Ink-black night slowly covered the tumultuous Stepstones.
The tense standoff of the day seemed to hibernate temporarily under this deep blue curtain; only the waves tirelessly beat against the reefs.
In the depths of Black Rock Island, Euron Greyjoy stood alone indoors, surrounded by an inhuman silence. He had just clearly perceived the cold numbers jumping and finally settling in the depths of his soul.
First, the clean ambush in the Kingswood that thoroughly annihilated the Gold Cloaks pursuing from King's Landing—bringing him the energy of 1,020 struggling, wailing souls. Then, the thunderous purging of three pirate islands, harvesting a far more massive 25,680 soul points. Like a cold torrent, they converged under his will.
Total: 26,700 points.
Without the slightest hesitation, with a mere thought, Euron extracted all this freshly harvested soul energy—every digit representing a life lost—and poured it into the terrifying creation born of the Soru Soru no Mi (Soul-Soul Fruit): Thor, the Thunder Cloud.
That mass of energy, a blend of violent lightning and furious souls suspended in an invisible dimension, began to pulse violently like a heart. Countless pale spirit faces flickered within the electric snakes, emitting silent screams. The destructive power contained within climbed frantically, as if it were an egg of thunder about to tear the sky apart.
A cold curve touched Euron's lips in the darkness. In the coming massive naval battle, he knew that Thor—capable of invoking the wrath of the heavens and commanding storms and lightning—would bring destruction and chaos far exceeding the fire of Apollo, which was merely enough to burn ships.
Lightning was the supreme power to dominate this angry sea.
Cold numbers surfaced clearly in Euron's perception, like a ledger engraved in his soul. As of now, the "Points" he had accumulated reached a considerable sum.
The majority came from two efficient and brutal cleanses: the perfect ambush in the Kingswood (12,000 points, combined with the island purges), each transaction soaked in blood and vanished souls.
Additionally, the exploration of the vast waters and hidden lairs of the Stepstones, along with sporadic conflicts, though not as intense as major battles, trickled in to bring him another 2,200 points.
At this moment, all power converged. Total: 14,200 Points.
[Rokushiki: Tekkai (Iron Body)] — Level 7.
Upgrade Lv7 to Lv8: Cost 4,000 Points. Body defense enhanced. Constitution +1.
Upgrade Lv8 to Lv9: Cost 4,000 Points. Body defense significantly enhanced. Strength +1.
Upgrade Lv9 to Lv10: Cost 4,000 Points. Body defense significantly enhanced. Strength +1, Constitution +1.
Tekkai - Meteor Iron Wall: Effect: Hardens the entire body into "Meteor Alloy" (hardness surpassing diamond), capable of absorbing and reflecting 99% of physical/energy attacks (e.g., slashes, fire). Usable once per day.
Euron didn't save the remaining 2,200 points either. He went straight for two Ten-Draws.
First Ten-Draw:
1. "East Blue Windmill Village BBQ Meat" (Luffy's Childhood Style): Roast beef emitting a charred aroma, coated in secret sauce. Consuming it briefly triggers "Childhood Memories" (Mood +50%, but no stamina recovery). On the back is carved: "Remember to share with me next time!"
2. "Clown Octopus · Pochi": Sea King (Mollusk) — Ability: Sprays large amounts of "Colorful Ink" (briefly blinds enemies).
3. "Sanji's Gentleman Cloak": Description: A navy blue cloak with gold roses embroidered on the edge. Innate "Gentleman's Aura" (makes speech automatically gentler when worn, but ineffective on enemies).
4. "Nami's Tangerine Jam" (Limited Edition): Description: Canned tangerine jam, emitting a rich fruity fragrance.
5. "Roger's Treasure Map" (Fragment): Description: Yellowed parchment sketching a blurry outline of "The End of the Grand Line," with words written next to it: "The treasure is all there..." — Suspected fragment of Roger's original map.
6. "Jinbe's Fish-Man Karate Manual" (Old Edition): Description: A blue-covered manual illustrating basic moves of Fish-Man Karate (e.g., "Fish-Man Jujutsu," "Fish-Man Thrust"). Note: "Don't learn too fast, you'll throw your back out!" — Jinbe's handwriting. — Effect: Increases Fish-Man Karate by 3 levels upon use.
7. "Shoddy Slingshot": Type: Ranged Weapon. Appearance: Wooden slingshot, rubber band cracking, 3 rusty iron pellets in the slot. Effect: Range 20m, Damage = Normal Punch (approx. 50 pts), can load "Chili Pellets."
8. "Dry Bread": Type: Food. Appearance: Rock-hard bread with mold spots, wrapper says "Last Resupply."
9. "Magma Giant Turtle": Type: Sea King Creature. Appearance: 30-meter giant turtle, shell covered in dark red magma patterns, high-temperature lava oozing from cracks, sharp magma rocks on its head.
10. "Ragged Bandage": Type: Medical Item. Appearance: Dirty white bandage with bloodstains on the edge. Effect: Wrapping a wound stops bleeding immediately.
Euron used "Jinbe's Fish-Man Karate Manual" immediately. Fish-Man Karate level increased to Lv6.
He released "Clown Octopus · Pochi" and "Magma Giant Turtle" into the sea, ready to be summoned at any time.
"Ragged Bandage" and "Roger's Treasure Map" (Fragment) went into system storage.
The rest were left on the table; basically useless junk.
Second Ten-Draw:
1. "Shoddy Signal Flare": Type: Distress Item. Appearance: Red glass tube with cracks, yellow powder inside. Effect: Shoots red smoke upon ignition (Height 50m, Duration 10s), chance to attract "Friendly Attention" or "Enemy Attention."
2. "Iron-Back Whale": Type: Sea King Creature. Appearance: 15-meter deep-sea whale, back covered in hard iron scales (resists normal blades), specializes in tail slaps creating "Small Tsunamis."
3. "Venomous Sea Serpent": Type: Sea King Creature. Appearance: 700-meter giant serpent, scales contain "Neurotoxin" (paralysis upon touch).
4. "Meat Treasure": Description: Wooden barrel full of giant meat chunks (Label: "Amazon Lily Produce, Ripens Once a Century"). Consuming temporarily boosts Stamina by 50% (similar to "Sanji's Special Meat") — Straw Hat Crew/Pirate's "Emergency Rations," Luffy's favorite.
5. "Tears of Healing · Ocean Holy Water": Medical Relic. Pearl-sized drop of pale blue liquid. Dripping it on a wound causes instant healing. — "Tears of God" found only in the temples of the "Drum Kingdom."
6. "Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki)": Effect: Hardens skin/bones into "Black Alloy" (Hardness exceeds "Steel" by 3 times, resists "Magma Slashes," "Haki Punches," etc.), but not absolute defense (physical attacks from "Logia" users still effective, e.g., Akainu's "Magma Punch" will burn the hardened layer). Special Mechanism: Hardened layer can actively "Contract/Expand" — Contract to boost defense (tanking "Slash Waves"), Expand to release "Hardening Impact."
7. "Giant Sea Spider": Type: Sea King Creature. Description: 300-meter giant spider, abdomen sprays "Webs."
8. "Katakuri's Dessert Gift Box": Description: Gold gift box filled with "Katakuri's Special Desserts."
9. "Drum Kingdom Fever Medicine": Description: White powder (ground from "Drum Kingdom Snow Mountain Herbs"), rapidly reduces fevers over 40°C, but must be used with "Ice." Background: Traditional remedy from the "Valley of Gods" in Drum Kingdom; Nami used it in Alabasta to treat Kohza's fever.
10. "Coral Jade of the Grand Line": Description: Pink jade (grows in the "Coral Sea" of the Grand Line), can be made into "Necklaces" or "Rings" (Increases "Charm," has "Soothing Effect" on Sea Kings). Background: Royal jewelry of Fish-Man Island; Princess Shirahoshi once wore a "Coral Jade Necklace."
In this draw, "Busoshoku Haki" was absolutely the top prize. Next were "Tears of Healing" and "Drum Kingdom Fever Medicine"—sometimes a single drug like that could save a life. The three Sea King creatures would also play huge roles in the upcoming battle. The "Shoddy Signal Flare" might have some use on the battlefield.
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Three Days Later
The will of the Pirate King "Bloodhand" Marlin manifested as a forest of sails that blotted out the sun.
The massive fleet had fully assembled. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, they converged from every dark corner of the Stepstones, densely covering the vast waters between Grey Gallows and Skull Island.
Looking out, the horizon was a jungle of masts. Countless warships, longships, and galleys crowded together. All manner of grotesque and eerie flags snapped in the sea breeze—bleeding red hands, grinning skulls, coiled sea serpents, broken chains... Every flag represented a fierce faction not to be underestimated, yet now they all clustered around the banner of "Bloodhand" Marlin, forming a colossal and chaotic maritime legion.
Metal glinted among the masts. The clamor of voices, the blare of horns, and the sound of waves slapping hulls wove together, heralding the coming storm.
At the other end of the sea, a distinctly different but equally terrifying force stood ready.
With Euron Greyjoy's Iron Fleet as the core, flanked by Prince Oberyn's swift Dornish sand-skiffs and the vine-bannered warships of the Redwynes from the Arbor, they built a solid defensive line.
They firmly controlled the three strategic points: Black Rock Island, Blood Sail Point, and Serpent's Tooth Island, transforming them into a triangular fortress capable of both offense and defense.
Interspersed among this clearly defined main fleet were various pirate crews who had recently surrendered, subdued by the "Call for Talent" and Euron's thunderous methods. These ships were a motley mix of models with mismatched flags. They looked out of place alongside the disciplined Ironborn longships, yet they added a savage intimidation to the allied fleet.
Behind the cold steel and thick wood were countless pairs of eyes fixed on the horizon. Arrows were nocked, blades were drawn. The curtain had risen on the great naval battle that would decide the fate of the Stepstones.