Obligatory Sea King Beatdown

Seven months down the line:

"Zephyr, get down here and help us out."

"What's the magic word, Law?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me captain?"

"I'm not hearing the magic word."

Law knew this was a losing battle. He sighed and muttered, "Please help us out."

"See? Was that so hard, captain?"

"Just come down here, will you?"

Why did Law want my help, you ask? Well, we were cruising smoothly, avoiding the weak pirates on the surface, and only engaging when they were either total scum or had some great treasure. We even scored a detailed map of the Grand Line from a pirate worth 20 million belly.

Then, out of nowhere, a massive Sea King from the Calm Belt started chasing us. Being underwater gave it a huge advantage. Law couldn't take it down without risking serious damage to the submarine. Plus, his devil fruit was more about precision and utility rather than raw power—at least in its unawakened state. Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi had already done a lot of damage to the creature, but they lacked the concentrated force to finish it off.

Normally, I'd be right there with them. Fighting a Calm Belt Sea King would give me loads of battle experience, not to mention the meat—it's absolutely fucking amazing. After I had eaten it for the first time, I understood why Luffy always screamed, "Meat, meat, meat!"

And right now, I was sulking. Maybe sulking isn't the right word...

You see, Law cut off my allowance for the next six months. And for what? All I did was use half of our emergency fund to buy a Skillful Grade sword. I mean, can you really blame me? My old sword was on its last legs, and Meitos are like super rare.

Unless you're Roronoa Zoro, that is. That guy started his journey with a freaking Great Grade weapon, Wado Ichimonji. Unfortunately, I don't have something called 'plot armor' on my side. So, when I found a Skillful Grade sword, I wasn't about to let it slip by.

I knew I'd face some consequences. I remembered something I heard in a TV series back on Earth: "It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission." But cutting off my funds for six whole months? That's just overkill. What if I come across another good sword within that time? How will I afford it?

Anyway, Law just used the magic word. And knowing him, it means things are bad.

So, being the "good" crew member I am, I quickly exited the submarine and unsheathed my new blade, "Kurogane". We were deep underwater, and it would've been tough for the old me to even get my bearings, let alone wield a sword effectively. But I've gotten stronger. And with my crew's influence, I've also become somewhat of an underwater battle specialist.

Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi had already retreated. It was just me and this yellow-eyed Sea King. It spotted me and immediately lunged.

I didn't waste any time either. I charged right at it, rushing through the water, recalling the movements I had practiced over and over. The water was my ally, urging me to use its power. So, I simply obliged.

'Tidal Slash'

And the whole world turned red.