Once Again

The depths of the Calm Belt vibrated with Morgan's roar. His voice, powerful as thunder, made the waters around him tremble.

"It seems you really want me to leave!"

Tilikum lowered his enormous head, his red eyes reflecting a flash of sadness. Morgan, observing this reaction, couldn't avoid a pang of... was that compassion? He quickly banished the feeling.

"They said Roger could hear the voices of all things," he pondered. "They say he was the master of Observation Haki. And here I am, a Sea King, unable to understand the murmurs of my own kind. How ironic."

With a movement, Morgan turned around.

"I'm leaving, Tilikum. Don't miss me," he said mockingly. "Take good care of your territory. It would be a shame to come back and find you've been devoured."

Tilikum responded with a series of sounds that, to human ears, would have been incomprehensible and terrifying.

Morgan, however, caught the nuance of farewell in them.

Under normal circumstances, he would have continued this exchange, perhaps even enjoying the strange camaraderie he had developed with Tilikum. But today, something was calling him. An inexplicable sensation tugged at him, urging him to dive deeper, to explore the unknown.

As many probably know, the second half of the Grand Line is called the New World. As for how to reach this maritime zone, there are only a few ways.

Some, the most powerful, could simply fly over Mariejois, the Holy Land of the World Government. But for Morgan, that option was out of his reach.

Another route was through Fishman Island, passing by the Red Line. But there was a third option, one that few dared to take: crossing the Calm Belt.

For Morgan, born and raised in these treacherous waters, this last option was the most natural.

Few dared to enter the Grand Line via the Calm Belt. Garp, the hero of the Navy, had done it. So had Kizaru, the Admiral, and even Rayleigh had swum through these waters.

Morgan had never dared to confront these titans, much less ask them for money. He knew they were out of his league. But today... today was different.

His thoughts were interrupted by an unusual movement on the surface. A ship was rocking on the waters, right above him...

"Oh, this is amazing!" he thought, his curiosity mixed with indignation. "I've been patrolling the Calm Belt for years, and it's the first time I've seen such arrogance. Who dares to navigate so blatantly through my domains?"

Slowly, Morgan emerged from the water, his head almost as big as the distant ship.

His anger grew upon seeing that the vessel was being pulled by two Sea Kings, a clear provocation to his authority in these waters.

"ROOOOOAAARRR!!"

With a roar that resonated for kilometers, Morgan approached the ship at full speed.

The waves generated by his movement crashed against the hull, causing the vessel to sway dangerously.

The two serpents pulling it stopped abruptly, trembling with fear in the presence of the sea dragon that surpassed them several times in size.

"Who dares interrupt the Empress's voyage?!" A female voice, clear and authoritative, came from the cabin.

Morgan directed his gaze towards the ship's deck.

There, emerging from the cabin, he saw a young woman of a beauty that defied description.

Her long black hair fell down her back, framing a face with perfect but not yet fully mature features. Her blue eyes were large and expressive. Despite her youth, her presence was imposing.

For a moment, Morgan was left speechless, surprised by the young woman's beauty. 'She's beautiful,' he thought.

The woman, upon seeing him, exclaimed in surprise: "A Sea King!"

Morgan observed the ship in more detail.

Although impressive by human standards, to him it was no more than a floating toy. The flag waving on the first mast showed a skull surrounded by nine serpents forming a sun. It had no conventional prow, being pulled by the enormous Yudas.

"It's Amazon Lily again!" Morgan roared, recognizing the emblem. His voice was filled with resentment for that past encounter that still stung his pride.

His roar unleashed a storm, causing the ship to shake violently. The serpents pulling it seemed on the verge of fainting from fear.

"The Sea King has spoken!" exclaimed the woman, who Morgan recognized as Boa Hancock, the certainly now young empress of Amazon Lily.

Hancock, maintaining her calm, advanced towards the bow of the ship. As the current emperor of Amazon Lily and captain of the Kuja Pirates, Hancock, who had just turned 18, had to behave as such.

Advancing silently, she extended her hand to indicate to the crew to remain calm and halt the attack.

Her gait was graceful but still lacked the absolute confidence she would have in the future. "I had heard of a Sea King in the form of a talking dragon in the Calm Belt," she said cautiously. "I didn't expect to meet you today. Are you going to face me?"

Morgan felt a strange familiarity when looking at Hancock, but he ignored it, focusing on his fury.

"Face you? No, the thing is that you can't just leave like that. The grudge between us is not something simple. Or have you forgotten how you attacked me the last time we met?"

Hancock, sensing the danger, ordered her crew to prepare for combat. "What exactly do you want?" she asked tensely...

Morgan smiled, showing rows of white teeth. "I won't say nonsense. If you want to get out of here alive, the price is high. A billion berries! Or you can choose between dying here or in my stomach. Consider it payment for the last time you wounded me."

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