[Cultivation Success!]
[Name: Unnamed]
[Abilities: Gigantic (huge size, brings unparalleled power), underwater breathing (can breathe freely underwater), voice of sea kings (can communicate with sea kings), huge strength (his power will make you feel terrified), violent (when seriously injured, he will enter a violent state, and his attributes will be improved), toughness (his huge size makes him a living target, but fortunately, his skin has strong defense), hard bones (not only his skin has strong defense, but his bones are also hard), roar (makes a violent roar, and those with weak willpower will feel fear; the sound can also be transmitted underwater), speed in water (he is very fast in the sea), water storage (a special mutation allows him to store a certain amount of water in his body and launch it as an attack).]
[Hint: Because the cultivated organism is too large, it will be automatically placed in the sea.]
Looking at the prompt on the panel, Mio's eyes gleamed with excitement, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.
Even though the ship was still shaking from the aftershock of the earlier battle, Mio's excitement couldn't be contained.
What especially caught his attention was the "Voice of the Sea Kings"—an ability similar to the Voice of All Things. Being able to communicate with sea kings held incredible value, particularly during ocean voyages. In the face of danger, calling on sea kings for aid could be a game-changer—though whether they'd actually listen remained uncertain.
Regardless, the creature he had cultivated this time would be a huge asset for sea battles. With such a monstrous ally beneath the waves, Mio no longer had to worry about navies or World Government ships chasing him across the ocean.
Though, as for land battles, that was another matter entirely.
"But to think the creature was so massive it had to be released straight into the sea… Just how big is it? Could it be like Little Oars from the original series?" Mio muttered, his grin widening with anticipation.
With that, he turned his attention to the reward draw.
Despite the thrill, Mio was a bit anxious. "Please don't let it be Gigantism…"
While gigantism certainly granted massive power and even had good synergy with someone like Shirahoshi, Mio still preferred to keep his human proportions. He didn't want to end up like a walking mountain.
[Starting extraction… Extraction successful! Congratulations on acquiring the ability: Voice of Sea Kings, and one-tenth of the all-around attributes of the creature you cultivated!]
"This… isn't bad," Mio mumbled to himself.
Though this ability didn't boost his combat prowess directly, the practical benefits were undeniable. Being able to converse with sea kings would make life on the ocean far more manageable—and maybe even interesting. Who knows what secrets or stories they might share?
"Wait—shit!!"
Suddenly, Mio cursed aloud, startling Robin, who had been holding onto him for balance. She stared at him in surprise.
But Mio wasn't paying attention to her. His body was suddenly brimming with new strength—raw, unfiltered power.
If Mio's physical strength was a five before, it had now surged to a solid seven or close to eight. Nearly a 50% increase.
The sensation of power swelling within his body left him stunned.
"This creature… was way too strong."
Still reeling from the boost, Mio glanced at the sea kings and decided to give his new ability a test run.
"Hey, you big guys! If you've got nothing better to do, go back to sleep! We're heading out!" he shouted.
His words carried across the waves.
The sea kings froze in confusion.
"Did that human just… talk to us?"
"Seems like it."
"We can understand him… but he can't understand us, right?"
"That's what I thought."
"Then why is he talking to us?"
"Maybe… because he's a fool?"
Mio: "???"
You're the fool! Your whole family's a bunch of fools!
Mio glared at them and shouted again, "Stop with the nonsense. I can understand what you're saying!"
The sea kings collectively gasped.
"Whoa, this human really can talk with us!"
"What now? Should we leave?"
"Kind of don't want to. It's my first time meeting a human like this."
"Same."
"But one of his people hurt me. I'm still bleeding over here!"
"Yeah, but his companion is crazy strong. We probably can't win this one."
Mio listened to their childlike banter, helplessly waving at Lilith to stop.
At his signal, Lilith flapped her wings and dispelled the tornado.
The sea calmed.
The sea kings gathered closer, staring at Mio with intense curiosity. After living for so many years, this was their first time encountering a human who could talk to them. They seemed hesitant to leave.
It felt… weirdly similar to Luffy's experience on Amazon Lily—only these weren't women, they were massive sea beasts.
"Can you really understand us?" The largest sea king poked her massive head out of the water and peered at Mio. Her voice was surprisingly soft—feminine, even.
"Yes. I can understand everything," Mio confirmed with a nod.
"Amazing!" the sea kings chorused in awe.
"Well, if we're done chatting, would you mind letting us pass? We've got places to be," Mio asked, holding his hands out in a pleading gesture. He really didn't want to fight. Stirring up more sea kings would be a major headache.
However, the giant sea king immediately shook her head. "Nope! Since you can talk to us, you should stay here and chat every day!"
"Chat? What am I supposed to talk about—a hammer?"
"What's a hammer?" the sea king asked innocently.
Seeing how childlike their questions were, Mio didn't even try to explain.
"So… you're really not letting us go?" he asked again.
"Nope!" the sea king replied, this time even more firmly.
"Well… that's your problem."
Mio shrugged and calmly stepped back.
Suddenly, one of the sea kings near the surface was violently dragged into the depths without so much as a scream.
Moments later, blood rose from below.
"ROOOAAAR!!"
A deafening roar thundered up from beneath the waves. A colossal figure erupted from the sea, creating a massive wave that rocked the ship.
The creature had red skin and a towering physique. While it wasn't quite as large as the giant sea king, its presence was overwhelming. It grabbed the sea king that had protested earlier and slammed it into the water with a force that left no room for resistance. Blow after blow landed like meteors, pummeling the sea king helplessly.
"Who gave you permission to hurt the master?"
"Try messing with him again, and I'll rip you apart!"
The monster's voice boomed across the ocean—furious, violent, and absolute.