"The moon rises above the sea… and at the horizon…"
What came after that line?
We share this moment together?
Or was it Though far apart, we are still neighbors beneath the same sky?
Qin Yang strained his limited store of poetic memory, trying to recall fragments from his school days.
It was one of the few pleasures he had left.
For reasons unknown, he had crossed into this world—into an endless, boundless ocean. Alone upon the sea.
No… not alone.
Alone as a dragon.
With nothing but the blue sky above and the rolling waters beneath, he could only drift, swim, and think.
Poets had always described the sea as beautiful, majestic, magnificent.
What utter nonsense.
The ocean was too vast. So vast that even after transforming into a twenty-meter-long sea dragon, he had swum for an entire week without glimpsing even the faintest trace of land.
Still, there were advantages to becoming a dragon.
At the very least, he no longer needed to fear the savage sea beasts lurking in the deep.
Qin Yang casually referred to it as "dragon's might." A few days earlier, a massive sea serpent—over thirty meters long—had set its sights on him. Yet with nothing more than a single glare from Qin Yang, the creature had fled in terror.
Beyond that, the sea dragon possessed a unique ability.
He could command the sea itself.
The source of that power seemed to lie in the twin horns crowning his draconic head. With a mere thought, Qin Yang could gather vast quantities of seawater, stir tempests, and summon waves—like the dragons of ancient myth.
"The only problem… how do I turn back into a human?" he muttered inwardly. "Don't tell me I have to remain like this forever. In legends, dragons can transform into humans, right? Like the Dragon Princess…"
He was just idly recalling old tales when—
A faint mechanical voice echoed within his mind.
"Forced transformation time remaining: one hour."
"…What?"
Startled, Qin Yang twisted instinctively.
The ocean erupted.
Towering waves surged outward in every direction. Realizing his mistake, he quickly steadied his emotions. The sea gradually calmed.
"Who's there?" he demanded, regaining his composure.
"Host must absorb additional 'mysterious energy' to unlock more transformations."
The voice was cold and emotionless—neither human nor alive. It sounded mechanical, detached.
"Wait. Transformation? And what exactly are you?"
"The sea dragon is merely one of countless forms. Greater transformations require greater power."
After a brief pause, it continued:
"Each unlocked transformation will forcibly last seven days. During this period, the host cannot cancel it."
Qin Yang finally pieced it together.
"So in one hour, I can return to being human? And you still haven't answered my question. What are you?"
"I am the Fantasy Gene. With sufficient 'mysterious energy,' the host may assume the form of any being born from imagination."
"I see…"
Understanding flickered in his eyes.
Some kind of mysterious genetic power had fused with him, granting the ability to transform into fictional beings—so long as he gathered enough energy.
"One last question," he said after a moment. "Where exactly am I?"
"This is—"
The voice faded.
Then vanished.
Qin Yang opened his mouth, speechless.
Just as he was about to call out again, his ears twitched.
Far across the sea—several nautical miles away—he sensed movement.
It wasn't some divine ability. It was simply heightened perception. In human form, it might have equaled hearing something dozens of meters away.
But in the ocean, as a sea dragon, his senses expanded across an enormous radius—though he hadn't yet tested the exact range.
"…A ship?"
He focused.
Two shadows emerged in the distance.
Large vessels.
"Ships mean people. Let's take a look."
Excitement stirred within him. At last—human contact.
Since he couldn't yet revert to human form, he silently approached from beneath the waves.
The sea dragon swam at astonishing speed—far faster than any vessel he had ever known.
Within minutes, he had positioned himself directly beneath the two ships.
Up close, their structures became clearer.
One vessel was peculiar—there appeared to be no mechanical propulsion beneath it. Instead, two enormous sea serpents carried it forward.
The other was stranger still. It wasn't an ironclad warship, nor did it resemble any standard sailing vessel Qin Yang recognized. Yet rows of cannons lined its deck.
A warship.
"That flag… looks familiar."
Through the water, his gaze fell upon a banner flying high atop the main mast of one ship.
A pirate flag.
Suddenly, he felt two piercing gazes turn toward him.
The twin serpent heads plunged into the water, staring at him from several dozen meters away.
"Hiss—"
One of them flicked its tongue in warning.
"Silence."
Qin Yang shot it a cold glare.
The two giant serpents stiffened instantly, cowed by the overwhelming pressure radiating from him. They did not retreat—but neither did they dare provoke him further.
"Impressive. At least you didn't run," he muttered. Most sea creatures fled at the mere sight of him. These two had some backbone.
He shifted his attention back to the ships.
On one deck stood a woman.
Tall. Slender. Skin pale and flawless. Long black hair cascaded down her back, and her features were so exquisite they seemed painted by heaven itself.
Beside her stood another woman who spoke softly.
"Lady Hancock, Salome seems… a little strange."
The creature she referred to—Salome—was a large python with pink markings. Far from ferocious, it resembled a pampered pet.
At those words, the woman called Hancock frowned slightly and glanced at her serpent companion.
"Hiss…"
Salome flicked its tongue toward the sea.
At that moment, a deep voice rang out from the deck of the opposing ship.
"Boa Hancock. Have you reached a decision? Will you accept the title of Warlord of the Sea—or refuse? If you refuse, I will sink you here."
The man wore a Marine uniform and a coat of Justice draped over his shoulders.
Suddenly, his expression shifted. His sharp gaze snapped toward a particular patch of ocean.
"What is that? Something lurking and spying?"
He thrust his hand forward.
In an instant, the surrounding temperature skyrocketed.
His fist transformed into a massive hand of magma, plunging into the sea.
The moment it touched the surface, vast amounts of seawater evaporated. Thick steam exploded outward, shrouding everything in fog.
Roar—!
A dragon's cry tore through the mist.
The sea erupted.
Waves surged violently as a colossal figure burst from beneath the ocean.
When the people aboard both ships saw it clearly, every one of them stared in shock.
The Marine officer's eyes widened.
"…A dragon?"
Before anyone could react further, the sea dragon spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"Human. You have offended me."
The words fell like thunder.
And the shock that followed was even greater.