Chapter 207: Sea Kings and Amazon lily
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The bright sunshine bathed my body, enveloping me in a comforting warmth.
The turquoise-blue sea stretched endlessly, resembling a massive gem—clear, calm, and utterly devoid of ripples.
Aoki froze momentarily before turning back.
Not far behind me, dark clouds began to gather, splitting the sky into two halves. The dense rain curtain hung like an immense shroud, obscuring my view.
Lightning crackled across the sky, accompanied by deafening thunder and fierce gusts of wind.
Black and white, motion and stillness, created a stark contrast within this confined space.
Shakky spoke up, her voice cutting through the tension: "We've reached the doldrums!"
Hancock and the other two looked visibly excited.
The Amazon lily flourished in the doldrums—a habitat they were intimately familiar with.
"It really is the Calm Belt!" Aoki remarked, looking skyward.
The doldrums were long, narrow strips of sea flanking the Grand Line. Within them, there were no winds or currents, effectively isolating the Grand Line from the Four Seas.
"This kind of environment couldn't possibly have formed naturally, could it?" Aoki speculated, casting a glance at Rayleigh.
During the void century, a cataclysmic disaster had occurred, causing sea levels to rise by 200 meters. Most of the land sank beneath the waves, shaping the world's current geography.
That catastrophe was rumored to be the work of the ancient weapon, the Poseidon
The doldrums, too, were likely man-made.
The Roger Pirates had reached Laugh tale and should have uncovered the true history of the world.
Rayleigh, however, remained composed, his expression betraying nothing, as if he hadn't heard Aoki's musings.
Suddenly, a tremendous crash echoed across the sea.
Everyone's faces shifted in alarm as two cow-like creatures surfaced from the water, their monstrous forms sending chills down our spines.
"Sea Kings?" Aoki's heart pounded violently.
The doldrums were notoriously perilous for humans, and there were two primary reasons for this.
First, with no wind or currents, most ships of this era, reliant on sails, would be rendered immobile within the doldrums.
Second, it was the breeding ground of the Sea Kings.
Even Aoki's ultimate form, towering at an imposing 200 meters like a small mountain, paled in comparison to these colossal creatures.
The largest Sea Kings could exceed 5,000 meters in size! The portions of these two beasts visible above the water alone stretched over a thousand meters.
It was as if two immense mountains had risen from the depths, casting the sea into sudden shadow.
Creatures of such enormity didn't require additional abilities; their very existence was a natural disaster.
No wonder ancient weapons were said to hold the power to destroy the world.
Aoki shuddered at the thought. He had yet to learn the full extent of Uranus and Pluto's power, but the glimpses he had seen of other ancient weapons capabilities left no doubt—its destructive potential was aptly described as world-ending.
"This doesn't seem like good news for me," Aoki muttered, his lips twitching into a wry smile.
The Poseidon was suspected to be under the control of the Celestial Dragons. The stronger these ancient weapons were, the harder it would be to overthrow them. Could one ancient weapon be used to combat another? He couldn't help but ponder.
After all, he knew the locations of the other two ancient weapons.
Poseidon was the present-day mermaid princess, Shirahoshi, who was likely only a newborn now.
Pluto lay hidden in Wano Country, though the region was currently under the control of the Beasts Pirates.
"Step aside!" Rayleigh commanded sharply, stepping onto the figurehead. A red glint flickered in his eyes as an invisible wave of energy radiated outward.
Boom!
A low, thunderous sound reverberated through the air. Purple lightning crackled, and a suffocating pressure enveloped the area, distorting the very atmosphere.
"Is this Conqueror's Haki?" Aoki's senses sharpened as he watched intently.
The technique of Conqueror's Haki Entanglement was arguably the most powerful ability in the world.
As the right hand of the Pirate King, would Rayleigh truly display mastery over it? Was this a chance to witness it firsthand?
The tension lingered, the air thick with power as the stalemate persisted.
The two Sea Kings slowly retreated and sank back into the sea.
Rayleigh withdrew his domineering aura, and the oppressive atmosphere surrounding him vanished.
"What a pity," he muttered.
Aoki glanced at Hancock beside him and asked, "How do you feel?"
Hancock shook her head, her expression blank.
Aoki didn't seem bothered. He was confident that Hancock possessed the potential for Conqueror's Haki—it just needed the right opportunity to awaken.
No rush. After all, Conqueror's Haki couldn't be strengthened through practice.
Rayleigh returned to the deck and said, "We need to leave as soon as possible. More Sea Kings might show up any minute."
Shakky pointed at the small boat and said, "It's ready!"
Aoki turned his head and looked at the setup. "So this is why you chose a small sailboat?"
The boat now had three oars on each side.
Without wind or currents, sailboats could only move through the doldrums by human effort.
"Exactly," Shakky replied with a nod.
Given the constant threat of Sea Kings, everyone started rowing without hesitation.
Though it would take some time to reach Amazon Lily, their group's exceptional physical strength was a great advantage.
In the pirate world, the physical endurance of the strong was almost absurd. Battles could last for days or even weeks without rest.
Someone like Rayleigh, a legendary figure, was in a league of his own. Even the weakest members of the group, Sandersonia and Marigold, were Zoan-type Devil Fruit users with incredible stamina.
Under their collective effort, the boat moved faster with manpower than it would have with favorable winds.
However, the journey was far from peaceful.
Sea Kings attacked repeatedly.
Most of them were driven off by Rayleigh's domineering aura, but a few were stubborn enough to persist.
"Quack!"
A massive gray-skinned toad, over a hundred meters in size with bumps all over its back, lay motionless in the sea. Its cloudy yellow eyes fixated coldly on the figure hovering in the air, devoid of any emotion.
Aoki flapped his wings gently, maintaining his position mid-air.
Phew!
The toad's mouth opened abruptly, and its tongue shot out like a bolt of lightning.
Aoki's figure blurred as he dodged and darted straight into the creature's gaping maw.
"Quack!"
Sensing something was amiss, the gray-skinned toad tried to close its mouth. But before it could, an intensely concentrated fireball detonated inside.
Boom!
Flames erupted from the creature's mouth and eyes, charring its upper body. Lifeless, the massive toad slumped back into the water.
Aoki reappeared behind the beast, a sleek black tail extending from his back. The tail ended in a sharp, bone-like blade.
Swish!
With a flick of his tail, a flash of cold light sliced through the air, and one of the toad's massive thighs fell into the sea.
Aoki grabbed the severed leg and flew back toward the ship.
Boom!
The toad's leg slammed onto the deck, causing the entire ship to shake as the massive limb occupied nearly all available space.
"Your Majesty, how about this one?" Aoki asked with a slight grin.
"Perfect!" Rayleigh replied, patting the leg with satisfaction. "Don't let its ugly appearance fool you—this Sea Beast makes for an excellent delicacy. Later, we'll…"
He trailed off, suddenly turning his gaze toward the horizon.
A black dot appeared in the distance. As they drew closer, it quickly transformed into the silhouette of an island, with the massive words Nine Snakes carved into the peak.
"Amazon Lily," Rayleigh said.
The island, also known as Island of women, was home to the Nine Snakes, a fierce and independent nation where only women resided.
Hancock dropped her oar and ran to the bow of the ship, her face alight with excitement as she stared at the island ahead.
After three long years, she was finally returning home.
Shakky walked over slowly, lighting a cigarette. A faint glimmer of nostalgia flickered in her eyes.
It was her first time returning after being away for decades.
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