Calm Belt

The water surrounded me, an unfamiliar embrace that was now my new home. Trying to move in this serpentine body felt like attempting to waltz with brand-new feet. Every ripple of my tail was a challenge, a battle against my own anatomy.

Imagine having to clench your butt cheeks alternately just to turn. Ridiculous, right? That's exactly how I felt.

The discomfort was constant, but the instinct to survive burned brighter. There was no time for self-pity. This world, this ocean of One Piece, wouldn't forgive my weakness.

I practiced relentlessly, turning each clumsy movement into something smoother. Slowly, I could feel my new body responding, adapting. It was both fascinating and terrifying.

Suddenly, the System's voice echoed in my mind, cold and metallic as always. Its message sent a chill down my spine: I could gain abilities by devouring creatures that possessed them.

A shiver ran down my spine. It was no longer just about survival; it was about evolving, becoming a superior predator.

My eyes locked onto a nearby fish, about five meters long. Its silver body gleamed. This was my chance, my trial by fire.

I launched myself at it with all the ferocity I could muster. The water churned around me as I closed the distance. Just as my jaws were about to snap shut on its flesh, the fish seemed to sense the danger. In a frenzy of panic, it darted away with surprising speed.

But I wasn't willing to give up. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I pursued it. Ten meters disappeared in an instant.

Finally, my teeth sank into its flesh. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth as I tore into my prey.

However, in the midst of my triumph, a sense of unease washed over me. My now-sharpened instincts screamed that danger was near. Very near.

A colossal shadow darkened the water above me. Something enormous was up there. Driven by a mix of curiosity and fear, I swam toward the surface.

What I saw took my breath away. A gigantic ship loomed before me, defying the waves with its sheer presence.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen in my previous life. It was a monstrosity of wood and metal, with flags billowing in the wind.

Before I could fully process what I was seeing, the air filled with whistling sounds. Arrows, hundreds of them, began raining down from the ship. They pierced the water with terrifying force, creating columns of bubbles in their wake.

Horrified, I watched as one of those arrows cleanly impaled a sea monster over ten meters long.

The creature, which moments before seemed invincible, now floated lifeless in the water, its blood staining the ocean red.

Terror seized me. My instincts screamed at me to flee. I swam away as fast as I could, fully aware that those arrows could end me in an instant.

I found refuge among some rocks near the surface, my heart pounding so loudly I feared they might hear it. From my hiding place, I watched the ship with a mix of fear and awe.

The crew was a spectacle in itself. Women, all of them. Some were gigantic, like living towers moving as effortlessly as any normal human. Others were smaller, but no less intimidating.

Suddenly, one of them turned in my direction. She was tall, with a mane of white hair that flowed like a banner. Her eyes, sharp and cold, seemed to pierce through my hiding spot.

I had no time to react. An arrow sliced through the air, aimed straight at my head. By pure instinct, I managed to dodge it by mere millimeters. The arrow lodged itself into the rock beside me, its tip coated in a black, viscous substance that set off all my internal alarms.

I didn't need any more warnings. I dove into the depths with a speed I didn't know I possessed.

_____

Kuja's Ship

On the deck, Gloriosa, a statuesque woman with a mane of white hair, gazed out at the sea with piercing eyes. Her attention shifted to the water, where she had seen something intriguing moments before.

"That lizard... it had an unusual intelligence," she murmured to herself, her brow furrowing in contemplation.

Beside her, a young girl with tender black hair and bright blue eyes tugged insistently at her sleeve.

It was Hancock, the youngest of the Boa sisters, experiencing the vastness of the ocean for the first time.

"Gloriosa-sama," Hancock exclaimed, her voice a mix of excitement and frustration, "why are there so few fish today? I want to see more sea creatures!"

Gloriosa smiled tenderly at the child's enthusiasm. "Patience, little Hancock. The sea has its own rhythms. Sometimes it gifts us abundance, and other times it teaches us the virtue of waiting."

The old woman turned to the rest of the crew, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "Remember, all of you must work hard to hunt. Especially you, Hancock, and your sisters. It's important that you learn to fend for yourselves in these waters."

As if on cue, a stunningly beautiful woman appeared on deck, dragging behind her the massive carcass of a Sea King. She dropped it with a thud that made the wood beneath her feet shudder.

"Gloriosa-sama," the newcomer reported, "the storage is nearly full. Should we continue sailing, or is it time to return to Amazon Lily?"

Gloriosa pondered the question for a moment, her gaze alternating between the horizon and Hancock's expectant face. Finally, she made a decision.

"We'll return," she declared firmly. "We're too close to the Calm Belt, and the Sea Kings that dwell here are too dangerous even for us."

Hancock's face darkened with disappointment. "But Gloriosa-sama," she protested, "I haven't seen any really big fish yet! I want to see more of the ocean!"

Gloriosa knelt in front of the girl, her eyes filled with understanding and affection. "There will be more opportunities, my dear Hancock. But for now, how about I tell you stories about the most amazing creatures I've seen on my travels?"

Hancock's eyes brightened momentarily at the promise of exciting stories, but the determination in her gaze didn't waver.

As Gloriosa walked away to give orders to the crew, the young snake princess muttered to herself:

"One day, I'll sail across the entire ocean. I'll see all the wonders it hides with my own eyes."

Gloriosa, with her sharp hearing, caught Hancock's words and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. She knew that look all too well, that unyielding determination.

_____

Relief flooded through me as I watched the ship of those crazy women sail away.

"Finally!" I thought, allowing myself to float on the surface for a moment. I couldn't believe the strength those women possessed. I'd seen the anime, but seeing them in action... it was something else entirely.

As I reflected on what I had just witnessed, I noticed the atmosphere around me beginning to change.

The sky, once bright and clear, suddenly darkened. "A storm?" I wondered, looking up in concern.

That's when I saw it. My heart stopped for a moment. There, right above me, a pair of gigantic blue eyes stared back at me.

They were bigger than anything I'd ever seen before, each one the size of a house.

With horror, I realized I was face to face with a Sea King. Not just any sea monster, but a colossal creature that dwelled in the Calm Belt.

Its body stretched over 100 meters in the water, blocking out the sun and plunging everything around it into darkness.

Suddenly, the Sea King moved. The current generated by its movement caught me like a leaf in a hurricane.

I spun out of control, unable to swim against the force of the water. Panic gripped me. "I'm going to die!" I thought, closing my eyes and waiting for the worst.

But the final blow never came. I opened my eyes slowly to realize that the Sea King had simply ignored me, continuing on its way as if I didn't exist.

I was too small, too insignificant to even be considered prey.

As I swam away as fast as I could, my mind raced. The ship of warrior women, the giant Sea King... everything was falling into place. "I'm near Amazon Lily," I concluded with a mix of awe and terror. "This must be... the Calm Belt!"

A chill ran through me as I realized where I was.

The Calm Belt, home to the Sea Kings, a place no one dared to visit.

I should be terrified, and in part, I was. But at the same time, a strange sense of security washed over me. Here, surrounded by such gigantic creatures, I was practically invisible.

As I floated in the calm waters, watching the massive silhouettes of the Sea Kings in the distance, an idea began to form in my mind. "What if I could devour one of them?" I wondered. Ambition and curiosity warred with common sense within me. "How big and powerful could I become? What abilities would I gain?"

I shook my head, trying to push those dangerous thoughts away. For now, survival was my priority.

________

Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!

👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]

Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖