"All division assignments have been announced! Assemble your forces immediately! Prepare to deploy to Fear Island! This battle, we will win!" Bege declared, his gaze sweeping over everyone, his demeanor exuding extreme confidence.
"Sir!"
"Of course, Godfather!" Everyone present was brimming with confidence.
Sky Island entered its highest state of combat readiness. This time, Bege intended to deploy all his combat personnel for a decisive battle against the Fear Pirates.
The defense of Sky Island was entrusted to the Clone Army, the Sky Beasts, and the logistics units. The Thirteenth Division was also assigned to remain and guard their home. Sky Island was his main base; he couldn't risk someone launching a sneak attack in his absence. Leaving a fleet behind to defend it was non-negotiable.
Rows of airships stood ready at Sky Island's port. With a single command, thirteen airships launched, parting the sea of clouds as they soared towards the New World.
Outside the Fear Pirates' territory in the New World, numerous pirate ships loitered. They didn't dare enter directly, fearing retaliation from the Fear Pirates later.
The Fear Pirates had also mobilized all available forces within their territory. Besides their main pirate crew, their subordinate crews and the fighting forces from the islands under their control began to patrol their domain.
Though these patrol forces weren't particularly strong, they flew the Fear Pirates' flag. Even powerful pirate crews wouldn't dare to attack these patrol ships wantonly.
Of course, while entry was barred openly, covert infiltration was another matter. Many pirate crews chose to sneak in stealthily, drawing closer to Fear Island, ready to watch the unfolding spectacle.
Three days passed in a flash. The time for the execution drew nearer, yet there was still no sign of the Fire Tank Pirates. No trace of them could be found anywhere in the New World.
On Fear Island, in a large public square, a grim-looking execution platform had been erected. Atop it knelt the heavily scarred Treade. A brawny, fleshy-faced pirate stood beside him, holding a massive executioner's blade, sharpening it with a whetstone until it gleamed.
Below the platform sat a colossal Skull Iron Throne. Seated upon it was none other than the captain of the Fear Pirates, a hegemon of the New World, the Demon Lord of Fear, Farian Andrew.
He stroked the skull ornaments on the armrests of his throne, his expression dark. The execution time was ticking closer, and the Fire Tank Pirates were nowhere to be seen. This made him extremely anxious. He was counting on this opportunity to eliminate Bege and avenge his son.
On a tier below the Demon Lord of Fear, three more iron thrones were arrayed, occupied by the Fear Pirates' Three Demon Generals. Below them stood rows upon rows of pirates – captains and elite warriors of the Fear Pirates. This time, the Fear Pirates were fully prepared, lying in wait for Bege's arrival.
On both sides of the square, major media outlets from around the world had gathered, broadcasting the execution live.
The entire world, especially the New World, was watching. Everyone anticipated a great battle between the Fire Tank Pirates and the Fear Pirates. If the Fire Tank Pirates answered the challenge, the situation in the New World would be drastically altered, regardless of who emerged victorious.
"Captain, it's almost time." The Demon Swordmaster Alletha glanced at his watch, his face grim, then looked up at Andrew and said in a low voice.
Andrew's expression was thunderous. He slammed his palm down, shattering the skull on the armrest.
"Cowardly rat! To think someone with such little courage aspires to be a hegemon! Utterly ridiculous!" Andrew's low, furious voice echoed across the square, heard by people all over the world. "Since he doesn't dare to come, don't wait any longer! Take Treade's head!" Andrew snorted coldly.
"He's not coming? That can't be right. The 'Demon Dragon' shouldn't be this timid," Doflamingo muttered on a nearby island, watching the live broadcast amidst a crowd, his brow furrowed tightly.
"Looks like we overestimated Capone Bege," Akainu sneered with disdain from a Marine ship in another sea region, his face dark. He had been hoping Bege would show up and fight the Fear Pirates, allowing the Marines to swoop in and eliminate Bege, reaping the benefits. Bege's failure to appear left him exceptionally disappointed and enraged.
"Shouldn't we say he's a true tactician who knows the value of patience, hmm?" Kizaru drawled in his usual eerie tone.
"Someone who doesn't even care about his own comrades won't last long on these seas. Whether he's a tactician or a natural-born king, he's not qualified to shake the Marines or the World Government," Garp said, arms crossed, his face expressionless.
"If that brat really doesn't dare to come, it'll be a massive disappointment. Roger, perhaps you were mistaken about him. He's not fit to change this world at all," Whitebeard grumbled, downing a barrel of sake, his face grim. Whitebeard had held high expectations for Bege. It was because of this expectation that he had come to the Fear Pirates' territory, intending to intercept any other powers that might try to interfere. But the current situation left Whitebeard deeply disappointed.
On Fear Island, atop the execution platform, the fleshy-faced executioner grinned savagely. He grabbed Treade's head, forced it down, and raised his executioner's blade.
"Don't worry, my blade is sharp. You won't feel a thing."
Treade, his face devoid of expression, pressed his forehead to the ground, his eyes filled with disappointment and despair.
The executioner's blade glinted with a cold, deadly light. Just as it was about to fall, a clap of thunder echoed from the heavens. A massive bolt of lightning struck down instantly, hitting the blade directly. The executioner was electrocuted on the spot, toppling from the platform.
This scene stunned everyone present. Andrew shot to his feet, looking up at the sky.
Dark clouds had gathered overhead, completely blanketing Fear Island, creating an oppressive atmosphere as if the very sky was about to collapse. Within the clouds, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Bolts of lightning snaked through the cloud layer and then rained down indiscriminately.
Countless lightning bolts struck the area around the execution platform, crashing into the ranks of the Fear Pirates' elite forces. Explosions erupted instantly. The pirates shrieked and wailed as they were electrocuted. The entire square was thrown into chaos.
"They're here! It must be 'Little Thunder God' Enel! The Fire Tank Pirates have arrived!" Those present at the scene, as well as those watching the live broadcast, erupted with excitement and exhilaration upon seeing the sky full of lightning.
"So, you finally came. Good, very good." Andrew paid no heed to the miserable state of his crewmen below, a savage grin spreading across his face. He finally had his chance to kill Bege with his own hands and avenge his son.
The lightning storm was incredibly destructive. If it wasn't dealt with, their forces would likely suffer catastrophic losses.
Andrew himself didn't move, but his Three Demon Generals couldn't just sit by.
The foremost of the Three Demon Generals, Zatmoro the Illusory Demon, stood up. His eyes shimmered with a dreamlike light. He raised a hand, and a dark light curtain materialized in mid-air. Within the curtain was a hazy world. All the lightning bolts that struck the dark curtain dissipated completely.
"Dream Domain!"
This technique of his, Dream Domain, could create a dream world where reality and dreams could be reversed. Lightning entering it would be transformed into a dream, thus neutralizing the attack.
His aged face and withered body seemed exceptionally imposing at this moment.