Chapter 484: The Thousand-Year Dragon King
While Buggy was screaming, on Mythical Beast Island, Morgans resumed his commentary.
"Dear audience friends, we can now see that the major forces from the front have arrived at Crescent Lake on Mythical Beast Island."
Morgans adjusted the main screen's viewing angle for the live broadcast.
The screen displayed a massive crescent-shaped lake at the edge of Mythical Beast Island.
Its outer curved edge aligned perfectly with the island's perimeter.
Only a stone wall separated the lake from the outside world.
This was where the reverse sea flow originated.
To be precise, it stemmed from the left corner of the lake's two side points.
Several major forces had already reached this location.
Upon arriving, many felt the cool water vapor emanating from the lake.
The air carried a faint scent of sea salt mixed with a refreshing woody aroma.
The light blue lake water was crystal clear.
Within the crescent boundary lay a vast, lush green forest.
From here, various animals could be seen moving through the trees, their calls echoing.
Most notably, a group of turquoise turtles floated lazily on the lake.
Their serene faces seemed to bask in the golden sunlight streaming from the sky.
"Kuwahahaha! I believe everyone can see it." Morgans said.
"The Crescent Lake area of Mythical Beast Island offers a pleasant scene, making it a perfect spot for tourism."
"The area reached by various forces via the reverse sea flow ladder belongs to the territory of the Water Cannon Fish, according to the data."
Morgans' words remained as irritating as ever.
Ordinary people could barely reach this place, let alone tour it.
Everyone was here for the treasures and Mythical Beasts.
However, many had grown accustomed to Morgans' flamboyant style.
They focused more on the information he provided.
"Now, the Contestants face a choice." Morgans said.
"Should they sail forward from the right side to explore deeper, or dock the ship and proceed to land?"
"Sailing allows exploration of the Crescent Lake area, which spans an outer boundary of fifty-eight kilometers."
"Docking and heading to the inner island leads to areas like the Thousand-Year Forest Ridge, Black and Green Poison Swamp, Thunder Marsh, Magma Cave, and more."
After detailing the land boundaries, Morgans paused.
Then he dropped a bombshell.
"Let me announce that the Crescent Moon area holds three treasures guarded by Mythical Beasts."
"If you can defeat the Mythical Beast guarding a treasure, the treasure is yours."
"And the Mythical Beast you defeat will also belong to you."
"As for where the treasures are and what they are? You must find out and claim the answers yourselves!"
Hearing Morgans' passionate words, the people at Crescent Lake remained unmoved.
Most were not driven by wealth.
Except for some excitable individuals at the lower ranks, the leaders remained calm and composed.
This reaction displeased Morgans, who was monitoring the live feed.
So, he decided to share explosive news.
"Kuwahahaha!" Morgans laughed.
"It seems everyone is quite calm, but what I say next will shock you."
"It may be hard to accept, so prepare yourselves mentally."
His chatter left the leaders of the major forces speechless.
Was this birdman stirring trouble?
No matter how prepared they were, they could accept the existence of gods in this world.
What could be more shocking?
"In the Thousand-Year Forest Ridge, not far from Crescent Lake, lives the legendary Thousand-Year Dragon." Morgans revealed.
"They are among the most powerful subspecies of Mythical Beasts on Mythical Beast Island."
"Their leader is the mighty Mythical King-level beast, the Thousand-Year Dragon King, comparable to a Demon King-level demon or an S-level assessed by the Hunter Association."
Morgans coughed slightly and then continued, "Of course, that's not the main point."
"The important thing is…" he said, pausing for effect.
"According to the data, the Thousand-Year Dragon King can bestow a special Mythical Beast protection called the Thousand-Year Blessing."
"The effect is simple."
Morgans looked at the screen with faint excitement, feeling a surge of satisfaction.
He shouted loudly and said, "Yes, I believe some have already guessed it!"
"It grants other beings a lifespan of a thousand years!"
His words sparked an uproar among the listeners.
Some had heard of the Thousand-Year Dragon legend.
According to tales, its bones could be ground into an elixir of immortality.
Whether the legend was true remained unknown.
But Morgans' mention of the Thousand-Year Dragon King's Mythical Beast blessing was clear.
A thousand years of life!
Did that not imply immortality?
The World Government had ruled the sea for only eight hundred years.
Could obtaining the Thousand-Year Dragon King's protection mean living forever?
This possibility ignited fervent gazes among the crowd.
Even those watching the live broadcast worldwide grew restless.
Immortality was a primal desire of all life.
Given the chance, countless would pursue it eagerly.
The potential misfortunes of immortality were not their concern.
"A thousand-year lifespan! It sounds truly tempting!" Morgans exclaimed.
As he finished, a ship bearing the Magic Alliance flag ascended via the reverse sea flow ladder.
Aboard it.
"Na… Na, right, Doffy! It sounds thrilling!"
Beside Doflamingo, Trebol echoed flatteringly.
"Then, how will the big shots decide?" Doflamingo asked, ignoring Trebol's agreement and turning his attention to the ships docked at Crescent Lake's corner.
Morgans had spoken.
Most would likely head to the forest with its many high peaks.
Competition would be fierce.
Doflamingo pondered quietly.
If that experiment succeeded, lifespan might not matter much to him.
The experiment was called Pure Demonic Transformation.
He was not alone with this thought.
Other leaders under the Magic Alliance flag shared similar ideas.
Some time after the Magic Alliance's formation, it had established a foothold in the Demon Pattern Association.
Doflamingo proposed, and most Magic Alliance leaders unanimously approved, a resolution.
This resolution was to create an illegal Demon Pattern Guild for shady transactions and experiments.
Joining the official Demon Pattern Association required cleaning up their image, so someone had to handle the darker tasks.
Thus, the Pure Demon Society was born.
Doflamingo even drew the World Government into the scheme.
Together, they secretly protected this illicit guild.
The reason was the World Government's thrilling Pure Demon Transformation Experiment.
The experiment was straightforward.
It aimed to transform humans or Demon Pattern users into pure demon species.
Pure demons surpassed Demon Pattern users in strength and lifespan, as proven through practice.
Especially in longevity.
Ordinary pure demons reportedly lived for hundreds of years, while Demon King-level ones could live for thousands.
This prospect was exhilarating.
The situation for Demon Pattern users was dire; the more advanced the pattern, the shorter their lifespan.
The human body clashed with demonic power.
Without the Holy Light Potion from the Kingdom of Miracles, which balanced physical spirit and demonic power to some extent, top-tier Demon Pattern users might not survive long.
Even with the potion, their lifespan remained far shorter than ordinary people's.
Under these circumstances, the Pure Demon Society set its ultimate goal: the Pure Demon Transformation Experiment.
For strength and longevity, they were willing to abandon humanity.
(End of this chapter)