Chapter 16: Escape from the Calm Belt
The Merchant King of the Grand Line
Chapter 16: Escape from the Calm Belt
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A Race Against Time
The World Government battleship loomed in the distance, its massive frame cutting through the eerie calm of the sea.
I cursed under my breath.
Cipher Pol was one thing. A Navy battleship meant Admirals or at least a Vice Admiral was in play.
If we didn't move now, we were dead.
"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" I roared as I sprinted toward our ship, carrying the stolen research case like it was my lifeline. "PREPARE TO SET SAIL!"
Behind me, my men followed in a frantic rush, some carrying wounded, others dragging whatever equipment they could salvage.
But one person was missing.
King.
The last I saw, he was fighting Rob Lucci.
I clenched my jaw. I wanted to go back. But if I hesitated, I risked losing everything.
The moment my feet hit the deck, Marcus—my head engineer—shouted from the helm, "Boss, the ship's ready, but that Navy ship is moving fast! We won't outrun them!"
I glanced at the horizon. The Government ship wasn't alone—there were two more approaching from the west.
They weren't just here to capture me.
They were here to eliminate me.
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A Desperate Maneuver
I turned to Marcus. "How much fuel do we have left in the engines?"
"Enough for five minutes at full power before the system overheats!" he shouted back.
"Then we use it!" I ordered. "Full speed ahead! Get us out of here before they close in!"
The engines roared to life, the ship lurching forward at an unnatural speed as it cut through the water.
But it wasn't enough.
The lead battleship was already adjusting its cannons.
A Vice Admiral was on board.
I could feel it.
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King's Return
Just as I was about to give the order to engage defensive maneuvers, an explosion rocked the island behind us.
And then, from the smoke and rubble—
A figure emerged, sprinting toward the ship at full speed.
It was King.
And he looked pissed.
His armor was cracked, his coat torn, but he was alive—and carrying something in his hand.
A bloodied CP0 mask.
Rob Lucci's mask.
Did that mean—?
I didn't have time to think.
King leapt from the shore, landing heavily on the deck beside me.
"We're leaving," he growled.
"Yeah," I agreed. "I figured that much."
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The Navy's Response
The Vice Admiral aboard the lead battleship finally made their move.
A booming voice echoed over the sea.
"LANCASTER VOSS!"
I turned, eyes narrowing.
A tall woman in a Marine coat stood on the deck of the battleship, her white cape billowing in the wind.
I recognized her instantly.
Vice Admiral Tsuru.
A legendary tactician. A woman feared even among the Admirals.
And she looked at me with nothing but cold calculation.
"You've gone too far," she said. "This game ends today."
I tensed.
She wasn't bluffing.
She was known for being merciless when she deemed someone a threat to justice.
And judging by the way she was preparing to attack, she saw me as exactly that.
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The Grand Gamble
I had one option left.
A gamble. A crazy, reckless gamble.
I turned to Marcus. "Is the heat suppression system on?"
He blinked. "Uh—yeah, but why?"
I smirked. "Because we're about to do something suicidal."
I grabbed the helm, sharply turning the ship straight toward the Calm Belt.
Everyone froze.
King's eyes widened. "You're heading into the Sea Kings' territory! Are you insane?!"
"Yes," I said. "But so is betting on outrunning Vice Admiral Tsuru."
The entire crew held their breath as we sailed into the Calm Belt—right into the domain of the most dangerous creatures in the ocean.
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Into the Lion's Den
The sea was too quiet.
Too still.
And then, the water moved.
A shadow beneath the waves.
Something massive was awakening.
A Sea King.
Or worse—multiple Sea Kings.
King grabbed my arm. "This is your brilliant plan?! Getting eaten by a monster?!"
I grinned. "Nope. Just watch."
He didn't know what I knew.
The ship's hull was reinforced with Sea Prism Stone plating.
Sea Kings would ignore us—at least for a short while.
But the Navy?
Their ships had no such protection.
And as Tsuru's fleet pursued us into the Calm Belt, the sea beneath them churned.
One by one, the shadows moved toward the Marine ships.
And then—
A Sea King the size of a mountain erupted from the ocean, jaws wide open.
And it wasn't alone.
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The Great Escape
Chaos erupted behind us.
The Marine ships were suddenly the primary targets of a massive feeding frenzy.
Even Tsuru was forced to retreat as the Sea Kings attacked, their instincts drawn to the unprotected vessels.
My crew watched in stunned silence.
"...Holy shit," Marcus whispered.
"That was the craziest thing I've ever seen," one of the gunners added.
King just looked at me like he wanted to punch me in the face.
But I didn't care.
Because as we sailed out of the Calm Belt, leaving the chaos behind—
I realized something.
I had just outmaneuvered a Vice Admiral.
And in this world, that meant one thing.
I was officially a big player.
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Aftermath
We made it to a safe harbor by nightfall.
King sat beside me on the deck, arms crossed. "That was reckless."
I leaned back. "But it worked."
He exhaled. "Next time, tell me when you're going to pull some insane plan, so I can at least prepare to die properly."
I laughed. "Deal."
Then, I opened the research case.
Inside were documents, blueprints, and prototypes.
And at the center of it all—
A small, palm-sized device with a single, glowing button.
The key to controlling Sea Kings.
I closed the case.
I had just won a battle.
But the war was only beginning.
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Next Chapter: The Price of Power
(Victor now possesses the key to controlling Sea Kings, but the World Government will not let him go unpunished. Meanwhile, new threats begin to emerge from the shadows.)