Rumble!
"Room!"
"Gentleman's Flash!"
"Pops! Blue! Row harder!"
"I hear you! This fifty-year-old man is already using every ounce of his strength!"
At the base of Reverse Mountain, Ren Kurogane and his crew were pushing themselves to the absolute limit. Every available attack was unleashed, slamming into the gargantuan silhouette before them.
ROAR—!!
The massive beast let out a deafening howl, and it was only then that Ren and the others saw its true form. Emerging from the waves was a Sea King pig, thousands of meters long. Its skin was pitch-black, and a row of serrated tusks curved outward in a terrifying, jagged grin. Its crimson eyes fixed on the group of humans—creatures so small they were practically negligible.
"Is that... a pig?" Ren felt numb. "A Sea King version of a pig? Dammit! What kind of madness did the people of the past get up to, creating something this horrific?"
Ren had long suspected that the original inhabitants of this world were just humans, and it was only after the Lunarians arrived with their advanced technology and biological experimentation that things went sideways, resulting in the chaotic diversity of races and monsters seen today.
"Hey! Captain, did he attack us because you hit him first?" Law asked grimly.
"Don't be stupid! That thing wanted to swallow us whole from the start!" Ren grinned fiercely. "It's just a Sea King. We'll just blow it away!"
Ren's Conqueror's Haki erupted in full force. He launched himself like an arrow from a bow, appearing instantly above the Sea King's head. With a smile, he shouted, "Die!"
BOOM!
A strike of flowing Armament Haki slammed into the creature's skull. The penetrating force surged deep into its marrow, destroying the Sea King's internal structure!
"SQUEE—!! ROAR!!" The Sea King let out an earth-shattering shriek. Even for a beast of that size, a direct hit to the brain was agonizing.
The next second, a shadow loomed over Ren. A trotter larger than their entire ship erupted from the water. In a blur of speed, it slammed into Ren's body!
Spurt!
Ren coughed up a spray of blood. His surroundings became a blur as he was sent hurtling through the air and smashed into the ocean, creating a massive localized swell.
"That hurt! Dammit! How can a pig that big move that fast?!"
Submerged in the water, Ren crossed his arms over his chest. Even so, the sheer force of the Sea King's strike left his body numb and his internal organs cracked.
Only Ryou can damage him, but it's not enough. To settle this head-on, I need Infusion!
Conqueror's Haki Infusion was an order of magnitude stronger than Armament Haki—a peak power of this world. Unfortunately, despite years of training, Ren had never quite grasped the secret of Infusing his attacks.
Ren burst from the water and stood firmly on the surface of the sea. Looking at the behemoth in the distance, his fighting spirit reached an all-time high.
"I've spent these years training in isolation without a worthy opponent. Maybe that's why I've been unable to master Infusion," Ren whispered to himself. "I'll use this chance to go all out. Who knows? Maybe I'll finally get it today! Heh!"
In the distance, Law's jaw dropped as he saw Ren standing on the water.
"How is he standing on the sea? Is that some kind of Taijutsu?"
"No," Grey explained. "That's the effect of that unique energy Ren carries. That energy is incredibly versatile; if Ren focused entirely on developing it, his strength would be at least twice what it is now."
"..."
The crew fell silent. They had thought their captain was already a freak, but he was still hiding trump cards.
Just then, Ren's roar boomed across the waves!
"Leave this place! I'll find you after I settle things with this pig!"
"Leave? Do you hear yourself? That's a Sea King!" Law roared back, frantic.
"Captain, now isn't the time for gentlemanly honor," Klin added. "It's more important that we all swarm this beast together and take it down!"
"Turn the ship! We're leaving this area!" Hill commanded the crew.
"Hill?!"
"Shut up! Follow the Captain's orders!" Hill's face was grim as she screamed toward Ren: "If you dare die, I'll haunt you for the rest of eternity!"
"Don't worry! I still need to find the Pure Gold and live for another hundred thousand years! I'm not dying here!" Ren laughed, his fists newly coated in Armament Haki as he charged the beast once more.
"Seriously! The Captain really doesn't have a brain!" Law cursed in frustration, but he moved to help with the oars. This was the Captain's order. All they could do now was believe in him.
Ren slammed a punch into the Sea King's jaw. The massive force caused the creature to tilt backward, its body rolling in the water. It dived beneath the surface, and a moment later, a gargantuan tail—large enough to blot out the sun—emerged from the depths, crashing down toward Ren!
"Holy..." Ren cursed, erupting with his full chakra reserves. He became a black blur, narrowly escaping the tail's impact zone. But the behemoth's assault wasn't over.
Facing a tsunami that seemed poised to swallow the world, Ren showed no fear—only endless excitement.
"Hahaha! As expected of a Sea King! Every casual movement creates a tsunami that could level an island!"
Rumble!Crackle!
Suddenly, black lightning flickered through the void. Ren released his Conqueror's Haki without restraint. Facing the towering wave, he concentrated his entire being into his fist. In that moment, as if guided by something unseen, a ring of invisible pressure coated the surface of his knuckles.
"Crumbling Fist!"
BOOM!
A single punch to split a mountain! The fierce gale of the strike whistled forth, detonating the moment it hit the water. A massive hole was torn through the center of the solid wall of seawater. The tsunami's momentum was broken, and the ocean collapsed to either side.
Before Ren could celebrate mastering a sliver of the mystery of Infusion, he sensed danger coming from below. Without hesitation, he burst into a blur of speed. A second after he moved, a cavernous maw erupted where he had been standing, the sound of the teeth snapping together echoing through the air.
"Dangerous fellow!" Ren looked at the Sea King with a smile. "Thanks for making my blood boil after all this time. As a reward, I'll give you everything I've got!"
Boom!
The seawater beneath him exploded as Ren launched himself toward the newly surfaced Sea King. His fist, now glowing with the dark spark of Infusion, struck again!
"Crumbling Fist!"
Rumble!
Under the weight of the punch, the Sea King's face was hideously deformed. Its massive body was sent skidding backward uncontrollably for hundreds of meters before sinking into the ocean.
Meanwhile, at the center of the world's highest power...
The Five Elders were gathered, watching the footage of the Sea King being sent flying. One spoke: "It isn't him. We found the wrong person."
"Indeed, he is not an Ability User."
"However, his combat power is approaching the peak of this sea. To prevent him from becoming a second Roger, let him die here."
"Send more of the failures. He cannot win in the open ocean."
With that, the Five Elders cut the live feed and returned to their duties.
Back at the sea, dozens of red-eyed Sea Kings suddenly broke the surface, surrounding the tiny figure standing alone on the water.
"Whoa, whoa... this is getting a bit ridiculous..."