The sea trembled.
Rhett stood at the bow of the small boat he'd bought—borrowed money, really—knowing full well it probably wouldn't survive this test. His hands gripped the hilt of Kuroshio, the massive blade dragging lazily across the deck.
"Kid, it's not too late to turn back," Rayleigh's calm voice carried over the waves.
Rayleigh, Roger, and Gaban stood on another small boat behind him, watching Rhett's back.
Rhett didn't respond. His knuckles trembled faintly with excitement.
The waves exploded.
The dog-headed Sea King burst from the water, cascading seawater like a torrential downpour onto the deck.
Rhett moved.
His motion was slow—or so it seemed.
No flashy leaps, no dazzling Haki. Just the simple act of lifting Kuroshio from the deck.
The Sea King opened its massive maw, its shadow engulfing the entire bow.
It intended to swallow Rhett whole.
Rhett swung Kuroshio with a force that ripped through the air. The blade connected with the Sea King's jaw with a dull thud. The monster's head snapped to the side, broken fangs scattering into the air.
He felt exhilarated.
But this was just the beginning.
The Sea King roared in pain, its massive tail whipping up a towering wave aimed at Rhett's small sailboat. You destroy my boat? Then you won't live either. As the wave loomed, Rhett gripped Kuroshio with both hands and executed a powerful upward slash, cleaving the incoming wave in two.
Before the water could fully fall, Rhett leapt forward, Kuroshio carving a heavy arc through the air. The blade struck the Sea King's left eye with a sickening squelch.
The Sea King let out an ear-splitting roar, thrashing wildly.
Rhett was flung into the air, but he adjusted his stance mid-flight, bringing Kuroshio down on the monster's scaled back. Sparks flew as the blade dented the hardened scales.
"Again!" Rhett spat out blood and charged once more. This time, he shifted tactics—no longer aiming for a single decisive strike, but instead delivering a relentless barrage of heavy blows.
Left slash! Right slash! Right slash! Right slash!
Each strike was unadorned but devastating. Kuroshio's blade glowed faintly red from the friction, and the Sea King's scales began to crack under the relentless assault.
Finally, on the seventeenth strike, the Sea King's movements slowed. Rhett seized the moment, raising Kuroshio high with all his strength and bringing it down in a mountain-splitting strike.
"Thud!"
The blow split the Sea King's skull. Its massive body stiffened for a moment before sinking into the sea, sending up a colossal spray.
Rhett hoisted Kuroshio onto his shoulder and leapt onto Rayleigh's boat, which visibly sank deeper from his weight.
"Sea Mist: Floating Platform!"
After using his ability, Rhett let out a sigh of relief.
His arms trembled uncontrollably, his palms raw and bloody. Every muscle in his body protested the overexertion.
Rayleigh approached, glancing at the sinking Sea King corpse and then at Rhett's hands.
"How was it?" Rayleigh asked.
"Felt amazing," Rhett replied, eyes shining with excitement.
Six months had flown by.
Rhett's training had borne fruit—his mastery of physical combat and Haki had improved significantly.
His speed, strength, and control over all three types of Haki had all seen marked improvement. He'd even mastered three of the Six Powers: Iron Body, Shave, and Moon Walk. At just seven years old, he was already on par with elite Navy captains—an absurd thought.
The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated when the sound of hammering echoed from Tom's shipyard. Rhett and the others dragged Kuroshio into the dock, where Tom, cigar in mouth, was personally conducting the final adjustments.
"Kid, perfect timing!" Tom exclaimed excitedly. "Come see your glorious new home!"
Rhett looked up and his breath caught—
The Oro Jackson lay quietly on the slipway, its golden edges catching the morning light. More majestic than he remembered, its sleek lines seemed capable of cutting through any storm.
"Adam Wood truly lives up to its reputation," Rayleigh remarked, appearing behind Rhett, his glasses glinting with satisfaction.
Roger bounded forward with a hearty laugh: "Hahaha! This is the ship worthy of the Roger Pirates!"
Tom, basking in the praise, suddenly shouted: "Damn it, Roger—don't touch that! The paint's still wet!"
Roger sheepishly jumped down: "Sorry, old man, hahaha!"
But Tom wasn't about to let him off the hook, berating Roger until he retreated to a corner to sulk. Tom felt much better.
"Hey, kid," Tom suddenly gripped Rhett's shoulder. "Want to test how Kuroshio stacks up against this glorious new ship?"
Before Rhett could react, Tom tried to lift him—well, more like awkwardly hoist him—but Rhett barely left the ground before being set back down.
Tom coughed: "Give it your best slash!"
Wait, old man, are you a fighter? Rhett thought, considering Kuroshio's weight. Throwing it at Tom would be a challenge.
Rhett hesitated, recalling Merry's farewell, which had brought him to tears: "Didn't you say the keel is the most important part of the ship?"
Tom shot Rhett a disdainful look: "Are you underestimating Adam Wood, known as the toughest timber, or overestimating your own strength? At sea, natural disasters like tsunamis and whirlwinds—none of which are weaker than you."
Rhett thought about it and realized—if he could effortlessly cut through Adam Wood, he'd already rule the seas.
Rhett leapt into the air, drawing Kuroshio. The massive blade carved a heavy arc—
"Clang!!!"
Despite its wooden appearance, the impact produced a deafening metallic clash.
Kuroshio was deflected, and the keel showed no sign of damage.
"How's that? With my special treatment and the wood's natural hardness, it's solid as a rock," Tom boasted proudly. "My craftsmanship isn't..."
He stopped abruptly.
Because Rhett, running his hand along the hull, suddenly noticed a small inscription on the keel:
Rhett read aloud, word by word: "To the future Pirate King and his crew—Tom."
"Hey! Who said you could just read that out loud!" Tom's face turned red as he chased Rhett.
Roger stood at the bow, laughing heartily, his red cape billowing in the sea breeze: "Set sail, mates! Let the world hear our voices!"
Under the watchful eyes of Water 7's residents, the Oro Jackson slowly left the dock. Sunlight pierced through the morning mist, casting a golden glow on the ship's black hull.
Rhett stood at the stern, watching the shrinking island, and suddenly remembered himself half a year ago, dragging Kuroshio across the beach.
"What're you thinking?" Gaban patted his shoulder.
Rhett smiled, hoisting Kuroshio onto his shoulder: "Thinking about whether I can split a wave with one slash next time I face a Sea King."
Rayleigh appeared behind them unnoticed: "First, pay off your boat loan."
"Huh?! That boat was shattered by the Sea King! Go find him..."
"Shut it, kid. Three thousand more sword swings."
"Yes..."