With a bull’s head and a fish’s body, two pairs of large fangs protruded, and three pairs of fins adorned its body.
At first glance, it looked somewhat comically monstrous, but when magnified to a colossal fifty meters, only terror remained.
The seawater, churned up by the sea beast, poured down onto the ship like a torrential rain.
Everyone on board remained frozen, paralyzed by fear.
As for Noah, he was on high alert, gripping his sword hilt but making no move.
He even reined in his spirit, concentrating it solely within himself, judging that drawing his sword now might provoke the beast.
With Noah’s current strength, he wouldn’t stand a chance against a sea beast of this caliber.
He’d need at least the kind of power that could cleave steel to even scratch it.
Giant sea beasts spend their lives in the deep ocean.
Even with their peculiar physiology, their bodies are essentially as tough as steel to withstand the immense pressure.
It wouldn’t do for the protagonist to die after only a week at sea.
The bull-headed sea beast swung its massive head, surveying the merchant ship.
Then, its two human-sized eyes fixed on Noah.
The beast had been drawn here by a strange power, like a calling.
But now, that power had vanished, which was very peculiar.
After a while, even with its limited intellect, it couldn’t figure it out.
“Ah, forget it.” With a flick of its tail, it stirred up another wave and dove back into the sea to find a meal.
“These little figures on the surface aren’t tasty.”
“Haaaah…”
Everyone on the ship let out a collective sigh of relief, collapsing onto the deck one by one.
Some sailors had simply fainted from fright.
Noah also relaxed his grip on his sword.
Although drawing it would have been useless, the courage to resist couldn’t be lost.
A gust of sea breeze chilled his back.
He realized he was covered in a cold sweat.
When he finally snapped back to reality,
Observation Haki: 1% Initial Mastery.
This had truly been a life-or-death crisis.
His mind had instantly focused, forcing the technique of complete mental unification.
This was even more dangerous than facing pirates.
After all, most pirates in any of the four seas weren’t stronger than Sea Kings, let alone out on the vast ocean.
The name “Sea King” was indeed quite fitting.
If the sea beast had truly intended to destroy the ship, Noah would have had to risk unleashing his Conqueror’s Haki.
However, his Conqueror’s Haki was only at its very beginning stages.
It exerted immense mental pressure and was impossible to control.
Once unleashed, it would affect everyone present.
Unless Noah killed everyone on the ship, the news couldn’t be contained.
Noah wouldn’t underestimate the interrogation methods of the World Government’s intelligence agencies, nor would he overestimate human kindness.
Why would strangers keep a secret for him?
If they didn’t, the mad dogs of CP9 would surely track them down, leading them straight back to Shimotsuki Village and bringing about its destruction.
After this incident, Noah gained a profound understanding of the dangers of the sea. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Unpredictable Sea Kings, ships of pirates appearing at any moment – life was so difficult for ordinary people in this Great Pirate Era.
With a thud, Old Neil fell to his knees on the deck, muttering a prayer.
He thanked all the sea gods for their protection.
Then, he found some offerings from somewhere and threw them into the sea, marking the end of the ritual.
Sacrificing to the sea gods was a common practice at sea, especially for old captains like him who deeply believed in it.
After the devout sacrifice, Old Neil decided to lift the spirits on board.
After all, sailors spent long periods sailing the monotonous sea, and poor mental states could lead to terrible accidents.
“Lads, we’ll rest an extra day at the next island.
And I’ll give each of you an extra 10,000 Belly as a bonus.”
“Hooray for the Captain!”
The terrified crew was soothed by this simple, direct form of incentive.
It dispelled the fear that had settled over the ship.
Humans are inherently contradictory beings, both fragile and resilient.
Chanting their work songs, they pressed onward.
The next island was only a day away.
Once there, they’d head to a tavern with their hard-earned Belly, have a couple of rums, and boast to the other sailors.
A Sea King!
A fifty-meter-long Sea King!
What else was more worth bragging about having witnessed?
I almost drowned today, so a little relaxation with a pretty girl is hardly out of line, right?
With this mindset, the atmosphere on board quickly became lively.
The demands of the common folk are easily met.
These sailors’ desires were straightforward and unpretentious.
However, ever since Noah had shown his ability to foresee danger, Old Neil and the sailors had begun to look at him with a sense of awe.
They didn’t know if Noah had been guessing or truly had precognitive abilities, but it was certainly baffling.
Anyone with a bit of sense at sea would respect the unknown and the mysterious.
If someone could house a horse on their arm and stand on a fist, people knew to keep their distance from such powerful individuals.
But with mystery, it’s not so simple.
You might not be able to avoid it.
Spooky sea tales are very popular.
All sorts of ghost ships, mysterious wizards, curses, and the like were particularly prevalent.
This made Noah realize that under the World Government’s rule, a policy of deliberately keeping the populace ignorant was indeed in effect.
Otherwise, it was hard to explain why, with such advanced technology at sea, people still feared mystical powers.
In Noah’s opinion, the technological level of the One Piece world was higher than in his previous life.
The Thousand Sunny, built from Pluton blueprints, was practically unscientific, despite its technological veneer.
What kind of technology could achieve cola-powered engines?
Science and technology are the primary productive forces.
High technology and its industries have greatly increased labor productivity.
Every major technological advancement in human history has dramatically innovated labor tools, improved or updated objects of labor, and enhanced the quality of the labor force.
It has also altered the position and combination of the various factors of production, leading to significant increases in labor productivity and providing a powerful impetus for economic and social development. Read this novel at NovelPing for the best experience.
In cutting-edge technology, we have Vegapunk, a scientist ahead of his time, and the plan for mass-producing Pacifistas.
The technology involved includes human modification, robotic creation, Devil Fruit ability extraction and replication, and intelligent systems.
This is a loophole.
Even his discarded scraps of research gave rise to Germa’s genetic technology and Caesar Clown’s artificial Devil Fruit technology.
Putting aside these advanced technologies, even simple steam and electrical power had become widely adopted in daily life.
This is equivalent to having completed the first and second Industrial Revolutions of the previous world.
By all rights, people’s minds should have been liberated along with technological progress.
With technological innovation, a large capitalist class should have emerged, questioning the existing divine right of kings system.
The descendants of the twenty kings, the bloodlines of creators, would all be crushed under the wheels of history.
Yet, as it stands today, the myths and lies woven by the World Government continue to function as intended.
This deformed political system is still being maintained.
There are few pure capitalists at sea; most are simply crude, violent groups led by individuals with personal might.
This seems to be a world where individual power supersedes the masses of laborers.
It appears the task of smashing the old world is long and arduous.
We must unite all possible high-end forces, eliminate the ruling class that lords over the seas, and after a thorough cleansing, break the shackles on the people.
Furthermore, the promotion of technology and spiritual civilization at the grassroots level must proceed in parallel.
On this sea, revolution must occur both from top to bottom and from bottom to top.
Having figured this out,
Conqueror’s Haki + 1%
Noah thought and took notes.
Every time he gained insight from his travels, he would record it in his notes, which he would organize later upon returning to Shimotsuki Village.
On the morning of the second day, the merchant ship docked at the port of Morrow Island.
This island is located in the central part of the East Blue, with the nearest Marine branch two days away.
This distance was just right.
Some major pirates would not stop here for supplies, but small pirates didn’t mind.
The Marines wouldn’t mobilize for pirates with bounties under 10 million Belly.
The sea was still in the early stages of the Great Pirate Era, with all sorts of troublesome pirates emerging constantly.
The Marines were busy every day and tended to turn a blind eye as long as things didn’t get too out of hand.
After docking, Old Neil left a few unfortunate souls to watch the ship, and the rest of the sailors dispersed to find their own entertainment.
They were supposed to leave after a day of rest, but he had promised the sailors an extra day off, and he intended to keep his word.
Old Neil didn’t want to be stabbed in the back.
Many captains had met their end this way.
Loading and unloading were handled by port laborers.
These were organized dock gangs who specialized in such work.
Only a few people were needed to oversee the loading and unloading.
Finding work like this at the port also required connections.
Cargo handling was paid for immediately, which was a bonus for many.
Noah quietly recorded as he went, as this was part of his research.
This voyage was not only about improving his strength but also crucial for researching the production and living patterns of the people in the East Blue.
The gangsters didn’t bother him as they saw him holding paper and a pen, jotting things down.
At sea, if something doesn’t affect you, it’s best not to get involved.