Chapter 656

As the massive pirate ship slid rapidly downward from above, all the pirates on deck had already seen the vast, brand-new expanse of ocean ahead.

"There…"

"Is that the Grand Line?"

"What an enormous sea!"

"It feels nothing like the West Blue."

"Here, this is the paradise every pirate dreams of."

"The Grand Line is the sea every pirate longs to conquer!"

"We're finally about to reach the Grand Line!"

"After days of sailing, we've finally arrived at our destination."

"The Grand Line, here we come!"

A group of pirates, elated, voiced their inner thoughts one after another.

But just then.

Without warning…

Suddenly!

Boom—

A world-shaking roar echoed forth.

Deafening as thunder,

Ear-splitting.

As if the heavens had been shattered and torn apart.

The thunderous sound reverberated in all directions.

Accompanied by…

Splash—

The previously calm sea surged into towering waves, as if a storm had struck, churning wild, rolling spray and violent, undulating ripples.

The entire pirate ship began to shake wildly, tossed by the turbulent currents.

"W-what's happening?!"

The pirates stared at each other, bewildered.

Then,

they all turned their gazes forward in unison, faces filled with confusion.

Next…

they saw a sight they would never forget.

It was only seen that

In the endless ocean ahead.

A colossal creature, shaped like a whale, its body as vast as an island, lay coiled in the sea, its incomparably terrifying form pressing down with overwhelming dread.

It was too huge.

Even from afar, its astonishing size was visible.

"Th-what is that?!"

"Good heavens!"

"Is that a whale?!"

"No way? A whale that big?!"

"Are you sure it's not an island?"

"Is this the Grand Line? The creatures here are terrifying!"

"A creature this huge—wouldn't a flick of its tail wipe us all out?"

The pirates turned pale with fear, frozen like statues.

Among them,

including Captain the Thief Kasu, all wore expressions of horror.

Suddenly,

a pirate standing beside Kasu widened his eyes to their fullest.

He seemed gripped by unimaginable terror.

Clearly visible,

his face turned ashen, his lips trembled, his throat dry.

In an instant,

he pointed a shaking finger toward the sea ahead of the whale and blurted out, voice quaking: "D-did you see that?"

"Right before that giant beast, as large as an island…"

"There's a human!"

"Unimaginably…"

"That human…"

"He's fighting that whale right now!"

As his voice faded,

instantly,

silence fell over the entire ship.

The atmosphere was utterly silent!

Not a sound could be heard.

A group of pirates on the ship were stunned into shock.