Jin Mo and the others peered through their telescopes toward the rear, their expressions instantly shifting drastically.
They saw that all the pirates at the back had collapsed—none remained standing, all unconscious.
Soon, they realized it wasn't just unconsciousness. Many had died on the spot, bleeding from all seven orifices, their lives extinguished by the shockwave. The sub-ships at the rear, far more fragile compared to the vessels here, were now riddled with dense cracks, water seeping in as they slowly sank.
After sensing with Observation Haki, their expressions turned grave. Among them, Yang Luo possessed the strongest Observation Haki, and what he perceived left him utterly shaken.
"The death toll… is around seventy thousand!"
"What?!"
At these words, Jin Mo and the others froze in shock, their faces paling.
The rest of the crew was equally stunned, unable to believe it. Seventy thousand—this wasn't a small number. How could they have died in an instant? They had been fine just moments ago.
"Yang Luo, are you sure?"
"Positive."
Yang Luo's expression was heavy, his shock beyond measure.
Jin Mo's face darkened to the extreme. "His Conqueror's Haki… has grown even stronger. Far beyond what we anticipated. And this was after we countered part of Ye Yu's Conqueror's Haki with our full power. If we hadn't, wouldn't the casualties have been even greater? Perhaps… a million dead."
The thought sent a deeper tremor through them. A single burst of Conqueror's Haki wiping out a million lives—what kind of concept was that? It was terrifying, especially in large-scale warfare. It was nothing short of a weapon of mass destruction.
They had assumed that, after their counter, at most the weaker crew members would faint, not die, while the stronger ones at the rear would remain conscious. But reality had proven far worse.
The world's spectators saw it most clearly, their jaws dropping in unison. In that moment, Ye Yu's terror became undeniable, sending shivers down the spines of many pirate crews—especially the weaker ones.
"This is horrifying…"
"The sheer destructive force of that Conqueror's Haki is unreal. It directly killed seventy thousand and shattered every sub-ship at the rear, sinking them all."
"If it can kill people, ships are nothing."
"Ye Yu cannot be provoked. Especially not by small fry. No matter how many there are, a single burst of his Conqueror's Haki would wipe them out instantly."
"As his level rises, Ye Yu shows no signs of weakening in any aspect. If anything, he's only growing more dominant."
"Can the King's Alliance even win this battle? They just lost seventy thousand in an instant."
"They can. Even without the million at the rear, the King's Alliance's overall strength still far surpasses the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew."
…
After the initial shock, Jin Mo and the others didn't dwell too much on the losses.
After all, cannon fodder was plentiful. Still, losing so much combat power was a heavy blow, especially in large-scale battles where numbers mattered—as long as Ye Yu wasn't involved.
Only in the later stages would numbers become irrelevant, when even they could knock out tens of thousands or more with their own Conqueror's Haki. They understood that in the end, numbers meant little, but for now, they still had value.
Jin Mo consoled himself. "Well, this might be for the best. Taking first place means more experience to distribute."
Yang Luo shook his head. "Not by much. The lower-ranked crew members never got much to begin with."
…
At this moment, Lin Muxue's expression was grim. Every time she witnessed Ye Yu's terror, regret would involuntarily surge in her heart. Such overwhelming power—how could she not regret kicking him off the ship back then? But she couldn't let it show.
On the battlefield, even some of the official crew members were feeling dizzy, shaken by the impact.
"I never expected Conqueror's Haki to affect even me. I'm a fairly strong official crew member, after all."
"If it's this terrifying now, will I—a combat crew member—pass out by the later stages? And I'm considered a genius, too."
"Maybe. That's why we must win this battle."
...
Before, they would have thought it impossible—Conqueror's Haki knocking out geniuses in the later stages?
But now, they believed it was possible.
However, in this world, they were certain they could achieve it eventually. After all, among Pirates, even Red Hair could knock out Vice Admiral Momonga—an elite vice admiral—with his Conqueror's Haki. Let alone their own. With multiple users amplifying its power, by the later stages, their Conqueror's Haki might even surpass Joy Boy's.
Though the rear crew had all collapsed, with seven hundred thousand dead, the King's Alliance's morale remained high, their determination unshaken. The official crew, combat crew, and lower-ranked Executives charged densely across the ice toward the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
But when Ye Yu unleashed his Conqueror's Haki earlier, many official crew members were affected. Though they didn't faint, they were left disoriented—even if only briefly. In a battlefield like this, that was fatal.
Their steps faltered, heads spinning. The once-orderly charge instantly fell into chaos. Some even dropped to one knee, clutching their heads, trying to resist the overwhelming mental assault.
In that split second of dizziness among the King's Alliance crew, the two Executives of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew—who had contracted with the Giants Dory and Brogy—sprang into action.
They dashed in front of the disoriented crew, standing shoulder to shoulder, their presence erupting like towering, unshakable mountains.
Exchanging a glance, they gathered immense power, raising their swords as their voices boomed in unison:
"Dominion Country!"
With that roar, their blades swung forward, unleashing a devastating shockwave.
The sheer force of this technique—Dominion Country—was horrifying. The razor-sharp gales sliced through the air like blades.
Witnesses on the battlefield gaped in shock.
This was the same fearsome move Ye Yu had used multiple times before. How could others know it?
The shockwave, carrying boundless power, crashed into the King's Alliance crew. Those still dazed had no time to defend. By the time they regained their senses, it was too late. They prayed it wasn't Ye Yu's attack, hoping it wouldn't be as strong—but when it struck, agonized screams erupted.
Scores of official crew members were sent flying. Some died instantly, their bodies flung like broken kites across the ice. Others were grievously wounded, writhing and moaning in pain. Blood gushed from their wounds, staining the pristine ice in shocking crimson—a gruesome, glaring sight.
The battle had barely begun, yet the King's Alliance had already suffered heavy losses, dealt a brutal blow.
The outside world trembled.
"The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew has gained two more powerful Executives."
"They must have inherited the formidable strength of the Giants, as Dominion Country is a technique from the Giant Kingdom."
"Though it can't compare to Ye Yu's Dominion Country, they were only facing regular crew members, so the damage inflicted was significant."
"Quite a few casualties..."
...
Members of the King's Alliance were shaken, while those from the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew cheered.
"Well done."
"Brilliant."
...
Jin Mo frowned tightly, feeling the sting of loss. Losing many regular crew members would be a serious blow. They aimed for victory in this battle, and at a minimal cost—yet the price was already steep right from the start.
(End of Chapter)