The black shadow moved rapidly, appearing and disappearing as it advanced.
In an instant, it was right before Roya and the others.
Under the warship's lights, they finally saw what kind of monster this shadow was.
It was a massive Squid Sea King, estimated to be over 5,500 meters long.
Just its tentacles alone spanned more than 1,000 meters!
Stella had never witnessed anything like this before.
Her heart trembled violently, and she instinctively collapsed to the ground, her face pale with fear.
Not just Stella, even Ain was utterly shocked.
After all, they were in the deep sea.
The warship was coated with a protective film, keeping the seawater at bay.
But if that film were to break, the immense pressure of the deep sea alone would be unbearable, let alone the flood of seawater.
In Ain and Stella's eyes, Roya was a Devil Fruit user. If he came into contact with large amounts of seawater, he would surely lose all strength!
"Lord Roya, what should we do? That squid is clearly targeting us!"
At this moment, the terrifying 5,500-meter-long Squid Sea King was scrutinizing the warship.
It was assessing whether the ship posed any threat. If it deemed the warship harmless,
there was no doubt the Squid Sea King would use its massive tentacles—each dozens of meters in diameter—to wrap around, crush the protective film, and devour the ship.
Seeing the fear on Ain and Stella's faces, Roya remained unfazed.
He controlled his Phantom to drag a table out from the cabin and placed it on the deck.
Then, he set the delicious dishes Stella had prepared onto the table.
With relaxed ease, he said to everyone, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and eat. Such delicious food would be a shame if it got cold."
"B-but..."
Stella pointed at the squid outside, her voice trembling.
Ain added anxiously, "Lord Roya, what if that thing attacks? What should we do then?"
Looking at their worried expressions, Roya casually waved his hand as if it were nothing. "Don't worry. Since it's here, let it be. Ain, just treat this as training for your mental fortitude."
Hearing Roya's words, Ain nodded, took a deep breath, and said softly, "Yes, I understand."
Then, she pulled up a chair and sat down at the table.Stella saw Ain do the same and had no choice but to steel herself and sit beside them.
But Stella's mind was no longer on the food—it was entirely focused on the giant squid.
She was terrified that the squid would charge at them without warning and pierce the coating.
If the coating were punctured, they would all be doomed.
At this moment, the three of them exuded completely different auras.
Roya's indifferent calm.
Ain's forced composure.
Stella's panicked fear.
The atmosphere permeated the warship.
Roya tasted the dishes Stella had prepared, nodded in satisfaction, and gave her a thumbs-up. "Stella, this is absolutely delicious!"
Stella's face was pale. She forced a smile at Roya and said, "Is it good? Master, Stella will always be responsible for your meals from now on. Please eat more."
Her words were slightly stuttered from sheer nervousness.
As for the title "Master," Roya had initially refused it.
But Stella insisted that Roya and Ain had saved her—especially Roya, who was like a second parent to her. To show her respect, she adamantly addressed him as "Master."
Roya couldn't argue with that.
After all, it was Stella's own choice.
Looking at Stella, Roya couldn't help but think of a certain self-proclaimed "Golden Emperor."
But now, Stella had never met Tesoro—the future Golden Emperor—so that encounter might never happen.
Which meant that when Doflamingo released the Gold-Gold Fruit, Roya could use another identity to snatch it for himself.
At this thought, Roya's lips curled slightly.
Ain watched Roya's carefree demeanor and couldn't help but feel deep admiration.
Though Roya hadn't taught her much in other aspects yet, just this level of mental fortitude was something Ain couldn't match.
She tried her best to steady her nerves as she tasted Stella's cooking.
But her trembling hands betrayed her inner turmoil.
"Ain, does it suit your taste?" Roya asked with a light chuckle.
"Huh? Ah—yes, it's delicious. Stella's cooking is the best I've ever had."
Ain's mental state couldn't improve so drastically in such a short time.
Her gaze flickered to the side—just in time to see the squid suddenly charging toward the warship.
Her pupils shrank violently.
At the same moment, Stella, witnessing the same sight, completely lost control of herself and screamed.
Her shriek echoed throughout the warship.
Ain's heart sank further.
The deep sea.
The coated bubble.
All these limitations!
In Ain's view, neither she nor Roya could unleash their full strength under these conditions.
The most likely outcome was that they'd either be crushed by the deep-sea pressure or devoured by this colossal Sea King squid.
What she didn't know was that Roya's true power as the White Dove Admiral had never been fully revealed.
His real strength had never been completely unleashed!Because no one has ever been able to achieve this feat before.
Even the Sea Kings squid before them was no exception.
However, the confidence in Roya's heart was unknown to Ain and Stella.
In their eyes, whether it was Roya's Devil Fruit abilities, the Rokushiki techniques, or even the strongest Armament Haki—none of it mattered.
In the depths of this ocean, there was simply no way to defeat the colossal Squid Sea King before them!
Despair enveloped them.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that both Ain and Stella experienced a breakthrough in their mental states at this moment.
Ain looked at Roya and said softly, "Lord Roya, following you has been the most correct choice of my life. If given another chance, I would still resolutely make the same decision!"
Stella, no longer afraid at this moment, added, "Master, thank you for saving me from a life of darkness. In my eyes, you are the greatest light, my everything. If there is a next life, I wish to serve by your side forever."
Roya gave them a somewhat odd look. "Is this really necessary? It's just a five-thousand-five-hundred-meter-long Sea King squid..."