Meiser smiled as he listened to his companions' cheers, then turned his gaze to the deep sea below.
At that moment, Meiser noticed something strange.
"Hmm?"
Is that... an octopus?
Watching the colossal creature gradually open its eyes, Meiser froze instantly.
There's actually an enormous octopus here?
This was truly unexpected.
"What's wrong?" Nami asked curiously, looking at Meiser. "What did you see?"
As his companion, she knew Meiser had night vision capabilities, so she was eager to know what he had spotted.
"I saw a massive octopus," Meiser said, stroking his chin.
"A massive octopus?"
Question marks practically appeared above everyone's heads. Why would there be an octopus in a place like this?
"You must be joking," Usopp said with an amused expression, patting Meiser on the shoulder. "How could there be an octopus in a place like this?"
With such a terrifying underwater waterfall here, even Sea Kings wouldn't be able to survive. How could there be an octopus?
"If you don't believe me, look for yourself," Meiser shrugged.
Usopp glanced down at the deep sea below, then looked back at Meiser with an exasperated expression. "How could I possibly see anything?"
He didn't have Meiser's night vision ability, so how could he possibly make out anything in the deep sea?
Just then, Nico Robin spoke up. "What did the octopus you saw look like?"
Meiser thought for a moment before replying, "Similar to a normal octopus, just much larger."
"And it seems to be clutching the wreckage of several pirate ships in its tentacles."
"I see."
Nico Robin analyzed seriously, "That should be the legendary Kraken then."
Usopp:
"Could you two please stop discussing such terrifying things so seriously..." Usopp gulped nervously. "This is really scary!"
"That's right."
Chopper also said fearfully, "Meiser, you must be joking, right?"
Please, you have to be joking!!
"I know you're scared, but this is the truth," Meiser said.
As his words fell, the deep sea suddenly began to shake violently, as if some terrifying colossal creature was about to emerge.
Moments later...
"ROAR!!"
An enormous octopus appeared before the Thousand Sunny, letting out a terrifying roar at everyone!
"It really is the Kraken!!!"
Looking at the gigantic monster, Usopp and Chopper were so frightened their hair stood on end.
"There really are several ships in its tentacles..." Perona gulped nervously.
Hearing Perona's words, Meiser looked at her with amusement. "Weren't you just clamoring for Zoro to catch you a monster earlier? Why are you scared now?"
This doesn't make sense.
"This isn't what I wanted!" Perona exclaimed, "It's not cute at all!"
Not only was it not cute, but it was also so huge... How could they possibly keep it as a pet?
Meiser fell silent upon hearing this. Was that really the issue?
"Hey, is now really the time to discuss this?" Usopp stared at them in disbelief.
Shouldn't they be thinking about how to escape from this creature instead?
Seeing Usopp's panic, Merry sighed helplessly and tugged at his sleeve, "Usopp, have you forgotten that Meiser can control Sea Kings?"
"Huh?"
Usopp froze for a moment before blinking, "Oh right..."
He had genuinely forgotten about that.
Meiser rolled his eyes upon hearing this, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Well then, Meiser, we'll leave this guy to you!" Nami said nervously while staring at the enormous kraken, "Please make sure it doesn't touch our pirate ship."
"Alright, I'll handle..."
"Let me do it!"
Luffy interrupted Meiser, grinning widely, "I want to try that ninjutsu of yours."
This was the perfect opportunity to defeat this creature and make it pull their ship!
Meiser was momentarily surprised before recalling what Luffy had told him earlier.
"Alright, give it a try." Meiser nodded with a smile.
"What ninjutsu?" Zoro asked curiously.
Could it be that wood manipulation ability?
Was that considered ninjutsu too?
"A ninjutsu that allows you to move freely in the ocean." Meiser explained.
Hearing this, Zoro immediately remembered what Meiser had told Franky earlier.
Meiser had indeed mentioned he could let them enter the sea even as Devil Fruit users.
At this thought, a spark of interest appeared in Zoro's eyes.
"How does it work?"
"By using the unique resin from Sabaody Archipelago combined with my Water Release Technique, I can create a membrane that allows you to move and breathe freely underwater." Meiser explained, "However, this membrane only lasts for half a day, so it's not suitable for extended underwater stays."
Hearing this, Zoro stared at Meiser with a dumbfounded expression.
Was half a day not enough for him?
What more did he want?
"Meiser, I think you'd better act quickly." Nico Robin pointed at the kraken gradually approaching them, "Otherwise it's going to attack us."
Hearing Nico Robin's words, everyone immediately turned to look at the kraken.
They then saw the colossal creature launching an attack against them.
"Hey, it's attacking!" Chopper cried out in terror.
If those massive tentacles hit the Thousand Sunny... it would definitely be smashed to pieces!
"Don't worry." Meiser said while performing hand seals, "Everything will be fine."
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
As he spoke, a water dragon materialized around the Thousand Sunny before slamming violently into the kraken's tentacles.
"BOOM!!"
The impact sent the tentacles flying back!
Kraken: ???
Feeling the intense pain in its tentacles, the kraken visibly had question marks appearing above its head.
Had it just... been attacked by seawater?
For a moment, its brain seemed to short-circuit, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Seeing the Kraken frozen in place, Usopp and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"Finally stopped..."
If that attack had landed, they'd have been lucky to escape with their lives!
"Hurry, hurry, Meiser!" Luffy urged. "Give me that Ninjutsu of yours!"
"I'm going to tame this guy!"
He was already itching to have this creature pull their ship.
"Alright."
Meiser nodded, then took out the Resin obtained from Sabaody Archipelago and cast an Enchantment Ninjutsu on Luffy.
"Water Release - Special Edition: Swimming Fish Dance!!!"
Hum
The next moment, viscous water began flowing along Luffy's body, gradually enveloping him until it formed a transparent membrane!
"Is this that Ninjutsu?" Luffy said while touching the membrane on his body. "Feels slippery."
"Otherwise how could it ensure your movement underwater?" Meiser laughed.
This slippery membrane was precisely the key to enabling underwater activity!
"Isn't this the same one your Clone used earlier?" Nami said.
She remembered Meiser's Clone had used this Ninjutsu before, and she'd been curious enough to touch it at the time.
"Exactly, that's the one." Meiser nodded. "But that version didn't include Resin, so only I could use it."
"I see..."
Nami nodded, indicating she understood.
Meanwhile, Zoro asked curiously: "So you need external materials to apply this Ninjutsu to us, right?"
"At least for now." Meiser shrugged.
As for whether he could directly grant them the Ninjutsu in the future, he didn't know - after all, he wasn't sure if he could reach the level of the Six Paths Sage.
"Then give me one too." Zoro said.
He also wanted to go into the seawater and slash that guy a couple of times.
"And me!"
Sanji popped up beside Meiser, saying with burning enthusiasm: "I'm absolutely fired up right now."
Meiser: "..."
Looking at Sanji's expression, Meiser fell silent for a moment before wordlessly applying the enchantment to these two as well.
After finishing, Meiser said: "Have fun, but don't stay out too long."
"Don't worry, we remember." Zoro waved his hand.
Half a day, right? Plenty of time for them to return.
"Alright, Luffy..."
"Huh?"
"Where's Luffy?"
Seeing that Luffy had disappeared at some point, question marks practically appeared above Meiser's head.
This guy was just behind me - how did he vanish so suddenly?
"He's over there..."
Usopp pointed at Luffy swimming in the seawater, his lips twitching as he said: "Seems to be having quite the fun time."
"Ahahaha, I can really swim in the ocean!!" Luffy shouted excitedly. "Come join me!"
How long had it been since he last swam after becoming a Devil Fruit Ability User?
This feeling was truly... amazing!
Meiser: "..."
This idiot seems to be having way too much fun.
After shaking his head, Meiser looked at Sanji and Zoro and said, "You two go as well, but don't forget about the time."
"Alright!"
Zoro and Sanji nodded, then rushed out through the Thousand Sunny's membrane together.
"It's truly a miraculous power," Franky remarked with emotion. "To actually allow Devil Fruit Ability Users to move freely in the sea..."
If the various forces on the seas were to learn of this, wouldn't they go completely mad?
"The wonders of Ninjutsu exceed your imagination," Meiser said with a laugh.
Then, he turned to the other Devil Fruit Ability Users and asked, "How about you guys go play in the sea too?"
"After all, we're not in any particular hurry right now."
At least until Luffy managed to tame that Sea Beast, they weren't in a rush to leave.
"I'll pass," Nami shook her head. "There's no need to rush."
Her strength mainly came from weather manipulation and her Devil Fruit abilities, so she wouldn't be much help in the sea. Better to stay put.
"I'm not in a hurry either," Nico Robin said.
Rather than fighting in the ocean, she'd prefer to take a nice swim in a pool.
Perona, meanwhile, looked at the kraken with disgust and said, "I'm not going to fight that ugly thing."
"It's not cute at all."
Meiser:
What kind of strange reason is that?!
Shaking his head helplessly, Meiser turned his attention to the three remaining Devil Fruit Ability Users.
"We'll pass too," Usopp and the other two shook their heads in unison. "We'll try another time."
With Luffy and the other two already out there, there was no need for them to go and cause trouble.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't we tie ropes to Luffy and the other two?" Merry suggested.
"That's right!"
Nami also came to her senses and said with a headache, "I forgot about that."
"Don't worry, they won't get lost at this close distance," Meiser said.
At these words, everyone fell silent for a moment before turning their gaze to Zoro and speaking in unison: "Hard to say..."
Meiser:
Following their gaze, Meiser was rendered speechless.
Zoro couldn't possibly be that unreliable, could he...
But recalling Zoro's previous antics, Meiser began to doubt himself.
This guy could get lost and still manage to stumble into the enemy's headquarters alone... that was indeed somewhat unbelievable.
Thinking this, Meiser said, "Then maybe... I should go too?"
If he went along, even if Zoro got lost, he could bring him back.
"Absolutely not!"
Chopper immediately clung to Meiser's leg and said, "Meiser, you need to stay and protect us!"
"That's right, Meiser!"
Usopp also grabbed Meiser's arm and said, "If anything unexpected happens, we're counting on you!"
None of them Devil Fruit Ability Users had the means to protect themselves in the sea, so... they absolutely couldn't let Meiser leave!
Looking at the two clinging to him, Meiser said helplessly, "Alright, alright, I understand. Let me go."
Only after Meiser agreed did the two release him.
"Look quickly, that giant octopus is moving!" Brook pointed at the giant octopus and exclaimed.
At these words, everyone immediately turned their attention to the enormous Sea Beast.
"Roar?"
Snapping back to reality, the Kraken slightly turned its head and fixed its gaze once more on the strange ship before letting out another roar.
"ROAR!!"
"What an ear-piercing roar," Sanji remarked, digging at his ear.
Then, the man began spinning rapidly in the seawater, eventually turning his leg a blazing red!
"Devil Wind Leg!"
"Sizzle sizzle..."
Glancing up at the enormous creature roaring at them, Sanji's expression suddenly turned fierce.
"But compared to the creatures I faced over these past two years... you're hardly a monster!"
"Well-done Grill: Scented Shot!"
"BOOM!!!"
An incredibly heavy blow struck the Kraken's tentacle, forcibly cooking the impacted section on the spot.
Eyeing the shrieking Kraken, Sanji said coldly, "Now you know my power."
"Huh?!"
"What in the world was that, Sanji?!" Usopp stared wide-eyed at Sanji's handiwork. "He actually managed to ignite his leg in the middle of the ocean..."
How did he even do that?
"He could already ignite his leg two years ago," Meiser commented.
"That's different! This time it's in the ocean."
Hearing this, Meiser fell silent for a moment before stroking his chin. "Perhaps it's because Sanji trained for two years. During that hellish life, he gained power beyond ordinary imagination! By the way, is he sure he doesn't have some special bloodline?"
Recalling various incidents involving Sanji, Meiser sank into thought.
"So that's why," Usopp mused, then nodded in understanding.
Makes sense!
Just then, Merry cried out, "Hey, Sanji, get out of the way!"
The Kraken had been thoroughly enraged by him!
As if hearing Merry's shout, Sanji turned back and flashed her a smile, giving her a thumbs-up.
Merry: ???
Is this really the time for showing off?
Move!
But before Merry could shout again, Sanji vanished with a whoosh.
"So fast!" Usopp's eyes bulged. "What terrifying speed!"
It's even scarier than the Fish-Man race's speed!
"Does wearing this film make you that fast?" Brook asked in surprise.
Now he was intrigued.
"Not exactly," Meiser shook his head. "Although my Ninjutsu does make one more agile underwater, it doesn't boost speed. Sanji's case is special."
One could say that even without his Ninjutsu, Sanji would still be incredibly fast underwater.
Just then, a strange thought crossed Meiser's mind.
'Maybe he developed that speed from being chased by those Okama all the time,' Meiser muttered inwardly.
As if struck by a realization, Meiser fell into deep thought.
"Always showing off," Zoro grumbled, shooting a displeased look at Sanji before turning his attention to the Kraken. "Watch out or you'll get killed."
"Hmph, I'll die long after you do," Sanji retorted with a snort.
What's wrong with showing off?
He enjoys it!
This time, Zoro merely snorted and ignored him.
Then, he drew the three swords at his waist and swiftly dealt with the tentacles.
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Six Paths Crossroad!"
"Thud!"
"Boom!!"
With a single strike, he effortlessly severed one of the Kraken's enormous tentacles!
Glancing at the stunned Kraken, Zoro calmly said, "A demon that roams the open seas... and yet so fragile! At this level, you're not even a match for those apes imitating Hawkeye."
Recalling that opponent's strength, Zoro tightened his grip on his long sword.
To surpass Hawkeye, he needed to grow even stronger!
"So amazing, Zoro!"
Chopper exclaimed excitedly while staring at Zoro's back, "You cut through such a huge tentacle with just one strike!"
Hearing Chopper's words, Perona smirked and said, "Isn't it only natural for this guy to have such strength? After all... he hardly rested at all over the past two years."
"You're showing off too!" Sanji glared at Zoro in annoyance.
How dare he say that?
"What did you say, Number Seven?"
Sanji: ???
"Bastard!"
Sanji instantly flared up, glaring at Zoro, "I'll kill you, believe it or not!"
"Then come and try it, Number Seven!!"
"Crack!"
Watching the two as if they were about to fight again, Perona was left utterly speechless.
Had she praised him too soon?
"Hey, Zoro, Sanji, what are you doing?!" Luffy complained, "I don't want to eat this guy—don't chop off all its legs!"
If it lost its legs, he wouldn't be able to make it pull their ship anymore!
Then, Luffy swung out his left arm and bit his right thumb.
"Gear Third!"
"Whoosh—" The next moment, Luffy began blowing air into his body, causing it to rapidly inflate.
"Huh?!"
Watching Luffy's fist rapidly grow larger, Chopper stared in disbelief, "Won't Luffy's coating burst if he does that?"
If he lost the coating's protection in a place like this... wouldn't he be crushed by the water pressure in an instant?
Hearing Chopper's words, a trace of concern appeared in the others' eyes.
Would this Ninjutsu hold up?
"I considered Luffy's issue when casting the Ninjutsu and deliberately used extra Resin," Meiser said calmly, crossing his arms. "So don't worry, everything will be fine."
How could he not have thought of the problems these guys were worried about? After all, this was his Ninjutsu.
"That's a relief..." Chopper sighed in relief.
As long as nothing would go wrong.
"Hey, why does Luffy's fist look a bit different?" Usopp pointed at Luffy's giant fist.
"It's coated in Haki, of course it looks different."
"Haki, huh..."
As if remembering something, Usopp furrowed his brow.
"What, you don't know Haki?" Meiser asked, surprised, looking at Usopp.
What had this guy been training for the past two years, then?
"No, I don't," Usopp shook his head.
Hearing this, Meiser fell silent for a moment, then rubbed his temples and said, "Then when we have time, I'll teach you all Haki."
At the very least, I need to learn Armament Haki. Otherwise, I won't even have a way to fight back against a Logia-type ability user.
This time, Usopp didn't refuse. Instead, he nodded firmly and said, "Then I'll be counting on you."
To handle what might happen next, he needed to become stronger!!
"Mhm."
Meiser nodded, then looked at Nami and the others and said, "You all need to learn too."
"I need to develop my Devil Fruit Ability..." Nami said helplessly.
"Then work on both at the same time," Meiser replied.
Thinking about it carefully, Nami's talent for Haki was actually quite remarkable, so it was best to develop it early.
"Alright."
Since Meiser had put it that way, Nami couldn't really say much more.
After all, he had her best interests at heart, didn't he!
In that case... she would just have to put in the effort!
She, Nami, would also become a top-tier fighter with Haki!
As if struck by a thought, Nami's eyes began to sparkle.
Seeing this, Meiser nodded with great satisfaction.
That's more like it.
Perona, however, pointed at herself with a puzzled expression and asked, "Does 'you all' include me?"
Was she supposed to learn Haki too?
"What, are you not on this ship?" Meiser retorted impatiently.
Even if only out of respect for Moria, Meiser had to make sure this girl grew stronger; otherwise, she'd be easy prey.
So... Perona had to learn too!
Perona fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then pouted and said nothing more, tacitly accepting Meiser's words. She then turned her gaze to the monster in the sea, curious to see how the three would defeat it.
"Roar!!"
Seeing that enormous fist, Kraken immediately grew wary.
Though it didn't know what the opponent intended, it couldn't let them succeed at a time like this!
With that thought, it swung its massive tentacle toward Luffy.
But unfortunately... Luffy was faster!
"Rubber Giant Pistol!!"
"Boom!!"
The terrifyingly powerful fist slammed into Kraken's face, sending it flying backward, its eyes starting to roll back.
"He actually defeated such a huge monster with one punch..."
Nami stared at Luffy in shock and said, "Just how strong has this guy gotten?!"
And this was in the middle of the sea!
Hearing this, Meiser chuckled and said, "Stronger than you can imagine."
After training with Uncle Rayleigh, Luffy had become many times stronger than he was two years ago!
"Hey, look over there!" Merry pointed at a strange spot on Kraken's body and said, "A shark just came out of there!"
"A shark?"
Watching the large shark struggling to free itself from Kraken, everyone was baffled.
Why would a shark emerge from Kraken's body?
"There's actually a shark," Sanji mused, stroking his chin as he stared at the shark now approaching them. "But why is this guy wearing clothes?"
Does that make any sense?
"What does it mean by nodding at us?" Luffy wondered.
"Probably thanking us," Zoro thought for a moment and said. "After all, we just saved it."
If we hadn't stepped in, this guy would've been eaten by Kraken.
Hearing this, Sanji laughed and said, "What a well-mannered shark."
So it seems this shark must be someone's pet.
Could it belong to some young lady from Fish-Man Island?
As if visualizing something, Sanji's eyes once again turned into heart shapes. "Ah~"
"I love Fish-Man Island!"
Zoro: ???
Seeing Sanji wriggling excitedly in the water, Zoro had question marks popping up above his head.
What's wrong with this idiot now?
The shark also looked at Sanji with confusion, wondering what was happening to this human who had just saved it.
Though it didn't understand the situation, since it had already expressed its gratitude, it was time to leave.
With this thought, the large shark nodded to them again before turning and rushing toward the waterfall current below. After this experience, it swore never to leave Fish-Man Island again!
Never again!
"It's leaving already..." Luffy said.
Hearing Luffy's words, Sanji smiled. "Maybe we'll meet again when we reach Fish-Man Island."
After all, this shark seemed to be someone's pet.
Hearing Sanji's words, a wide grin immediately spread across Luffy's face.
"You're right!" Luffy grinned, showing his teeth.
In that case... they could deal with it when they reached Fish-Man Island!
Just then, a terrifying suction force acted upon them, pulling them downward.
"Something's wrong!" Sanji's expression changed. "We seem to have been caught in a sea current!"
As he spoke, Sanji glanced at the enormous Kraken being dragged down by the current.
If even that couldn't withstand this terrible suction... could they?
"Quick, let's get back to the ship!" Zoro said with a grim expression. "Otherwise we'll..."
Before he could finish speaking, the pulling force from below suddenly intensified, dragging all three of them downward!
"We're done for..."
Watching the rock wall grow increasingly distant, Zoro felt completely helpless.
"Do something!" Sanji yelled.
"I can't move my body..."
Feeling the terrifying pressure weighing him down, Zoro's expression turned extremely grim.
This was the power of nature - he couldn't resist it at all.
Hearing Zoro's words, Sanji's face immediately turned pale.
Could they have been caught in that current that takes two thousand years to return to the surface? If so, they were dead for sure!
"You two, grab onto me!" Luffy said urgently. "I'll pull us all back..."
Before he could finish, he discovered that his two-meter-long arm had gone limp, and then they were all swept downward by the sea current pouring from above.
"Ahhh!!!"
Meiser:
Watching the three rapidly disappearing ahead, Meiser felt completely helpless.
So what exactly were they playing at?
After defeating that guy, they should have come back immediately! Why did they have to chat near the waterfall?!
Recalling how those three idiots went flying down, Meiser felt a headache coming on.
"Hurry, Meiser, go save them!" Usopp said anxiously. "If they get swept away, it's over!"
Those three didn't know Water Release Technique and couldn't move unaffected by water currents like Meiser could.
"Mm."
Meiser nodded, then quickly moved to the edge of the ship, preparing to charge out.
But at the moment he was about to leap, a flicker of hesitation appeared in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Usopp urged anxiously. "Hurry up and go!"
"If I leave like this, you might end up with the ship destroyed and everyone dead," Meiser explained.
After all, the pirate ship still had to descend from here, so he needed to keep watch.
"Then what should we do?"
"I'll use clones to find them," Meiser said.
As he spoke, Meiser created two clones—one a Shadow Clone and the other a Wood Clone.
The moment they appeared, both clones understood Meiser's intention and nodded to him, saying, "Leave it to us!"
After taking the Eternal Log Pose handed to them by Meiser, the two clones activated their Ninjutsu.
"Water Release: Dance of the Swimming Fish!!"
As the words faded, a transparent film enveloped both clones, and without looking back, they charged toward the distant abyss.
Watching the two clones gradually recede into the distance, Meiser let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Let's go, we'll follow them down."
The Wood Clone was much stronger than the Shadow Clone and wouldn't dissipate immediately upon taking damage, making it perfect for a rescue mission.
As for the Shadow Clone...
It was for relaying messages.
"Alright!!"
This time, Franky and the others didn't waste words. They immediately adjusted the sails of the pirate ship and charged toward the massive waterfall ahead.
The moment they entered, everyone felt an incredibly terrifying suction force.
"No wonder Luffy and the others were pulled down without any chance to resist..." Franky said with a grave expression, watching the rapidly flowing sea currents around them. "This suction is just too terrifying."
"Hey, can someone do something? I'm about to be thrown off!"
Pinned against the bubble, Usopp's face was filled with terror.
If he were thrown out here... he would surely die!
As if imagining the scene, Usopp's face instantly turned pale.
"Meiser, think of something!"
Hearing his companions' cries, Meiser scanned the surroundings and declared, "Leave it to me!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!!"
"Whoosh"
"Boom!!"
In the next moment, an enormous Water Dragon appeared behind the Thousand Sunny, swallowing the ship whole and firmly protecting it within!
Then, the Water Dragon surged downward.
"Roar!!!"
"Saved..."
Usopp, safely back on the deck, breathed a sigh of relief—at least he no longer had to worry about being thrown off.
Meanwhile, tears welled up in Chopper's eyes. The deep sea was so scary...
Though it could indeed be thrilling, it... it was enough to scare someone to death!
"Everyone, stay alert!"
Meiser shouted. "There might be something unexpected below. Hold on tight!"
"Alright!!!"
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