The sea split open like a wound in reality.
A tower of water spiraled upward, rising higher than the mast of any ship, higher than the cliffs of Hachinosu. From its heart emerged a creature so massive it made the sea itself look small — a living mountain of scales and ancient power.
The Leviathan.
Its enormous body arched through the air, water cascading off its cobalt-blue scales in shimmering rivers. Its eyes — two glowing orbs of deep ocean light — locked directly on Lo Ye.
An instinct stirred inside him.
Not fear.
Recognition.
As if some forgotten part of his ancestral power saw its ancient counterpart and whispered:Wake up.
Dahlia stepped between Lo Ye and the monster, flames dancing at her fingertips even though she wielded no Fire Fruit."Tell me you're joking," she said, eyes wide."That thing… is looking at YOU."
Stussy adjusted her sunglasses, though they were useless against the blinding sea-spray."No… not looking."She exhaled softly, lips curving."It's bowing. The monster is bowing."
Isla's breath caught."Impossible. A Leviathan is a natural king of the sea. It bows to no one."
Lo Ye remained silent.
He wasn't calm.Not this time.
A violent surge of energy roared through him. Water vapor spiraled around his hands. His heartbeat synced with the ocean's pulse. As the Leviathan lifted its massive head again, Lo Ye felt a pressure in his chest — as though an entire sea was trying to burst out of him.
The system spoke again:
Warning: Water Element Core Activating…Control Difficulty: Extremely HighStabilization Required Before Overload
He clenched his jaw.Not here.Not in front of them.
But fate didn't care.
Water shot upward from beneath his feet, forming swirling rings around him. The dock beneath him cracked, soaked by the pressure of rising tides.
The Leviathan let out a thunderous roar — a roar that shook the island.
And suddenly—
It attacked.
A massive tidal wave crashed forward, towering like a wall of destruction aimed directly at Lo Ye.
Dahlia grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away."MOVE! You're not controlling it yet!"
But instead of running—
Lo Ye stepped forward.
He stood between the tidal wave and the three women, raising one hand calmly as water spiraled around his palm.
"Stay behind me."
Dahlia froze.Stussy's lips parted.Isla actually blushed.
Because the way he said it — low, protective, absolute — struck straight into the deepest part of them.
The tidal wave struck.
And Lo Ye caught it.
One hand.
A single palm held back a natural disaster.The water split around him, flowing to either side like curtains being drawn apart.
The Leviathan roared again, furious now.
A second wave surged—bigger than the first.
Lo Ye gritted his teeth. "Damn it—!"
The Water Power inside him exploded.
Water Element: 1%… 3%… 7%… 12%Warning: Overload Risk
His veins glowed blue.His eyes flickered like ocean storms.The water obeyed him instinctively, bending around his body like a living serpent.
But controlling it was agony.
Dahlia rushed toward him—Only for Isla to grab her arm.
"No! If you interrupt his concentration, he'll lose control and drown us all!"
"But he's hurting!" Dahlia shouted.
Stussy stepped beside them, staring directly at Lo Ye."No… look at his face."
Lo Ye wasn't breaking.
He was adapting.
The tidal wave broke apart before him. The ocean spiraled upward, forming a protective dome around him like a sapphire cocoon. And then—
Lo Ye raised his hand again.
Water obeyed.
It surged upward and slammed into the Leviathan's facelike a meteor.
The creature recoiled, bellowing in shock.
Lo Ye stepped forward, soaked yet strangely radiant as the sea's power flowed through him.
"Don't challenge me," he said softly, voice echoing like waves in a cavern."Not on the ocean."
The Leviathan stared at him.
Then it lowered its massive head…And bowed.
The water dome cracked like glass and gently collapsed around him, leaving Lo Ye standing in the center — drenched, panting, triumphant.
Dahlia ran to him first.
She grabbed the front of his wet suit, pulling him close with fire in her eyes.
"You idiot," she whispered."You protected us from a sea god."
Lo Ye managed a tired smirk."Did my suit survive?"
She laughed breathlessly — the first true laugh she'd shown him.
Stussy approached next, her voice smooth."If this is how you 'awakening,' I can't wait to see what you're like when you master it."
Isla stepped forward last, placing a hand over his heart without thinking."Your pulse… it's synchronizing with the ocean. This is only the beginning."
Lo Ye looked at the bowed Leviathan.
Then at the three women.
Then at his trembling hands.
The Water Element had awakened.
And the sea had chosen him.