One Piece: Waves of Destiny

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The dark shadow darted through the depths, weaving rapidly between gulps of water and bursts of propulsion.

In an instant, it loomed before Roja and the others.

Illuminated by the warship's lights, the massive figure revealed itself—a colossal squid, its body stretching over 5,500 meters in length. Each of its tentacles spanned more than a thousand meters, thick and rippling with power.

Stella froze at the sight, her heart pounding as she collapsed to the deck. Her face turned pale, terror gripping her.

Even Ain, who had witnessed many wonders in the Grand Line, felt a cold sweat break out.

They were in the deep sea, a place where survival depended on the integrity of the coating encasing the warship. If the coating ruptured and seawater flooded in, the crushing pressure of the depths would spell instant doom.

Furthermore, Ain knew Roja's Achilles' heel: as a Devil Fruit user, he would be rendered powerless if submerged in seawater.

"Roja-sama!" Ain called out anxiously. "What should we do? That squid is definitely targeting us!"

The massive Sea King hovered outside the warship, its enormous eyes inspecting the ship. It seemed to assess the warship's threat level. Should it deem them harmless, there was no doubt it would wrap its monstrous tentacles around the coating, crush through it, and devour everything inside.

Stella and Ain both turned toward Roja, their fear mounting, but he seemed completely unfazed. Instead, Roja leisurely dragged a table onto the deck, setting it with the food Stella had prepared.

With an air of calm, he gestured toward the table. "Why are you standing there? Sit down and eat. It'd be a shame if these delicious dishes went to waste."

"B-but…" Stella stammered, her trembling hand pointing at the squid.

"Roja-sama, what if it attacks us?" Ain exclaimed.

Roja waved dismissively, his tone casual. "Relax. If it makes a move, we'll deal with it. Ain, consider this a test of your mental fortitude. Train your composure."

Ain blinked, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to nod. "Understood, Roja-sama." She hesitated but eventually moved to the table.

Stella hesitated as well, but seeing Ain sit, she bit the bullet and followed suit. Her mind, however, was consumed with fear. She couldn't stop glancing at the squid, dreading the moment it would shatter the coating.

Tension gripped the warship, each of the trio experiencing it differently:

Roja, exuding calm indifference.

Ain, struggling to enforce self-discipline.

Stella, consumed by unrelenting fear.

Amid the unease, Roja tasted Stella's cooking. A pleased smile spread across his face as he gave her a thumbs-up. "Stella, your cooking is amazing! You've outdone yourself."

Stella's pale face twitched as she forced a smile. "Th-thank you, Master… I'll continue to do my best. Please, eat as much as you like."

Her nerves, however, betrayed her, making her words stumble.

Despite Roja's initial protest against being called "Master," Stella had insisted. To her, Roja and Ain had saved her from a life of misery and darkness. Especially Roja—his actions were akin to granting her a new life. She insisted on the term out of respect and gratitude.

Roja had reluctantly accepted it, knowing her sincerity.

As he glanced at Stella, his mind wandered briefly to another figure—Gild Tesoro, the self-proclaimed "Golden Emperor."

Stella hadn't yet crossed paths with Tesoro, but the thought lingered in Roja's mind. If the Gold-Gold Fruit appeared on the market, perhaps he could intercept it under a different guise.

His musings were interrupted by the continued tension on board. Ain, though calmer, still trembled as she reached for her utensils. Her hands betrayed her nerves, shaking visibly as she picked up her fork.

"Ain, how's the food?" Roja asked casually, breaking her train of thought.

Ain startled but nodded quickly. "It's delicious! Stella's cooking is the best I've ever had."

Despite her praise, her eyes darted nervously toward the squid outside.

Her worst fears materialized as the giant Sea King surged toward the ship.

Ain's pupils contracted in shock. Stella, seeing the same, let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the warship.

Roja, still unbothered, raised an eyebrow at their reactions.

"Deep breaths, ladies," he said, almost amused.

But Ain couldn't suppress her anxiety. Her mind raced, calculating their grim odds:

Deep-sea pressure.

Coating fragility.

Limited combat options underwater.

The possibility of being crushed or swallowed alive loomed large.

Yet, unbeknownst to them, Roja's outward calm wasn't misplaced. His true strength far surpassed what either of them had seen.

No opponent had ever pushed Roja to reveal his full power—not even the colossal squid now threatening their lives.

But Ain and Stella didn't share his confidence.

Ain turned to Roja, her voice trembling with emotion. "Roja-sama… following you was the best decision of my life. If I were given the chance to choose again, I would still follow you without hesitation."

Stella, no longer paralyzed by fear, added, "Master, thank you for saving me from the darkness. To me, you're the light of my life… If there's an afterlife, I'd still want to serve you."

Roja blinked, taken aback. "You two… isn't this a little dramatic? It's just a 5,500-meter squid. Really, you're overthinking it."

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