The members of the Rocks Pirates quickly finished resupplying. Like a colony of industrious ants, they looted everything edible, drinkable, and usable from the five warships, piling it high on the deck of their own small ship.
When the Rocks Pirates set sail, they left behind a Marine fleet that had been picked cleaner than a beggar, every man downcast and disheveled in the wind.
Rocks stood at the stern and waved at the crestfallen marines. "Go back and tell your Fleet Admiral, or whatever other big shot is in charge, that my name is Rocks. Rocks D. Xebec."
"This sea is about to have a new master."
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of every marine, like a prophecy that was destined to come true.
Using the latest sea chart "borrowed" from Captain Scylla, the Rocks Pirates avoided the main Marine routes and sailed full-speed toward the legendary Island of Whispering Shadows.
The closer they got to that sea region, the stranger the weather became. One moment it was sunny, the next it was covered in dark clouds. A thick, gray fog rose from the sea, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. A bone-chilling cold emanated from the fog, seeming to seep into one's very marrow.
"Dammit! The magnetic field in this blasted place is completely haywire!" Dolum gripped the helm tightly, his forehead slick with sweat as he watched the compass needle spin wildly. "The Log Pose is useless! We're going to get lost!"
"Quiet." Ren's voice came from the kitchen, carrying a calming force. He walked out, holding the black dragon's gizzard stone. At that moment, the once-ordinary stone was emitting a faint but steady, ethereal glow. The light pointed firmly in one direction, like a lighthouse unaffected by any interference.
"Follow it," Ren said.
With a clear guide, Dolum's nerves settled. The small ship sailed through the thick fog. All around them was dead silence, broken only by the sound of the hull cutting through the water.
Just then, a faint sound, like countless people whispering and crying in their ears, drifted from the depths of the fog.
"So hungry..."
"Why did you abandon me..."
"You're a failure, you always will be..."
The voices seemed to have a magical quality, drilling directly into their minds and dredging up their deepest fears and regrets.
"Get out of my head!" Gatz suddenly roared, his eyes bloodshot. He seemed to be reliving a memory of being chased and beaten by villagers for stealing food as a child.
Dolum's face also turned deathly pale. He saw an image of the first ship he ever built sinking in a storm, a lifelong nightmare. Even the ever-calm Silver's breathing grew ragged, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his spear.
This was the true power of the whispers—a direct mental assault.
Only Rocks was unaffected. He just cleaned his ear impatiently, a look of disgust on his face. "So noisy. Like a swarm of flies." His innate Conqueror's Haki gave him extremely high resistance to such mental attacks.
In the kitchen, Ren's brow furrowed. Although he could resist it with his strong mental fortitude, he found the sensation unpleasant. "Mental pollution. It will affect the flavor of the ingredients," Ren muttered to himself.
The next moment, a rich, warm aroma wafted out of the kitchen, like an invisible sun, instantly dispelling the surrounding chill. Ren walked out carrying a pot of steaming hot soup. It was a thick broth made from fish bones and several calming herbs he had collected along the way. The soup was milky-white and had a mellow fragrance.
"Drink this. It will calm your minds."
The crew, as if grabbing a lifeline, immediately gathered around. One bowl of hot soup down, and a warm current rose from their stomachs, quickly spreading throughout their bodies, washing away the coldness and negative emotions that had invaded their minds. Gatz's eyes cleared, and the color returned to Dolum's face.
"Hah... I'm alive again," Gatz breathed a sigh of relief, a look of lingering fear on his face. "This place is seriously messed up."
Rocks looked at Ren with approval. Brute force could destroy an enemy, but Ren's cooking could protect the hearts of his comrades. The combination of these two forces was truly invincible.
Guided by the dragon's gizzard stone and protected by Ren's food, the small ship finally passed through the dense fog. The silhouette of a huge, gloomy island appeared before them. The island's rocks were a strange dark gray, and the trees were twisted like struggling ghosts. An oppressive silence hung over the entire island.
They docked the ship in a hidden cove and set foot on the legendary forbidden island. As soon as they landed, Silver crouched down and found some tracks in the damp earth. "Footprints. At least five people. They move like professionals, well-equipped." He measured the depth and spacing of the prints with his fingers. "They landed no more than three hours ago."
"It seems we're not the only guests," Rocks sneered.
They followed the tracks deeper into the island. Soon, they heard the sounds of fighting ahead. Passing through a grove of twisted trees, they saw five men in black suits and masks fighting several monsters made of black mist that looked like wild beasts. The men in black suits moved like lightning, their techniques uncanny, their strikes carrying the sound of wind and thunder.
Shave, Moonwalk, Finger Pistol, Tempest Kick... It was the signature Six Powers fighting style of the World Government's secret intelligence agency—CP (Cipher Pol).
"CP agents?" Rocks recognized their origin at a glance. "The World Government's lapdogs have a good sense of smell."
The CP agents also spotted them, and their fighting movements faltered. The lead agent kicked a mist monster apart with a Tempest Kick and flashed in front of Rocks and his crew. His voice was cold and emotionless. "This area has been designated a top-secret restricted zone by the World Government. All unauthorized personnel are to leave immediately, or you will be eliminated."
Rocks acted as if he hadn't heard the warning. His gaze went past the agent to the source of the thickest sorrowful aura deeper in the island. He grinned. "The World Government? So what?"
"I, Rocks, have taken an interest in what's on this island."
The air froze in an instant. An unexpected conflict was about to erupt.
"You're courting death!" A murderous glint flashed in the lead CP agent's eyes, and he wasted no more words. He stomped his foot, and his figure vanished, reappearing in front of Rocks with a Finger Pistol, condensed with all his strength, aimed straight at Rocks's throat. The attack was fast, precise, and deadly enough to pierce a steel plate.
However, his finger stopped a centimeter from Rocks's skin, blocked by an invisible wall, unable to advance any further.
"Too slow," Rocks said, not even moving, just looking at him with contempt.
The CP leader's pupils trembled. He tried to pull back, but his body felt as if it were welded in place by countless invisible steel bars.
"Gatz, Silver, Dolum," Rocks's lazy voice called out. "Clean up the place. Don't let these flies interrupt my meal."
"You got it!" Gatz roared, charging forward with his anchor. The remaining four CP agents met the attack, and a fierce battle instantly broke out.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (320 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (250 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (120 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (130 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (320 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (130 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (150 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(75 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (196 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (160 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (110 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (80 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (120 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (130 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (87 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (70 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (130 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (130 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (60 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (90 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (90 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (70 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (70 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (30 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (30 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (80 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (80 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (80 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (40 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.