Before the deafening roar had even faded, the sea around the training ship erupted one after another!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
One colossal shadow after another burst through the surface, stirring up jaw-dropping, towering waves.
A pitch-black octopus-type Sea King, covered in countless massive tentacles, had a head several times larger than the training ship.
Its single crimson eye fixed intently on the tiny humans on the deck.
Beside it, a monster resembling a giant turtle but covered in jagged mountain-like spikes slowly emerged from the water.
With every breath, it stirred up violent currents, making the training ship sway precariously like a leaf in this apocalyptic sea.
In an instant, seven or eight super-sized Sea Kings of unimaginable proportions surrounded the training ship.
Their shadows turned day into dusk, filling the air with a primal, briny scent and a suffocating pressure.
On the deck, time seemed to freeze.
"Pfft!"
"Thud!"
Two soft sounds followed as Usopp and Chopper's eyes rolled back, white smoke puffing from their mouths before they cleanly passed out.
This level of terror was far beyond their mental capacity to process.
"Ahhh—"
A piercing scream cut through the sky as Nami transformed into an orange blur, scrambling with limbs flailing to cling to Orion like a terrified koala, holding on for dear life and refusing to let go.
Yet, amid this nearly frozen atmosphere of despair, an ill-timed voice rang out.
"MEEAATTT! So much meat!" Luffy tilted his head back, staring at the mountainous, continuous massive bodies, his eyes turning into sparkling stars as drool trickled down the corner of his mouth.
He was already calculating whether to roast or stew them.
"Hey, fortune-teller," Sanji turned his head toward Hawkins, who had long lost all color from his face.
"Is this what you called a 100% mortality rate?"
Hawkins' lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.
He had performed countless divinations but had never seen such a hopeless spread of cards.
Yet, he never imagined that the so-called "Grim Reaper" would manifest as such a tangible natural disaster.
"Merely a few Sea Kings."
Vinsmoke Ichiji's voice was icy cold.
His combat suit had fully enveloped his body, and beneath the red lenses was undisguised arrogance and fighting spirit.
"Watch me blow their heads off one by one!"
Ace and Zoro had also assumed their stances, ready for action.
But no one dared to move.
They all knew very well that given the size of these Sea Kings, the death throes of any one of them would be enough to shatter the training ship beneath their feet into fragments, sinking it into the abyssal depths.
Once they fell into the water, facing these rulers of the deep sea, they would stand no chance.
Amid the dead silence, tense as a drawn bowstring and ready to erupt at any moment, Orion finally moved.
He patted Nami, who was still clinging to him, with a somewhat helpless expression, his gentle voice breaking the stillness.
"Don't be afraid."
After speaking, he swept his gaze over the young faces—tense, excited, or fearful—before finally settling on the colossal creatures.
"Let this handsome Fleet Admiral have a talk with them first."
A talk?
Everyone was stunned, including Ichiji, who had been ready to charge out.
What was there to talk about with these monsters? The nice weather today? Or persuading them to jump into the pot themselves?
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Orion, with Nami still clinging to him, took a step forward and stood at the bow of the ship.
He did not release any earth-shattering aura, merely calmly observing the largest among them—the giant turtle Sea King, which resembled a moving mountain range.
The next moment, an intangible will, transcending the barriers of language and species, struck the very depths of every Sea King's soul like a silent, colossal hammer.
"Stand down!"
Just two words—simple, direct, and non-negotiable.
In an instant, all the Sea Kings froze.
Their abyssal-like pupils contracted sharply, focusing uniformly on the tiny human at the bow of the ship.
For the first time, their minds received such a clear command from another species.
It was not a threat, nor a plea, but a decree from a higher level of existence—one that felt taken for granted.
[You... who are you?]
The ancient and chaotic consciousness of the giant turtle Sea King transformed into a voice as resonant as a great bell.
[Why can we hear your command?]
The corner of Orion's lips lifted slightly.
"My name is Orion, Fleet Admiral of the Marine Headquarters."
His voice was transmitted through the same will—calm, yet carrying the authority of one who rules the world.
"And I am your—King.""
The moment his words fell, Orion took another step forward, placing a hand on the hilt of the Supreme Grade Sword at his waist.
Boom—
An indescribable, supreme Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, exploding outward with overwhelming force!
The sky seemed to tear apart at that moment, the churning sea abruptly stilled, as if the entire world knelt in submission before this dominating will!
"Stand down, or die!"
This time, it was no longer a command, but a final ultimatum.
Faced with this terrifying pressure that could make souls tremble, the once-arrogant deep-sea behemoths began to shake uncontrollably.
Fear—an emotion they hadn't experienced for millennia—pierced through their massive bodies like the deepest chill.
Without the slightest hesitation, the giant octopus Sea King was the first to turn around, its enormous body stirring the waters as it plunged headlong into the unfathomable depths in a near-disgraceful manner.
One after another, the Sea Kings, as if encountering their natural predator, frantically changed direction and fled the area.
In mere moments, the apocalyptic scene vanished without a trace, leaving only the still-raging waves as proof of their prior presence.
However, the mountain-sized giant turtle Sea King, though trembling under the suppression of the conqueror's haki, did not immediately leave.
Struggling against the deep-seated fear in its soul, it transmitted a fragmented thought into Orion's mind.
[We did not mean to offend you—we were fleeing!]
[Ahead lies the Rainbow Mist—do not enter!]
[Time is distorted within the mist. Once you enter the area covered by the Rainbow Mist, you'll be trapped and unable to escape. Even if you do escape, the difference in time flow will cause rapid aging or even death.]
Hearing this broken message, Orion slowly released his grip on the sword hilt, the dominance and coldness in his eyes gradually fading.
Rainbow Mist?
He glanced sideways at Hawkins, who had collapsed nearby in relief after surviving the ordeal.
Clearly, the Rainbow Mist was the true cause behind Hawkins' divination of a 100% mortality rate.