The moon hung low over the Grand Line, casting silver ripples across the black water. The stolen Marine ship creaked like an old man's knees, its sails patched with Lale's stolen cloaks (because someone had used the original ones as "emergency firewood").
Lale squinted at the suspiciously damp map under the flickering light of the Eternal Torch—which, by the way, was definitely not theirs. The ink had bled in places, making the landmasses look like they'd been crying. The torch crackled beside her, its flames burning with an eerie golden hue that didn't flicker like ordinary fire but pulsed—almost as if it had a heartbeat.
Lale (flatly): "This map is a lie. We've passed that same cloud-shaped island three times."
Ace, sprawled on a barrel with his hat over his face, yawned, completely unbothered by her irritation. "Nah, clouds just move a lot. Maybe the island's just really... floaty."
A deep gurgle echoed beneath the hull, like some ancient beast clearing its throat. The water trembled around them in subtle, rhythmic pulses.
Lale's Sharingan snapped awake. She stiffened. "Oh no. He's back."
With a splash that soaked them both and nearly tilted the ship, the Sea King resurfaced—wearing Ace's tiny Marine cap crookedly on its head, like a toddler who'd dressed itself in stolen clothes.
Ace (grinning, sitting up): "Hey, buddy! Brought us a snack?"
The beast dropped a half-eaten Marine battleship at their feet, metal crunching against the deck like an afterthought.
Lale (staring in disbelief): "…That's a warship."
Ace (patting its massive snout without fear): "Good boy."
A thunderous BOOM cut through the night sky like a whipcrack.
Marine Captain (via megaphone, furious): "PIRATES! SURRENDER THE ETERNAL TORCH OR—"
Lale whirled on Ace with fire in her eyes. "You stole the 'Eternal Torch'?!"
Ace (sheepish): "Borrowed! It's basically a fancy lighter!"
The torch's flames shimmered unnatural gold, casting shadows that danced along the deck, twisting into things that had too many limbs and eyes.
Lale (muttering to herself): "We're gonna die cursed. Probably twice."
The Sea King, apparently offended by the Marines' yelling, let out a mighty sneeze. The resulting wave hit with the force of a cannon blast, capsizing two patrol boats in a single sweep.
Ace (cheering, arms raised): "Teamwork!"
Without hesitation, Ace launched fireballs toward the incoming ships (his version of diplomacy). Lale took the wheel, which mostly meant she screamed at the sails and tried not to fall over. The Sea King, delighted by the chaos, chased after stray cannonballs like a dog playing fetch.
Lale (ducking a flaming plank): "WHY IS EVERYTHING ON FIRE?!"
Ace (grinning, covered in soot and possibly missing an eyebrow): "Improvements!"
The enemy ships loomed closer, guns at the ready. But the Sea King had other ideas—it dove beneath one, lifting it clean out of the water before flinging it into another like a toy.
As they escaped through the smoke and fire, the Marine Captain's voice rang out one last time, fading into the distance: "AKAINU WILL HEAR ABOUT THIIIS—"
Lale (deadpan): "We're officially criminals."
Ace (waving cheerfully at the Sea King): "Worth it."
The map flapped wildly in the wind, barely clinging to its soaked parchment. Its last legible words, smudged but still readable, seemed more like a warning than directions:
"Here there be: – Monsters – Probably ghosts? – No refunds."
Ace (eyes sparkling like a kid in a candy store): "Adventure!"
Lale (chugging stolen Marine coffee straight from the pot): "I need a raise."
The Sea King nuzzled the ship's side like an oversized cat, letting out a low whimper that vibrated through the hull.
Lale (sighing): "Fine. But NO eating the next Marine we see. I mean it."
The beast responded by happily licking her face. She screamed.
To be continued...