The sea didn't just ripple; it groaned. A deep, subterranean vibration shuddered through the hull of the Marine vessel, a resonance so powerful it felt as though the world itself was shivering in anticipation.
Suddenly, the speakers on every deck crackled to life. Aizawa's voice, as lethargic and sleepy as ever, drifted through the corridors. "Students... gather on the top deck. I repeat, everyone to the top deck. This isn't a drill, so move... or don't, but you'll miss it."
The boys in the gym didn't need a second invitation.
"Heh, see ya later, losers!" Bakugo barked, palms sparking as he propelled himself upward with a series of controlled explosions, soaring toward the deck.
"What did you say, you oversized sparkler?!" Kid roared, sprinting up the stairs with Killer at his side. Above them, Inasa caught a thermal, rising effortlessly on a spiral of wind. "Hahaha! What passion! To meet a challenge at sea—this is what it means to be alive!"
"Everyone, just chill out!" Mirio called out, effortlessly phasing through a wall to take a shortcut, though he was grinning just as wide as the rest.
By the time the girls had finished preparing and reached the upper deck, the atmosphere was already electric. Standing at the very front of the ship like an immovable wall was Garp. Behind him, the air shimmered with the combined presence of All Might, Akainu, Borsalino, and Aokiji.
Emerging from the mist ahead was a shadow—not a rock, but a ship. It didn't fire its cannons. It didn't sound a war horn. It simply approached with the quiet confidence of an apex predator.
"Viola, what can you see?" Rebecca whispered, her hand on her sword hilt.
Viola pressed her fingers to her temples, her Glare-Glare ability piercing through the fog. Her breath hitched. "It's a flag... a skull with a crescent-shaped white mustache and cross-like bones." She turned to the students, her face pale. "It's the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Whitebeard?" Shirahoshi gasped, her eyes widening. "Wait... is Uncle there? That vibration... it felt just like him!"
Ace and Sabo shared a wide, knowing grin. "Hahahaha! So the old man decided to show up after all," Ace laughed, his shoulders relaxing.
"Whitebeard Pirates?" Bakugo scoffed, landing on the deck. "Who's that? Just more pirates for the scrap heap?"
"Are you actually that stupid?" Kid and Killer asked in deadpan unison.
Izuku stepped forward, his eyes locked on the approaching vessel. "Edward Newgate," he murmured, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and awe. "He's one of the legendary Emperors of the Blue Sea. They say he's the Strongest Man in the World. He doesn't just sail; he maintains the balance of the entire ocean."
"It's said he has the power to destroy the world if he wished," Shoto added, his heterochromatic eyes narrowing. "Between his Haki and his devil fruit, he's a walking natural disaster."
"He is the definition of true passion!" Inasa shouted against the wind.
"I want to challenge him," Zoro stated plainly, his hand already resting on Shusui. Smoker rolled his eyes. "Look, another idiot with a death wish."
"It's not just his power," Koby whispered, looking at the towering silhouette. "He's a King. He possesses the spirit of a conqueror."
"You mean he has... Conqueror's Haki?" Monoma asked, his usual bravado silenced.
"A man standing within the darkness," Tokoyami noted, Dark Shadow flickering nervously at his side.
"No," Karasu corrected from the rigging. "He is the one who controls the darkness."
The Arrival of the Moby Dick
The mist parted completely, revealing the Moby Dick—a massive, whale-shaped ship that dwarfed even their Marine vessel.
Suddenly, an oppressive, invisible weight slammed into the deck. It wasn't directed at the students, but the "spillover" was enough to make the air feel like liquid lead. It was a massive wave of Conqueror's Haki, aimed straight at the front of the ship.
Garp didn't flinch. He let out a sharp breath and released his own aura. The two invisible forces clashed in the center of the ocean, the sky above them splitting as the clouds were torn asunder by the sheer pressure of their wills.
Then, a thunderous laugh echoed across the water, deep and vibrating in their very bones.
"Gurarararararararara! Garp! It's been a long time, you old dog! Looks like you're still breathing! Gurarara!"
Garp let out a boisterous laugh of his own, the tension breaking just enough for the students to breathe again. "Whahahaha! Who do you think you're talking to, Newgate?! I'm not going to the grave until I see you there first!"
The Haki dispersed, leaving a ringing silence in its wake. As the Moby Dick pulled alongside, the students could see him. Standing at the center of the top deck was a man nearly ten feet tall, bare-chested and scarred, wielding a massive bisento.
"He's huge..." Bakugo muttered, his eyes wide. "Is he a giant?"
"No," Robin answered softly. "Just genetics. He comes from one of the ancient families of the Blue Star. He is the legend personified."
Surrounding the giant were his commanders—men of immense power, watching the Marine ship with calm, observant eyes. The silence that followed was heavy, like a volcano moments before an eruption.
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To be continued