One colossal beast after another, each as enormous as mountain ranges, were densely scattered throughout this sea region. Their massive, elongated bodies stirred up immense splashes of seawater as they moved. Every deep roar echoed like muffled thunder, shaking the very void around them.
These were truly mountain-sized beasts. Their two eyes alone were as big as houses, and with every movement of their titanic bodies, they exuded an unparalleled aura of power.
"Hua la la!"
One immense Sea King leapt out from the sea. Water cascaded off its body like a curtain, forming a majestic waterfall as it crashed back down. The droplets that fell into the sea created scenes that ordinary people could never even begin to imagine.
With a body like a mountain, moving like a bulldozer, this massive Sea King was simply one of the most terrifying creatures in the world. Even without any special abilities, its outrageous size alone was the deadliest weapon.
"ROAR!"
A low, guttural roar rang out, the Sea King's cry reverberating across the sea.
Sea Kings as enormous as mountains loomed on the ocean's surface. They seemed to be lazily sunbathing, anchored in place like a chain of sea islands spaced not far from one another.
"This is too massive. How can such enormous creatures exist in the world? It's unimaginable…"
Even Rouge, who always remained calm, couldn't hide the shock on her face.
The creatures below far exceeded anything she'd ever imagined. She had thought the sea beasts near the edges of the Calm Belt were already huge, but these ones, stretching a thousand meters or more, made it almost impossible to see their full length. Compared to them, their ship, The Logan, looked like a fragile toy.
"Without Admiral-level strength, it's practically impossible to cross this region. Even a Vice Admiral would be in extreme danger." Rojen sighed.
The Sea Kings were gigantic, and compared to them, they were like mere ants. Without powerful abilities or Devil Fruit powers, they couldn't even scratch these behemoths.
Even Rojen, facing them alone, would have no way to deal with them.
Though his strength had improved greatly, he only had one large-area attack: Tathagata Divine Palm. As for swordsmanship or other single-target skills, they would likely fail to pierce even the skin of these monsters.
Seeing these Sea Kings also made Rojen recognize his own shortcomings.
"I have too few AoE skills. My single-target techniques are barely enough to handle low-level Vice Admiral grades, but when facing large-scale battles or enormous creatures like these, I'm still too powerless."
Against such mountain-sized bodies, Rojen was helpless. Yet in the original story, many characters with less individual strength than him could somehow barely contend with these beasts.
That, in itself, was the Pirate King's uniqueness. Luffy's slim body could send these massive creatures flying with a punch. It was hard to believe how much power was hidden inside his seemingly small frame.
"Captain, these things are terrifying. Those 300 to 400-meter ones on the edge are still manageable, but these... these are hopeless." Jason spoke with a trembling voice.
Rojen nodded. Their mountainous size alone made them the ultimate form of defense.
At this point, Rojen began to suspect that the Sea Kings depicted in the original series couldn't be more than a hundred meters long, only then would it make sense for characters to subdue them with a single blow.
The Sea Kings deep in the Calm Belt were terrifying beyond human comprehension.
"Screee!"
Just then, amid these massive Sea Kings, a black giant bird soared through the skies, its sharp cry piercing the air.
Its eyes were filled with disdain and arrogance, as if it were the king of the skies, looking down on the enormous Sea Kings without a hint of fear.
At times, it would even swoop down provocatively at low altitudes, deliberately taunting the Sea Kings and causing them to roar in rage.
Scene after scene left Rojen and the others wide-eyed and slack-jawed. They never expected this Tedoria bird to be so overbearing and fearless, to actually dare challenge the Sea Kings.
"The world is vast and full of wonders… this Tedoria must be something extraordinary as well." Rojen couldn't help but marvel.
With Black Phoenix soaring high above, flying at high altitude, the Sea Kings sunbathing on the ocean's surface couldn't reach them at all, making the journey relatively safe.
At first, Rojen thought they could cross the Calm Belt just like this, safely, and make it to the Grand Line.
But two days into Black Phoenix's flight, the bright sunlight stirred them from their drowsy sleep,
When suddenly, a deafening roar erupted across the sky.
"ROAR!"
The earth-shaking roar echoed through the canyon channel where Black Phoenix was flying. The volume was so powerful it shook loose chunks of rock from the cliffs on either side, sending them tumbling into the sea.
Rojen and the others hurried to look down.
"Screee!"
At the same time, Black Phoenix let out a sharp cry of its own, clashing with the roar like a direct challenge.
In that instant, the atmosphere grew tense. Those two cries, one from the sky, one from the sea, were like two kings issuing mutual threats.
Below, the Sea King's eyes turned ice-cold. Rojen and the others clearly saw it: a Sea King over a thousand meters long, shaped like a serpent, its massive black-and-gray patterned body coiling into a snake formation.
"ROAR!"
The serpentine Sea King let out another thunderous roar, deep and rumbling like a storm.
Immediately after, it lifted its huge head high, its long body straightening, aiming directly at the Black Phoenix circling in the sky.
"Screee!"
Black Phoenix instantly became alert and gave a sharp cry in response.
Then, in the very next second, the Sea King uncoiled its massive body and launched itself upward.
That immense frame suddenly unleashed unimaginable power. Rojen and the others could clearly see the snake formation collapse and vanish, replaced by a streamlined shape that shot up like a spear, aiming straight for Black Phoenix with pinpoint precision and terrifying speed.
It moved so fast, it was like lightning.
"BOOM!"
A second later, the sea exploded from the force, sending a column of water shooting into the sky like a waterfall curtain.
"Hua la la!"
Water splashed everywhere as the Sea King roared again, its massive jaws opening wide, biting directly at the Black Phoenix.
"Danger!" Rojen and the others' expressions changed drastically.
Facing the enormous mouth, like a small mountain opening and closing right before them, they could even smell the foul, bloody stench of its breath.
"Screee!"
But just then, Black Phoenix let out a sharp cry and abruptly flapped its wings.
"Whoosh!"
Its speed suddenly increased, flashing away in the blink of an eye, dodging the Sea King's jaws at the very last moment.
Hearts still pounding, Rojen and the others heard a furious roar thunder behind them.
But Black Phoenix's eyes remained cold and indifferent, carrying that same proud, lofty expression, completely ignoring the enraged Sea King behind it.
With a few more flaps of its wings, it had already flown several kilometers away from the beast.
In this windless sea region full of danger, a proud black bird, like a true king of the skies, soared boldly above the deep.
(End Of This Chapter)
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