Jin Mo looked at the city in the distance with its swirling purple-black vortex in the sky and shook his head disdainfully. "What's the point of this countdown? No one will participate. It's just a death sentence."
Song Ling nodded. "It's indeed meaningless. Who would risk their life for a city? Even if one of them were my territory, I wouldn't participate."
All the top prodigies believed that no one would choose to participate, making such a foolish decision.
However, the people in the ten cities still clung to a sliver of hope, yearning to hear that someone had chosen to participate.
At this moment, the Empress Pirates were sailing on the vast sea.
Liu Huangyi stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the city in the distance with its swirling purple-black vortex.
Her presence overshadowed everything around her, as if all the beauty in the world had converged upon her.
Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, her crimson lips adorned with pink lipstick today, making it hard for anyone to resist the urge to kiss them.
She wore a white qipao that perfectly accentuated her flawless figure. Her slender waist was as if it could be held with a single hand, and her curves were like towering mountains, impossible to look away from. The collar of the qipao was slightly open, revealing her fair, jade-like neck and delicate collarbone.
Her long, straight legs were encased in white stockings, faintly visible and utterly alluring.
Standing at the bow, the sea breeze gently lifted her hair and the hem of her qipao, making her look like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting. Her eyes exuded a noble yet cold aura, as if nothing in the world could capture her attention.
Her beauty wasn't just skin-deep; it was a radiance that emanated from within. Her nobility, cold elegance, and confidence made her the goddess in the hearts of countless people. Anyone who laid eyes on her would be captivated by her beauty, unable to look away. Combined with her Devil Fruit ability, she possessed an overwhelmingly powerful strength.
Yet, even she wouldn't choose to participate. The level gap was too vast, and it would be difficult to petrify. But then, she thought of someone.
"Ye Yu, would you choose to participate?"
Though she thought this, Liu Huangyi believed that even Ye Yu, the only person she admired, wouldn't choose to participate.
...
At this moment, Lin Muxue's gaze was fixed intently on Ye Yu. She observed his expression, thinking to herself, "Although I don't think Ye Yu would be foolish enough to participate, there seems to be a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Could it be...?"
A faint, cold smile appeared on Lin Muxue's lips as she silently prayed, "Ye Yu, participate. Though it's unlikely, haven't you always been the one to break the impossible?"
Li Cang sighed. "Though I'd also like Ye Yu to choose to participate, it's unlikely. It's just too difficult. The purple-black Mystic Realm—he can't handle it alone right now."
Lin Muxue understood that Ye Yu would most likely not choose to participate.
As the countdown drew closer, when it reached two, Ye Yu's eyes turned resolute, and he suddenly declared in a firm voice:
"I choose to participate!"
These words exploded like a bombshell within the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, and the faces of all the crew members instantly changed in shock!
As the countdown ended, a message echoed across the world:
"For this Mystic Realm, only one person has chosen to participate. The participant is the Captain of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew: Ye Yu, who has chosen Taiyuan City."
"!!!!!!"
In an instant, the entire world fell into silence, and everyone was in disbelief.
Jin Mo and the others exchanged glances, their faces filled with astonishment. They never expected that Ye Yu would choose to participate.
Jin Mo exclaimed in shock, "Ye Yu is actually participating? Does he have a death wish?"
Song Ling sneered, "He's strong, but there's no way he can pass."
Ye Ming expressed slight concern, "What if he does pass? His level would definitely increase significantly, especially since it all belongs to him alone."
Song Ling scoffed, "Are you an idiot? Even he couldn't possibly clear the Purple-Black Mystic Realm alone."
Ye Ming thought it over carefully and realized it was indeed impossible. Although there were still three days left, three days wouldn't be enough for Ye Yu to significantly improve his strength.
After the initial shock, their faces all showed a sense of schadenfreude.
"Hahaha, great! Ye Yu chose to participate, so let him die under the feet of the Giants."
Wang Quanshi crossed his arms, exuding extreme confidence, and snorted coldly, "I don't want him to die just like that. I'm waiting to defeat him one-on-one after reaching level 30, to redeem myself and become the new strongest in single combat, the ultimate being on land, sea, and air. Otherwise, I'll always feel frustrated."
Jin Mo also snorted, "I don't want him to die so easily either. Dying under the Giants' feet would be too merciful for him."
...
At this moment, Bai Shaohan frowned in surprise, "He actually chose to participate, making us who didn't join look bad."
Hei Jie mocked, "He's clinging to his pride and suffering for it. We're the wise ones."
Meanwhile, in the nine cities outside of Taiyuan City, everyone was plunged into despair.
"Wuwuwu, if only our city were under the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's territory."
"It's completely over."
"Azure Dragon Pirates! Give us back our protection fees! We don't want to be under the strongest pirate crew anymore! Our city wants to become part of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's territory!"
"Flying Pirates, you said we'd be safe under your territory, but now you're just abandoning us."
...
They collapsed to the ground, crying and shouting in helpless anger.
In Taiyuan City, everyone was cheering excitedly.
"Ye Yu is mighty!"
"Thank you, Ye Yu! You've given us hope!"
"As expected of Ye Yu, he's truly different. While the top pirate crews chose to abandon their territories, Ye Yu didn't. He's truly the Captain of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew! He said he'd protect us, and he really did. He's so trustworthy; our protection fees weren't wasted."
...
Although they knew deep down that even Ye Yu would have a hard time defeating the Giants, his choice gave them hope. Perhaps Ye Yu could buy them some time, or even injure the Giants, increasing their chances of survival.
For a moment, people around the world held the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew in even higher regard, while looking down on the other top pirate crews that had abandoned their territories.
"If Ye Yu can come out alive, our city will also become part of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's territory."
"Me too. Ye Yu's participation must be partly because Taiyuan City is his own territory."
"He chose to step up even in the face of danger."
...
At this moment, on the Dominant Feather Pirate ship, Xia Ling and the others looked shocked and extremely grave.
"Captain, why did you choose to participate? It's too dangerous."
"Yes, Captain, even for you, it's hard to pass."
Everyone looked worried, shocked, and confused.
Zhang Tian anxiously asked, "Can you back out now?"
Ye Yu shook his head, "No, once you've participated, you can't stop."
The crew members' faces grew even more grave and concerned.
Lin Muxue covered her mouth and chuckled softly, not daring to laugh too loudly for fear of being overheard by Ye Yu. In her heart, she was cheering:
"Hahaha! Wonderful! Ye Yu actually chose to participate! Excellent, excellent!"
She was thoroughly delighted, having hoped all along that Ye Yu would join in, though she had thought it unlikely he would be so foolish. Yet, to her surprise, he had indeed decided to take part.
Li Cang was also pleased, thinking to himself, "As expected of you, it's good that you're participating. You've made us suffer so much during this time, so now it's your turn to face some hardship. When the time comes, someone will surely start a live stream, and we'll get to witness Ye Yu's misery."
The twenty slaves all felt a sense of satisfaction at that moment. They had been tormented by Ye Yu for far too long during this period.
Zhang Tian was on the verge of tears, her voice trembling as she said, "I really want to help the Captain. When the time comes, we'll attack the barrier with all our might and see if we can break through?"
Ye Yu shook his head, looking at Zhang Tian and then at the other crew members who wore worried expressions. He smiled reassuringly and comforted them:
"Everyone, don't worry. Even if it's difficult to get through, we can hold out for three hours. Protecting ourselves won't be a problem. I won't let myself die."