The news of Yang Luo's Pirate Crew's annihilation was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly sending shockwaves across the world.
When Lin Muxue, Wang Quanshi, Song Ling, and others confirmed Yang Luo's death through their respective channels—along with the footage of his once-ambitious and powerful Pirate Ship sinking into the depths—an indescribable chill gripped them.
"Yang Luo… is dead…" Song Ling's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor, her grip on the wine glass nearly shattering it.
That sinister, ruthless man, always scheming with poison in his heart, had been personally erased by Ye Yu—and after an earth-shattering battle with the Snake King, no less.
Wang Quanshi's face turned ashen, his fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
He recalled Ye Yu's bone-chilling declaration—"After this, I, Ye Yu, will kill Yang Luo without fail! I will annihilate Yang Luo's Pirate Crew!" At the time, he had dismissed it as mere intimidation. Now, it had become a death sentence.
Ye Yu had kept his word—and in a manner as unstoppable as a thunderbolt, crushing everything in its path. That strength, that world-defying resolve, filled Wang Quanshi with unprecedented fear.
"What about the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew… their casualties?" Lin Muxue forced herself to remain composed, though the flicker of terror in her eyes was unmistakable.
Her greatest concern was Ye Yu's condition. The sheer horror of the Snake King's final Blood Sacrifice Form had been palpable even from a distance. Could Ye Yu have truly slain such a monster without suffering fatal injuries?
"Their core combat strength seems largely intact!" The intelligence officer's voice was laced with disbelief. "Ye Yu himself appears exhausted, but there are no signs of life-threatening wounds! The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's Executives are all still alive… They… they're sweeping the battlefield now, their morale soaring!"
"How is that possible?!" Lin Muxue exclaimed. She had assumed the Snake King would at least wipe out half of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's elite forces, leaving Ye Yu with grievous wounds. Instead, after such a brutal battle, their core structure remained intact—and they had effortlessly crushed Yang Luo's Pirate Crew immediately after! This wasn't just "powerful"—it was downright terrifying!
A cold wave of relief, mixed with deeper dread, spread through their hearts.
"Thank goodness… thank goodness it was that lunatic Yang Luo who spearheaded the sacrifice plan…" Song Ling muttered, her back drenched in cold sweat. She realized with crystal clarity that Ye Yu's towering rage and killing intent had been almost entirely focused on Yang Luo.
Had Yang Luo not gone mad, feeding his own crew to the Snake King and accelerating the disaster—thus drawing Ye Yu's full wrath—then the one being hunted down and facing annihilation now could have been any one of them.
"Immediately! Notify all ships!" Wang Quanshi suddenly stood, his voice hoarse but commanding. "Stay far away from these waters! Avoid any routes the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew might take! Head for the most remote, desolate seas! Lie low! Focus on building strength! Until we're absolutely certain, no one is to provoke Ye Yu again!"
"Right! Stay away! We must stay away!" The other surviving alliance captains hastily chimed in, their faces etched with post-catastrophe fear.
Ye Yu had proven through action that any conspiracy targeting him or the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew would inevitably meet with devastating retaliation. Yang Luo's fate stood as a stark warning!
Alliances? Encirclement campaigns? Before Ye Yu's absolute power and the terrifying cohesion of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, these were merely catalysts accelerating their demise.
Lin Muxue pressed her lips tightly together as she watched Ye Yu's figure on the screen—weary yet still standing tall like a pine tree. Her emotions churned violently within her. The fear was real, yet the deeply ingrained arrogance and unwillingness to concede hadn't been extinguished. Her fists clenched until her knuckles turned white as she silently screamed in her heart:
'Ye Yu... you've won this round, but don't celebrate too soon! The power of the Rumble Rumble Fruit is far from its limit! Wait until my Awakening... wait until I fully master the might of Thunderclap... I, Lin Muxue, will repay today's fear a hundredfold! When that time comes, I'll personally crush you and prove who the true chosen one is!'
Yet beneath this determination lay a trace of doubt even she hadn't fully recognized.
Facing someone who could continuously create miracles—slaying the terrifying Snake King in desperate circumstances before effortlessly eradicating Yang Luo—could the Awakening of the Rumble Rumble Fruit truly bridge that seemingly bottomless chasm?
Aboard the Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship, the grim atmosphere hadn't completely dissipated, but the exhilaration of victory mingled with mourning for fallen comrades. The crew worked silently and efficiently on post-battle tasks: collecting the bodies of the sacrificed, treating the wounded, repairing ship damage, and clearing the battlefield of remaining snake corpses and debris.
Ye Yu stood at the bow, the sea breeze ruffling his bloodstained clothes. Having personally executed Yang Luo and watched that treacherous enemy sink into the ocean with endless fear and regret, the smoldering anger in his heart had mostly dissipated.
His gaze swept over the battered yet still high-spirited crew, lingering on the exhausted but resolute faces of vice-captains Xia Ling, Xiao Ke, Sun Long, and Zhao Yan'er, before finally settling on the distant Mist Island.
"Captain, the remnants of Yang Luo's pirate crew have been eliminated, and we're inventorying the spoils," Xiao Ke reported hoarsely as he approached.
Ye Yu nodded. "Good work. Give our fallen brothers... proper burials. Double the compensation for their families."
"Yes, sir!" Xiao Ke responded solemnly.
"Captain, your injuries..." Xia Ling stepped forward, her eyes filled with concern.
Ye Yu flexed his muscles. Though deep aches pulsed through his bones and muscles and his energy felt depleted, it was nothing serious. "It's fine. Just overexertion. A few days' rest will suffice."
Xia Ling studied his slightly pale profile, knowing his stubbornness, and softly hummed in acknowledgment.
Zhao Yan'er watched Ye Yu's back and couldn't help saying, "Captain, Lin Muxue, Wang Quanshi, and the others... must be terrified out of their wits. Should we—"
"No need." Ye Yu cut her off, his tone calm yet brooking no argument. "They're just clowns who'll die sooner or later. Hunting them down would waste time and delay our progress."
His gaze grew profound. "With Yang Luo dead and the Snake King slain, this incident is concluded. Our time shouldn't be wasted on them."
Ye Yu turned to face the entire crew, his voice ringing clearly across the deck:
"Brothers! This battle has sent a greater shockwave—no one will dare target us for a while. But we must keep pushing forward! The real challenge, our true enemies, await us two years from now!"
Ye Yu's voice grew fervent, brimming with unwavering conviction:
"So, set aside your grief, and cast off the complacency born from victory! Our goal is to stand at the pinnacle of this world! Even if the Marines descend upon us, we must be the strongest! To achieve that, we must grow stronger—strong enough to weather any storm!"
"Next—restock! Resupply! And then, set sail once more!"
"We'll seek out new Mystic Realms to temper our will and power!"
"We'll hunt mighty Exotic Beasts and Sea Kings to gain experience and level up!"
"We'll explore uncharted islands and unearth ancient treasures!"
"OOOOOHHHH!!!"
A deafening roar erupted once more—grief buried beneath belief, exhaustion scattered by resolve.
The Tyrant Feather Pirate Ship raised its sails and set course for Mist Island to plunder.
(End of Chapter)