At this moment, there were only about twenty people left in the preparation room.
Almost all of them belonged to the pirate camp.
Fenric was a little speechless—he hadn't expected his presence alone to scare away so many.
Still, this wasn't a bad thing. With fewer competitors, there would also be fewer headaches.
Not long after, the system prompt sounded:
"Attention, Samsara Players. In ten minutes, you will be teleported into the mission world."
From this point, no one could quit. The final number of participants had been set—just these twenty or so.
"God Shura really is diligent. He's here to grind another dungeon!"
"Relax, we're all in the pirate camp. Our missions shouldn't conflict with his. If we're lucky, we might even be able to tag along."
"Shameless. You're already dreaming about riding his coattails? …Actually, that's not a bad idea. I've decided—I'm sticking close to Shura."
"I remember his identity in the 'One Piece' dungeon was called Mundo, right? Someone leaked it online."
"Yeah, I saw that too."
"Perfect. Once we're inside, we just need to watch Mundo. If our missions overlap, following him might actually guarantee victory."
Their chatter echoed in the room, but Fenric remained calm.
As long as they didn't interfere with his mission, he had no reason to bother with them.
Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
"Teleportation countdown begins. 10… 9… 8… 3… 2… 1…"
When the countdown ended, everyone in the preparation room was wrapped in crimson light and vanished.
—---
"Woooosh!"
The roar of waves striking the shore filled Fenric's ears.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing on a coastline.
At his feet lay a shallow puddle of stagnant water. Looking at his reflection, Fenric saw the familiar face of Mundo. But compared to the last time he had entered the 'One Piece' dungeon, his appearance was rougher, marked by the passage of years.
"Of course… ten years have passed in this timeline. A little more maturity, a few more scars—makes sense. The system really paid attention to detail this time."
Fenric glanced around. Towering trees nearly a hundred meters tall stretched across the island's interior.
"Looks like I've spawned on an island. Doesn't matter. First, let's test the Trident's power again."
In the next instant, the Trident materialized in his hand.
A familiar, almost intoxicating sensation surged through him.
As he gazed out at the sea, a profound closeness welled up inside him, as if the ocean itself were his eternal home.
Fenric stepped toward the water. With a single thought—
Whoooosh!
A towering wave rose beneath his feet, carrying him into the ocean's depths.
Though it was nothing but seawater, the waves held his weight as if defying physics itself. More than that, he could feel it—the ability to command the tides at will, to shape the ocean into whatever form he desired.
Balancing on the waves was child's play.
He experimented further.
Fenric discovered he could walk directly on the surface of the sea, his feet never sinking. He could ride waves at blistering speeds, nearly breaking the sound barrier. He could even dive into the depths and part the water itself, creating corridors of air to breathe and move freely.
And if he wished—he could push the sea aside, parting it to reveal the seabed.
That last ability was limited to shallow waters, but it was still enough to make Fenric grin in satisfaction.
"Parlor tricks are fun, but let's test something real."
His eyes sharpened. He raised the Trident high.
Boom—!
The ocean responded instantly. Massive surges swelled, and within moments, a monstrous tsunami rose to the heavens—one hundred meters high, carrying the destructive force of a natural disaster.
At that moment, Fenric felt like a god of the sea. With a flick of his will, he could hurl this tsunami forward and obliterate the island before him.
Instead, he dismissed it.
Crash!
The colossal wave collapsed, slamming back into the ocean with a deafening roar. Soon, the waters were calm again.
A satisfied smile curved Fenric's lips.
"This kind of power… it's divine. In the ocean, I fear no one. No wonder the Trident alone boosted me straight into the global top ten."
He traced his fingers along the weapon's shaft, his gaze burning with satisfaction.
"Even as a replica, it still wields such power. I wonder… just how overwhelming must the true Trident of the Sea God be?"
Fenric recalled his earlier attempt: a tsunami one hundred meters high. Enough to swallow an entire coastal city.
But it wasn't without cost. He felt the heavy drain on his stamina.
He frowned slightly.
"Nothing comes free. Even breathing consumes energy—how could controlling the sea on this scale not?"
Still, even with the drawback, he was more than pleased. With this Trident in hand, any battle near the ocean meant guaranteed dominance.
Stowing the weapon away, Fenric returned to shore, surveying his surroundings.
"Ten years later… with my interference, Sengoku has already stepped down as Fleet Admiral. I wonder who holds that position now?"
As he walked, he soon reached a towering tree, over a hundred meters tall. On its trunk were carved huge letters and numbers: 74CR.
Fenric's eyes lit with recognition.
And when he noticed the countless floating bubbles drifting through the air and popping underfoot, realization struck him.
"The Sabaody Archipelago…!"
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from ahead.
A young man stepped into view.
Short green hair, a determined expression—and three swords strapped to his waist.
Fenric's eyes narrowed.