This chapter has been edited by Gladiusx and Reiter.


Percy wasted no time setting his priorities. The front was in good hands with Rachel and the cannon. On the port side, Gwen was holding herself well; though her attacks were slow, they managed to halt the tide of monsters. It was the starboard that required all his attention; the largest monster that Leo just blinded, and was easily a thousand feet long was thrashing its way towards the ship.

"Calypso, help Gwen."

Not waiting for his lover to reply, Percy jumped on Blackjack's back, who flapped his wings and flew towards the blind sea monster without waiting for him to direct him - the demigod and the Pegasus were an old team and did not even need to speak. Sometimes, it felt as if Blackjack could read his mind when fighting together.

They wheeled in the air, and Percy lashed out as they dived under the behemoth's neck. Riptide sliced through what looked to be hardened scales like a hot knife through butter. Yet even though Percy had pushed the blade almost to the hilt, it barely seemed to phase the enormous monster.

Percy clicked his tongue in annoyance - Riptide wasn't long enough to reach a major artery or some other weak point. At least the monster no longer headed for the ship, but it growled angrily in his direction, its titanic tail thrashing in a vain attempt to smack him.

"Again, Blackjack."

The Pegasus neighed just as the blind monster roared, the sound rattling Percy's bones. More sea monsters were approaching from the distance, no doubt attracted by the noise and the blood in the water. Yet, Percy had eyes only for the blind one as Blackjack flew again near the head, utilizing his newly found power over sound to hide their presence.

The next slash elicited another pained roar, but it failed to do any real damage. The red-scaled sea serpent thrashed its head everywhere, its bleeding eyes splashing blood by the gallons, attracting sharks and other smaller beasts towards them. An ominous geyser erupted miles in the distance, and Percy had a bad feeling about it as he slashed at the monster's head once again, missing the neck but severing a fang from its maw.

Another booming noise from behind told him the cannon was firing again; Percy glanced at the front of the ship to find a handful of much smaller sea monsters engulfed in a massive conflagration of green flames. Lionel and Reyna were still on the starboard side, the girl lining several rifles for the Prince to use at a moment's notice while he shot accurately at the only weak spot he could find on any approaching monster: the eyes.

The sight impressed and annoyed him in equal measure; his competitive side grumbled that he was struggling so much with one blind monster while his crew was dealing with more, regardless of the size difference.

He needed to think of another method of attack; using his sword alone was not enough. Percy continued to fly by the monster, luring it to the rear of the ship, yet at this rate, he would only be able to kill it by noon - unless he dove into the water and risked leaving the battlefield, he would not be able to help the others if he was underwater.

Suddenly, the sound of something slicing through the air caused him to look towards the port side of the ship where Gwen was sending blades of wind at the baby monsters. Calypso was also shooting arrows, every one obliterating a monster's head, but she was quickly running out of ammo.

Yet Percy found himself staring at the female knight.

The way Gwen sent those blades of wind… he had no idea how that even worked, though he doubted he could replicate it. The blades were not especially sharp, and their range was mediocre, yet it gave him an idea.

"Get me closer to the water, Jack."

The Pegasus instantly dived to the water's surface, where Percy traced his sword along the water before urging Jack to climb again. Riptide had a thin sheet of water stuck to it, and Percy focused as much as he could to compress the water tightly around the blade.

Water hated to be stifled and it was incredibly difficult to compress water without turning it into steam or ice.

As they approached the monster again, Percy could feel a heaviness in his sword and a ringing sound as he compressed the water further and further, thinner and sharper. They were still fifty feet away when he felt sweat forming on his forehead and the sword humming ominously. Percy knew he could lose control of the water at any moment, so he slashed the sword towards the sea serpent's head and hoped for the best.

The effect was as gruesome as it was glorious. As he swung Riptide, a brilliant blue crescent erupted from his blade, cutting the serpent's head in half right down the middle. The beam continued flying hundreds of feet more before losing energy and splashing back to the sea. The monster gurgled once before both halves of its head fell sideways, only attached to the rest of its body by hard scales and tough hide. Percy could see a plethora of scavengers swarm the dead beast as they immediately tore into it before he shook his head and steered Blackjack back to the ship.

Calypso had indeed run out of arrows and had joined Leo's side with her mace as she smashed away at some of the monsters approaching the ship - Reyna was nowhere to be seen, most likely bringing more ammo or arrows.

Rachel and the rest had abandoned the cannon to use rifles and her rotary gun on the remaining monsters with limited success as he could hear the red-headed nightmare cursing up a storm as her gun malfunctioned.

Gwen continued to slash air blades at approaching monsters, yet each next one came weaker and slower. They needed to hurry out of here, as Percy glanced behind him to find another geyser blowing a few miles away. He had no idea what manner of beast could blow water so high into the air, yet it was clearly making a beeline for them.

Bringing Blackjack back to the ship, he quickly dismounted and approached the starboard side. "We need to move, grab onto something. I'm going to send us flying."

Leo turned to him with wide eyes. Calypso, too, for that matter, but she quickly nodded before twirling her staff incredibly fast and slamming it on an approaching monster. The monster was still quite far, yet her staff simply extended to over a hundred feet to bonk it in the head. If Percy thought that was awesome, the monster freezing into a large block of ice had him drop his jaw.

"I'll warn Rachel and the rest. Wait for Reyna. She's bringing me another quiver of arrows." Calypso shouldered her staff and winked at him as she hurried to the prow, though Percy could tell she was breathing a lot harsher than normal.

He turned to Leo, who was staring in shock at the frozen monster, pointing at it with his finger, then to Calypso, then to him, with wide eyes as he barely stuttered out, "W-W-What?"

"She's a witch," Percy shrugged before turning to the sounds of hurried footsteps and finding Reyna almost tripping over a bundle of ropes as she carried four more arrow quivers but looked around for a missing Calypso. "Reyna, take Leo and bring Gwen to the Helm. Hold tight, we're gonna fly."

The Latina girl's eyes flew wide before she nodded rapidly, deposited the quivers in an empty chest by the helm, rushed to grab Leo, and then hurried to the port side to do as she was told. Percy aimed his sword at the sea, where more monsters were approaching from the starboard side. With a shout, a whirlpool formed, sucking in the frozen monster and several others.

"We're ready, Percy!"

Turning to the helm, he found the rest of his crew holding onto ropes, braces, or even shackles, and Percy quickly joined them. More monsters were approaching from every side, but Percy simply closed his eyes, searching for that piece of his divinity he inherited from his father that was usually hidden in his gut. Normally, he would struggle to bring it up as it gave him a severe clenching pain. Yet, this time, it was incredibly easy as he unfurled all the sails, battened the hatches, secured anything loose on the deck with ropes and willed the sea under the ship to rise before forming a localized squall behind them and blasting them away on a hundred-foot tall tsunami.

The Sally Jackson rode atop the wave, not too dissimilar to how they entered the Sea of Monsters so long ago. As they flew across the water, they left countless sea serpents and whatever monster was tailing them behind, as well as the still burning sea; Greek Fire can burn for days, regardless of the weather. Any remaining beast in the way was smacked aside by the sheer force of the wave, as they traveled at hundreds of miles an hour, a speed unfathomable to any type of vessel.

The thing about tsunamis was they were normally barely a few meters high in the open ocean, yet they traveled at insane speeds that could reach up to 500 miles an hour (800 kilometers, Percy corrected in his mind as he complained about this barbaric new world that barely knew the Imperial measurements). Percy's tsunami was far larger than it had any right to be, about twenty or thirty meters high, barely noticeable to the giant monstrosities inhabiting this world. Yet, a wave that was large enough to carry a ship and traveling at such extreme speeds would smash away any monster in its path, as well as take them very far indeed, even if Percy had to focus all his might on keeping the Sally Jackson on the wave and not slip, or tip over.

It was like playing a very dangerous game of hopscotch, only the stakes were much higher.

It was sometime later when Percy opened his eyes to find himself gripping the helm tightly. The ship was still riding the wave, but something was wrong. It was strange, but he felt like something was begging him to stop. At first, it was a childish voice, then it morphed into an older, teenaged voice before settling on a very familiar voice, all of them begging for a break.

Suddenly, Percy focused on the ship and the strange sounds it was making.

Creaking sounds came from the bow, the masts, and the hull. The sails fluttered uselessly, with pieces of them fraying away and falling apart as his squall filled them, yet the oncoming wind beat them back. They were going fast, far faster than the ship could endure, and suddenly, Percy had a bad feeling that the only reason the ship survived the first time it rode a similar wave was due to his father.

He caught his brother's eye, holding tightly to the ground, "We have to land, brother. She can't hold on for long!"

Percy nodded to Tyson, slowing the wave down and cutting off the squall before noticing how the rest of the crew fared. Lionel and Gwendolyn stared wide-eyed at him, nearly making him laugh. Reyna and Hylla stared at the enormous wave with excitement, though the latter looked more terrified than anything. Finally, Calypso and Rachel shared Tyson's worry as they looked at the sails, finding them torn out of their ropes with several holes.

"Shoot!"

Focusing on the sails, Percy fixed the ropes as the wave finally shrank to the surface, and the Sally Jackson was once more on calm waters. It was a miracle they did not crash into any island along the way. A few sighs of relief sounded out as the crew relaxed, Reyna dropping to the floor with a giggle.

"Sorry, my knees gave out."

"That's alright. I'm pretty sure all of our knees are at risk of buckling." Rachel grinned at the younger girl, dropping on the floor beside her and loudly sighing. "Phew, that was a lot of excitement for our first adventure here."

"And a hell of a wake-up call," Hylla added as she leaned on the rails next to Gwen. "Just what caused all of those monsters to swarm us? I thought the seastone would hide us from them."

"It was not a perfect fit," Tyson explained. "I did not have enough to fully coat the bottom of the ship."

"No, that wasn't the problem. It was just plain bad luck." Everyone turned to the collapsed Lionel, who was hugging his rifle like a drowning man would a straw. "The coating was barely enough to hide our presence, evidence that none of the monsters tried to attack the bottom of the ship. However, we happened to pass next to a nest."

"And then the danger noodles decided we would make a good snack and chew toy." Percy sighed, "It's all they would say even when hurt. I am guessing they don't get to meet many humans in these waters."

"Indeed," Leo stared at him strangely for a moment. "The Calm Belt is known as the breeding grounds of the sea kings and other sea monsters, and it was a miracle we did not bump into the mother."

"Wait, I thought the one you blinded was the mother?"

"No, my dear, that one was more akin to an older sibling looking after their annoying bratty siblings." Leo smiled sardonically at Hylla, "The mother would most likely be one of those massive ones from yesterday."

The silence that settled was foreboding, and Percy suddenly felt like they were nowhere near out of danger yet. The strange geyser from earlier made him wonder if that was also another sea monster or something entirely different.

"We are not done yet, people. Tyson, you and I will do damage control. Change the sails, repair any cracks and all that." His brother nodded, and Percy turned to the rest of the crew. "I need you all to check the galley and the hold, make sure everything is secure, and nothing is out of place. We will meet in my quarters to figure out where the heck we are. We must have been blown way off course getting out of there."

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"So where do you think we are, Leo?"

They stood over the large dining table in the captain's quarters. There was no food or drinks this time, but a map of West Blue and another, more localized, one of its northernmost regions bordering the Calm Belt. Everyone stared expectantly at the Prince, for he was the only trained navigator among them. Lionel fiddled with a protractor and a ruler while a sextant and an astrolabe lay abandoned near the window. He muttered over a bare-bones map of the Calm Belt, glancing now and then at the bronze-cased Eternal Pose to G-14.

Tyson had decided to coat it with Celestial Bronze, some of the lowest grade they had got from the murder birds in the Sea of Monsters. It was to both protect it as well as remind anyone that it was important. At least that was what he claimed it was for but Percy wagered that Tyson was just bored and did it subconsciously.

"As you know, the Calm Belt is practically an unknown region. Little about it is explored, and the known parts are usually pirate settlements, rogue nations, or marine bases. What we know for certain is that the Calm Belt is approximately 5,000 kilometers from West Blue to the New World, yet it's not exactly a straight line as it meanders around currents, islands, and underwater volcanoes."

Lionel then pointed at a small dot he had added on the map, about a thousand kilometers from the entrance to the Calm Belt. "This is just an approximation, but Ogygia would be here, and we've sailed for about 500 kilometers before changing course when we encountered the two massive Sea Kings. Then, it was another thousand klicks before getting attacked by the monsters." He then traced the ruler to a north-northeast heading, where the Eternal Pose pointed to G-14. "Sadly, there are no maps of the New World available to the public, and I was unable to procure any from the royal archives. Nevertheless, from what I heard about the place, maps would hardly be useful, for even compasses don't work in the insane weather. Our only hope is to trust in the Eternal Pose as we do not have a log pose, the only form of compass that works in the Grandline."

"Yeah, you mentioned that before. I already memorized the magnetic signal of the Eternal Pose, and I can tell you we are quite a way off course." Percy stared at the innocent-looking compass shaped like an hourglass - Tyson's efforts were even more redundant when Percy realized he could memorize the magnetic field and heading. Still, the Eternal Pose looked very cool in its shiny new coating. "I can't tell how far off we are. I just don't know enough about navigation here or how Eternal Poses work to tell the difference, but we did fly in the opposite direction for quite a while."

"Indeed, instead of northeast, I estimate we've ridden that wave far off to the northwest. Do you know how far exactly we flew?"

"Well, Tyson tells me we were on that wave for at least an hour, according to the chronometer. I think it's safe to assume we traveled another thousand kilometers before landing. That was still about four hours ago, and I have kept the ship going at a steady pace of 50 kts since then," Percy glanced at the so-far silent crew staring at both of them like they were speaking gibberish. "That's 90 km an hour. Considering we have been sailing diagonally across the Calm Belt until we landed from the wave before heading straight north, I would say that we still have about another 1,500 klicks before we reach the New World."

"And you are absolutely certain you can tell the direction of a Northerly heading anywhere you are?"

"Hey, you already tested my navigational prowess with your toys." Percy pointed at the abandoned instruments that Lionel used to measure the position of the sun and whatnot to divine their heading. "I turned out to be right in the end, but I'll do you one better. I can tell the direction of any island I've ever been, anywhere I am." Percy pointed straight to the south, slightly to the east. "Ogygia is 2000 klicks that way." Then he moved his finger to where the Eternal Pose was pointing nearly, a seventy-five-degree heading on a compass. "The question is, should we follow the Eternal Pose straight to the base or make sure we clear the Calm Belt first and hopefully ride a current or catch a proper wind bearing?"

The Prince rubbed his freshly grown stubble. He glanced at the rest of the crew, but none of them seemed to have an opinion on the matter. Percy and his friends did not have a stake here; they were off on an adventure, and Leo was technically their employer, although he had no idea what Rachel and Calypso negotiated as payment. Finally, Lionel's gaze landed on Gwen, who nodded assuredly to her prince.

"What do you suggest, Captain?"

The sudden invocation of his title was significant, and Percy noticed the rest of the crew waiting for him to decide. And that was what was expected of him as captain, to make such decisions. Lionel most likely wanted no more delays and would ask for a straight beeline to the marine base, yet that would cause them to spend more time traversing the Calm Belt. Percy could tell that the rest of the crew were not keen on sailing through the monster-infested sea for longer than necessary, and they also had to be careful about their low supplies.

They did not get a chance to hunt any of the denizens of the sea, and his stunt with the wave had caused some damage in the kitchens - apparently, the crew was in the process of making breakfast when the monsters attacked, and most of the ingredients were splattered all over the kitchen. Thankfully, the rest of the ship was intact, aside from the sails that he and Tyson changed while storing the damaged sailcloths for Calypso to repair (she offered) and some loose clutter in the gaming room and fallen books in the library.

He wagered their food would last for another week, maybe two if they started rationing. They had yet to touch any of the booze from Lionel's old ship, but there wasn't a lot of food remaining, even with what they found on the ship - apparently, the assassins and pirates who took over had caused some damage in the ship's pantry causing much of the food to spoil.

At least they never had to worry about freshwater or salt; Calypso and he could create those easily from the endless sea.

"We shall go north," Percy declared, turning to Lionel. "I know you have warned that the New World is a chaotic ocean, with crazy weather patterns and even crazier phenomenons, but I think it would be better than bumping into another monster colony."

"Yet, there are far more dangerous things than sea monsters in the New World." Leo reminded ominously, "That place is mostly controlled by pirates that prey on the shipping lanes controlled by the World Government and their kingdoms. North Blue and West Blue are the most prosperous seas of the four, and the pirates know this. A lone ship sailing without any flag would be fair game to any freebooter and rogue or even an overly zealous marine captain."

"Yet you were willing to brave that sea regardless in your much smaller boat."

"Aye, for there is no reward without some risk." Lionel nodded to Rachel's accusation, "I'm just warning you that when we are eventually waylaid by pirates, do not hesitate to fight back. Surrender is not an option, for they will aim to take this ship to enslave you and will kill you, or worse, if you resist."

The words were harsh yet spoken with conviction, and Percy couldn't help but believe. Nevertheless, the idea that people would try to kill him, enslave his friends or his lover, caused a storm to brew in his belly.

"They can try."

His words rumbled, and the sunlight shining from the window seemed to dim. Calypso swiftly placed a hand on his, reassuring him somewhat. She tilted her head to the outside, where a fierce storm was brewing, making him cough in embarrassment and push down his rage.

"Alright," his lover clapped her hands once he was calm. "Now that we have decided on a heading, I believe it is time for lunch."

A cheer rose among them as they packed the maps and headed to the kitchens. The issue of low supplies would be tabled for later, for the sea was full of bounty. Percy only worried about what to do after he caught some sea monster - he could fillet a fish as he knew how to cook from watching his mother, but he had no idea how to go about butchering anything bigger.

They needed a cook urgently.

P*O*D

Saturday, September 3rd, 1513

Percy surfaced from the calm water, wishing he had brought Cobalt with him for this journey - the Hippocampi had remained in Ogygia to explore the waters of the large island with his buddies and protect it from any interlopers.

He looked around, noticing Sally Jackson a few hundred feet away, and Rachel waving at him from behind the stern's swivel gun. Percy waved back before diving down and grabbing his prey, an utterly ginormous Bluefin Tuna that would have easily beaten the record for the largest Tuna back home by a wide margin - the damned thing must have weighed over three tonnes!

Swimming to the ship, he blasted out of the water and over the gunwales to the deck before dropping his catch on the floor with a loud thud. Rachel bounded over from the rear. Calypso was talking to Roxy on the radio, something about how her more shy animals were now propagating on the larger island though the signal was beginning to worsen and they planned to stop at the nearest island to install another repeater. She gave him a bright smile before returning to her call, now asking about another apple that bloomed. Gwen and Hylla were sparring; the knight was stronger and more experienced than the demigoddess, but Hylla seemed to be super talented with any weapon she held and kept Gwen on her toes.

"Lunch is caught!" The rest of the crew came out of the galley at his shout.

Everyone cheered as they approached the giant fish; its head had a deep stab wound where he had killed it. Percy had plenty of options when it came to fishing, yet opted to stick to something familiar. He had no idea what some of the strange sea creatures he had seen would taste or if they were even edible. Lionel confessed to not being very knowledgeable about the marine life here, while Gwendolyn did not care either way, though she promised to help butcher anything he caught. She did not know how to cook; in fact, the one time she tried to help with breakfast, she somehow destroyed a whole carton of eggs, much to his dismay.

That had been the last of their eggs; the girl had been mortified over her blunder.

This time, she looked determined as she approached, a large kitchen cleaver in hand, and she grinned at a beaming Rachel. "Looks like you will have a birthday feast after all!"

His redheaded friend clapped before unsheathing her sharp dagger and joined them in dismantling the fish. Percy grinned at her exuberance. Her fifteenth birthday was yesterday, and while they had fun watching movies and playing games, Rachel was upset at the lack of a feast.

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"Man, that was so good!"

They were in the mess hall, having just finished eating part of the tuna. The thing was so large and had so much meat that there was no way they could eat it all in one sitting, despite everyone's heightened appetite. It was a strange sight for Percy to find the Latina twerp, Reyna, ravenously eating steak after steak of tuna meat, but even Gwen had a large appetite. Only Lionel ate a smaller portion, which was still larger than a normal human would eat. Percy wondered if the increased powers they were experiencing and the heightened physiques of humans here gave them a much larger appetite.

Sadly, with no proper cook onboard, they could only try their best to get the edible parts of the fish and roast them. He could have sworn that tuna was supposed to be the best fish for sushi, but he had no idea which parts of the fish to use.

"So, Percy. How did it feel to catch fish?"

He mock-glared at Rachel's toothy grin, "The damned thing insulted me, so I showed it its place." He patted his belly for emphasis, causing his friend to giggle as she daintily ate more of the steak. "But it was as we thought. None of the fish here seemed surprised that I could speak to them. Quite the rude bunch as well."

"Most likely, they have met plenty of fishmen or merfolk." Lionel shrugged as he cut into his steak gracefully, dipped it in soy sauce, placed it over plain rice, and then ate it all with a satisfied hum. "Many believe that they keep to Fishman Island at the bottom of the Grandline, but there are colonies of them all over the world."

"Fishmen?" "Merfolk?"

Leo only raised an eyebrow at their surprise. "I thought you knew about them. I mean, Percy and Tyson being able to breathe underwater made me sure that you had mermen blood in your veins… though now that I look closely, you do not have gills nor any other markings of a fishman."

"While I am familiar with the term Merfolk, I have no idea what Fishmen are."

"That's understandable, for while they are both denizens of the deeps, they are still different." Leo wiped his mouth and hands on a napkin before glancing at the rest of the table, finding everyone else done eating. "How about we talk on the deck? I feel like enjoying the sun, for I have heard it is a rare commodity in the New World."

Shrugging, Percy stood up, and they all made their way to the deck, though the prince waved for them to go ahead of him as he hurried to his room to grab something. They set up beach chairs and a large table, and Reyna and Tyson brought drinks from the kitchens. Calypso giggled when he hugged her sideways and jokingly led her to a recliner for them to share, but his lover decided that acting too flirty in front of the rest of the crew would be a bit crass, so she grabbed her own seat much to his mock-dismay. The minx fiddled with the inert crystal he hung around her neck, bouncing it on her impressive tits while giving him a sultry look, only to mouth later.

Blackjack snorted from his stall nearby, laughing at him for not nailing his mare yet. Naturally, Percy did the mature thing and flipped him off.

Everyone was seated and had a drink in hand, Coke for him naturally, while his lover enjoyed a glass of red wine she got from somewhere. Before he could ask where she got it, Lionel returned with a large book he placed on the table and opened it to a page where there were photos of strange humanoid creatures.

"Fishmen are one of two humanoid races living in the depths of the oceans. They, along with Merfolk, inhabit the underwater Kingdom of Ryugu under the Red Line. Fishmen can be differentiated from their Merfolk cousins by their hybrid appearance and much more warlike demeanor - they are known to raid settlements and ships, kidnapping women to propagate and, if you believe the rumors, kill and eat the men."

"Damn, that's quite brutal." Percy whistled, though he felt disturbed as the Prince shrugged.

"It's not really confirmed they eat humans, or that they use the women, but merely a common saying, since the Fishmen don't bother correcting the misconception; though not many of them get a real chance to speak out to be honest."

"Not so different from many a barbarian tribe, then." Calypso chimed in as she twirled her glass of wine. "It's the most common way to ensure survival of the fittest; claim the women and kill the men."

"Indeed, I will not deny that humans have preyed on them far more than they do, owing to the simple fact there are so many of us compared to them."

"What about merfolk?" Percy hurried to change the subject as he noticed Rachel looked very disturbed at how nonchalant Calypso and Lionel sounded as they discussed such brutal matters. Percy at least understood that they were simply different; Calypso came from a far more primal age and the Ancient Greeks were prolific slavers. Lionel was born and raised in this world and was accustomed to all its conflicts.

"Merfolk are far more peaceful compared to Fishmen. It's quite rare for them to be seen on the surface. They generally have a human upper body and a fish lower body. Fishmen look more…well, I'm sure the illustrations are clear for you."

True enough, the book had very detailed pictures of the creatures Lionel spoke of, yet something grabbed his attention as he looked at the pictures. "Why are they all in chains?"

"I did mention that humans preyed on the denizens of the deep far more than they do to us. It is a sad fact that Fishmen and Merfolk are highly prized as slaves all around the world, especially with the World Government and their nobles." Lionel shook his head as he closed the book, "Merfolk, in particular, are greatly prized for their beauty and singing voice. Fishmen are generally ten times stronger than humans, and combined with their ability to swim in any ocean, they are very useful for exploring underwater caves or shipwrecks."

"And you mentioned they can also speak to fish?"

"Indeed, some of the more powerful fishmen can even control the sea like you can, Percy. It's why I suspected you have their blood in you. Are you sure you don't have a fishman in your ancestry?"

Rachel was silently giggling on the side, while Reyna looked confused until her sister whispered something in her ear and joined in her giggling. Percy vehemently ignored them as he shook his head, "Nope, I'm positive I don't have any fishy blood."

Before they could ask more questions, Gwen suddenly stood as she looked at the skies, her eyes widening. "My Prince, it's a News Coo!"

Lionel quickly stood and moved to the railing, waving at a distant flying figure. They all stared in confusion as a… seagull? Yes, that was definitely a seagull wearing a satchel and a cap, that would not look improper on a postman, landed on their rails and withdrew a newspaper with its wings.

Percy turned to Calypso, but she seemed just as surprised as he was.

Soon, their confusion was answered as the prince handed the seagull a few coins, and the bird saluted before flying away with a happy cry. Lionel returned to his seat as he opened the papers and read the news, his brows furrowing as he found something on the front page and quickly flipped to another page to read more. They remained quiet until the Prince finished reading and placed the paper on the table, only for Rachel to snatch it and start reading.

"Anything the matter, Leo?"

"Hmm, not really. It's a New World edition, so most of the information is irrelevant to us. Some new upstart pirates, a civil war somewhere, a scandal in some high society… the usual. There are a few important things to note, however; The Celestial Tribute fleet had departed North Blue and crossed the Calm Belt into the New World to collect more tribute from World Government affiliated kingdoms such as Mogaro and Prodence. The paper states that both nations are at war and theorizes that it has to do with the tribute. Being a World Government affiliated kingdom in a sea ruled by the Four Emperors is something I would not wish on anyone."

"Four Emperors?"

"Ah, I mentioned that pirates ruled the New World for the most part. Yet even they follow some form of hierarchy and order. The Four Emperors are Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate, Charlotte 'Big Mom' Linlin, 'King of Beasts' Kaido, and 'Golden Lion' Shiki. The first two are known to be more… well, I wouldn't say peaceful, but they certainly keep a certain level of order and stability in the regions they claim. Big Mom even has her own kingdom, while Whitebeard has provided protection to Fishman Island, greatly curbing many slavers from attempts to abduct the deep sea dwellers."

That instantly made that Whitebeard fellow in Percy's good graces. As a freedom-loving American, the idea of slavery was abhorrent… which was quite ironic considering the history of slavery in America as well as the Greek world. Still, Percy felt a connection with the Fishmen and Merfolk and was happy that they appeared to have a protector from the predations of the world.

As long as they did not turn out to be cannibals.

Strangely, only Rachel mirrored his look of disgust at the mention of slavery. Hylla and Reyna seemed resigned, as if it was an aspect of life that could only be endured, though considering they helped enslave others, including him, on behalf of their former mistress, he was not too surprised. Calypso, on the other hand, did not even bat an eye; she was more Greek than any of the other gods he had met, it seemed.

"This Whitebeard fellow, he must be quite strong to be able to claim an entire race of millions under his protection." Calypso mused as she perused the book that Leo left on the table, "Apparently, the price of Merfolk has skyrocketed since he claimed that nation as his territory."

"Well, he is not known as the Strongest Man in the World for nothing. The man has been around for decades; he must be nearly seventy or eighty by now, yet all who dared challenge him for that title were swept away with his great power." Lionel had a shaky smile as he looked him in the eye, "'The man with the power to destroy the world' is what is written on his bounty poster, for he has the power to generate earthquakes and even seaquakes… don't ask me how that is even possible. Devil fruits are bullshit like that."

The prince's chilling words caused many to stiffen or gulp, but not Percy. No, the Son of Poseidon thought he should worry at such a man's existence, yet he felt something churning in his guts instead. A hunger that could not be sated by any meal, as his blood sang to him, and he felt an unbidden grin bloom on his face. All Percy could feel at the moment was a powerful desire to challenge such a man, for he was the Son of the Earthshaker, and he could barely hold in the excitement to witness such earthshaking powers and surpass them!

A gentle hand grasped his own, and Percy found himself staring at his lover's warm eyes, her lips quirking in an amused smirk as if she could tell what he was feeling. He shook his head as he calmed down. Percy never even had that aspect of his Father's powers, which only made the challenge more worthwhile.

"W-Well, I don't know about you guys, but I really do not want to be within a hundred miles of any of these crazy strong people." Rachel's quivering voice interrupted his musings as she placed the newspaper on the table, showing a particular article that had them look closer. "I really hope we don't sail anywhere close to wherever this is happening."

Percy stared at the ominous article:

Skirmishes between the crews of Emperors Shiki and Kaido! Will the New World be dragged to another conflict between the Heavenly King and the King of Beasts as they fight over the mysterious lands of Wano once more?

"Leo? Why don't you tell us more about the rest of the Emperors and other notable factions we may face in this New World?"

The Prince sighed as he popped open a bottle of Jerez Beer, a special brand from his home that his grandfather apparently liked, and drank deeply. "Might as well. Bear in mind that what I know is barely surface knowledge. Nevertheless, bring out your notes - this will still be a long lesson."

P*O*D

Onigashima

"Get moving, you maggots. The boss has called us for war, and this is your chance to prove you are worth more than the scum under my boots!"

Ulti hurried to the mustering grounds, the girl clutching her younger brother's hands tightly as they were pushed and shoved into the line of cabin boys and peons. More overseers were shouting abuse and lashing with their whips at anyone who seemed tardy or held up the line. The young girl and her brother obediently followed the line through corridors until they arrived at the vast Live Floor, where tens of thousands of warriors of the Beasts Pirates were already waiting.

As they followed the endless streams of bodies into the massive room, the young girl could not help but feel nauseated by the stench of so many people in one place. Yet, she persevered and was grateful for the masks she procured for herself and her brother. The medicinal herbs she sewed in them made sure they could breathe easily, especially when they were forced into some of the less hygienic jobs like shoveling coal in the furnaces or latrine duty.

"What do you think is going on, sis?"

The young girl stared at her brother, Page One, trying to keep a strong front as she patted his head under his hoodie. "I'm not sure, little Paypay, but you heard the overseer. I heard whispers of a war, so this could finally be our long-awaited chance to prove ourselves! Now, put on your mask, you don't want to get sick like the others did."

Page One nodded and put on his mask. The young girl had learned the hard way to be careful of breathing in any suspicious fumes; Queen was known to unleash his toxic experiments on the lower members of the crew on a whim and watch the mayhem. Ulti patted his purple hair, different from her own blue, yet still eye-catching, if for the wrong reasons.

The last and only time they were in the Flower Capital had caused a lot of grief for them. The people stared in fear and disgust at Page One's hair, and even some of the Shogun's retinue did a double take when they noticed them.

Ulti had decided right then and there to leave immediately and never set foot in Wano again; those gazes… none were friendly.

To tell the truth, Ulti had no idea what was happening. She and her brother were taken in by the Beasts Pirates nearly a year ago after their father, a bounty hunter, supposedly died fighting pirates. She had no idea if her mother was dead or abandoned them, yet her father never spoke of her. All she knew was they had no one, not even a home, for their father had dragged them all over the Grandline in his pirate hunting. Ulti had her suspicions that the man was truly dead, as he was a gambling addict and she suspected he sold them as collateral to his debtors.

Turned out his debtors worked for Kaido. One thing led to another, and now they were pressed into this crew for the past year, forced to do countless menial tasks and be treated like servants to the many scum that called Onigashima home. Ulti had learned the hard way that there was no mercy or any kindness to be given in their new home, and the only way she and her brother could gain any modicum of respect and safety was to prove themselves. Aside from somehow eating one of the fabled devil fruits, the only viable way for them was to gain achievements in war, and this was their first one!

Unless they could somehow escape from this place in one piece and find a new home for themselves. Ulti shook her head vehemently, there was no use for such thoughts, just as there was no escape from the king of beasts' clutches.

As Ulti and Page One stood among the groups of cabin boys and girls, she strained her hearing to listen in on what the more senior crewmembers were saying.

"Wonder what happened to cause the boss to summon everyone? I was in the middle of a good time with one of the girls." A young member complained to his partner.

"Not the boss, but rather Queen. I hope he isn't planning for some new experiment."

"I heard they were preparing over a hundred ships in the docks, and not one of those raiding ones, but the new Wano-style ships made for war!" His friend replied, and Ulti noticed that they couldn't have been older than their late teens.

"Not even a raid. We are all mustering for actual war?"

"Could it be that another Emperor is attacking us?"

"Rumor has it the Golden Lion might attempt another raid on Wano." An older pirate, probably in his twenties, joined in the gossip.

"Shiki?! Damn! Man, the last time he attacked was years ago. We were barely able to hold him out until the boss arrived." More pirates were gossiping at the sudden call to arms, and Ulti exchanged a look with her brother, who shifted on his feet awkwardly as many of the other cabin boys pushed and shoved to hear the latest news.

"That wasn't the worst part. The flying bastard had landed an entire island on Ringo, where he rallied the Samurai to take the Flower Capital!"

"Aye, if it weren't for Boss Hanafuda being in the capital, that coward Orochi would have been dead meat. He and his group barely managed to hold back the Emperor long enough for the rest of the All-Stars to join their comrade and fight the Golden Lion."

"They would have all still lost to that monster. Not even King and Queen combined were a match for Shiki, let alone his monstrous crew." An older pirate rebuked the younger crewmembers. "He and the Governor-General used to roll in the same pirate crew in the old days, so only Kaido's presence forced the Golden Lion to retreat, yet even then, Shiki had gained a lot during that raid."

"Yeah, if only the boss wasn't drunk that day… many of those samurai joined his crew, hell I heard that the missing princess turned out to be alive and joined up with him along with a few of her dead father's retinue."

"No way, that Princess?"

"Wonder where King is? I prefer him over Queen any time of the year."

"Tough luck, if you ain't a hot woman, he ain't giving you the time of day, especially when he's busy breeding his race back into relevancy."

"How many kids does he have now? I could have sworn I saw a dozen different Lunarians running around."

"Little shits setting everything on fire, yet being pampered by their father so much. Why even bother with such a troublesome race? The WG will only target us more because of him."

"I heard it was the Governor-General's orders, after King suffered a serious injury against Shiki back then. I'm sure the lucky sumbitch is enjoying such an assignment, since he already had a few kids long before I joined the crew."

"Man, settling down and having a family sounds nice…"

"Soon, brother. Soon, once the boss' grand plan regarding Wano comes to fruition, we shall finally be able to retire without the Marines hunting for us to the ends of the earth."

"Speaking of the All Stars, I haven't seen Boss Hanafuda in a while."

"Idiot! We don't speak about him anymore. The Governor-General had sent him on a top-secret mission."

"That's enough chatter," A deep voice rumbled as a blonde boy a few years older than her towered over the rest of their group - they were all from the same age group and thus knew each other well enough. "We will know why we are all here when the bosses decide to. Any more questions will only invite punishment from the bosses."

"J-Jack! Didn't see you there."

Everyone stared at the crewman who uttered those ridiculous words; even Jack stared at him as if he had grown another head. "Riiiight, might want to have your eyes checked then, Holdem."

Ulti stifled a snort, though others laughed loudly at the man. Jack may only have been seventeen, but he was easily over six meters tall with an incredibly massive torso yet comically small legs. Many thought he was human, yet she knew he was actually a Fishman as she had caught him many times diving underwater for hours on end. What he did underwater was a secret, though the one time he caught her watching, he gave her fresh fish to keep silent.

Ulti jumped backward when a massive palm nearly smacked where she was standing a second ago and looked up to see Holdem's angry face inches from her.

"You think something's funny, you little runt?!"

Holdem was also in his late teens, and Ulti had the misfortune to come across him several times over the past year. Just like everyone else in this damned place, he was nothing more than a bully, but unlike most, he took great pleasure in picking on those weaker and younger than him.

A vein popped in her head as she glared defiantly at the man towering over her. "Aside from your fucking face? Your hat is funny. Hell, you smell funny. Ugh, when did you last bathe? You fucking reek. You're an utter joke, your mother should have flushed your ass in the toilet when you were born. It might have given you more character with shit on your face!"

She could feel her brother trying to pull her backward, and she finally realized what she had said to the older, much taller, and much stronger man. Holdem's face contorted into an ugly sneer, and unconsciously, Ulti turned around to find all the cabin boys and girls giving a wide berth to her, leaving her and Page One alone to face the wrath of the ornery man. She turned to the only one in their age group who could put the sadistic man in his place, but Jack did not glance at her.

"You're fucking dead, you–"

Suddenly, a massive gong sounded out, causing the entire hall to clam up. Holdem ground his teeth and swiped his fingers over his neck as he glared at her one last time before standing at attention. One of the Numbers, Inbi, led a procession towards a raised platform where a tall armored figure was already standing; his head was hidden by a full helm adorned with two red horns, and his whole body was clad in armor. A spiked kanabo hung from his belt, yet the mysterious warrior had no name as far as everyone was concerned. Only that he was an officer of sorts, yet Ulti noted several times that many people avoided him like the plague.

Hell, even the All Stars avoided him. At the same time, he was allowed practically free rein to walk around Onigashima but was not allowed to leave. Ulti wondered if he was some sort of noble hostage or something but was distracted by the rest of the procession.

The massive Inbi towered over everyone, yet it was not him who garnered attention, but the obese blonde man who grabbed a mic and screamed into it, causing the speakers placed all around the hall to screech in static. Ulti and everyone in the hall grabbed their ears in pain while the All Star, Queen, fiddled with the mic a few times until his voice could be heard.

"Sorry, sorry, NOT SORRY!" The man known as The Plague obnoxiously screamed into the mic as he danced a weird jig. Ulti wanted nothing more than to boo the moron, yet even she dared not provoke one of the All Stars, one of the monsters that could end her in a blink if he was generous, or use her in one of his many experiments. "Anyway, BOYS! And gals. Weeee have great neeeewwws!"

Queen held his hand to his ear, waiting for applause that did not come, but as his corpulent face contorted in rage, and he bit on his cigar, everyone immediately roared in joy, lest they suffer his wrath. Thankfully, he seemed satisfied as he nodded his head at the replying roars.

"Good response! It would be a shame if my performance bores you. Why, I might just think you were urging for some blood sport! Muhahaha!"

Ulti gulped at the mention of blood sport. Many people had lost their lives at the mad scientist's idea of entertainment. Worse, he did not care about who engaged in such sports, whether they were children like her or men subordinate to the other All Stars, none mattered as long as blood splashed in his arena.

"Anyway! Great News! We have uncovered a most dastardly plot by our enemies." Suddenly, his grinning face turned serious, and Ulti could feel the air grow thick with the tension. "Shiki the Golden Lion is planning a raid, where and against whom it doesn't matter. What matters is that the fool overplayed his hand, and a large portion of his gathering fleet is stranded on the surface. We will strike first, strike hard and avenge the humiliation he gave me!"

The hall roared in bloodlust; none cared about Queen's dignity in favor of a chance for glory. Rumor has it, one of the Golden Lion's subordinates had humiliated the Plague somehow and the mad scientist had sworn vengeance ever since.

Regardless, Ulti did not understand the full repercussions of what such a war would cause, but she did not care. There was hope, for she was assigned to the same ship as Jack, one of the rising stars of the crew, and even the mysterious warrior fully garbed in armor. Many had noticed that odd character in the castle, yet none of the guards or even the All Stars stopped him from going anywhere he wanted. None could deny his strength, though, for Ulti had seen him trouncing many of the stronger crew members in the yard. Still, that figure gave her the creeps, and she could have sworn a few of the Headliners were shadowing his every move.

At the same time, the young girl gulped and tried to hide her worry as Holdem was also on the same ship, the same quarters even, and the way he and his friends glared evilly at her made her wish she could control her loud mouth.

As they were shoved into one of the massive castle-like warships waiting for them on the docks, she held her brother and prayed they would survive the coming conflict and prove themselves worthy of respect. For she refused to accept their pathetic lot in life, one way or another, Ulti would climb this treacherous ladder to the top.

Or die trying!


The crew is nearly out of the Calm Belt. It was such a dangerous place; surely the New World would be less exciting, right? Right?

The largest tuna ever caught was about 1400 kilos. It had enough meat for over 2000 five-ounce servings. Percy caught a tuna that was more than twice as heavy. Too bad they don't have a proper cook, so no sushi or sashimi and much of the meat was destroyed in their amateurish way of butchering it.

I may have warned this before, but Calypso truly is more connected to Ancient Greece than any of the other gods. She did not mellow out over time, for she had no opportunity to mature from the mindset instilled in her in Ancient Greece.

Bear in mind that this story is set nine years before the show, so some things may seem different or outright wrong. For example, there is no SMILE yet, so the Beasts Pirates rely more on regular fruits and strength of arms.

Instead, Kaido is relying on good old eugenics, especially concerning a certain Lunarian.

Furthermore, Ulti isn't exactly a very reliable narrator. She's only 11, nearly 12, years old, after all. Still foul-mouthed and brash as a midget as she was as an adult, but actions have consequences, and this is not exactly an anime world, anymore. I also decided to change her and Page One's backstory a bit since their connection to Kaido never resulted into anything in the manga. I think I like this better as it shows how fucked up this world is.

Holdem is written as Holed'em in the wiki but fuck that lmao. I ain't gonna do mental gymnastics to exactly match the name.

If you would like to support me, or read five chapters ahead (total of twenty across all of my stories), join me on my Patr(eo)n under the same penname.