Open Sea – Calm Waters
A small sailboat broke the surface of the sea, gliding smoothly under the sunlit sky.
"Ah, this is the life. Nothing beats sunlight and the open sea."
Kaelen Tsukishiro stood on the deck, letting the sun warm his face. His eyes half-closed in comfort as a satisfied sigh escaped his lips.
Beside him, Robin leaned against the railing. Her tone was calm and thoughtful.
"Fish-Man Island is beautiful… but you always feel like you're one breath away from drowning."
"Ugh." Kaelen winced. "You really know how to kill the mood."
Still, she had a point. Staying submerged for too long did weigh on the nerves. No open skies, no salty breeze, no horizon to chase. It wasn't natural.
Kaelen stretched with a groan, his back cracking lightly. A faint smile curled his lips as he recalled Princess Shirahoshi's tearful face during their parting.
"With her Sea King abilities and that uncanny prophetic gift, she's more than just a timid girl. Yeah… Fish-Man Island turned out to be worth the stop."
He was especially satisfied with the results. What he didn't realize before leaving was that his brief release of Conqueror's Haki had shaken the entire island.
As for Shirahoshi—her potential as the ancient weapon Poseidon was terrifying.
If she could overcome her fear and fully awaken her powers, the dream of Fish-Man Island reaching the surface wouldn't be impossible.
"Kaelen, incoming warships up ahead," Robin's voice cut in, her tone suddenly cautious. "They're flying the World Government's flag."
Kaelen's gaze sharpened. Sure enough, five large warships were closing in fast from the horizon.
"…Well, if they're just passing, we'll let them go. If they're looking for trouble, we'll sink them."
But the words had barely left his mouth when a barrage of cannon fire erupted from the fleet.
BOOM!
Explosions lit the air as shells tore through the sky toward their ship.
Kaelen coughed into his hand, feigning composure. "Right. That was unexpected."
Robin gave him a pointed look, lips curving into a sly smile.
Kaelen muttered something under his breath, then raised his right fist. With a casual swing, he shattered the incoming cannonballs mid-air as if they were made of glass.
On the lead warship, a man in a bubble suit came into view.
"…A Celestial Dragon. That explains it."
Normally, World Government warships didn't open fire without provocation—especially not on unflagged civilian vessels. But Celestial Dragons didn't care about rules.
Kaelen narrowed his eyes.
"I've been wanting to test how much a Celestial Dragon's life is really worth."
His expression was calm, but his gaze turned icy. For the so-called "descendants of the gods," he had nothing but contempt.
"Are you really going to kill him?" Robin asked quietly.
Kaelen didn't answer right away. He understood her concern—he'd drawn enough attention already. Killing a Celestial Dragon would only escalate things.
But he had already thought it through.
"Don't worry," he said with a smirk. "They won't go to war over one corpse. Not with the Reverie so close."
The World Government was too busy preparing for the upcoming Reverie. They couldn't afford full-scale retaliation. The most they'd do was send a few dogs.
Robin nodded slowly. She didn't fully agree, but something about Kaelen's confidence made her trust him.
Meanwhile, panic broke out aboard the enemy ship.
The captain of the guard, pale and trembling, turned toward the arrogant man in the bubble suit.
"L-Lord Nicholas-sama! We've made a mistake!"
The Celestial Dragon, dressed in gaudy silk and adorned in unnecessary gold, looked annoyed.
"What mistake?! Speak up, you sniveling worm!"
"It's… it's his ship—the one you ordered us to attack," the guard stammered. "That's the man they're calling the Reaper—the one who killed Donquixote Doflamingo!"
Silence.
The Celestial Dragon's face went pale. Sweat poured down his face as his knees gave out.
Thud!
Saint Nicholas collapsed onto the deck, frozen in fear. He couldn't stop trembling.
He remembered what the Five Elders had told him before he left Mary Geoise:
"Stay in the Holy Land. If you run into him, and you die… we won't even bother avenging you."
The title echoed in his ears—Reaper.
He had made a fatal mistake. The kind you don't get to regret twice.
"No… no no no!" he shrieked, losing all composure. "Fire! Keep firing! Blast him to pieces! I want him dead!"
Cannons roared again, but this time the crew knew—they were just digging their own graves.
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Milestones:
100 Power Stones → 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power Stones → 3 Bonus Chapters