The Abyss throbbed around me — alive, breathing, reluctant to let me go.
I stood atop the highest tower of the Citadel, the rivers of molten mist pulsing below, the endless black skies shimmering with newborn constellations of light.
Velra stood at my side — armor gleaming, her crimson hair a living banner of loyalty.
The world we had forged in silence was perfect.Eternal.
And yet—
It was not enough.
Not yet.
The true throne — the real empire I would carve — waited beyond these skies.
I reached out, feeling the trembling walls between worlds.
The barrier was weak now.Cracked.Ready.
The System's voice echoed inside my mind, calm and absolute:
[Notification: First World Expansion Initiated.][Abyss Bridge Opening to Target World: One Piece Worldline.][Warning: Outside of Abyss World, Host's Invincibility Will Be Severely Suppressed.][Host Power Suppressed to A+ Rank Until Territory Established.]
I exhaled slowly.
Of course.
Within the Abyss, I was absolute — invincible — untouchable.
But beyond it?
I would need to earn my place again.
Brick by brick.Blade by blade.Kingdom by kingdom.
Perfect.
A slow, predatory smile curved my lips.
Velra glanced toward me, her hand resting lightly on her spear.
"You feel it too," she said softly.
"Yes," I murmured. "The chains of a world not yet ours."
"Then let's break them," she said fiercely.
Together.
The air split open.
A crack formed — jagged, silver-edged — a wound in space itself.
Through it, I glimpsed blue oceans, broken islands, raging tempests.
The sea of pirates.
The sea of lost kings.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward, Velra at my side.
And together —we crossed.
Kuraigana Island — Mihawk's Fortress
We landed atop broken blackstone.
The ruins of a castle loomed before us — shattered towers, crumbling walls, a graveyard of forgotten wars.
The sky above was choked with mist.
The wind carried the faint scent of blood and salt.
Velra's spear gleamed faintly in the gloom, her body tense but calm.
I flexed my fingers slightly.
I felt it immediately.
The weight pressing down on me.
The dampening of my energy.
The slow, suffocating pressure of a world not yet conquered.
I was still strong — terrifying by mortal standards —but the effortless supremacy I carried in the Abyss was muted here.
Like a storm forced to walk.
I smiled thinly.
It would not last long.
The System chimed again, urgent:
[System Quest Generated!][Quest: Conquer the Black Blade — Dracule Mihawk.][Objective: Defeat Mihawk in battle and force acknowledgment.][Reward: Abyss Expansion Access (Sea of Shadows), Mythborn Sword Art Unlock, Knew Abyss Knight spot.][Warning: Failure will lead to Reputation Collapse Across World Factions.]
I closed the notification with a thought.
Across the ruins, a presence stirred.
A blade sang quietly into the mist — the sound of something ancient, honed, perfect.
And then — from the broken shadows — he emerged.
He walked with the casual confidence of a man who had never been defeated.
A long black coat.A crimson sash.Eyes like twin razors of golden ice.
And strapped across his back —a blade that could split mountains —the legendary black sword, Yoru.
Dracule Mihawk.
The World's Strongest Swordsman.
He stopped a short distance away, boots silent on the cracked stone, and studied us with cold curiosity.
"You are not pirates," Mihawk said, voice low, smooth.
"You are not Marines."
His gaze sharpened, slicing into me without mercy.
"And yet, the very world trembles at your arrival."
Velra tensed at my side, her hand tightening around her spear.
I lifted a hand slightly — signaling her to wait.
This was my battle to claim.
I stepped forward once, the ruined stones groaning beneath my feet.
"You feel it, don't you?" I said quietly.
"That the rules have changed."
Mihawk tilted his head, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"I feel an intruder," he said simply.
"And intruders must prove themselves."
Without warning, he drew Yoru —the blade carving a line of absolute death through the mist.
The very island seemed to shudder at the sound.
Velra gripped her spear tighter, her eyes flashing.
I smiled grimly, feeling my suppressed power coil and tighten inside my chest like a starving beast.
Good.
I needed the pressure.
I needed the struggle.
I needed the reminder:
This world was not mine yet.
But it would be.
Soon.
Very soon.
The mist curled between us, thick and electric.
Mihawk lifted Yoru slowly, the black blade gleaming under the dead sky.
I lowered my stance, feeling the Abyss stir quietly inside me.
Velra stood just behind me, her body ready — but her faith absolute.
I would not fall.
Not here.
Not ever.
The first clash was inevitable now.
And across the shattered stones of Kuraigana Island,a new chapter of the seas began to write itself —in blood, in fire, and in conquest.