Chapter 452: Demon Pattern Guild
The competition was in full swing at the scene.
As time passed, it was not long before the Bear Pirates, who had been far ahead, began to face troubles.
Powerful winds battered their ship, causing it to shake constantly.
Some pirates on board were even blown away by the gusts, disappearing in an instant.
The wind carried them backward.
Whoosh!
The gales roared fiercely.
Creak, creak!
The ship's structure groaned under the strain.
"Hold on tight! Be careful not to get blown away!" Bear Dolinir shouted.
He shielded himself from the wind with one hand and called out loudly to his crew.
But the wind seemed to snatch his voice, leaving only faint echoes.
The pirates scrambled for cover. If their captain was not still outside, they would have fled into the cabins to hide.
None wanted to be the unfortunate soul swept away.
Bear Dolinir had not anticipated such ferocious winds.
With gales this strong, a ship sailing sideways could easily capsize.
"Everyone, stay strong! We are almost there; we will pass soon!"
He knew this because he could see massive whirlpools in the distance ahead.
If his guess was correct, those whirlpools marked the second stage.
But with whirlpools so large, what would happen after breaking through the headwind layer and entering them?
If he were not a Devil Fruit user, he would have less to fear.
At worst, he could seize another ship or swim back to Wilbur Island with his crew.
But as a Devil Fruit user, the sea was his weakness.
This worry lingered in Bear Dolinir's mind briefly before he dismissed it.
In this world, one had to take risks to survive.
Having come this far, how could he retreat?
As Bear Dolinir gritted his teeth, ready to press on, an invisible wind blade, several meters long, formed in the air ahead and slashed erratically.
Whoosh!
The blade sliced through the ship's cabin at an angle, leaving a smooth cut.
Boom!
The severed section slid along the cut and crashed onto the deck.
Bear Dolinir, standing nearby, shuddered as if jolted awake.
If that silent wind blade, masked by the roaring gusts, had struck him, he was unsure if he could have dodged in time.
"Damn it, stay sharp! We are in a dangerous zone!" Bear Dolinir shouted anxiously.
He grabbed a steel shield, held it before him, and coated it with his less-than-proficient Armament Haki.
With this, he felt a sense of security.
'Just a bit longer and we would safely pass this stretch of sea.'
"Guhahaha, dear viewers, we can see the Bear Pirates at the forefront have entered a more perilous area." Morgans announced.
"Invisible wind blades occasionally sweep through there. One misstep, and heads will roll."
"But the Bear Pirates have responded swiftly."
"Oh, oh…" Morgans' voice rose again.
The screen shifted to a ship bearing a blue tornado flag.
"Dear viewers, we can see a ship steadily claiming second place, just behind the Bear Pirates."
"This ship belongs to the Great Tornado of the Demon Pattern Guild."
"The Great Tornado is a renowned guild within the Demon Pattern Guild, specializing in recruiting wind-attribute magic pattern users."
"They have hundreds of official members so far."
"They are highly respected among magic pattern users."
With Morgans' introduction, ordinary viewers gained a basic understanding of the Great Tornado.
Compared to hunters, magic pattern users were more mysterious to the common folk.
After all, far fewer people could wield magic.
Hunters, on the other hand, were abundant and more familiar.
With limited attention, people naturally focused on what they knew.
"Leave professional matters to professionals."
On the Great Tornado's ship, a middle-aged man in a suit with a neatly trimmed beard stood on the deck and said.
He gazed at the Bear Pirates struggling against the wind ahead with a satisfied smile on his face.
The fierce wind did not even ruffle his collar.
Several wind magic patterns on the deck worked together, forming a wind shield that protected the ship from the gales.
This allowed the ship to advance steadily.
The man was Hokubu, the founder of the Demon Pattern Guild's Celestial Dragon Circle.
Unlike the Hunter Association's hunter groups, the Magic Pattern Association was structured around guilds like the Demon Pattern Guild.
Compared to hunters, magic pattern users were somewhat exclusive due to the mental strain of wielding magic.
Most magic pattern users rarely appeared in public.
Hokubu watched the Bear Pirates' ship, swaying and slowing ahead.
'A small pirate crew from North Blue daring to show off? They should go back to drinking milk.' he thought.
He smiled gracefully and said, "Mizuki, send a gift to our guests ahead."
"Yes, President."
A young magic pattern user named Mizuki near Hokubu replied and activated his magic pattern form.
He pointed both hands at the nearing pirate ship.
There was little visible movement.
Yet, a current of air shifted the pirate ship, tilting its bow sideways.
Under the terrifying headwind, the Bear Pirates' ship was blown askew.
"Damn it!" Bear Dolinir cursed as the ship tipped.
Before he could say more, he fell into the sea with a gurgling splash.
As a Zoan Devil Fruit user, he could not swim and sank immediately.
"Ooooh, a contestant has capsized!" Morgans exclaimed.
"What tragic news. Let us mourn for him…" he added, his voice tinged with glee.
His gloating echoed across the vast sea, prompting applause from many ordinary viewers.
Pirates, after all, were not well-loved.
The fact that the Yamata God Orochimaru's Phantom Beast Conference was held on Shiki the Golden Lion's floating Sky Island was overlooked by the masses.
The first volume of the Blazing Sun Sect's Blazing Sun World Record stated: Give to gods what is divine, and to mortals what is mortal.
Some interpreted this to mean that divine actions could not be judged as good or evil.
Gods operated on a different plane from mortals, and their actions should be treated separately.
Many agreed with this view.
After all, a god capable of destroying the world could bring suffering to those who opposed them.
"Hahaha, was it the Demon Pattern Guild? So straightforward!"
On a dog-headed warship, Garp stood with hands on his hips, watching the capsized pirate ship in the distance.
He chuckled heartily, then dug a finger into his nostril.
Beside him stood a man in a Marine uniform with a red hood. He is Rosinante, Doflamingo's younger brother.
Rosinante looked speechless at Garp's unabashed nose-picking.
Noticing Rosinante's expression, Garp grinned boldly and said, "Hahaha, Rosinante boy, are you worried about that Doflamingo kid?"
(End of Chapter)