Chapter 46

The crew froze as a massive shadow loomed over the ship, blotting out the sun.

"What the hell?" someone shouted. "I thought the seastone was supposed to keep these things away!"

Tony shook his head, pointing at the Sea King's bewildered expression. "It didn't spot us. We just got unlucky – it came up for air right as we passed by."

The Sea King's confusion quickly turned to rage. This hippo-snake hybrid monster opened its maw and roared, blasting the ship with fishy breath.

"ROOOAAAR!!!"

"We're gonna die!" "Shoot it! Shoot it!"

"Everybody shut up!" Mingde bellowed, slamming his mace on the deck. "Navigator! Full speed, three o'clock! Move it!"

The navigator scrambled to the control room. Moments later, the Wavebreaker lurched, its turbines screaming as it shot away like a bullet.

The Sea King blinked, stunned. What the hell was that thing? How'd it move so fast?

Mingde and the others had no intention of fighting. Sure, it wasn't the biggest Sea King they'd ever seen, but taking it on could wreck the ship. Plus, the Calm Belt was crawling with these monsters. They couldn't afford to fight every one they encountered.

Besides, they had a certain seasick captain below decks who'd probably murder them all if they wasted time picking fights.

The rest of the voyage through the Calm Belt was mercifully uneventful. The seastone hull did its job, keeping them hidden from the Sea Kings' senses. Their earlier encounter had just been spectacularly bad luck.

As they sailed on, Mingde found himself thinking about their destination. In the world of One Piece, the Red Line and the Grand Line divided the planet into four seas. The East Blue, home to most of the Straw Hat crew, was known as the weakest of the four.

If the "weakest sea" could produce monsters like Luffy and Zoro, he couldn't wait to see what other surprises this world had in store for them.

Loya scoffed, thinking about Garp's words. The East Blue, weakest of the seas? Maybe on paper. But it had a knack for producing monsters.

Roger, the Pirate King who started it all. Dragon, the revolutionary trying to topple the World Government. And now Luffy, destined to be the next King of the Pirates.

"Guess Garp's milk was more toxic than we thought," Loya muttered to himself, smirking.

But their destination wasn't the "peaceful" East Blue. They were headed for the South Blue, known for its chaos and danger.

Three days later, Loya skated across his ice path ahead of the Wavebreaker. He squinted, spotting something on the horizon. He pulled out his Den Den Mushi.

"Yo, Mingde," he said when the snail connected.

"What's up, boss?"

"I see land. Get everyone ready for a fight. Could get messy."

"Land?" Mingde started to reply, but a knock at his door interrupted him. "Come in!"

A crew member entered, saluting. "Sir, we'll reach Heathville in about 30 minutes. Your orders?"

Mingde's eyes widened. He turned back to the Den Den Mushi. "Loya, you hearing this? We're closing in on Heathville."

"Perfect," Loya replied, his voice hard. "Tell everyone to stay sharp. We don't know what kind of welcome we'll get."

As Mingde relayed the orders, Loya picked up speed. The South Blue's reputation for chaos meant anything could happen. But with his crew at his back and his own powers at the ready, Loya felt a thrill of excitement.

Whatever Heathville had in store for them, they'd be ready.

Mingde shook his head, amused. "Loya didn't bring binoculars? Typical." He turned to the messenger. "Right. Tell everyone to battle stations. Keep your eyes peeled for any sea rats looking to cause trouble."

"Aye, sir!"

Once the messenger left, Mingde spoke into the Den Den Mushi. "So, we're sticking to the plan?"

"You bet," Loya's voice crackled through. "I'll stir up some chaos in the hot spots. You guys follow my lead when the time's right. We've got a golden opportunity here – let's not waste it. Teacher would have our hides if we screwed this up."

Mingde rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever makes you happy, boss."

As he ordered the ship to speed up, Mingde couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and dread. Loya's plan was crazy, but then again, when weren't they?

Out at sea, Loya grinned as he activated his powers. "Awakening: Pseudo-Dragon Transformation!"

Dark blue scales erupted across his skin. Bat-like wings unfurled from his back. The air around him froze, turning waves into mirror-smooth ice. His eyes shifted to golden, pupils narrowing to slits.

"Hell yeah," Loya muttered, feeling the power surge through him. "Dragon form's still only at 39%, but those Six Powers techniques are really paying off. Time to raise some hell."

With a powerful leap, Loya took to the sky, wings carrying him towards the island.

On Heathville's coast, a drowsy pirate sentry jolted awake as something blazed past his watchtower. Before he could even grab his gun, a massive explosion rocked the island's interior.

"What the f-"

His words died in his throat as a wave of arctic cold slammed into him. In seconds, the entire coastline was transformed into a frozen wasteland.

As alarms blared and panicked shouts filled the air, Loya landed atop the frozen watchtower. He surveyed the chaos below, a predatory grin spreading across his draconic features.

"Knock knock, Beard," he growled. "Hope you're ready for company."

Loya never planned on subtlety. Partly because he needed to clear a landing zone for the Wavebreaker, but mostly out of sheer confidence.

Sure, "Scavenger" Beard wasn't as infamous as the Four Emperors, but in the New World, he was a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to Beard's mercenary work, the Navy had a detailed dossier on his abilities. Loya knew exactly what he was up against.

Beard's Devil Fruit, the High-Frequency Fruit, let him vibrate objects at insane speeds through touch. Not as versatile as Whitebeard's quake powers, but still devastating. The guy once leveled a city with a single touch.

"Just gotta watch out for that vibro-dagger of his," Loya muttered to himself as he surveyed the island. "And hope he can't shake my insides to jelly."

At the island's center, a massive open-pit mine scarred the snowy landscape. On its edge stood two figures, stone-faced as they watched the scene below.

In the pit, thousands of Heathville's citizens toiled in threadbare clothes, skin yellowed and bodies emaciated. When someone collapsed, their fellow prisoners barely spared a glance. They'd seen it too many times before.

Overseers dragged away the fallen, not for medical care, but to be dumped in the freezing mountains. Months of this had numbed the prisoners to the horror.

Beard, for all his cruelty, was marginally better than the previous pirate occupiers. He kept his workforce alive, if only barely. Those who resisted ended up as frozen corpses, hung as warnings outside the squalid living quarters.

It was a grim calculus of survival. Stay alive, keep working, and pray for rescue.

Beard knew the delicate balance of fear and hope needed to keep his operation running. Push too hard, and he'd have a revolt on his hands. But as Loya approached, that carefully maintained order was about to be shattered.