One Piece: sign-in to Ryujin Jakka

That dark shadow in the water moved rapidly, its massive form gliding through the sea with eerie grace.

In the blink of an eye, it arrived right before Roman and the others.

Bathed in the warship's lights, they finally saw the creature clearly.

It was a giant squid-type Sea King, estimated to be over 5,500 meters in length!

Each of its tentacles alone stretched over a thousand meters!

Stella had never witnessed anything like it.

Her heart clenched with fear, and she collapsed to the ground, her face pale as a sheet.

Even Ain, despite her strength and experience, couldn't hide her shock.

After all, they were deep beneath the sea.

The warship was wrapped in a special coating that kept the seawater out, but if it were to be breached—if the coating was broken—even the pressure of the deep sea alone would be unbearable and could be fatal.

Let alone drowning or being devoured.

In their eyes, Roman was a Devil Fruit user.

If he came into direct contact with seawater, he'd be rendered powerless!

"Lord Roman, what should we do? That thing is clearly coming for us!" Ain cried out.

The massive squid Sea King loomed ominously, watching the warship, seemingly evaluating whether it posed any threat.

And if it deemed the ship harmless, it would no doubt use its thick, multi-meter-wide tentacles to crush the coating and devour the ship whole!

Staring at the two girls' terrified faces, Roman didn't bat an eye.

Instead, he casually summoned a few phantoms to drag the dining table from the cabin out onto the deck.

Then he placed Stella's freshly cooked meal atop it.

"Why are you all just standing there?" Roman said with a relaxed smile. "Come eat while it's hot. It'd be a shame to waste such a delicious meal."

"B-But..."

Stella pointed with a trembling hand at the monstrous squid just outside.

Ain echoed her concern.

"Lord Roman, what if that thing attacks? What are we supposed to do then?!"

Looking at the two anxious girls, Roman waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't worry. Since it's come, let it be. Ain, think of this as a little lesson in tempering your state of mind."

Ain took a deep breath, nodded, and softly responded:

"Yes, I understand."

She pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

Seeing her follow Roman's lead, Stella hesitated but forced herself to sit beside them.

Still, her attention was completely fixated on the squid, not the food.

She was terrified it would suddenly lunge forward and burst the coating.

If that happened—they would all be doomed.

At that moment, the three exuded entirely different energies:

Roman's calm indifference.

Ain's forced composure.

Stella's sheer panic.

All of these emotions mingled on the deck of the silent warship.

Roman sampled Stella's dishes, savoring every bite, and gave a satisfied nod.

"Stella, this is incredible! Too good!"

Her face still pale, Stella forced a smile, lips trembling.

"Y-You like it? I'll take care of all the cooking from now on... Please, eat more, Master."

Her voice quivered from nerves, words barely coherent.

As for calling Roman "Master", that had originally made him uncomfortable.

But Stella had insisted—he and Ain had rescued her, especially Roman, whom she now regarded as a savior.

To express her gratitude and devotion, she stubbornly clung to the title.

Roman had no choice but to let her.

Looking at her now, he couldn't help but think of a certain man who once claimed the title "Golden Emperor."

But Stella had not yet crossed paths with Tesoro, and maybe she never would.

That meant—when Doflamingo released the Gold-Gold Fruit, he might be able to seize it under another identity.

At the thought, Roman's lips curved into a faint smile.

Ain observed Roman's calm demeanor and felt an overwhelming sense of admiration.

Even if he hadn't taught her any advanced techniques yet, his composure alone was a lesson she could not ignore.

She clenched her trembling hands, trying to eat despite her inner turmoil.

"Ain, does it suit your taste?" Roman asked with a smile.

"Ah? Yes—it's delicious. Stella's cooking is the best I've ever had."

But her hands still shook.

Her mental state hadn't improved that quickly.

She glanced nervously at the giant squid—

Only to see it suddenly charge straight toward the warship!

Ain's pupils shrank in horror.

At the same time, Stella let out a sharp scream, her body reacting instinctively in terror.

Her voice echoed through the ship.

Ain's heart sank.

They were in the deep sea, trapped within a fragile coating, surrounded by crushing water pressure.

If the coating broke, they wouldn't even have time to resist.

To Ain, the situation was hopeless.

In Ain's view, neither she nor Roman could fight properly under these conditions.

The most likely outcome was being crushed by the pressure of the deep sea…

Or being swallowed whole by this massive Sea King.

What Ain didn't know was that Roman, the Admiral known as "White Dove," hadn't revealed his full strength—not even once.

So far, no one had pushed him to that point.

Not even this Sea King squid.

But neither Ain nor Stella knew how confident Roman truly was.

To the two girls, even Roman's abilities—whether it was his Devil Fruit, his mastery of the Marine's Six Styles, or his Armament Haki—meant nothing in the deep sea.

How could they possibly defeat such a creature?

Despair wrapped around their hearts.

But in that moment—perhaps because they had faced such despair—their minds broke through a barrier.

Ain looked at Roman, her voice soft but resolute.

"Lord Roman, following you is the best decision I've made in my life. If I had to choose again—I'd still follow you without hesitation!"

Stella too, overcame her fear.

"Master... thank you for saving me from that life of darkness. To me, you are the light—my everything. If there's a next life, I want to serve by your side forever!"

Roman looked at them, his expression slightly amused.

"Isn't that a bit dramatic? It's just a 5,500-meter-long Sea King squid, nothing special..."