The enormous snail fleet rumbled forward, unwavering, heading south into the West Blue.
The Flower Country was a bit far from the Calm Belt, located in the southernmost waters of the West Blue. Otherwise, it wouldn't have given birth to glaciers like the Jewel Iceberg, which hardly ever melted. As they moved further south, the temperature noticeably dropped. When Roa first looked up at the goose-feather snowflakes fluttering down from the sky, he felt a strange sense of emotion.
Having lived in the New World for over a decade, he had long grown accustomed to the unchanging seasons of the various islands and the ever-shifting weather patterns of the open sea. This normal meteorological phenomenon felt rather special to him now. Perhaps this is why overbearing CEOs fall in love with cleaning ladies.
"Boss." At this moment, Roa's intelligence officer immediately brought him firsthand information. "Those naval forces have all deployed their elites. They're likely heading to the Jewel Iceberg, awaiting your arrival."
"That's good." Roa showed no signs of annoyance at the impending ambush. Instead, he let out a sigh of relief. "It's good to resolve everything at once. What I fear are those inexplicable guys who just waste my time."
"And then, what about the so-called Five Families?" According to Morgans, in the West Blue, where mafia culture flourished, almost every country had a thriving underworld. Large and small mafia families controlled the resources and power of this dark world. And at the apex of these mafia families were the legendary Five Families.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the "East Gate, West Gate, South Palace, North Hall, and Xuanyuan of the Center" that Roa had imagined; his childhood dream was shattered. However, among these Five Families, one was not unfamiliar to Roa: the Capone Family, as in Capone Bege's Capone.
However, the Five Families controlling the West Blue's underworld didn't mean they were truly paramount. Strictly speaking, they were more like leaders of a martial arts alliance. Through various exchanges of interests, coercion, and enticement, each held significant influence in a particular sea area, leading large and small mafia families like big brothers.
But that was enough.
"They're already in contact," Morgans replied with a chuckle, "under the name of weapon dealers. It's not just the Flower Country that's interested in our weapons. These wild dogs living in the gutters are the most sensitive to shifts in power."
"Once you've dealt with those naval forces, you should be able to meet with those mafia godfathers."
"Hmm." Roa nodded lightly. He suddenly thought of something. If he brought those eight naval forces under his command, wouldn't he become a "Naval Force Boss"? Haha. Roa chuckled. Oh, wait, wasn't Morgans already a "Naval Force Boss" after taking control of the World Economic News Agency?
Jewel Iceberg
Jewel Iceberg, a glacier located south of the Flower Country. Due to the extremely low temperatures and the fact that there was nothing but perpetually frozen ice, it was generally sparsely populated. The Happo Navy's treasure was buried at the very center of this glacier, in a lake frozen an unknown number of years ago. Under the erosion of perpetual cold winds, it had become incredibly flat, almost like a smooth mirror. If someone could stand on this mirror-like surface and look down, they would witness a truly astonishing sight. Vast amounts of gold and silver treasures were encased beneath this ice field, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight. These were the legendary treasures of the Happo Navy.
To the south of this glacier, numerous pirate ships lay quietly docked. Along the coastline, dense clusters of tents were set up, stretching across the white ice field like a dark stain. Inside one of the largest tents, the leaders of several naval forces and the King of the Flower Country, wrapped in thick coats, drank hot soup from a makeshift fireplace.
"How long has it been? Why aren't they here yet?" One of the naval force leaders took a sip of hot soup, feeling his body warm up. He spoke impatiently, "How much longer do we have to wait here?" Even though the Flower Country's temperatures were usually not high, it was simply too cold here.
"Chin Jao's son said he's been secretly following the enemy. The enemy crossed the Calm Belt two weeks ago, so they should be arriving soon," another leader exhaled a puff of white air, slowly saying. "But don't let your guard down. That's an opponent even Chin Jao couldn't defeat; their strength is absolutely extraordinary!"
"What's the use of saying that now? Is there any other option besides fighting?"
"I mean, be careful when fighting!"
"Careful? The Rokushiki Navy (Six-Treasures Navy) only knows how to overwhelmingly defeat the enemy!"
Seeing that the enemy hadn't appeared yet and they were already bickering amongst themselves, the King of the Flower Country impatiently said, "Calm down! Before the enemy arrives, do you really want to fight each other?" Although the eight naval forces had always been closely united, it didn't mean there were no conflicts between them. In fact, this was precisely what the Flower Country's royal family liked to see. If they were truly like one family, what authority would the King have left?
The King's words finally quieted the restless naval force leaders. They were actually a bit apprehensive. Chin Jao was the strongest among all the leaders, and his strength was overwhelmingly superior; none of the other leaders could even come close to him. The enemy's strength was definitely extraordinary. But they had to fight now. Because if they retreated, the Flower Country would continue to suffer enormous losses, which was unacceptable to all the naval force leaders.
Just as the atmosphere in the tent grew heavy, the tent flap suddenly opened, and a person entered, bringing with them cold wind and snow.
"They're here!"
The tent fell silent for a moment, then everyone rose simultaneously.
"Then, attack!"
The eight naval forces had truly deployed their elites this time. Aside from the personnel left to guard their strongholds, each naval force had mobilized almost three to four thousand people, totaling roughly thirty thousand. Coupled with the formidable strength of the various naval force leaders and their children, they certainly had the power to fight a large-scale war.
These thirty thousand people, led by seven leaders, surged like a black tide towards the center of the glacier. If the enemy's target was the Happo Navy's treasure, then that was naturally their destination.
Trudging through the swirling snow, they moved forward. After crossing a not-so-gentle mountain peak, the ice field where the treasure was buried unfolded before everyone's eyes. Although heavy snow fell everywhere, obscuring distant sights, the dark mass on the opposite mountain range still caught their attention. The figures on the ice field below were also barely visible.
"Rescue the leader!!"
Without a leader's command, the Happo Navy, who had come voluntarily, couldn't hold back. Without needing anyone to lead them, they almost simultaneously roared and charged downwards. The other naval forces also didn't hesitate. Led by their respective leaders, they too surged downwards like a rolling tide.
"Kill them all!!"
The cannons they carried began to roar, tearing through the swirling snow and smashing towards the dark mass on the opposite side. Roa stood on the ice field, with layers of treasure beneath his feet.
"Is being a pirate really this profitable?" he muttered softly. Damn, even I haven't seen this much treasure.
Despite the swirling snow, Roa was still dressed in only a thin T-shirt, jacket, and casual pants. Dylan and Bullet, who had accompanied him, had changed into heavy winter clothing, and only King remained as usual. The Qiongqi's ability had given Roa a truly evolutionary enhancement. Roa's defense was not only capable of resisting physical attacks but also had strong resistance to various magical damages.
Mere wind and snow!
"Boss, they're here." Dylan looked up at the distant mountain peaks. On the peaks, a human torrent surged towards them. The roar of heavy cannons already echoed across the sky, and the sharp whistle of shells tearing through the air drowned out the howling wind.
"Are they here to save Chin Jao?" With a casual wave, the strong winds in the sky condensed into blades, effortlessly exploding all the cannonballs in mid-air. Then, Roa said with a touch of emotion, "Since I'm so kind, I'll let them reunite."
Behind, nestled among the shivering snail fleet on the mountain peak, a black shadow instantly shot out. Chin Jao, with pitch-black eyes and a muscular physique, was like a missile. He arced gracefully through the air, crashing heavily onto the ground. Then, without stopping, he leaned his body forward, his upper body almost parallel to the ground, yet his legs moved astonishingly fast, forcibly maintaining his balance with sheer speed.
Chin Jao, whose pointed head had been casually knocked back into shape by Roa's punch, thus charged forward with his pointed head leading, like a bullet leaving its sheath, directly towards the approaching naval forces. Due to the snow obscuring their vision, the naval forces initially couldn't clearly see who was charging at them. They instinctively opened fire. Although he had lost his will, his body's instincts remained. Invisible shockwaves emanated from Chin Jao's pointed head, blocking all attacks.
By then, the distance between the two sides was already very close. So.
"It's the leader!!" The Happo Navy members suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "The leader is back!" After a brief shock, everyone instantly rejoiced.
"I knew it, how could the leader be captured so easily! He must have been looking for an opportunity to coordinate with us from the inside and wipe out the enemy!"
"Exactly! Now that the leader has successfully escaped, it's time to annihilate the enemy!"
Not just them, the leaders of the other naval forces who followed closely behind also breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought the enemy was truly so strong that even Chin Jao couldn't resist. Now, it seemed they had been overly worried.
"Chin Jao, since you've escaped, now—" A leader proactively moved to meet the charging Chin Jao. "—join us and—"
Chin Jao's steps never faltered. His pointed head was covered in pitch-black Haki and an invisible ripple. Before the approaching leader could finish his sentence, Chin Jao had already headbutted him directly, sending him flying. Then, without hesitation, he charged into the crowd like a full-speed locomotive, equally scattering everyone in his path.
"Chin Jao?" The accompanying King of the Flower Country looked astonished. What was happening?
"Leader! What are you doing! It's us!" The Happo Navy members screamed repeatedly, "Please stop quickly!"
It was meaningless. At this moment, Chin Jao was merely a ghoul existing by Roa's will. He continued to move through the crowd without stopping, using his immense strength to send everyone flying.
"No! Chin Jao has fallen for the enemy's trick! He has no reason of his own; he's being controlled!" Finally, the leader of the Nihyaku Navy (Two-Hundred Navy) shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, stay away from him! He's the enemy now!"
"Damn it! Leave some people to lure him away!!" Another leader spoke. "First, let's deal with the enemy!" Chin Jao was stronger than all of them. If they stayed here and fought Chin Jao, who knew how much damage would be caused. First, they would deal with the enemy; perhaps Chin Jao could then return to normal. After all, most inexplicable changes on this sea could be attributed to Devil Fruits. And as long as the Devil Fruit user was dealt with, the changes would return to normal!
So, the naval forces charged once more, leaving only a small group to surround Chin Jao, luring him like matadors. But the only regrettable thing was that this bull, Chin Jao, was not something they could control. With every charge, some people would be hit and have all their bones shattered.
Bearing the sacrifice of these individuals, the seven leaders had already led the main force onto the ice field, heading towards the few figures not far ahead. Roa looked up. "Are you eager to join my ranks? Very good, full of spirit!" He then looked up again. "Too noisy."
And so, the swirling snow in the sky abruptly dissipated, and the sun shone brightly above. The charging naval forces were startled. What was happening? This wasn't the New World; the weather shouldn't undergo such a drastic change!
Before their surprise could fade, a furious Conqueror's Haki surged towards them.
Boom!
The entire ice field trembled. The perpetually frozen snow on the surrounding mountain peaks began to slide down with a whoosh, even triggering small avalanches.
"Wah-ah-ah-ah!" Screams instantly spread across the ice field. The charging tide of naval forces abruptly halted. The charging marines all trembled and collapsed to the ground. They didn't even know what had happened. Even the leading naval commanders at the front staggered forward, then stopped.
At this moment, terror was all that remained on their faces.
Conqueror's Haki? Conqueror's Haki of this magnitude? Chin Jao, did you provoke Whitebeard or Golden Lion?
Thump-thump-thump.
Clear footsteps approached. "Why aren't you kneeling?" The boy's voice carried far across the now silent ice field. The leaders subconsciously looked up, and then, in the next instant.
"Calamity, Roa??" Everyone's expressions changed in unison. Although it wasn't Whitebeard or Golden Lion, it was already very close! Why, why was it this monster?
"The interview starts now," Roa's voice suddenly spread across the ice field like thunder. Though he used it rarely, his roar was also a powerful technique. "Those who surrender and kneel can live."
"Those who stand will die, just like this." He raised his right hand.
Boom!
A massive iceberg suddenly rose, starting from Roa and extending diagonally forward, grazing the edge of the crowd. Then, those unlucky individuals were instantly frozen within the iceberg.
Fear, like a gust of wind, instantly swept through the ranks of the naval forces. Then, in the next instant.
"Wah-ah! Don't, don't kill me!"
"Surrender, I surrender!"
With intimidation combined with emotional manipulation, in just a moment, all the naval force grunts were crying and wailing, kneeling on the ground, begging for Roa's mercy.
"Oh! Tens of thousands of people kneeling at once," Roa nodded repeatedly, "How magnificent!" It probably set a Guinness World Record in this world, didn't it?
"Then," he looked up again, addressing the closest naval force leaders, "what about you?"
Fear! The same fear gripped everyone's hearts. But there were still some brave ones.
The leader of the Ichihou Navy (One-Treasures Navy) stepped forward and roared, "Roa, don't think that—"
Boom!
Thunder descended from the sky, instantly turning the man into charcoal.
"Ah-ah-ah-ah!" Under the effect of Roa's ability, another naval force leader couldn't help but scream in collapse.
"Just fear, no surrender?" Roa glared at him impatiently. "Then what use are you to me! You shall join the Dependent Ghost Legion!" And so, this naval force leader's eyes instantly became consumed by pitch black.
"He's... he's become like Chin Jao!!" The remaining leaders trembled with fear. All other emotions vanished from their hearts. The naval forces finally understood what true despair was!
And then, finally.
The leader of the Nihyaku Navy (Two-Hundred Navy), overcome with immense fear, realized that kneeling meant survival. He collapsed to his knees, his forehead touching the ground, "I surrender! I surrender to you, Lord Roa!"
"Hmm, you may live." Roa nodded in satisfaction, casually maxing out the "surrender" progress bar for him. With this guy as the leader, the remaining leaders and naval force cadres also knelt down in extreme fear, declaring their surrender to Roa. There was no other way. They couldn't resist Roa's ability. All other anger and hatred were cast aside, leaving only weakness, a desire to survive, and fear.
Roa clapped his hands repeatedly with delight. "Excellent, excellent. It was worth coming all this way. What a great harvest!" He was as happy as a child who scored a perfect hundred on a test, innocent and lively.