Chapter 88: Target Discovered
The Great Sea was too vast; even a massive fleet seemed incredibly small upon it.
The Pirate Fleet advanced straight ahead, deliberately avoiding routes with Islands to prevent spies on the Islands from guessing the Rocks Pirates' objective.
Currently, the Marines and the World Government were completely in the dark.
The Marines continuously dispatched Patrol Fleets, searching for traces of the Rocks Pirates' Pirate Fleet within the areas they controlled.
One Pirate Ship after another swept across The Great Sea, their terrifying Aura so immense that even the Sea Kings of the Deep Sea dared not approach.
The "Godslayer: Raven" was located in the center of the Pirate Ships.
Hades leaned against the railing, feeling the sea breeze.
His purple hair fluttered in the wind.
His heart was peaceful, his eyes slightly narrowed, sensing the surrounding madness, the Aura of War.
Excitement, tension, exhilaration – various intense emotions clearly surfaced in Hades' mind.
The only emotions absent were fear and dread.
The Rocks Pirates were a group of lunatics; all the Pirates within were completely unrestrained.
Unless they were truly facing Death or confronting a Powerhouse, they simply wouldn't feel fear.
Even those who weren't originally like this would be infected and assimilated by this atmosphere.
Someone like Edward Newgate might seem relatively calm, but that was only to those he was familiar and friendly with.
In reality, his personality was extremely domineering, and he was an object of fear for countless people within the Rocks Pirates.
To the outside world, he was also a notorious and vicious Great Pirate.
In the Future, he would even reach a level where children would stop crying at the mention of his name.
Only by being this way could one gain a firm foothold in the Rocks Pirates, inspire fear in others, secure more benefits, and be allocated more Treasure.
Those who were kind would be bullied; such people simply wouldn't exist in the Rocks Pirates.
Titan stood like an iron wall, remaining close by Hades' side.
Besides him, not far away, Karsus, who had already joined his command, stood alone.
On the other side, Randy Orton, Batista, Volibear, Seamus, "Cobra" Woshi, and "Porcupine" Barkley were grouped together.
After spending a few days together, they had become somewhat familiar with each other.
As newcomers, participating in a War launched by the Rocks Pirates right from the start made them feel a bit nervous.
Being surrounded by many unfamiliar Pirates also helped them quickly become acquainted.
This was War.
Even for Pirates, a sense of tension was indispensable in their hearts.
This tension was necessary, especially for rookie Pirates; it was the beginning of their transformation.
Of course, there were also newcomers like Hades who were confident in their Strength.
Even at this moment, there were still fights happening on the ship.
Although they were relatively restrained, unexpected situations always arose.
Pressure needed to be released.
For some Pirates, killing and bloodshed were often the best ways to relieve stress.
The Pirates watching were instead cheering and shouting excitedly.
They also needed to transfer their tension through this method.
Many Pirates were not as confident as they appeared on the surface.
Confidence was a protective layer, making others feel that you were strong and not to be trifled with.
Once a hint of fear was revealed, they would be labeled as easy to bully and cowards, becoming objects of ridicule for others.
The true nature of Pirates was constantly revealed before Hades' eyes.
Essentially, many Pirates were rookies, participating in such a massive War for the first time.
And as time passed, the overall mood of the Rocks Pirates was changing.
The sense of tension was also decreasing accordingly.
The appearance of Rocks, Shiki, Calloway, Ba'er, and many other Monsters brought a sense of security to all the Pirates.
"It seems we're not far from G-40 Fortress."
Hades opened his eyes and looked out at the distant Great Sea.
A Marine Patrol Fleet was sailing on the sea surface, invisible to the naked eye.
The first target of this Legion led by Captain Rocks was G-40 Fortress, guarded by Marine Vice Admiral Geddes Muller.
G-40 Fortress and G-5 Fortress were in the same direction.
After passing G-40 Fortress, continuing forward would lead to the Sea Area where G-5 Fortress was located.
Rocks also discovered the presence of this Marine Patrol Fleet.
"Shiki, take care of them. Don't give them a chance to relay a message."
"Yes, Captain Rocks."
Shiki still held great respect for Rocks in his heart.
Of course, he hadn't reached that level yet; Shiki's ambition hadn't completely swelled to the point of wanting to stand on his own.
Shiki, possessing the Flying Ability, was a sharp blade for the Rocks Pirates.
In a short time, Shiki flew above the Marine Patrol Ship, looking down at the warship below with a cruel smile on his face.
"Jihahaha!"
"Lion's Might: Slash Wave!"
With a speed undetectable to the naked eye, Shiki instantly drew "Sakuragi" from his waist.
This sword, one of the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords collected by a Noble of the Croydia Kingdom, exhibited its power for the first time.
A golden Slash fell from the sky, splitting the entire Patrol Ship in half from the center.
The terrifying impact continuously squeezed and destroyed the hulls on both sides.
The Great Sea seemed to be split in two.
"What happened?"
Before the Marines could react, the surrounding Great Sea suddenly rose, forming a large water sphere that enveloped them all.
"Lion's Might: Imperial Ground Wrap!"
Decisive and ruthless, Shiki never gave his enemies any chance once he made a move.
All the Marines were thus wrapped in seawater, and under the immense water pressure, they were drowned alive.
"Truly powerful," Hades couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing this scene.
This was the Future "Golden Lion"!
The second "Rocks D. Xebec" after the demise of the Rocks Pirates.
It was a pity he didn't reach that level.
If Roger hadn't suddenly emerged, searching for the history of the Void Century, Shiki would definitely have been the biggest threat after Rocks.
The Flying Pirates, at their peak, were severely damaged when dealing with the Roger Pirates.
In Hades' view, this was truly regrettable.
After all, according to the way things were developing, the Flying Pirates would definitely challenge the World Government's hegemony under the leadership of "Golden Lion" Shiki.
To people like Hades, who belonged to a superpower faction, Pirates like Roger were completely spies planted by the World Government within the Pirate Faction!
Extending the lifespan of the World Government.
Whether it was teaming up with Garp to defeat Rocks D.
Xebec or the Flying Pirates being crippled at their peak, it was all inextricably linked to Roger.
It also caused the Investment of various Factions to be completely wasted.
If nothing unexpected happened, after the demise of the Rocks Pirates, the Great Fleet of the Flying Pirates led by "Golden Lion" Shiki would be the second target they supported to challenge the World Government's dominance.
(end of chapter)