The Grand Line. An untamed stretch of turbulent sea.
Rumble...
A low, wild mechanical roar—like the growl of an ancient apex predator—rippled across the gloomy waters. Gale-force winds whipped up ten-meter waves, seeking to swallow any intruder daring enough to challenge the sea's sovereignty.
Yet, a jet-black warship tore a snowy, violent wake through the swells. It moved at a terrifying velocity that defied every conventional principle of sail dynamics.
Deep in the lower hold, the heat was suffocating. Two high-pressure steam boilers, modified into monsters by Jeno, were running at red-line capacity. Coal shrieked in the furnaces as scorching steam hissed through precision brass pipes, driving the massive Stellar Obsidian paddle wheels on either side of the hull. Those wheels, like twin meat grinders, shredded the resistance of the ocean, converting the sea's fury into raw, terrifying thrust.
At the very front, the dark Suzaku figurehead cast a cold, brutal metallic luster under the dim sky.
BANG—SPLASH!
The sea ahead exploded as a coastal sea beast, dozens of meters long, breached the surface. Before it could even unhinge its jaw to roar, it was struck head-on by the speeding black bullet.
There was no pause. No deceleration.
The indestructible Suzaku Ram, carrying the massive kinetic energy of the armored vessel, tore through the sea beast's torso like a hot wire through wax. A rain of gore splattered across the ocean, and the metallic tang of blood filled the air. As the Eclipse broke through the waves, the anti-corrosive plating remained pristine; the beast's blood simply slid off the streamlined hull, leaving not a single scratch on the paint.
"Gah! This is disgusting! The blood is all over the deck!" Buggy, who had been half-heartedly mopping the deck, shrieked in misery as he looked at the red mess.
"Stop whining, Red Nose! That's top-grade protein delivering itself to our door!" Leona kicked open the hold hatch, silver deboning knife in hand. Her eyes flashed with a chef's fanaticism. "Our fresh meat stocks were getting low anyway. This big guy is right on time!"
Above the wheelhouse, Jeno leaned out, clutching a mug of rum and laughing like a madman.
"Hahaha! Perfection! This is a man's true romance!" Jeno yelled down to the deck. "Captain! How's the dual-engine output? Even if the Red Line were in front of us, I'd tell you to ram it right now!"
Ace stood at the bow, his dark red windbreaker snapping in the gale. His deep eyes watched the waves being split asunder, feeling the absolute stability of the warship beneath his boots. He nodded in satisfaction.
"The speed and pressure resistance are impeccable. With this power, we never have to fear the Calm Belt." Ace gave his affirmation. Jeno's craft was indeed worthy of the Eclipse Pirates' ambition.
Ace withdrew his gaze and looked at the heavy Stellar Obsidian machete resting on the weapon rack of the main mast. He gripped the hilt, lifting the blade that had served him in the East Blue.
Too light. Too brittle.
Since eating the Suzaku Fruit and undergoing the total restructuring of his muscular system, his physical power had reached a Tier-0 level. This machete, which would be an anchor for an ordinary man, felt like a hollow wooden stick in his hand.
It wasn't just the weight. Ace's thought stirred, and a spark of Vermilion Bird Divine Fire ignited at his fingertip. He touched it to the blade.
Sizzle...
The refined steel edge immediately softened, beginning to distort under the heat. Ace shook his head and replaced the weapon. The material was garbage; it couldn't survive his current combat rhythm. If he infused it with Advanced Ryuo and the sun-like heat of his flames, the sword would melt and shatter before it even touched an enemy.
If I want to be like the strongest Fire-type Soul Reaper from my past life's memories—compressing heaven-burning heat into a single edge—I need a Supreme Grade blade. A sword capable of carrying Haoshoku (Conqueror's) infusion and the heat of a star.
"Caw! Island! Island ahead! No Marines! Caw!"
Above, Berries the Macaw circled twice before diving through the clouds and landing on Carina's shoulder.
"Good job, Berries." Carina rubbed the bird's head and tossed him a premium nut.
"Caw! Berries likes nuts! Berries wants to get rich!" The parrot cracked the nut with a greedy squawk.
In the past few days, the "Avis-Net" had been perfected. Every seagull and falcon within fifty miles was now an extension of Carina's vision. If a ship appeared or an island surfaced, the flock would relay the blurred image to Carina, and Berries would perform the "voice broadcast."
Carina stepped into the wheelhouse, comparing her charts with the silhouette Berries had described.
"Captain, we've arrived," Carina said, stepping out with the sea chart. Her purple eyes were sharp. "According to the trajectory, that's Jaya Island. On its west coast lies the infamous lawless port—Mock Town."
"I've heard of it," Sabo said, turning the wheel. "A gathering place for the worst outlaws in Paradise. No Marine presence. The perfect place for fencing stolen goods and hiding from the law."
"Dock," Ace ordered. He didn't reach for the machete. He simply rolled his broad shoulders, his red coat fluttering with a natural, dominant ease.
"We go to town to find clues about the Knock Up Stream and the way to the sky. And while we're at it..." Ace's eyes flashed with a cold sharpness. "Let's see if this 'lawless place' has any interesting supplies for us to 'liberate'."
"Understood, Captain."
The Eclipse's paddle wheels accelerated, venting thick white steam. This steel beast, armed to the teeth and hungry for the heavens, surged toward the docks of Mock Town like a ruthless blade.
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