"Damn it, it finally showed up!!"
Burgess quickly stood up, scanning his surroundings but seeing no trace of anything. He cursed under his breath, "It's still several kilometers away, dammit!"
Doc Q sat up, a cruel smile on his face. "What's so mysterious about this ship? Once we find it, we'll just destroy it outright. 'Can last for centuries'—let's see if it can withstand my poison."
Hawkins, playing with his cards, murmured in a low voice, "Since we've discovered it, and its speed is fast, it's only a matter of time."
Aokiji, training his Haki, coldly remarked, "Van Augur made it sound so mysterious. I'll have to see for myself what the hell this thing really is."
"This time, your fate is already sealed. After all, the captain is just too strong."
Van Augur gazed at the distant horizon, spotting the ship he had seen many years ago. His tone was calm as he said, "It's here."
"It's here! Finally, we get to see it!"
Sweetheart Queen Melin's eyes sparkled with excitement, her beautiful face filled with joy. She was over the moon.
Bepo took a puff of his cigarette, as calm as ever. "Finally, we can uncover the truth. Let's study it properly later."
Kalina nodded, her lovely eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Everyone's so curious—it's been driving us crazy!"
"I've heard you all talk about this before, and I've been incredibly curious too."
Carmen looked at them, her exquisite face adorned with a charming smile. "I never thought that just a few days after coming aboard, we'd actually find it."
"Seems like I bring good luck to everyone."
Makino brushed aside her deep brown hair, blinking her big eyes with a gentle smile. "This time, we have to thank Sister Bakara."
"Without her, I wouldn't have been able to encounter something so interesting."
Koby nodded vigorously, his short hair swaying as he grinned innocently. "Yeah, sailing is so much fun! It's way better than being in the village."
"Back home, all I did every day was read books and train."
"Now, not only do I get to see the vast ocean, but I also hear the seagulls calling, and there's so much more. I really love it!"
At that moment, Chris stopped his training. As composed as ever, he uttered two words: "Let's go."
After so many days together, Nojiko had come to understand Chris's personality and wasn't as afraid of him anymore.
Nojiko knew that Chris simply didn't like talking much, which made him seem cold. But he was actually a good person—he answered every question and wasn't hard to talk to.
"Captain, have you seen what the mysterious ship looks like?"
Nojiko looked at Chris, blinking her eyes curiously. "What's the situation like over there?"
The women all turned their attention to Chris, not saying a word, but their faces were filled with anticipation.
"No."
Chris was a man of few words, never speaking unnecessarily. He simply replied with those two syllables.
Carmen shrugged with a smile. "It doesn't matter. Now that we've found it, we'll see it soon enough."
Bepo's golden hair swayed as she spoke with grace. "As long as Chris is involved, there's nothing that can't be handled. At least, that's what I believe."
"Captain Chris is really amazing! He's the strongest person I've ever met!"
Koby gazed at the man's back, his eyes filled with admiration and reverence.
Makino chuckled softly and nodded. "To be so young and yet so powerful—it's truly the first time I've seen someone like him."
On the deck.
Van Augur adjusted his rifle out of habit, his expression indifferent. "That ship has noticed us and is speeding up, trying to escape."
"Don't worry. Even if it flees to the ends of the earth, it won't escape the captain's pursuit."
Lafitte twirled his cane politely. "The captain has said it himself—no one in this world can match his speed."
"Even Admiral Kizaru's light-speed pales in comparison to the captain's."
"After all, spatial movement is on a whole different level."
Kuro glanced at Van Augur, adjusting his glasses as he remarked rationally, "Your observation skills are far superior to the lookout's."
"Up until now, the lookout hasn't detected anything unusual."
Burgess burst into laughter, loudly declaring, "How can they compare? He's a sniper—if his eyesight weren't sharp, it'd be a joke!"
At that moment, the sound of footsteps approached. Chris and the others walked over.
Just then—
"That mysterious ship is accelerating! It's definitely noticed us! Hey—!"
Burgess, ever boisterous, looked up at the observation deck and shouted loudly.
"Can't you see the captain's here? Why are you yelling? Have some tact!"
Sweetheart Queen rolled her eyes at Burgess, annoyed. "Don't scare people like that. Look, you've startled the lookout."
A timid voice came from the observation deck. "Y-Yes, ma'am…"
Burgess scratched his head sheepishly.
"The guy's got a loud voice—he's the noisiest on the ship."
Bepo took a drag from his cigarette, unbothered.
Suddenly—whoosh!
Without a word, Chris vanished on the spot.
Kalina shrugged, a little exasperated. "Our captain is so decisive. He never explains anything, just leaves in the blink of an eye."
Perona floated in the air, giggling. "Isn't that cool? It makes him seem so mysterious."
"Just like how he always wears black—so dark and enigmatic."
Makino's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "That's a common trait among all strong people. They're all unique."
Koby grinned brightly, his expression pure. "Yeah, that's why the Marines gave him that nickname—'Black Cloak' Chris!"
Above the distant horizon.
Chris stared down at the mysterious ship below. True enough, there wasn't a single person aboard—no crew, no one steering.
The ship itself was entirely black, its bow shaped like a whale's head, complete with rows of sharp teeth.
It looked eerie and mysterious, living up to its reputation as the "Ghost Ship."
"Where's your captain?"
"Mind giving me a ride? You've eaten the Ship-Ship Fruit, haven't you?"
Chris suddenly appeared on the deck, arms crossed as he calmly addressed the ship itself.
The whale was startled. Without hesitation, it began thrashing violently, causing the ship to rock wildly as it tried to throw this intruder off.
Instantly, massive waves churned across the sea, white foam spreading outward in all directions.
The sheer force of the whale's movements was terrifying.
From afar, Van Augur witnessed the scene through his scope. His usually composed face twisted in shock, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"It's thrashing like crazy—full of rage, like a provoked beast!"
Burgess, unable to see anything from such a distance, turned to Van Augur urgently.
"Well? What's happening with that ship?"
The women stayed silent, all eyes on Van Augur, waiting for his report. There was no helping it—they all found this man particularly irritating.
Law, resting his cursed sword Kikoku on his shoulder, remarked coldly, "Without a telescope, there's no way to see what's happening. What a shame."
Lafitte spun his cane with a gentlemanly air. "It doesn't matter. The outcome is already set."
They didn't even want to talk to him. Staying quiet was better…
----------
T/N:
Access 55 chapters in advance on my Patreon: p@treon.com//OnePieceChronicles
+5 Advance chapters available to all free members !