Chapter 248: The Kraken
[Witnessing Megan Hicks's astonishing transformation, even someone as intelligent and wise as Newton couldn't help but gape. Newton told you that only now did he feel like a little boy playing by the seaside, who had stumbled upon a slightly rounder stone and a prettier shell, feeling delighted—but in front of him, there were still countless undiscovered stones and shells as vast as the ocean. He decided to stay aboard your ship to continue studying the demon factor, believing it might be the path forward for human occultism—God's revelation to mankind—just like that apple which once fell on his head. (You have earned the achievement: Newton's Apple)]
[You had no intention of correcting Newton's religious fervor. As for his willingness to remain on your ship to study Devil Fruits, you thought it was just fine. With their help, you easily replicated the breakthrough you once achieved in the Apocalypse World. Now, the Devil Fruits you produce might turn out to be Paramecia, and if luck was on your side, even Mythical Zoan types could appear.]
[Newton himself could not resist the temptation of the Devil Fruit. His luck was exceptionally good—he ate a Mythical Zoan Bat Fruit, Vampire form. This was also the first time you'd ever seen someone hit such a jackpot. Perhaps it was for the best—now he was the second strongest fighter on your ship. Historically, by this point, he should have been entering the final stage of his life, destined to die nine years later. But now—who knew how much longer he might live?]
[After witnessing the power of Devil Fruits, your pirate crew could no longer resist the temptation either. The first to follow your lead was Tuval, who ate a Paramecia Slip-Slip Fruit. After eating it, he became a "Smooth Man"—his skin so slick that anything touching it would slide right off. Now, he might even threaten the position of your Pineapple Pirates' resident "face" in terms of looks. The future "Prince of Pirates," Sam Bellamy, ate a Shiny Fruit, allowing him to turn any part of his body into unbreakable diamond—his combat power was formidable.]
[Your ultimate goal, just like in the world of One Piece, was to somehow form an army composed entirely of Zoan-type users. You had successfully made the already fantastical Caribbean pirate world even more bizarre.]
[On April 1, 1717, you returned to Port Royal. Through Megan Hicks's introduction, you met a witch named Tia Dalma—none other than the legendary sea goddess Calypso. You sensed Cortés's excitement. Calypso claimed she could help you resurrect Cortés, but only if you freed her from this human shell—this required gathering the nine pieces of eight carried by the nine Pirate Lords. You spent 2,000 Louis d'or to acquire from her a compass that doesn't point north, and you flatly refused her advances without giving her any face.]
[From April 2, 1717 to April 7, 1718, over the course of a year, you expanded from four ships to six, targeting only slave ships, naval vessels, and your fellow pirates. After killing Boris, you were seen as an eccentric who openly challenged the authority of the Pirate Lords. From time to time, one Pirate Lord or another—or pirates from Nassau—would come to fight you, upholding the oldest and noblest pirate tradition: fight for the sake of fighting. If they could win, they fought; if not, they ran. But such traditions were useless against you—you could confidently say that aside from the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman, no ship was faster than your steamship. After all, they relied on wind and oars, while yours ran on coal.]
[In several battles, you not only defeated the fleet of Mediterranean Pirate Lord Chevalle, but also crushed reinforcements from Nassau. Nassau Pirate Republic's leader Benjamin Hornigold and his apprentice, "Blackbeard" Edward Teach, led a fleet to support him. When their massive fleet of 11 ships and nearly 1,200 men entered range, you immediately ordered your cannons turned toward them and opened long-range bombardment at sea.]
[In the raging storm, their 11 warships fired nearly 600 six-pound cannonballs and fifty volleys of musket fire over several hours, yet the heavy hull of the Pluton remained solid as rock. After a single broadside from your fleet, Hornigold was forced to abandon ship and flee. "Blackbeard" Edward Teach, on the other hand, was captured by you and surrendered without hesitation before you even spoke.]
[But at that moment, you finally encountered the strongest enemy since arriving in this world. Amid massive surging waves, a tattered black ghost ship emerged from beneath the sea, covered in barnacles and seaweed, its mainmast flying a ragged black sail.]
[On its deck stood a barnacle-encrusted black-captain-hat-wearing figure—his face covered in writhing tentacles—gazing at you with pure malice. You recognized him instantly: the legendary Lord of the Deep, Davy Jones!]
[In the raging Caribbean storm, your well-trained sailors immediately opened fire with a volley against the Flying Dutchman, inflicting heavy damage. But like its master, the ship possessed the trait of immortality, quickly regenerating. Operated by its undead crew, its triple cannons dealt steady damage to your ships.]
[After trading positions at sea, Davy Jones clearly had no desire to drag out the fight. Without hesitation, he summoned his pet—the legendary sea monster, the Kraken. In an instant, countless massive tentacles rose from beneath the waves, wrapping around the Pluton. The ship shook violently in moments.]
[Faced with this 155-meter-long, 300-ton ocean overlord, even the bravest—Sam Bellamy—trembled. Megan Hicks tried to persuade you to abandon ship, for this was none other than the fabled Kraken of the North Sea.]
[But you refused without hesitation, telling them seriously: "If you see me fighting the Kraken, pray for the Kraken."]
[What happened next would be told and retold by sailors for years to come. Pouring all your strength into it, a nearly tangible wave of Conqueror's Haki swept forth—so strong that even the torrential rain seemed to pause. The Kraken, as if seeing a ghost, retracted its tentacles, ready to retreat into the depths. But just then, you drew the Supreme Grade sword ACE from your waist, its blade wrapped in Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, and unleashed your strongest Divine Departure. Even though the Kraken desperately dove, it could not evade this strike—a blow that completely overwhelmed even the peak-level Roger. Every one of the dozens of tentacles spread across the surface was severed. With a tsunami-like surge, the Kraken plunged swiftly back into the depths. Moments later, Davy Jones froze in shock, then turned without a word, taking the Flying Dutchman back beneath the waves in full retreat.]
[At that moment, everyone's expressions mirrored Davy Jones's—utterly stunned. All eyes turned toward you with reverence. Others might not know, but in the days that followed, even Newton—who had always acted high and mighty—spoke to you with the utmost caution.]
[This unexpected encounter sent your fame soaring. Now you were seen as someone who had surpassed the Pirate Lords—in both ships and strength. In your view, the time was almost ripe to conquer Nassau and become the Pirate King of the Caribbean.]