The sea was calm—too calm.
The Going Merry cut through the water smoothly, her sheep-headed prow bobbing gently with each wave. The flag fluttered above, skull grinning beneath the straw hat, the wind carrying the sound of wood creaking and laughter from the deck.
Then—
BOOOOOOM.
The air shattered.
A cannonball tore through the sky and slammed into the sea just ahead of the Merry, sending a wall of water crashing over the bow. The ship rocked violently.
"WOAH—?!" Usopp grabbed the railing, nearly tumbling over.
Nami's eyes snapped up. "That wasn't an accident."
Another BOOM echoed—this time closer.
From the haze of smoke and mist, a Marine ship emerged, sails tight, hull painted white and blue, the word MARINE stamped boldly along its side. Cannons lined the deck, black mouths aimed directly at the Merry.
Zoro slowly stood, hand resting on his swords. "Tch… Marines."
On the Marine ship's deck, a man stepped forward.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a crisp Marine coat draped over his shoulders like a cape. His jaw was sharp, his expression smug, and his fists—encased in reinforced iron gauntlets—rested confidently at his sides.
He smirked.
"Unidentified pirate vessel," he called out, voice carrying over the waves.
"This is Lieutenant Commander Fullbody of the Marines."
Usopp swallowed. "L-Lieutenant Commander…?"
Fullbody adjusted his glasses, sunlight flashing off the lenses.
"You've entered a patrol zone. Cut your engines and prepare to be inspected."
Luffy leaned over the railing, grinning. "Huh? Why?"
Nami smacked the back of his head instantly. "DON'T ANSWER LIKE THAT!"
Fullbody's smile twitched—annoyed.
"That skull flag marks you as pirates. Resistance will be met with force."
He raised one iron-clad fist.
The metal clanked ominously.
"They don't call me 'Double Iron-Fist' for nothing."
The Marines behind him loaded cannons, fuses sparking.
Tension spread across the Merry's deck like a drawn blade.
Zoro cracked his neck. "So… want me to cut that ship in half?"
Usopp panicked. "DON'T SAY THAT SO CASUALLY!"
Nami's gaze flicked toward the cabin—toward the closed door where Cry was resting, peaceful and unaware. Her voice dropped, sharp and dangerous.
"…We are not letting Marines start a fight right now."
Another cannon fired—closer—the splash soaking the deck.
Fullbody laughed.
"Last warning, pirates."
The wind shifted.
The sea itself seemed to hold its breath.
And somewhere below deck, faint and distant, a soft humming began—
a sound so pure it made the air tremble.
Zoro's eyes narrowed.
"…Huh."
Something was about to happen.
..
..
..
While chaos brewed on deck, Cry never moved.
She lay curled on the narrow bed, silver-blue hair spilling across the pillow, breathing slow—peaceful.
Yet beneath that calm, something stirred.
Not sound.
Not sight.
Feeling.
From the sea, from the air itself—malice, sharp and burning.
Anger, heavy like iron.
Pride, loud enough to bruise the world.
Cry's brows twitched.
She did not rise.
She did not open her eyes.
One pale hand slipped from beneath the blanket.
Her fingers moved—no chant, no effort—
just a small, lazy wave, as if brushing dust from a dream.
And then… she slept again.
..
..
..
Outside, the sea had reached its limit.
Fullbody stood at the bow of the Marine ship, veins bulging, teeth bared.
"That's it!" he roared, voice cracking with fury.
"I'll fucking kill you all!"
He raised his arm, ready to order the cannons to fire.
That was when the ocean answered.
The calm sea split.
Not violently at first—no explosion, no sound—
just a deep, impossible withdrawal, as if the water itself inhaled.
The Marines froze.
Then the horizon rose.
From the right side of the fleet, the ocean stood up.
A wall of water—vast, endless, blotting out the sky—
its surface dark and heavy, folding over itself like a moving mountain.
The sunlight shattered against it, turning the wave into a towering mass of shadow and steel-blue light.
Someone screamed.
The tsunami collapsed sideways, not forward—
a crushing, sweeping force that slammed into the Marine ships from the flank.
Masts snapped like twigs.
Cannons tore free.
Steel hulls folded inward with a sound like screaming metal.
Ships were lifted, twisted, and swallowed whole—
vanishing beneath the water as if they had never existed.
Fullbody's command died in his throat.
The sea devoured his pride.
---
And the Going Merry?
Not a single drop touched her.
The water curved around the small ship—
split cleanly, reverently—
as though the sea itself refused to harm what slept within.
The Merry drifted onward, untouched, sails fluttering gently.
When the ocean finally settled, nothing remained behind them but broken debris…
and silence.
Below deck, Cry turned slightly in her sleep.
Her lips parted.
A quiet hum escaped her—soft, distant, almost content.
The sea listened.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued