The air changed the moment they entered the Grand Line. It wasn't just the weather; the very essence of the world felt denser, more chaotic. Silas sat at the back of the boat, his pipe extinguished for the first time. Even he was on high alert.
Kai held the Log Pose steady. The needle was spinning wildly before finally locking onto a point in the distance.
[Current Status: Entering Grand Line Waters.]
[Environmental Effect: Magnetic Interference detected. System Map precision reduced to 80%.]
"Silas," Kai said, his eyes scanning the thick white fog. "How long until we see land?"
"In this sea, land sees you before you see it," Silas replied grimly.
Suddenly, the fog parted, revealing a massive, cactus-shaped rock formation in the distance. It was dotted with thousands of small, circular holes that looked like tombstones from afar.
[Ding! Location Identified: Whiskey Peak.]
[System Scan: High density of 'Greed-filled Souls' detected.]
[Warning: Multiple hostile eyes are watching the vessel.]
Kai felt a chill, but it wasn't from the wind. He could see them—hundreds of faint, flickering souls hidden among the rocks of the harbor.
They weren't powerful, but they were hungry.
"It looks like a welcoming party," Kai muttered, his hand going to his dagger.
As they docked, the silence was broken by a sudden explosion of music and cheering. Men and women in colorful outfits rushed toward the pier, throwing flower petals and holding jars of ale.
"Welcome! Welcome to the city of hospitality!" a mayor-looking man with curly hair shouted, his soul glowing with a deceptive purple light. "Brave heroes of the East Blue! You must be exhausted from the journey. Please, join us for a feast!"
[System Analysis: Soul Grade - Deceptive Purple.]
[Trait: Mercenary / Bounty Hunter.]
Kai stepped onto the wooden planks of the pier, a thin, dangerous smile playing on his lips. He didn't see a feast; he saw a buffet of low-grade souls waiting to be harvested.
"A feast sounds wonderful," Kai said, his golden eyes meeting the mayor's. "I hope you have enough... to pay the price."