And just like that, the Kamui Pirates had gained another member —
A powerful psychic known as Tornado of Terror, whose powers could shake the heavens.
It didn't take long for everyone on the ship to get used to the new addition.
In the days that followed, the Angel of Redemption, the Kamui Pirates' silver-winged ship, sailed smoothly through the waters of the New World.
A full month passed without any major incidents.
Along the way, they encountered several other pirate crews —
Except for one unfortunate group of fools who lacked common sense. Their ship was annihilated by Tornado alone.
The rest, upon recognizing the Kamui Pirates' iconic blindfolded skull-and-wings flag from a distance, turned tail and fled.
After all, the Kamui Pirates' reputation had grown considerably in the New World.
Everyone knew that anyone flying that flag had a bounty of over 100 million at the very least.
Only brain-dead pirates would still pick a fight with such a crew — as if their teeth could bite steel.
No one wanted their pirate career to end in an instant.
Aside from those encounters, the Kamui Pirates also discovered a small, obscure kingdom during their voyage.
Naturally, Kronos didn't let it slip by.
He raised the flag of the Kamui Pirates there, instantly claiming it as part of his territory.
+5,000 Prestige earned.
Though the reward was far less than what he received for taking the Kingdom of Bliss or Fish-Man Island, Kronos assumed it was because the kingdom was just too small to warrant a large reward.
But he didn't complain —
Even if it's a mosquito, it's still meat.
Prestige was prestige. And territory meant power.
Besides the direct reward, a slow trickle of prestige continued to build.
Kronos figured it was thanks to his growing infamy —
With news and intel about him spreading worldwide, even small rumors fueled the system.
[Prestige: 36,890]
Glancing at his current value, Kronos shook his head.
Though the points were still rising slowly, he was still far off from the next summon threshold.
At this rate, it was hard to say when he'd be able to recruit another new member.
But for now, there was only one way forward —
Expand his territory, and prestige would follow.
Meanwhile, in a tavern in the Kingdom of Fagor, several drunkards sat huddled around a table, gulping wine and eating side dishes as they chatted about recent news.
"Hiccup! Did you hear? That big pirate Kronos, captain of the Kamui Pirates, just took over another country!"
"For real? Those guys aren't good news at all!"
"Right? Wasn't there a report that they turned Fish-Man Island into a bloody forest of heads?"
"And the Kingdom of Brisbane! That was a World Government member nation! Even they couldn't escape Kronos! I heard a ton of people died!"
"Yeah, yeah! I heard the same! And the World Government didn't even dare to let out a squeak!"
The drunkards laughed and cursed in turns, slamming their cups down as they ranted.
"Hahaha! Those cowardly dogs in the World Government! Their own country was attacked and they didn't lift a finger!"
"After all, Kronos is terrifying. Every single one of his crew has a bounty over 100 million!"
"They call him the 'Fifth Emperor of the Sea' now — and it's no joke!"
"Thankfully, he probably won't bother with small places like ours. Maybe our kingdom will stay peaceful."
Their table reeked of alcohol as their conversation dragged on.
At the table next to them, a man with spiky hair suddenly turned and joined in.
"Hey! You've got that wrong! I've heard that these guys don't care if a kingdom is big or small!"
"If Kronos sets his sights on you, you're doomed no matter how insignificant your country is!"
One of the original men laughed.
"C'mon, the sea is huge! What are the odds he'd randomly find us?"
"You never know…" the spiky-haired man muttered, his tone ominous.
The tavern remained lively, unaware of what loomed just beyond the horizon.
Far off the coast of the Fagor Kingdom, a massive silver ship with a blindfolded skull and wings suddenly emerged on the sea.
The guards stationed at the coastal lookout tower were the first to spot it.
Grabbing their monoculars, they focused on the mysterious ship.
They immediately noticed the unique double-winged skull on its sail — a clear indication that this was a pirate ship.
One soldier frowned. The symbol looked oddly familiar.
He reached for the Den Den Mushi to alert command, when a sudden gust of wind blew an old newspaper off the table.
The soldier glanced down — and froze.
Printed on the cover was the exact same blindfolded winged skull he had just seen on the ship.
"Hello? Post 3? What's going on over there?"
The Den Den Mushi crackled as a voice from HQ demanded a report.
The soldier's eyes widened in terror as full realization dawned.
That wasn't just any pirate ship…
It was the Kamui Pirates' ship!
"S-Sir! A pirate ship has appeared on the horizon! It's them! It's the Kamui Pirates!"
"What?! Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"Positive! It's really them! The Kamui Pirates have appeared in our coastal waters!"
Within minutes, the news reached the palace.
In the royal hall of the Kingdom of Fagor, the king and his advisors had already assembled in emergency.
The hall was buzzing with panic.
"The Kamui Pirates?!"
"Why would they come here?!"
"What should we do?!"
"Should we prepare for battle?!"
"Are you crazy? That's suicide! We can't take them on!"
Chaos filled the hall as generals and ministers argued and panicked.
Seated at the throne, King Fagor looked pale, cold sweat on his brow.
He too had heard the horrifying rumors —
The kingdoms that fell to the Kamui Pirates didn't just lose their flags… they lost their kings.
And now, they were here.
But King Fagor wasn't ready to surrender.
He clenched the arms of his throne tightly, thinking hard in the chaos.
After a few minutes, he took a deep breath. His expression steadied.
He had a plan.
Slamming his palm against the throne's armrest, the entire hall went silent.
"Everyone! I have an idea!"
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