The slave ship was hardly different from a typical pirate vessel, its build already inferior. After the violent collision, the hull splintered, a massive hole opening wide against the Sea. Worse still, the impact sent spiderweb cracks across the wood, and the ship began sinking rapidly into the water.
Jebit was outraged. He barked orders, telling his crew to push the spare small boats out into the Sea.
As a Devil Fruit user, Laji dreaded falling into the water more than anything. The moment the boats hit the water, he impatiently tried to leap onto one, only to be shoved aside by Jebit.
Jebit glared at him fiercely and roared,
Bring that stinking fish up first, or if he gets away, we will all die out here!
Laji had no choice but to move toward Tiger. In his human form he wasn't particularly strong, so he transformed into his half‑beast shape to carry Tiger.
By now, two‑thirds of the ship had been submerged. Jebit ordered all the remaining small boats into the Sea, then was the first to leap onto one. Laji, Tiger in his arms, followed closely behind.
There weren't enough boats to carry everyone. The low‑ranking lackeys, desperate to survive, jumped into the steel‑cold water and clawed toward the floating boats, trying to reach one before it drifted away.
Jebit watched his ship sink entirely beneath the waves with a face twisted in anger. Then he suddenly turned toward Laji and grabbed him by the collar, his eyes blazing.
What happened just now? Who destroyed my ship?
Laji's legs trembled, his body shaking as if every bone was about to collapse. Jebit lifted him off the boat with one hand, hoisting him higher and higher. Laji's heart raced, knowing Jebit was capable of throwing him into the Sea at any moment.
He was about to tell Jebit what he'd witnessed when he noticed something behind him.
Among the broken wreckage floating on the Sea surface, there was a sleek speedboat quietly moored not far away, as if mocking their despair.
On the speedboat stood the man responsible for overturning their ship. He was handsome, but Laji was too shocked to describe his features properly.
Laji pointed toward the young man and shouted,
Captain Jebit, it is him! He hit our ship!
Jebit turned and fixed his gaze on the young man in the speedboat. For a moment, he thought he recognized him, but the thought vanished almost as quickly as it came. Right now, all he could think about was his ruined ship.
He let out a furious laugh.
Alright then, he looks handsome enough. With the speedboat and him as well, we should still fetch a good price! Move! Bring that kid back to me!
Upon hearing this, Jebit's subordinates immediately swam toward the young man.
Meanwhile, Lloyd, hands in his pockets, surveyed the wreckage drifting not far from him.
I only slept a bit, he muttered to himself, how did this shipwreck happen?
He saw many people struggling to swim through broken planks and hull fragments, all moving toward him. No need to think, these must be the unlucky sailors from the ship he'd unintentionally smashed.
If this had been a legitimate vessel, Lloyd would have naturally helped them and compensated them properly. But with his perceptive hearing, he had just heard Jebit's words. It sounded as though Jebit planned to sell him along with the ship?
In other words, they were slave traders.
Then things would be far easier to handle.
Seeing how desperately they were swimming, Lloyd raised his hand and unleashed Almighty Pull, instantly pulling every one of them toward him with the force of gravity.
The unlucky lackeys hadn't even processed what was happening before their bodies were yanked by gravitational force and smashed onto the sturdy speedboat beneath Lloyd's feet, crushed into lifeless pulp.
Jebit's face turned ashen.
He muttered,
He's a Devil Fruit user, and it looks like a very strong ability…
Laji, soaked with fear, leaned toward Jebit and said in a trembling voice,
Captain Jebit, no matter how strong a Devil Fruit user is, they still fear the Sea. If we get him into the water, he'll be at our mercy. Besides, powerful users sell for a high price.
At this, Jebit nodded and smiled grimly.
That's true, I…
Before he could finish, another burst of gravity struck, pulling both the fleeing boats and the men aboard toward Lloyd.
This time Lloyd stopped them deliberately before they struck the speedboat. Using his gravitational power with precision, he halted the rushing boats and held them suspended around him.
But all of the others, unable to withstand the sudden pull, were thrown into the Sea by inertia, including Laji in his beast form.
Jebit's face was etched with terror. He had severely underestimated Lloyd's ability range and power.
But when he saw Lloyd's face clearly, his body froze as though struck by lightning.
Tiger, who lay at Lloyd's feet, was beginning to wake up. He raised his head slightly, his vision blurred. The first face he saw was Lloyd's.
Still disoriented, Tiger assumed this was another unfortunate traveler caught in the chaos, so he weakly spoke up,
Quick, run! They are human traffickers!
But as his mind cleared further, he realized something was wrong. Why was the surface beneath him now such a small boat?
When Tiger turned his head, he saw Jebit standing there like a statue, not reacting to him at all.
Jebit's face was filled with terror, as though he was seeing something impossible. He extended a trembling finger and stuttered,
Bl... Bl...
Suddenly, a vast wave of darkness spread out from behind Lloyd, engulfing Jebit, his crew, and their boats in a flood of shadows. When it cleared, Tiger floated alone on the surface of the Sea.
Lloyd lifted one leg and placed his foot at the bow of the speedboat, then leaned down and extended a hand toward Tiger.
Hey, want to come up?