One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The heavy iron doors groaned as they swung open, revealing a massive underground chamber. The torches along the stone walls flickered wildly as a rush of air swept through, carrying the scent of seawater and something… ancient.

Vex turned to us, his shark-toothed grin wider than ever. "Welcome to the second trial," he said. "This one's a bit more… entertaining."

From the shadows of the chamber, a deep, guttural growl echoed. The ground trembled beneath us.

Then we saw it.

A monstrous Sea King, its scales a dark emerald green, lay coiled within the cavern. It was enormous, easily the size of a battleship, its glowing yellow eyes fixated on us. Jagged scars covered its body, signs of past battles.

Shira exhaled sharply. "That thing is at least a hundred years old."

Selene muttered a curse under her breath. "And we're supposed to fight that?"

Vex leaned against the cavern wall, watching us like a spectator at an arena match. "Simple rules," he said. "Survive for five minutes, and you pass."

"Five minutes?" I clenched my fists. That should have been easy—except for one thing.

The Sea King roared.

And the water beneath us surged.

The First Strike

The moment the trial began, the beast lunged.

Its massive tail whipped across the cavern floor, sending a wave of water crashing toward us. The impact alone was enough to shake the entire chamber.

We scattered, barely dodging in time. Smoker turned into mist, avoiding the brunt of the attack, while Tatsuo launched himself forward with a burst of speed.

His blade gleamed as he struck at the beast's side. The steel bit into the thick scales—only for the blade to bounce off, leaving barely a scratch.

Tatsuo's eyes widened. "Its defense is insane!"

The Sea King retaliated instantly. With a flick of its tail, it sent him flying into the cavern wall. He crashed hard, coughing up blood.

Selene threw a dagger, aiming for its eyes. The weapon never reached its target—before it could land, the Sea King exhaled sharply, releasing a powerful burst of air pressure.

The shockwave sent her and Shira tumbling back.

I gritted my teeth. If normal attacks weren't working…

I clenched my fists, channeling every ounce of willpower into my body.

And then—BOOM!

A wave of Haki exploded from me, sending a ripple of force across the cavern. The Sea King hesitated, its movements slowing for just a second.

That was all the time we needed.

Turning the Tide

Smoker materialized behind the beast, his fists coated in Armament Haki. "I've had enough of this thing," he growled.

He slammed his fist into its jaw. This time, the impact was real. The Sea King roared, its head snapping back as a crack formed along its scales.

Tatsuo wiped blood from his mouth and pushed himself up. "That's the way."

Selene and Shira regrouped. They weren't done yet.

The next few seconds were chaos. We fought like never before, using every skill, every technique, to avoid the beast's relentless attacks.

The cavern trembled. The torches flickered. And then—

A loud clang echoed through the chamber.

A massive iron gate slammed shut between us and the Sea King.

The five minutes were up.

The Aftermath

Vex clapped his hands. "Well done," he said, walking toward us. "You survived."

I collapsed onto one knee, panting. "That was insane."

Vex laughed. "That was the point."

The Sea King, now trapped behind the iron gate, let out one final, furious roar before retreating into the shadows.

Vex studied us for a moment, then nodded. "You pass the second trial."

I let out a slow breath. "And how many more are there?"

Vex's grin widened.

"One more."