The Calm Belt was a treacherous zone that isolated the Grand Line from the Four Blues.
Due to its lack of sea breeze and ocean currents, it became a haven for countless giant Sea Kings. For most pirates, it was an impassable danger zone.
Only Marine warships, powered by special propulsion systems and reinforced with Seastone hulls to repel Sea Kings, could traverse the Calm Belt freely.
Fortunately, the Wind Rider was powered by Air Dials, so the only concern was dealing with the Sea Kings.
On deck, the girls watched the water below with cautious eyes.
It was indeed the Calm Belt. Within half a day of entering, they had already faced several waves of Sea King attacks.
Luckily, they were strong enough to drive all of them back.
"These guys are such a pain. They're not particularly strong, but their size is insane."
Gion rubbed her temple, clearly frustrated.
She was used to sailing Marine warships reinforced with Seastone at the bottom, so she had rarely encountered Sea King attacks.
They hadn't even reached the Golden Lion yet, and they were already in danger of getting lost or sunk in the Calm Belt.
"If this happens again, or if a bigger one shows up, we might go under before even reaching the East Blue."
Robin frowned as she recalled how the Wind Rider had been shaken earlier.
The ship was only a hundred meters long, but most of the attacking Sea Kings were several hundred meters long, with some exceeding 500 meters. In comparison, the Wind Rider looked like a toy.
Even if they killed one before it got close, the mere splash from its corpse could toss the ship around like a paper boat.
"What's with the gloomy faces?"
Caelan stepped out of the cabin, visibly refreshed after synchronizing with his new template.
"It's those Sea Kings. They just keep charging at us like they don't care about dying."
Vivi complained bitterly.
"It's really annoying... and here comes another one."
Caelan's eyes narrowed as he sensed the massive presence beneath the water.
Below the surface swam a thousand-meter-long shark-shaped Sea King, a sharp horn protruding from its head.
Though it wasn't as massive as the one Shirahoshi could summon, it was far larger than the Sea King that bit off Shanks' arm.
The Wind Rider, at only a hundred meters long, wasn't even the size of its tail.
At the same time, the girls with Observation Haki sensed it as well, and their expressions grew tense.
"If this one surfaces, we might capsize before we can do anything."
Tashigi's face darkened as a blue flame ignited in her palm.
It was a special flame from the Cat-Cat Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nekomata. Once ignited, it could spread across a Sea King's entire body and continue burning underwater for over ten minutes.
The last few Sea Kings had suffered greatly from it.
But with something this big, even if she could burn it to death, its death throes might still flip the Wind Rider.
"I'll take care of it."
Caelan narrowed his eyes, eager to test the riding skill.
"This one's all yours."
The girls relaxed as soon as he spoke.
Having a reliable backbone really made all the difference.
Caelan gave a slight nod and dove into the sea.
With his strength, he sliced through the water, diving a hundred meters deep to confront the Sea King.
Compared to the thousand-meter-long shark, Caelan was like a tiny ant.
???
What does this human think he's doing?
The shark had lived for untold years and possessed considerable intelligence.
Normally, when it showed up, humans ran for their lives. No one had ever dared approach it directly.
Seeing Caelan swimming right toward it, the Sea King was utterly confused.
But prey was prey. No matter how small, meat was meat. The Sea King opened its abyssal jaws to swallow him whole.
Caelan, however, blasted forward like a cannonball, piercing through the suction and landing a direct strike on its head.
ROOOOAR!
The Sea King bellowed in pain, thrashing wildly in fury.
The proud ruler of the sea would never allow a human to stand on its head.
"What a strong shark. Perfect for pulling the ship."
Standing on the creature's horn, Caelan admired its size, clearly satisfied.
ROOAR!
Sea Kings will never be slaves!
As if sensing Caelan's intentions, the shark roared in defiance, its eyes filled with rage.
Caelan furrowed his brow and activated his [Riding] skill.
The next second, the furious Sea King calmed down almost instantly.
With Observation Haki, Caelan could sense a change — it had grown docile, even friendly toward him.
"Wag your tail."
The shark obediently swished its tail.
"Open your mouth."
It opened its jaws wide, revealing rows of jagged fangs.
"Perfect. It works."
Caelan nodded, satisfied.
Thanks to his Riding skill, the massive Sea King followed his every command.
After a bit of fun, Caelan returned to the surface, standing on the Sea King's head.
"What a massive shark!"
Seeing the enormous body rise from the sea, the girls exclaimed in awe.
The Sea Kings they had fought earlier were at most 500–600 meters long, nothing close to this one.
And yet, this beast wasn't roaring or thrashing. It seemed… tame?
The girls couldn't hide their confusion.
"Let's have it pull the ship."
Caelan jumped back onto the Wind Rider and secured a rope to the Sea King's horn.
The beast didn't resist at all. It steadily pulled the Wind Rider toward the East Blue.
Not only was it fast and stable, but it also deterred other Sea Kings from approaching.
With this shark leading the way, they could safely reach the East Blue.
"Did you tame it?"
Nami stared in disbelief at the creature towing them.
"How did you even do that? That's insane!"
Vivi was equally shocked.
Robin studied Caelan curiously. She had read countless books, but never heard of anyone taming a thousand-meter-long Sea King.
"Well... let's just say it's a talent."
Caelan shrugged with a slight grin.
His Riding skill was unique in this world. Calling it a talent wasn't wrong.
"Really? So there's a talent like that?"
The girls nodded, accepting it. With Caelan, impossible things seemed normal.
Taming a Sea King was just one more surprise.
Only Gion frowned, staring at Caelan thoughtfully.
Talent?
She remembered reading something classified in Marine records.
The legendary Ancient Weapon "Poseidon" could command Sea Kings.
Was Caelan controlling Poseidon? Or... was he Poseidon?
Excited by how well his Riding skill had worked, Caelan turned to Vivi and Tashigi.
Sea Kings were one thing. Now it was time to test Mythical Zoans.
That night...
Caelan called in Tashigi and Vivi to test whether Riding worked on Mythical Zoan transformations.
"Do we really have to do this? This feels so wrong..."
Tashigi's face was beet red.
She now had two small cat ears and a pair of soft tails. Her face glowed crimson with embarrassment.
Vivi, on the other hand, had golden wings sprouting from her back and her eyes had turned a majestic gold.
Caelan chuckled mischievously as he straddled them both and silently activated the Riding skill.
Upon testing, it was confirmed that Mythical Zoan users were within the range of Riding.
The so-called "Mythical Beasts" in this world didn't match the Type-Moon definition. His Riding skill still worked.
However, the condition was that the user had to be fully transformed into their beast form.
Partial forms — like half-beast or three-part hybrids — couldn't be ridden.
For the sake of scientific accuracy and truth-seeking spirit, Caelan repeated the tests multiple times to confirm his findings.
(To be continued.)
Chapter 113: Full Speed Ahead
Early the next morning, the Wind Rider crossed the Calm Belt and returned to the East Blue.
"After two and a half months, I'm back in the East Blue. Feels like the sea has changed, and so have the people."
"Back then, I was the renowned savior of the entire East Blue and a guest of the Marines."
Caelan looked out at the calm sea, filled with emotion.
"And now, you're the great enemy of the World Government, the notorious villain hunted by the Marines."
Gion spoke quietly, also feeling a surge of emotion.
Just two months ago, Marine Headquarters had considered promoting Caelan as a candidate for Admiral, and she had supported him.
In the blink of an eye, she had been abducted by this brazen man, and now the World Government had placed a bounty on her head.
Just thinking about it made her grit her teeth.
"It doesn't matter who opposes me. I'm still me. I won't change because of others."
Caelan smiled, his tone calm.
Is this what it means to walk your own path…?
Gion pondered Caelan's words silently. As someone from the intelligence branch, she could sense the overwhelming confidence behind them.
Self-centered, moving according to his own will, unaffected by others' opinions.
That kind of mindset was typical of the Yonko ruling the sea.
But compared to them, Caelan showed more compassion for civilians, and he had his own bottom line.
With a personality like his, it was no wonder he clashed with the World Government.
Gion analyzed Caelan's temperament and felt a quiet sense of unease.
Ignoring the dazed Gion, Caelan turned to Nami. "Any news about the Golden Lion?"
"The last reported sighting was at Cozia Island. After that, he disappeared."
Vivi sighed, sounding helpless.
The Golden Lion's pirate crew was airborne, making tracking their location extremely difficult.
"He fights when he wants to, escapes when he wants to. Completely free to advance or retreat. A truly troublesome opponent."
Gion held her forehead, visibly frustrated.
"Don't worry. The Golden Lion's movements are being monitored by the Marines, so his activity range is limited."
"Let's study his previous flight path. Maybe we'll find a clue."
Caelan rubbed his chin and remained calm.
"Right!"
The girls nodded and began analyzing the Golden Lion's path of movement.
Nami, Robin, and the others gathered all known sightings of the Golden Lion and marked them on the map. A winding but clear path took shape.
"Following the route, the next stop would be the Conomi Islands."
"Wait… That's Cocoyasi Village!?"
Nami's pupils shrank as she shouted.
"Cocoyasi Village... That's your hometown, right?"
Vivi tapped her chin, recalling the story Nami had once shared.
"I didn't expect the Golden Lion's next target to be my village. My hometown is in danger."
Nami's expression darkened with worry.
How could he target innocent people?
She had been angry about the Golden Lion's destruction across the East Blue. But now that his path led to Cocoyasi Village, her rage flared several times over.
What had the innocent villagers done to deserve this?
If someone wanted to challenge the world, then face the Celestial Dragons and defy the World Government like Caelan. That was true strength and courage.
Slaughtering civilians just to show off power? What kind of pirate was that?
That so-called "legendary pirate" wasn't even fit to be compared to Caelan.
"Don't worry. Now that we know his destination, we can intercept him."
Tashigi gently rubbed Nami's back, comforting her softly.
"Let's pick up the pace. We're heading for Cocoyasi Village!"
Caelan gave the order to the great shark pulling the ship, and the Wind Rider immediately accelerated.
"Right!"
Seeing everyone rally around her, Nami's spirits lifted.
Nojiko, villagers... please wait for me to come back in time!
…
In the waters near Sambas, aboard a high-speed Marine warship.
Tokikakke, now demoted to Rear Admiral, stood on the bow, practicing swordsmanship. Behind him stood other Vice Admirals. They watched him with mixed expressions.
In the past two days, they had been cleaning up the beasts unleashed by the Golden Lion. It was exhausting.
Tokikakke's intensity was even more extreme. Whenever he had a spare moment, he was training.
"His growth is way too fast!"
Onigumo, a master of the Eight-Sword Style, was stunned as he watched Tokikakke's movements.
Tokikakke's swordsmanship used to be average, nothing noteworthy.
But in just a few days, his progress had become visible to the naked eye, improving drastically by the day.
He had already surpassed Onigumo, and he was still getting stronger.
Even Onigumo couldn't help but feel jealous.
"Envious? If you went through what he did, you might be able to reach that level too."
Momonga leaned over and whispered to Onigumo.
"No thanks!"
Onigumo shuddered and rejected the idea outright.
Tokikakke had lost his beloved and was rejected in love. He had been demoted to Rear Admiral and his career was falling apart.
Onigumo wasn't willing to suffer like that just to grow stronger.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Tokikakke slashed furiously, pouring out all his frustration.
After learning that Gion had been labeled the criminal and was now worth 3 billion Berries, his heart had completely shattered.
He also realized how much Fleet Admiral Sengoku had done behind the scenes to protect him.
Because of that, when the Golden Lion began his rampage and with Sakazuki injured, Garp recovering, Aokiji managing Marineford, and Borsalino on patrol in the New World.
Tokikakke had volunteered to head to the East Blue to deal with the Golden Lion, hoping to redeem himself with merit.
But things weren't going well.
Thanks to the powers of the Float-Float Fruit, the Golden Lion was completely at home in the sky above the East Blue. He could come and go as he pleased.
For two straight days, they had only been able to clean up the aftermath. They hadn't even seen the Golden Lion in person.
This legendary pirate was playing them for fools, and it was humiliating.
The more Tokikakke thought about it, the more frustrated he got. His sword strikes became fiercer, splitting waves with each slash.
Just then, the intelligence officer rushed over.
"Reporting, sirs! The Golden Lion was spotted heading toward the Conomi Islands. Also, Caelan, the God Slayer, was detected in the same direction. He appears to be heading toward the Golden Lion as well!"
The Golden Lion alone was already enough of a headache, even with his legs crippled and his mental state damaged. They still had confidence in dealing with him.
But Caelan was different.
He was a world-recognized Four Emperors-level threat. They had no chance against him.
Even if Caelan was going there for the Golden Lion, what were they supposed to do if they encountered him?
While the Vice Admirals were lost in thought, Tokikakke's voice rang out with resolve.
"Full speed ahead to the Mezoda Islands!"
He stopped his sword practice, eyes burning with murderous intent.
One was the man who stole Gion from him. The other had humiliated him for days.
His sword was already thirsting for blood.
The intelligence officer exchanged looks with the other Vice Admirals, and together they chose to follow Tokikakke's orders.
No matter what, they had to go.