"Ye Yu is too dominant. To ensure a fair environment for us in the future, we must unite against him. This is our chance—we can't miss it."
After hearing this, Bai Shaohan wavered. It was true—Ye Yu was far too overpowering. If the bounty list hadn't been announced, he would never have agreed to an alliance. The idea of multiple pirate crews ganging up on just the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew felt shameful and humiliating. But now, Ye Yu's bounty was absurdly high—1.8 billion. The gap was too vast. In the future, Ye Yu would undoubtedly reap the greatest benefits from the Mystic Realm.
If Ye Yu remained this dominant in the later stages, he would likely become the Pirate King.
That's why Bai Shaohan hesitated. But he also considered that if too many crews joined the alliance, even if they became the One King Pirates, it wouldn't truly belong to him—it would be a coalition of multiple crews. The rewards would be minimal. If they succeeded in crushing Ye Yu, it might be worth it. But if they failed, the losses would be enormous.
Deep down, Bai Shaohan hoped they wouldn't participate and would leave it to other crews to handle. That way, Ye Yu would still be eliminated, and they could claim more rewards. A pirate alliance would make the title of One King Pirates meaningless—it would be better to aim for the Four Emperors instead.
"I'll think about it. There's still time, isn't there?"
"Fine. Take your time."
…
After hanging up, Song Ling's expression darkened.
"Hmph. Saying he'll 'consider it' is just code for waiting to profit from others' efforts."
Jin Mo understood. "Exactly. The more top-tier crews that join, the fewer rewards each will receive. And once the alliance dissolves, the title of One King Pirates will have to be given to just one crew—it's impossible for every member of the alliance to hold it."
"Which means the crews that leave afterward won't be the One King or even the Four Emperors. They don't want to pay that price just to eliminate Ye Yu. They all want to sit back and let others do the work, thinking, 'It'll be fine without me.' That's the mindset most of them have."
"We need to make this clear to them—they can't afford to be complacent."
…
Meanwhile, the Annihilation Pirates chose to join.
Ye Yu was too strong—they felt he had to be crushed. This was indeed their best opportunity.
But the captain of the Annihilation Pirates had a condition.
"If we disband afterward, the title of One King Pirates must go to my crew."
Instantly, Jin Mo and the others scowled. Even Yang Luo frowned.
Everyone wanted to be the One King Pirates. If they missed this chance, they'd have to wait another six months.
Jin Mo snorted. "Impossible. You're dreaming."
"Hah! Dreaming? Am I not qualified? I'm a Mo Mo Fruit Ability User, and my Annihilation Pirates are plenty strong."
Wang Quanshi sneered. "We're all top-tier crews, but there are still differences in strength. You're no match for my Azure Dragon Pirates, and you're weaker than me, Wang Quanshi. Just look at the bounty list."
This infuriated the Mo Mo Fruit Ability User.
"If you won't agree, then forget it. I'm out."
Yang Luo's expression darkened. He was the most determined to see Ye Yu eliminated—after all, the others had only wavered because of his words. He alone was convinced Ye Yu would remain dominant in the long run.
That's why he wanted as many powerful crews as possible in the alliance.
Originally, they thought an alliance with Jin Mo and others would suffice, but after learning of Ye Yu's bounty, they realized it wasn't enough.
Yang Luo decided to grit his teeth and proposed, "How about this—if the alliance dissolves later, my crew won't claim the title of the One King Pirates."
Hearing this, Ba Ye and Wang Jue's expressions darkened.
"How can that be?"
"Yang Luo, why would you give it up? Our strength is undoubtedly the strongest. If the One King Pirates title doesn't go to the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, then we are the most qualified."
Yang Luo cautioned, "Don't ask too much. I've chosen to step aside. As for who gets it, let it be decided by the overall strength of your respective crews—through a fair competition. How does that sound? If anyone disagrees, it just means they lack confidence in their own crew."
Wang Quanshi declared confidently, "I have no problem with that."
He truly was confident. If Yang Luo's crew participated, his confidence would waver, as Yang Luo was currently stronger than him. Moreover, Wang Jue and Ba Ye were both in the top ten of the Bounty List. In terms of overall strength, Yang Luo's crew was indeed superior.
But if they didn't participate, his Azure Dragon Pirates stood the best chance.
Jin Mo agreed, "Fair enough. If the Annihilation Pirates still object, it just proves they're cowards."
Song Ling taunted, "Exactly. It shows they lack confidence."
"Fine, then it's settled. We'll compete for the One King title based on crew strength."
Lin Muxue's expression darkened. This meant only one crew could claim the One King title, while other top-tier crews wouldn't even secure the Four Emperors title or a spot in the top ten of the Pirate Crew List.
But there was nothing she could do. She had been confident that she would defeat Ye Yu in the arena duel half a year later, but now she felt slightly shaken. Could Ye Yu still surpass her by then?
"Hmph, if Ye Yu is this strong, then so be it. It just means more pressure and motivation for me. My goal is clear—within six months, I must awaken the Rumble Rumble Fruit and develop its power to terrifying levels!"
...
Ba Ye and Wang Jue looked displeased, their faces grim. They understood that Yang Luo was so determined to eliminate Ye Yu that he was willing to forfeit the One King title.
Since they now acknowledged Yang Luo as their leader, they had no choice but to comply.
At this point, some pirate crews chose to join the alliance, while others opted out, unwilling to provoke the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. Ye Yu remained as formidable as ever, but they didn't care.
After all, they had no chance at the best opportunities anyway, so it made no difference to them.
Thus, while not many crews joined the alliance, those that did were all top-tier.
Jin Mo asked, "Yang Luo, do you think this is enough? With our original four top crews, plus yours, the Annihilation Pirates, and two others, we now have nine top-tier crews in total."
On paper, this seemed formidable, but Yang Luo wanted absolute certainty with minimal cost.
Yang Luo sighed softly. "One more would be ideal. Let's ask Bai Shaohan if he's made up his mind. And anyone else still considering."
Meanwhile, Hei Jie was urging Bai Shaohan.
"Captain, we should join the alliance. Ye Yu must be eliminated."
Bai Shaohan was still hesitating and turned to the others.
"What do you all think?"
"We think it's unacceptable. Too humiliating."
"That's right, so many people are dealing with the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. Since we have no grudge against them, I think it's better not to get involved."
"I don't think Ye Yu will surpass the Captain later on. We shouldn't participate."
"But if we don't suppress him now, Ye Yu will remain dominant. If the gap stays this wide, it'll be hard for us to become the Pirate King in the future."
"Having Ye Yu this strong isn't bad either. After all, our ultimate enemy is the Marines."
...
(End of Chapter)