and some with countless tentacles...
Their dorsal fins stand upright in unison, like a black forest that stretches as far as the eye can see.
The sounds of surging seawater and the roars of Sea Kings mingled together, making one's ears ring.
A terrifying aura swept over them, and just looking at the densely packed hordes of giant beasts was enough to send chills down one's spine.
Tesoro immediately maneuvered the Ark Maxim into the air, leaving everyone on the deck dumbfounded.
"My goodness..."
Bullet stared, his eyes wide, and instinctively clenched his fists.
"This is way too much..."
He considered himself a veteran of countless battles, having seen all sorts of large-scale situations.
This was the first time he had ever seen so many Sea Kings emerge at once.
If they all rush up at once, even he would be worn down and killed.
Tesoro pushed up his glasses, his face also turning a little pale:
This is only in the nearshore area...
Who knows how many more are in the deep sea.
No wonder the World Government is so wary of Poseidon's power.
With that kind of quantity, no one would be intimidated.
Roy stood at the bow of the ship without saying a word.
He slowly closed his eyes, unleashing his full Observation Haki, which spread towards the deep sea. His senses penetrated layer after layer of seawater, continuing downwards and downwards.
Soon, he "saw" it.
Deeper into the trench, colossal Sea Kings, each one enormous and terrifying in size, slowly opened their eyes.
Each of their bodies was comparable to a small island, their ancient consciousnesses having slumbered in the deep sea for thousands of years, now awakened by this summons.
Ancient spiritual fluctuations rose and fell, carrying with them bewilderment and awe.
"Who is calling out...?"
"It's Poseidon... Has a new Poseidon Awakening?"
"The final battle... is it coming?"
Ancient thoughts seemed to come from the distant past, carrying the vicissitudes of time.
Roy felt a slight jolt in his heart.
Joy Boy.
The planning from eight hundred years ago was remarkably far-reaching.
These deep-sea behemoths had been slumbering on the seabed, awaiting the call of the Poseidon and the arrival of the final battle.
This game is far too ambitious.
He slowly opened his eyes, a lingering sense of shock still in them.
"That's not all."
He spoke, his voice not loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears.
"Under the deep sea, there are even bigger ones."
These are just appetizers.