Moments later, Sunbell burst from the water and landed heavily on the deck, tossing the unconscious Vincent onto the planks.

Rayleigh glanced at Vincent and asked Sunbell, "Is the Oro Jackson alright?"

"It's nothing serious. You know how tough the keel made from Adam Wood is. Still, it's fortunate we were in the water—that guy had tremendous strength. He managed to crack the keel slightly."

"Who the hell is this bastard? Let's just throw him into the sea. Or better yet, I'll finish him off." Gaban pulled out a black axe, his gaze scanning Vincent's neck as if searching for the perfect spot to strike.

Rayleigh sighed in relief. "Good. Let's find an island to dock soon—I'll repair it myself. This pirate was probably heading to the Tea Party too. Don't kill him yet. We'll question him when he wakes up."

.....

On the warship, Gion and the others could only watch helplessly as Rayleigh sailed away.

"Are there others on that ship? Just how many of the Roger Pirates have resurfaced? Hurry, wake up the Den Den Mushi—no, contact the base!" Gion's expression was grim, her frustration boiling over.

Without hesitation, she leaped off the ship, using Moon Walk to charge towards the drifting pirate vessels.

About ten minutes later, Gion returned to the warship, covered in blood.

Seeing that the Den Den Mushi on deck was finally functional, she immediately dialed Marine Headquarters.

"Hello! This is Patrol Unit Commander Momousagi! I have an urgent report for the Fleet Admiral!" Before the operator on the other end could respond, she fired off her message in rapid succession.

The line was filled with chaotic chatter, as if the other side was bustling with activity.

After a moment, Akainu's weary voice came through.

"Momousagi, what is it?"

"Fleet Admiral! The Oro Jackson has been spotted in Fish-Man Island waters. On board were Dark King Rayleigh, Scopper Gaban, Isaac, and Sunbell. We suspect there are others as well. Additionally, there's a large number of pirate ships in the area—we need reinforcements!"

"What? The Roger Pirates? Are you sure about this?"

At G-1 Base, Akainu clutched his forehead, grinding his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

Before him was a spacious communications room, where dozens of Marine soldiers were frantically answering Den Den Mushi calls.

"Absolutely certain! Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, they're heading southeast—likely passing near G-5. If possible, I believe we should mobilize our forces and capture them. This would be an unprecedented boost to the Marines' prestige! Then—"

Gion tried to continue, but Akainu cut her off.

"Right now, we don't have time to deal with them! We're swamped with more pressing matters!" Akainu growled through gritted teeth.

Gion was stunned. "Fleet Admiral Sakazuki, they're the Roger Pirates! What could possibly be more important than them?"

Akainu's head throbbed with pain.

He gripped the Den Den Mushi so tightly it looked terrified, as if about to burst.

"It's the Beast God Pirates' doing! Caesar has called a new Tea Party, inviting countless pirates. Even some old-timers who've been in hiding have shown up. Momousagi, prioritize your safety—Fish-Man Island waters are dangerous right now. You can fall back to G-1. All four Emperors of the New World are on the move, converging on Totto Land!"

Akainu's veins bulged on his forehead, his fury towards Caesar burning white-hot.

"That bastard Caesar, what the hell is he trying to do? The New World is in complete chaos now, with traces of powerful pirates appearing in every sea. Those damn things—why is it we never see a single one of them normally?"

Just as Akainu was raging, another operator exclaimed in shock.

"Marshal, someone has spotted... spotted the Demon Heir, Douglas Bullet, outside the Misty Sea!"

"What? Bullet? That bastard couldn't resist showing himself either? It's been over two years since his prison break, and there's been no trace of him. Hmph! Isn't he another one of Roger's pirates? A bunch of old fuckers—can't they just quietly die of old age?"

Akainu rubbed his forehead a few times and waved his hand dismissively.

"Ignore him! Contact Borsalino, Issho and Aramaki. Tell them to be careful out there. If they encounter any powerful pirates, they shouldn't engage lightly. The New World right now is a powder keg—one spark and it'll blow!"

...

Unnamed sea, New World.

A medium-sized pirate ship sailed across the waves.

On the deck, a dozen pirates were excitedly discussing something.

"Captain Att, I never expected you'd receive an invitation from that Beast God Caesar! He's the captain of the Beast God Pirates, one of the newly crowned Emperors—a terrifyingly powerful figure! Tell me, are we really going to join the Beast God Pirates once we get there?"

On the ship, a fat pirate beamed with excitement as he spoke to a two-meter-tall middle-aged man in a crisp suit standing before him.

The middle-aged man, with his slicked-back hair, looked less like a pirate and more like a merchant or noble.

"Kekekeke, how could someone so lofty take a liking to my meager strength? No, he must have taken an interest in my abilities."

Ulson Att, captain of the Att Pirates, was of moderate strength but possessed the Oil-Oil Fruit, allowing him to spew vast amounts of highly flammable oil.

Combined with fire, it could create devastating explosions—or be used for more mundane purposes.

Given enough time, Att could single-handedly destroy an entire island.

"Captain Att, your ability is perfect when you have strong allies backing you up. Just give you a little time, and even against the toughest opponents, you can produce enough oil to trigger a super explosion and wipe everything out!"

Att smirked proudly. "Exactly. That's why I've decided—our Att Pirates will head to Totto Land and join the Beast God Pirates. Once we're in, I'll be able to unleash my power without restraint!"

Just then, the sound of splitting waves echoed across the sea.

Ahead, where the water had seemed empty, a distinct wake appeared—as if an invisible ship were gliding across the surface.

"It's the Ghost Ship! Damn it, retreat! Get us out of here!" Att's face paled as he shouted.

The legend of the Ghost Ship had spread as a horror story across the New World over the past two years.

The tale spoke of an unseen vessel that would unpredictably pass through various seas.

Those unfortunate enough to encounter it would suffer grievous injuries at best—or death at worst.

No matter how many people were around, the terror of the Ghost Ship was beyond imagination.

Whoosh!

A crisp sound of a blade echoed through the air as a flash of icy sword light streaked by, like a bolt of lightning splitting the sky.

Crack!

The ship of the Att Pirates was instantly cleaved in two.

As the vessel split apart, pirates caught along the dividing line were sliced in half, their limbs scattering across the deck.

Ulson Att stared in horror at the scene, just as he was about to spew oil from his mouth, a transparent longsword pierced through his throat.

"Hehehe, another decent ability acquired." A cold voice suddenly emerged from thin air.

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