CRACK!
A pirate ship smashed into the Thousand Sunny, causing the crew to lose their balance and threatening the integrity of the bubble protecting the ship. On the enemy vessel, dozens of pirates stood at the edge, ready to leap aboard.
"Crap! They're going to break through the bubble!" Nami shouted, panic rising in her voice.
"Who are they?!" Luffy exclaimed.
None of the crew had an answer.
"Sanji! Move us out of the way!" Franky yelled.
"I'm already on it!" Sanji replied, spinning the steering wheel furiously.
The Sunny narrowly avoided disaster, but the enemy ship was persistent. It rammed into them again, this time breaching the bubble and exposing them to open water.
"Ahaha! We are the Sea Cow Pirates! Let's take everything and kill them while they're still dumbfounded!" one of the pirates, a man in a baggy shirt, crowed arrogantly.
"Hah?! Take what and kill who?" Imai asked, her cold voice cutting through the chaos as she looked down at the enemy crew from her perch above.
The pirate froze as her gaze bore into him. He felt as though he were facing a predator far beyond his league—a venomous black mamba staring down a helpless mouse.
"I-I was just joking!" he stammered, his voice trembling. "It was just a play on words! I didn't mean it! I was forced to be here, I swear!"
"How pathetic," Imai muttered, her disdain palpable. "You're giving up before the fight even starts."
From below, Robin glanced up at Imai, a faint smile on her lips. Her admiration for the swordswoman grew. Imai's strength and composure reminded her of a time in the past—a time when Imai had saved her life. Robin doubted Imai even remembered the incident.
"Oi, Nami! The direction we're heading is slightly off from the Log Pose!" Usopp called out, his voice laced with concern.
"That's fine," Imai said before Nami could respond. "We're avoiding sea currents and underwater volcanoes anyway."
"Ha?! There are volcanoes down here?!" Usopp yelped.
Imai sighed. "Nami, this is your cue. Explain."
Nami quickly outlined the dangers of navigating the deep sea—volcanoes, deep currents, and other perils. Each new detail made Usopp and Chopper's faces twist further in terror, much to Imai's amusement.
"Also, avoid the deep currents," Imai added nonchalantly. "It would take about two thousand years to reach the surface from there."
Her remark only deepened the crew's unease.
"B-but no need to worry," Nami interrupted, trying to keep them calm. "We've made it to the downward flow—a plume current!"
The crew's attention shifted as the ship was gently carried along by the current. They rushed to the edge, marveling at the kaleidoscope of vibrant fish and other sea creatures swimming alongside them.
"You have a lot of knowledge about the sea," Robin remarked as she approached Imai, who remained on the upper deck.
"I've traveled the Grand Line and the New World for years," Imai replied simply. "Of course, my knowledge is vast."
Robin chuckled softly. "Why aren't you with the others? Doesn't the view excite you?"
"No," Imai said with a faint smile. "I've spent three years alone. This doesn't affect me."
Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden scream from the main deck.
"Monster! There's a monster down there! Turn back!" Caribou screeched, his voice shrill with fear.
"Monster?" Imai muttered, glancing down. Below them, two massive, glowing eyes stared back, accompanied by the slow, hypnotic movement of writhing tentacles.
"Oh, it's just a giant octopus," she said nonchalantly.
"Just a giant octopus?!" Usopp wailed. "That thing could kill us all!"
From the distance, a voice echoed. "Brother! We're here to save you!"
A ship appeared on the horizon, heading toward them. Before it could reach the Sunny, the octopus attacked, its massive tentacles snapping the vessel in half.
Usopp let out another terrified scream. "We're doomed!"
"I want that as a pet," Luffy said, his eyes sparkling.
"I'll help you catch it," Zoro added, cracking his knuckles.
Imai smirked, finding their fearlessness oddly endearing. That kind of bravery was what it took to survive in the New World.
"I have an idea," Caribou said suddenly, producing bubble layers. In moments, Imai, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were outfitted in extra-vehicular diving suits.
"There we go! Now you can move outside the bubble!"
The four stepped out into the open water, the bubble layers allowing them to move freely despite the crushing pressure.
"So, how do we tame this thing?" Zoro asked.
"We don't tame it," Imai said, drawing her blade. "It's an enemy of humanity. I'll weaken it so you three can capture it."
Without waiting for a response, she unleashed her attack.
"Hundred Sovereign's Cleaving!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, streaks of purple lightning crackled around the octopus's tentacles—a manifestation of Haki.
A massive shockwave blasted through the water as the creature's limbs were severed into countless pieces. The force was so great it repelled Imai back onto the Sunny.
Zoro's eyes widened, stunned. He hadn't even seen her move. "You're kidding… right?"
On the ship, the crew watched in awe, their jaws dropping. Even Brook's literal jaw fell off.
But the attack had unintended consequences. The shockwave created a powerful current that pulled Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji deeper into the abyss.
As the Sunny was dragged along, darkness surrounded them, and the ship became separated from the trio.
"It seems I overdid it," Imai admitted, her voice steady despite the chaos.