At this moment, with the sea lion dealt with, many pirate crews had gathered near the Black Mystic Realm, learning of its rewards.
Every crew that discovered them was shocked and ecstatic.
"The rewards are incredible—the best since the anomaly began!"
"It's not experience points, but actually..."
"We must obtain them!"
...
However, Lu Fei, who had entered not long ago, emerged covered in wounds, looking relieved.
"I almost died in there. The Black Mystic Realm is terrifying."
This stunned the others, who quickly recognized him.
"That's Lu Fei, the Gum-Gum Fruit Ability User."
"I know him. It's mainly because of the Gum-Gum Fruit. After the anomaly started, many Chosen Ones tried to contract it, but all failed."
"Right. We thought the Gum-Gum Fruit was weak, but if even those Chosen Ones couldn't contract it, it must be special."
"Now it's clear—it really is extraordinary. Lu Fei is incredibly strong, especially with his combat techniques. He's developed the Gum-Gum Fruit's potential brilliantly."
"To be precise, among pirates, he's the one who's mastered the Gum-Gum Fruit best."
"I've heard about his abilities—Second Gear, Third Gear, and Fourth Gear. Second Gear covers his body in steam, turns his skin red, and boosts his speed and strength. Third Gear lets him enlarge any part of his body. Fourth Gear is even stronger, transforming him completely."
"If even someone as strong as him failed—and he said he nearly died—then it must be extremely difficult. Should we even go in?"
...
For a moment, many hesitated.
"This is our chance. While the top pirate crews are still inside, we might have a shot."
Just then, Lu Fei warned them gravely.
"You really shouldn't enter. It's too dangerous."
"Hmph, just because you failed, you don't want us to succeed?"
Lu Fei insisted, "This is the Black Mystic Realm—the first pure Black Mystic Realm. The Violet-Black Secret Realm before this was already so difficult that even Ye Yu almost died. This one has no trace of violet light at all. I'm warning you—you can't exit anytime you want. I barely made it out alive. The choice is yours."
With that, Lu Fei left, leaving the others exchanging uneasy glances.
Some walked away, deciding the rewards weren't worth the risk.
Others, however, were tempted to try—the rewards were simply too good.
But soon after they entered, the realm reopened, signaling that new entrants could enter—meaning those inside had died.
Death or exit allowed new challengers in.
Yet, as more entered, none returned. They all perished inside. Those waiting outside grew too afraid to proceed.
For now, the realm remained unconquered.
Lu Fei sighed softly. "Perhaps this time, Ye Yu is still the most likely to succeed. If that happens, some of the top Chosen Ones won't be able to sit still."
...
Meanwhile, the final battle of the pirate crew war—the fight for One King—was about to begin.
Countdown: ten seconds.
Jin Mo and the others were eager, sneering coldly.
"Finally, it's time."
"Too bad they can surrender. Otherwise, we could've finished Ye Yu inside."
"As long as he doesn't surrender at the start, we'll go all out immediately, crippling Ye Yu and the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew as fast as possible. Then, once we're out, we'll strike while they're still wounded."
Yang Luo reminded them, "We must do this. The main objective this time is to eliminate Ye Yu. The title of One King is secondary. With Ye Yu around, it's nearly impossible to secure the best rewards. So once it begins, hold nothing back."
"Understood."
By now, they had already formed their battle formation within the space.
The size of this space was roughly equivalent to the combat sea area. Once inside, their formation and positioning would mirror their current arrangement.
At the rear were the weaker low-ranking crew members and some of the regular crew, separated by an empty buffer zone. At the very front stood Jin Mo and the other twelve top-tier Chosen One captains.
Behind them were the Executives, followed by ninety thousand Combat Crew members.
Their confidence was overwhelming.
Jin Mo sneered, "This battle, we are guaranteed victory. Just the number of our Combat Crew alone surpasses the entire crew count of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. Their total combat force is only fifty thousand, with ninety percent being low-ranking crew. Even if their recruitment standards are high, most of their low-ranking members can't compare to our Combat Crew. In terms of overall strength, we completely overpower them."
"With this advantage, we can allocate more forces to deal with Ye Yu. As soon as the battle begins, our top-tier fighters will focus all their efforts on attacking Ye Yu. The thirteen of us captains, along with all the Executives from our crews, will surround him. Even if Ye Yu's combat power is unmatched, with his 1.8 billion Bounty Money, he'll be severely wounded in no time."
"This level of combat power far surpasses what we had during the last alliance of four Pirate Crews."
Song Ling declared confidently, "Exactly. This time, not only will they be at a disadvantage in other aspects of the battle, but Ye Yu himself will also be overwhelmed. No one will be able to come to his aid—they'll be too busy trying to survive."
"It's about to begin."
In the next instant, the scene shifted as both Pirate Crews materialized in the combat sea area.
The sea was eerily calm, a silence so heavy it felt like the prelude to a storm.
Once they appeared, Jin Mo and the others stood aboard the flagship. The thirteen top-tier Chosen Ones and two hundred Executives gathered together.
Jin Mo taunted, "Ye Yu, you won't chicken out and surrender immediately, will you?"
Ye Yu responded with a cold smile, "Save your provocations. I already told you—this time, I'll kill at least six of you captains."
His words drew mocking laughter from Jin Mo and the others.
"Hah! Have you even seen our forces this time? Last time, you managed to kill some of our Executives and strong Combat Crew, but this time? Impossible! Forget killing us—you won't even be able to take down our Executives."
Ye Yu's words were an insult, a blatant dismissal of their strength. Even though it was their first encounter, Bai Shaohan, Ba Ye, and the others seethed with anger, their hostility intensifying.
Meanwhile, no one dared to enter the Black Mystic Realm anymore. All eyes were once again fixed on this battle, watching the unfolding scene within the Mystic Realm.
"It's about to start."
"The gap in strength is too vast."
"True. Without Ye Yu, they'd surely lose."
"Even with Ye Yu, they'll lose this time. The overall combat disparity is too great—this is thirteen top-tier Pirate Crews. The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, with Ye Yu, might at best match the combined strength of seven top-tier crews."
"About right. The total Bounty Money of seven top-tier crews is roughly equal to theirs."
"Don't forget one thing—Ye Yu's Conqueror's Haki. In a large-scale naval battle like this, it's the deadliest weapon."
"They're aware. That's why so many of their weaker members are positioned at the very back."
"I still think Ye Yu is doomed to lose."
...
No more discussion, just watch closely. It would soon be clear—this battle wouldn't be drawn out but rather a one-sided affair.
Ye Yu spoke coldly, his voice dripping with killing intent.
"Through this battle, I will deliver an even greater shock. Time and again, your so-called Chosen Ones have sought to eliminate me, to provoke me. This time, I will make you utterly wary, make you too afraid to unite or even entertain thoughts of targeting me again. I will make you tremble. This battle—it's killing the chicken to scare the monkeys!"
(End of Chapter)