Thump, thump, thump, thump...
The ground vibrated as if heavy footsteps were approaching.
In the distance, a humanoid monster, several times larger than a Giant, lumbered across the island. Every step it took caused the earth to shake.
Clang!
"Gulp…"
"A gi-giant battleship, San Juan Wolf!"
"A m-monster!"
"Why? Why are there... monsters like this in the world?"
Nearly everyone stared in shock at the immense size of San Juan Wolf. Some dropped the weapons in their hands; others gulped anxiously. The sheer terror instilled by a body the size of a mountain was unparalleled.
While the world is full of monsters, ordinary people are still the majority. The pirates struggling at the bottom of the New World, despite their considerable strength, were miles away from being a match for the world's top-tier monsters.
"Run! Run now!"
"Get out of here! Get off this island!"
Some pirates regained their senses, crying out in panic. In an instant, the group scattered like startled birds, fleeing outward with shattered courage.
"Zehahahahaha!"
"It's not that easy to escape! Black Hole!!!"
Teach laughed loudly, and a plume of dark smoke rose behind him. His left hand, wrapped in the blackness of the dark ability, pressed down on the ground.
Immediately, the darkness rapidly spread across the ground. The earth was shrouded in a mist-like gloom. Everything that came into contact with the darkness—swords, cannons, houses, corpses, and living beings—gradually began to sink.
"What is this?"
"A Devil Fruit power!"
"It's Blackbeard's Dark-Dark Fruit power!"
"No! Save me! Save—"
The entire village and hundreds of pirates slowly sank into the dark ground. The pirates struggled in vain, and moments later, all that remained of the village was a large, empty patch of earth.
"T-t-this is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
The few dozen surviving pirates were utterly terrified, some collapsing directly onto the ground.
"Wiiihahahaha!"
Burgess raised his arms and roared with laughter. "Captain Teach! Now no one will dare to stand in our way!"
"Decompose: Rain Wave!"
Suddenly, dozens of thumb-thick green light beams shot out from the nearby woods.
"What the hec—"
Every green beam accurately struck a pirate, hitting either the head or the heart—all vital points.
Where the green light passed, only an empty hole was left, without even time for the blood to flow out.
"What is that?"
"A Devil Fruit user!"
Teach and Burgess were startled.
"My apologies. After witnessing the powers of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Dark-Dark Fruit, I couldn't resist showing off a little!"
A black-haired man in a black trench coat emerged from the forest. A black centipede tattoo on his right cheek and four claw marks on his left made him look more sinister than fierce.
"What a domineering ability! A power that decomposes everything... the Paramecia-type Deco-Deco Fruit!" Teach had read the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. Although he didn't remember every fruit, he did remember certain powerful or bizarre ones.
Seeing the way the green light was deployed, combined with the power to decompose everything, he immediately recognized it.
Staring at the man, Teach hesitated. "The most low-key emperor of the underworld, the Roamer, Crimson Malha?!"
"Impressive. You recognized me immediately!" Malha raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"It truly is you!"
Teach narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Ten years ago, when the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beasts Pirates fought, Marco bought a batch of emergency weapons and equipment from you. I was there at the time and saw you."
"I see," Malha nodded in understanding.
Ten years ago, the Whitebeard Pirates had fought the Big Mom Pirates within a month, then immediately fought the Beasts Pirates, leading to a severe depletion of weapons and equipment.
Because both wars were too sudden, the Black Market merchants who supplied the Whitebeard Pirates couldn't deliver in time. So, Marco urgently reached out to Malha at the time to purchase and transport a batch of emergency weapons and equipment.
"You, who have always been low-key and rarely appear before the world, what business do you have with me?" Teach felt a trace of danger from the man, and his expression grew serious.
"As a merchant, it's naturally about cooperation." Malha looked Teach directly in the eye and gave a faint smile.
"Are you interested in taking down the Chris Pirates? Yonko Blackbeard!"
At his words, the pupils in Teach's eyes instantly contracted.
…
The Calm Belt, Amazon Lily, the Isle of Women.
Eeeenngg..
A jarring alarm blared, instantly spreading throughout the entire Kuja City.
"This is bad! We have foreign invaders!"
"Quick! Hurry to the port for support!"
"Gather the Warrior Guards!"
"The Kuja Pirates are deploying! Head to the port!"
The previously tranquil Amazon Lily suddenly erupted, like water hitting hot oil. Countless Kuja female warriors rushed into the streets with bows and arrows, spears and swords, surging toward the port.
Kuja Castle, the Empress's Quarters.
"What's happening?"
Hearing the piercing alarm, Hancock suddenly stood up and looked out the window.
"It seems something is wrong!"
Next to her, Betilla grabbed the silver rapier leaning against her chair and stood up.
Within the Chris Pirates, Hancock and Mina didn't see eye to eye, making them rivals. Her friendship with Millie was lukewarm, but she had a good relationship with Betilla.
This is why Betilla often skipped her duties, choosing not to guard Nakor City and instead coming to Amazon Lily to relax.
"Onee-sama, let's go see!"
Sandersonia frowned and headed outside.
Bang!
At that moment, the door was thrown open. Marigold, her expression anxious, rushed in and shouted, "Onee-sama, there are invaders!"
Kuja Port.
Swish, Swish, Swish, Swish...
Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom...
Arrows fell like rain, and cannon fire was like thunder. Violent explosions were continuous, and black-grey gunpowder smoke billowed. Arrows coated in Haki nailed themselves to the ground, blasting out craters.
"More-More: 10x Shotgun!"
A dozen or so fragments of stone, dark like metal, suddenly enlarged 10 times in mid-air, scattering outward like buckshot.
Puff, puff, puff, puff...
Seven or eight Kuja female warriors were penetrated by the large, dark fragments of stone. A mist of blood burst forth, and they instantly collapsed into a pool of their own blood.
"Ba-ro-ro-ro-ro~ How pathetically weak!"
" More-More: 100x Pistol!"
World stepped onto the ground of Kuja Port, his body flashing continuously as he dodged rapid, Haki-coated arrows. He then grabbed a small stone from the ground, hardened it with Armament Haki, and hurled it with immense force.
"Look out! Take cover!"
A female warrior screamed.
Swoosh!
Bang!
A piercing shriek sounded as the dark, metallic stone instantly multiplied its size by a hundred, transforming into a massive, dark boulder that slammed into the crowd.
"Puh…"
Several Kuja female warriors who failed to dodge in time were struck by the huge boulder, their bones instantly shattered and broken, as they spat up blood and flew backward.