Chapter 44: Sea of the Strong
As everyone boarded the pirate ship, the vessel noticeably sank a bit—especially when Whitebeard and Cole stepped on.
"Oi oi! You lot over there, hoist the sails! We're setting off to chase Roger!" Golden Lion shouted at a few unnamed crewmates climbing aboard.
So direct, huh? If it hadn't been for the fight earlier, they'd probably be bossing us around by now, Luo Han thought to himself.
He and Cole found a spot near the railing of the deck and sat down, gazing out at the sea beyond the port.
Just like that, Luo Han's life as a pirate had begun.
Thunk! Thunk! Whitebeard walked over with his naginata, plopping down beside Luo Han and Cole.
"Ah-lala! First time sailing?" he asked.
"Yeah. I've been dreaming of going out to sea for a long time."
"Haha! I could tell!"
"Though I didn't expect it would be as a pirate. Haha!" Luo Han laughed.
As the ship sailed calmly, Luo Han chatted casually with Whitebeard.
"Never imagined someone like you would join the Rocks Pirates," Luo Han said.
"Ah-lala! You already guessed why," Whitebeard replied.
"The pirates aboard this ship—most are either like you and me, with people we want to protect… or they're in it for treasure and power."
Thinking about it, that did make sense. Kaido was probably in it for the power, Luo Han realized.
"Hey, Luo Han, what are you two brats going out to sea for?" Whitebeard asked suddenly.
"I wanna eat lots of meat! And fight!" Cole answered immediately.
Ugh… Luo Han could only sigh. He had wanted to say something a bit more lofty.
But oh well—being true to oneself wasn't a bad thing.
"We didn't set out with any grand ambition," Luo Han said. "I'm just curious about the world. I wanted to see it for myself."
"Hah! That's a unique, yet simple goal! I like it!" Whitebeard replied.
Truthfully, Whitebeard already had a good impression of Luo Han and Cole. Unlike the others who joined for power or greed, they had joined to protect their home.
"Looks like you're getting along well with those two, Newgate," Golden Lion said as he approached, seeing them chatting together.
Whitebeard wasn't exactly the talkative type—especially not within the Rocks Pirates.
"Haha! You jealous, Shiki?" Whitebeard grinned.
"Jealous? Let's see if they can survive what's coming first!" Golden Lion replied and walked off into the cabin.
Clearly, today's scuffle was only enough to prove they weren't weak—but it didn't mean they'd earned Golden Lion's recognition yet.
On the deck, Luo Han wore a cold expression. These guys are not only arrogant, but their mouths are nasty too.
Calling him "brat" and "kid" all the time… If he were strong enough, he'd have taught them a lesson right then and there. Someday.
He quietly made a mental note.
"Well, Shiki's not wrong," Whitebeard said seriously. "We're about to fight the Roger Pirates. If you're not careful, you will die."
"Thanks for the warning, Newgate. But Cole and I won't die that easily!" Luo Han laughed.
But he didn't laugh for long.
Half a day into smooth sailing, the sky suddenly changed.
Thick gray clouds appeared almost instantly, looming overhead.
Then hail began to fall—massive chunks, some as big as houses—rattling the ship.
Luo Han stared in shock. He'd never seen hail this enormous before.
"Don't just stand there! You two, clear the hail ahead!" Golden Lion barked.
Snapping back to reality, Luo Han and Cole rushed into action. This wasn't the time for jokes—one wrong move, and the ship would be torn apart.
Luo Han used his telekinesis to clear hail in front of the ship.
Cole handled the port side, while a beautiful woman on starboard took care of the rest.
Whitebeard used air shockwaves to shatter the hail from above.
Golden Lion controlled the ship to keep it from capsizing or going off course.
After a few hours, they finally sailed out of the hailstorm.
Soaked and breathless, Luo Han and Cole collapsed on the deck and exchanged a glance.
They were thrilled—this, they felt, was what the New World was meant to be.
"First time seeing New World weather?" the beautiful woman asked as she approached.
"And you are…?" Luo Han asked.
The woman had a delicate oval face, short black hair, and long legs. She wasn't breathtaking, but she had an alluring, mature charm.
And she was young. Luo Han couldn't help but wonder—is my single life finally over?
He was getting ahead of himself.
"Oh my, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shao," she said.
...
A pause.
"That's it?!?" Luo Han blinked, confused. What about height? Measurements? …Wait, no, wrong topic.
"Haha! Just call me Sister Shao," she chuckled.
"Alright then… whatever works for you," Luo Han replied, still slightly dazed.
As she smiled softly, Luo Han felt like he was missing something… but couldn't quite place it.
Forget it.
"Is New World weather always like this?" Luo Han asked.
"Not exactly. Most of the time, it's worse," Sister Shao said casually.
Wait, worse?!
"Dangerous? Most of the time?!" Luo Han repeated, finally understanding.
"Of course. That's why it's called the sea of the strong," she replied with a smile.
"Only the strong have the right to sail it."
She gave Luo Han and Cole a deep look.
"So, I'll be counting on you two strong young men in the future," she added.
"Haha! We're on the same ship—it's only natural to help each other out," Luo Han replied.
"Besides, Sister Shao, your strength is nothing to scoff at either."
"I'll help too!" Cole added eagerly.
"Fufu! Then I'll be in your care," she said with a smile.
"Oh right, I'm Luo Han, and this is Cole," Luo Han added, realizing he hadn't introduced them yet.
"Nice to mee—" BOOM!
Before she could finish, her body flipped backward.
Luo Han caught her with his telekinesis.
What was that?!
A massive current had suddenly surged upward ahead—water rose a thousand meters high, and the ship tilted back at a ninety-degree angle.
Everything began sliding toward the ocean. Several pirates, caught unprepared, nearly fell overboard.
Fortunately, Luo Han reacted quickly, using his telekinesis to pull them all back.
"Whoa! You saved us, Lord Luo Han!"
"So reliable!"
Voices of gratitude echoed from those he'd saved.
"What just happened, Sister Shao?" Luo Han asked, pulling her close as the ship was pushed upward by the current.
"Oh dear~ that's a rising sea current. If we don't leave soon, we'll fall from the top like a stone," she explained lightly, holding the railing.
"Should I use telekinesis to pull the ship out?" Luo Han asked.
"No need! Did you forget? There are two monsters on board who can handle this," she said.
Right—Whitebeard and Golden Lion.
Sure enough, once the ship reached its peak, Golden Lion used his Float-Float Fruit to stop it in midair.
Once the current passed, they safely descended back to sea level.
"Luo Han, your rescue ability's pretty impressive," Whitebeard said.
"Yeah! Thank you so much, Lord Luo Han!"
"We'll never forget your kindness!"
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Bankai10