The salty sea breeze swept over the Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship anchored beside an unnamed reef. Deep within the ship's specially designed Gravity Chamber, the air felt thick as if solidified.
Ye Yu stood bare-chested, sweat pouring down his chiseled muscles that bulged under pressure several times heavier than normal. Each punch and squat tore through the air with a low whistle.
"Hah..." Ye Yu slowly regulated his breathing, feeling the soreness in his muscles and the surging power within.
Information about Mist Island swirled in his mind—the eerie mist and the complete annihilation of previous pirate crews all pointed to extraordinary danger.
"An unknown enemy, strange mist... I do need to be more cautious. It's better to improve my strength first and gather intel before setting out," Ye Yu calculated silently.
Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar filled with inhuman screeches exploded over the harbor like thunder:
"YE YU!!! COME OUT!!!"
The voice carried overwhelming command and undisguised bloodlust, instantly shattering the island's tranquility and sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky.
Some crew members were procuring supplies in town, while others remained on guard duty.
At the bow of the ship, Xiao Ke, Xia Ling, and Sun Long stood side by side, their expressions grave as they faced the threat.
Opposite them, the sea churned violently as a massive, grotesque figure emerged halfway from the water—the Three-Headed Serpent Beast described in the intelligence reports!
Three enormous snake heads rose high, their cold vertical pupils locked onto the Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship. Crimson forked tongues flickered menacingly, and venom dripped into the sea, sizzling as it corroded the surface.
"Filthy beast! What are you howling about in front of our ship?" Xiao Ke's gaze was sharp as an eagle's, his loaded rifle steadily aimed at the central head spewing poison mist.
"What do I want?" The middle head let out a grating, nauseatingly triumphant laugh. "I'm here to collect your captain, Ye Yu! He's the most delicious bounty prize! Perfect to bring back for our slumbering King to feast upon! Once the King devours him, he'll awaken sooner and grant me supreme glory! Hahahaha!"
"Delusional!" Xia Ling's voice was icy as frost spread beneath her feet, instantly freezing a combat zone on the sea's surface. "A monster like you dares covet our captain?"
Sun Long's three blades gleamed as he unsheathed them, radiating killing intent. "If you want our captain, you'll have to get through my swords first!"
"Hmph! Foolish mortals!" The three-headed serpent hissed furiously, all three heads attacking simultaneously! The left spewed emerald-green poison mist, reeking of decay; the right shot out a bone-chilling Rapid Freezing Ray; while the middle head condensed a blazing fireball that crashed toward the deck!
The three vice-captains were prepared, instantly unleashing their formidable combat prowess.
Xiao Ke darted like a phantom, evading the poison mist as his rifle roared! A bullet coated in supreme Armament Haki shattered the Rapid Freezing Ray midair, sending icy shards scattering with biting cold energy.
Xia Ling pressed her palms forward, summoning a massive curved ice wall that intercepted the incoming fireball! The collision of ice and flame erupted in deafening explosions and billowing steam.
Sun Long roared like a tiger unleashed from its cage, "Three-Sword Style: Black Rope Great Tornado!"
A violent tornado of sword energy erupted from the ground, not only dispersing the remnants of the poison mist but also tearing through everything in its path as it slashed fiercely toward the massive body of the three-headed serpent!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A barrage of slashes rained down on the serpent's body, covered in hard scales, producing sharp metallic clashes and sparks. Though they failed to breach its core defense, the attacks still shattered numerous smaller scales, leaving behind white marks. The sheer impact sent the enormous serpent reeling violently in the seawater!
Hiss!
All three heads of the serpent let out pained hisses, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"How is this possible?! A mere subordinate has such strength?!"
It had assumed it could easily crush these insignificant pests and force Ye Yu to show himself. Yet, just three vice-captains working together had already made things difficult for it—even inflicting minor injuries!
The strength of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew far exceeded its expectations! This only intensified its burning desire to devour Ye Yu.
However, faced with the increasingly fierce counterattacks from the three vice-captains, the three-headed serpent realized brute force wouldn't work—it might even end up getting itself killed.
If this continued, it would lose to these three.
Xiao Ke and the others were equally shaken. If even a subordinate of Mist Island was this powerful, requiring all three of them to fight together, then the island's strength was far more terrifying than they had imagined.
The serpent's massive tail suddenly slammed into the sea, sending up towering waves that momentarily forced back Sun Long's slashes. Its three heads swiftly retracted, adopting a defensive stance, its eyes gleaming with cunning and malice.
"Stop!" it shrieked, its voice laced with threat.
"Let me leave! Otherwise, you will face unimaginable calamity!"
Xiao Ke slightly raised his gun, his voice icy. "Now that you can't win, you want to run? And you dare threaten us?"
"Threaten?" The serpent's middle head let out a grating laugh, dripping with condescension.
"This is a warning! I am the vanguard general under the Mist Lord! If I die here, my entire kin will swarm out in full force and slaughter every last one of you in the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew!"
It deliberately paused, letting fear sink in, then dropped a horrifying number that would make anyone pale.
"Let me make this clear—the warriors of my kin, now awakened from slumber, possess a combined combat strength equivalent to one hundred times the likes of you three vice-captains!"
"One hundred times?!"
Even with their iron wills, Xiao Ke and the others couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
Sun Long's grip on his sword tightened slightly. Three hundred warriors at the level of Xiao Ke, Xia Ling, and Sun Long?! What kind of nightmare was that?
Even someone as formidable as Ye Yu couldn't possibly take on such a terrifying legion alone! If war broke out, even if the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew managed to destroy Mist Island, they would suffer unbearable, catastrophic losses.
They believed that Ye Yu, fighting three hundred of them alone, would be impossible to defeat. Even if his transcendent strength was terrifying, it hadn't reached that level yet.
The deck fell deathly silent, save for the howling sea wind.
The crew members wore grave expressions, their faces betraying a trace of unease they couldn't hide.
This threat was too heavy.
For the survival of the entire pirate crew, it seemed they had no choice but to endure for now and let this arrogant monster leave?
Wait until they grew stronger, then settle the score with Mist Island?
The three-headed serpent keenly sensed the hesitation in their demeanor and the doubt in their eyes. Its grotesque, hideous face twisted into an unnervingly human expression of smugness and mockery.
"Scared now, are you? Hahaha!"
All three of its heads laughed wildly, tongues flickering in derision. "This is reality! You can only watch as I leave! I come and go as I please! Remember—your Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, even that so-called top bounty Ye Yu, are nothing but food for our King's revival! I'll spare you today, but once the King awakens, I'll be back for Ye Yu's life!"
(End of Chapter)