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Trens could only sigh helplessly at the suicidal thoughts and actions of this huge group of pirates.
He had already tried to persuade these reckless fools, but though they showed him respect on the surface, deep down they didn't take his words seriously at all. They were drunk on their momentary victory and refused to listen to logic.
And Trens wasn't some kind-hearted savior. Besides, Rojen's entire plan was designed to throw the global situation into chaos, so there was no reason for him to waste time trying to halt the inevitable slaughter.
"The Marines' Admiral-level forces will be here soon. We need to retreat, now!"
After delivering this final warning to Black-Faced Blanc and Minco of the Phoenix Pirates, Trens took one last deep look at the frenzied pirates shouting atop the high platform. With a faint, pitying glance that said, 'you're on your own,' he turned and left.
Behind him, Jason followed closely, carrying the severely injured Crocodile on his back.
"What do we do, Blanc-in-charge?" Minco blinked, turning back only after Trens and the others had disappeared from view.
"I choose to believe them," Blanc said in a low, sharp voice. He turned abruptly, leading his pirate crew away. A few frantic leaps later, they vanished from sight.
"Big Sister Minco, what about us?" the members of the Phoenix Pirates asked anxiously.
At this point, after losing the Nether Soul Pirates as their core, along with top fighters like Black-Faced Blanc and his crew, the so-called "Grand Pirate Alliance" was now nothing more than an empty, fragile name.
"To completely control this island… I admit, for pirates, it's incredibly tempting," Minco exhaled deeply, shaking her head. "But unfortunately, we just don't have the strength for that yet."
"Withdraw. We're leaving too."
Within seconds, they disappeared into the chaotic streets.
A few moments later, only a small portion of the remaining pirates realized that their high-ranking leaders had quietly vanished. The rest, however, were still lost in the fantasy of taking full control of Sabaody Archipelago. They weren't stupid, just hopelessly blinded by greed.
In this age, to possess one's own territory like the great pirates of the New World was a temptation far too strong to resist. When there's no hope, pirates can still remain cautious. But once even a faint possibility appears, their desires multiply, until they completely lose themselves in delusion.
…
Amid the chaos of Sabaody's streets, three figures sprinted through the smoke and debris.
"Where's the Captain, Trens?" Jason, still carrying Crocodile, spoke in a low, urgent tone.
"He said he'd be in District 43. We'll know the exact location once we get there." Trens replied as he ran, weaving through panicked civilians and shouting pirates. In the current tumult, no one even noticed that the three of them were pirates.
"Hmm… and those six guys, they went with Rayleigh, right?" Jason asked again.
"They're not strong enough to handle what's coming next," Trens nodded. "The Captain said the battle ahead will be too dangerous. He entrusted them to Rayleigh for protection."
At that moment, a weak voice spoke behind Jason. "Jason… put me down." It was Crocodile.
"Stop talking and hang on. You're badly hurt. You need to rest." Jason's tone was firm and unyielding.
Crocodile's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't protest. His body was in no condition to argue. Yet deep down… there was something strange about this feeling, being cared for, protected. A feeling he had almost forgotten existed.
"Haha, Crocodile, take it easy," Trens said with a grin. "When it's time to set off again, we'll still need you."
Crocodile silently nodded, closed his eyes, and began to circulate the True Energy within his body, rapidly mending his injuries.
District No. 43, a remote, shattered part of the archipelago.
Rojen sat cross-legged on the ground, sweat beading down his forehead. He had to admit, this True Cultivation Merit Method was far beyond anything he had ever encountered in martial study before. Even with his Martial Study Genius attribute, trying to comprehend it was still incredibly difficult.
Time slipped by quietly. Counting the duration of his earlier battle with Zephyr, his Possession Time had already lasted for half an hour.
"Manipulating Sword Arts, mastered."
"Myriad Sword Secrets, mastered."
"Mount Shu Foundational Heart Method, mastered."
But after that point, his comprehension speed slowed drastically. The Heavenly Teacher Symbol Method, Heavenly Sword Secrets, Sword God, Spirit Gourd Incantation, and the ultimate Wine God, each of these sword techniques and talisman arts contained unfathomable profundities. They weren't things that could be fully understood in a short period of time.
And as expected of such high-level divine techniques, the Possession Coin cost was astronomical, far beyond what Rojen could currently afford. After defeating Zephyr, he had earned 350 million Possession Coins. Combined with the rewards from defeating other Marines and his remaining balance, his total was now 500 million.
A massive sum, yet still not enough to exchange for any of the upper-tier immortal sword arts.
"Heavenly Sword Secrets, 300 million." "Sword God, 560 million." "Wine God's Incantation, 980 million!"
The numbers made his eyes widen in disbelief. So high… too high, utterly despair-inducing.
"Only half an hour of possession time left… there's no way I can fully comprehend all of them." His mind flickered restlessly, weighing the options again and again.
"The profundity of Wine God and Sword God far surpasses Heavenly Sword, but so do their prices…"
"There's no time. I can only choose one, maybe two at most."
After a long moment of hesitation, Rojen gritted his teeth and made his choice.
"Sword God, Spirit Gourd Incantation, these two first!"
The Wine God was a forbidden martial art, one that could only be used nine times in a lifetime. Its destructive power was unimaginable. Even though he had never unleashed it himself, the Sword Saint's memories had shown him its terrifying might, it was a technique that could shatter mountains in a single strike. But its complexity was equally monstrous. Rojen didn't have the time, so he could only abandon it for now. The Heavenly Sword was sharp and elegant, but not as overwhelmingly powerful as the Sword God, and it too required extensive time, thus, he also gave it up.
Now, Rojen focused entirely on understanding the Sword God Technique. He gathered all his attention, every thread of his mind, and threw himself completely into enlightenment.
…
Time flowed unknowingly onward. Meanwhile, chaos once again erupted across the celebratory center of Sabaody Archipelago.
In the midst of the pirates' raucous celebrations, a golden streak of light suddenly refracted several times through the air, before manifesting directly above them.
"What's that…?" Startled pirates froze, gazing up into the sky.
The golden light scattered into shimmering fragments, before finally taking shape, a human form, entirely golden, radiating a blinding brilliance that made their eyes sting.
"Yo~ what a bunch of arrogant pirates we have here."
Floating in the air, the man's voice was cold, laced with mockery. As the golden light faded, his body became clearly visible.
The pirates below looked up, and the instant they recognized him, their faces turned ashen.
"A… Admiral!!"
A scream of pure terror tore through the crowd, echoing across the square. Instantly, the noise died. An almost visible wave of fear spread through the sea of pirates, freezing them where they stood.
"It's Kizaru!"
Another voice shouted in disbelief, and in the next moment, silent dread rippled across the entire pirate horde. After one Marine Admiral had already fallen… another had arrived!
Those pirates who moments ago had dreamed of glory and conquest, of a new age of freedom and dominance, now felt that dream shatter in an instant.
"The sky has changed…"
(End Of This Chapter)