Chapter 404: SVOP - 404

Chapter 404: SVOP: Chapter 404

Tsuru frowned, analyzing with some uncertainty.

"This organization is far too mysterious. I can only judge based on the intelligence we have — and all of this is assuming the Great Demon Lord isn’t lying."

"I’d say it’s about fifty percent credible," Sengoku replied after a moment of thought.

"That last sentence clearly slipped out by accident. If that too was an act, then his performance is flawless!"

As the two spoke softly and analyzed the situation, both secretly let out a sigh of relief — without even realizing it themselves.

But the Great Demon Lord noticed. He was highly sensitive to emotions, able to absorb fear, and easily picked up on their shift.

"Hahaha... So you’re relieved because you think Emperor Vladimir doesn’t have much time left, and Phantom will disappear sooner or later?"

The Great Demon Lord sneered inwardly. He had only been putting on an act to fool them.

Still, his goal had been more or less achieved.

Now that the World Government believed this, they would never bring out their National Treasure to deal with Phantom.

The reason was simple: from their point of view, if they just waited a little longer, Phantom might vanish on its own. There was no need to use their ultimate treasure and risk everything.

And without that treasure, everything happening on the Sabaody Archipelago remained firmly under Vladimir’s control.

"Though, I wasn’t lying about one thing... once this incident ends, Phantom will keep a low profile for a while... but by then, the Revolutionary Army will step onto the stage, and you’ll have your hands full dealing with them! Hahaha!"

Laughing inwardly, the Demon Lord kept a cold, expressionless face outwardly.

"Hmph, enough small talk. I’ve told you plenty already. Now it’s your turn — offer up the power of your fear!"

He snorted and stretched out his right hand. "Scales of Fear!"

Whoosh!

A cold, sinister wind swept over them.

The hearts of Sengoku and the others wavered. Their fear was rapidly amplified — and as it grew stronger, their reaction speed, agility, strength, perception, and every other ability were greatly diminished.

Conversely, the Great Demon Lord absorbed all that fear, causing his own power to surge dramatically.

The balance shifted instantly: one side weakened while the other grew stronger.

"Hahaha! As expected of the Navy’s top commanders! Your fear tastes absolutely delicious!"

Laughing loudly, the Great Demon Lord shaped his hands like claws and grasped at empty air.

Instantly, two spheres of dark energy formed in his palms.

"Fear Bombs!"

With the shout, the two black spheres shot straight toward the five leaders.

...

Meanwhile, by the riverbank in District 2.

Moonlight Sulik knelt on one knee, a long, jagged sword wound across his chest.

Clutching it tightly, he gasped for breath. "That damned blind man...! Cough! Cough!"

He coughed violently, spitting up blood.

"You Logia users always think you can do whatever you want, don’t you?"

Issho stepped closer, his voice calm. "Hand over the blueprint. You can’t escape anymore. That thing brings nothing but disaster... it should be destroyed."

Seeing this, the man in the peaked cap instinctively stepped back, his expression shifting rapidly between fear and hesitation.

"Moonlight Pirates! Your captain is grievously injured! What are you waiting for? Attack now!"

But none of the pirates replied. Instead, their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed rigidly to the ground.

Thud! Thud!

In the blink of an eye, dozens of pirates fell. Only one officer remained standing.

"What?!" The man in the cap paled in shock. "Who did this? That was... Conqueror’s Haki! Such immense power... when did...?"

He spun around sharply. On the other side of the river, a disheveled figure walked slowly forward.

The man wore round glasses, had white hair, a scar running down beside his eye, and walked in wooden sandals.

With a single leap, he crossed the dozens of meters separating the riverbanks.

"This is a headache... I was only gone for two weeks, and the whole island has turned into such a mess?"

The newcomer scratched his head helplessly and looked around. "These guys from Phantom... they’re playing such a dangerous game this time... what a headache."

Upon seeing him, Marco — still under the control of the Shadow Spirit — felt his pupils shrink in shock.

"The Dark King... Silvers Rayleigh!"

...

Elsewhere, far out at sea.

A bright red pirate ship slowly sailed through the wreckage of seven or eight Marine warships.

"Lady Empress, I wonder how Master Rayleigh is doing?"

"Fool — look at these ships! They were clearly destroyed just recently. This must be Rayleigh’s work."

"Still, there are way too many... I can see at least a hundred warships through the telescope! The Navy has completely blockaded Sabaody."

On deck, a group of women chattered nervously.

Standing at the bow, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock remained silent and composed, her gaze fixed far away toward the heart of the island.

"Emperor Vladimir... Sea Dragon... Hmph! You foolish dragon... today I will find out once and for all — are you truly the same person or not!"

The Kuja Pirates slipped past the naval blockade and entered the coastal waters surrounding Sabaody.

But there, a terrifying sight greeted them.

"What... is this?" Amanda whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Stretching around the entire island was a massive, circular chasm.

It looked as if the whole island had been ripped out of the ocean floor itself.

The seawater surged toward it but could not flow in, blocked by a bottomless abyss separating the land from the sea.

"What kind of power could possibly do something like this?" one of the female pirates gasped. "Is it the Guardian Spirit?"

"That foolish dragon..."

The Empress frowned. Deep down, she knew it was likely true. As the Ruler of the Seas, the Sea Dragon certainly possessed the power to achieve such a feat.

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