Boom!
Lightning exploded once more, illuminating the storm-covered island with a bright light. Within the light, the Death Star was anchored near the shore, and the crew appeared on deck, braving the wind and rain as they lowered the gangway.
Afterward, Hawkins and Urouge went first, escorted by those holding umbrellas, as they descended the gangway.
Hawkins glanced around, and it was only when they reached the end that he realized the place they had docked was surrounded by heaps of shipwrecks.
These wrecks seemed to have been carried away by ocean currents, with not even flags left behind. Yet, the exposed wooden patterns of the shipwrecks floating on the sea revealed something suspicious.
These were their ships.
Their ships were crafted not just with skill but with attention to quality.
Renedia's dream was to create ships that feared no storm, allowing people to sail freely across the ocean. Of course, this dream wasn't limited to the Death Star; she controlled the quality of all ships made, selecting only the finest materials.
In their territory, there were island after island producing timber, yet the quality varied, with the best wood coming from Magnetic Island Parthia's primordial forest, used to build ships, while the next tier was used for constructing houses and furniture.
The wood used for building ships had distinctive grain patterns, which, when examined closely, were recognizable.
Judging by the wrecks here, it was clear that they belonged to their battleships.
"I don't recall any battleships coming here," Hawkins said.
"Neither do I," Urouge laughed more wildly, looking toward the island's interior, "It seems there indeed are Ability Users."
"If there are Ability Users, we just kill them."
On the gangway, Sage led Lily and others with umbrellas down.
"If we encounter them at sea, we drown them in the sea; if we meet them on land, we kill them on land; if they're met in a tavern, we drown them in the tavern... Anyway, anyone daring to challenge us and not fleeing deserves a heavy blow!"
Sage reached the foot of the gangway, planting his feet on the ground, and sneered, "Otherwise, the world might mistake me for that damn Straw Hat!"
"Straw Hat is just the 'Fifth Emperor' and hasn't reached the level of the Four Emperors, Sage," Hawkins said calmly.
"Not important."
Sage chuckled, his eyes flashing red as he looked in a direction, "Four characters, huh..."
Out of habit, Hawkins drew the Tarot Cards, divining fate, then put them away.
"The result?" Urouge cast a glance and asked.
"You already know," Hawkins said calmly, "No one can match Sage."
"Let's go, have a look!"
Sage growled in a harsh voice, "I really want to see what's going on!"
...
The sudden deluge of the storm, and the massive silhouette of the ship approaching the shore, left the four of them horrified.
"Go!"
The young man with goggles was the first to retreat, but as he just moved, he suddenly saw a flash of light flicker from the east, breaking through the rainstorm and encircling the whole island.
With just this round, the small boats they had moored along the shore crumbled one after another; the time interval wasn't even long. One disintegrated, and immediately the next one followed, until all four disintegrated. The light, encircling the island, suddenly shot above them, causing even the wild storm to pause momentarily.
It was as if even this wind and rain had been parted, revealing the figure behind the flash.
The downward motion caused Lily's battle armor skirt to rise slightly, revealing a pair of white silk-clad calves visible up to the knees. She just in time sheathed her rapier at her waist, her whole body descending into the opening amid the broken storm, catching everyone's eye.
"Sword Princess!"
The young man with goggles gritted his teeth, his expression grim, yet within his heart, he secretly sighed in relief.
Luckily, it was just a Sword Princess as opposed to the arrival of that biggest figure; a Sword Princess wasn't unmanageable...
Bang!
The broken storm tried to mend, but just as the rain was about to enter the vacuum zone, an indescribable loud sound suddenly vibrated.
A terrifying black and red torrent surged skyward like a giant wave, sweeping around the island, soaring immediately, resembling a jade pillar, piercing the sky and opening a hole in the cloudy sky.
Rain ceased, wind stopped.
"Someone explain to me."
Behind the Sword Princess, a voice rang out, full of wildness and arrogance.
The four looked back and saw a white-haired youth approaching, his fur-lined cape swaying with his movement.
Beside him, a little pink-haired, freckled girl leisurely hugged her head.
A woman with cascading black hair, like a waterfall, maintained a gentle look, as if on a country outing.
Equally, a blond man with curly hair, eyebrows shaped into six elegant vertical lines, walked leisurely.
A Sky Island person with muscular build and giant beads, smiled broadly, without a hint of tension.
Renedia, Marika, Hawkins, Urouge, and...
The young man with goggles looked at the white-haired man in the center and showed a bitter smile, "So it turns out, almost everyone is here, huh."
Sage walked up to Lily and, gazing at the strange quartet, continued his interrupted sentence, "Who the hell! Damaged my ship and even erased all related memories!"
As he spoke, his eyes first fell upon the guy with long hair covering his eyes, dressed in strange armor, and striking an oddly familiar pose.
"Oh! Is the most powerful Demon King actually questioning me, the Dark Envoy?"
The young man with covered eyes crossed his hands, twisted his waist and thrust his hips, presenting a ninety-degree turn, said, "The ability to erase memories is indeed within my authority, but to this day, I have yet to unlock this authority. Oh Demon King, do you want to curse me?"
"D-Demon King?"
Renedia was stunned for a moment, looking at Sage, "Aren't you human?"
"That is the most powerful Demon King, and you, the Skill Witch, even your name resounds throughout the world. Even to me, the King of Space-Time, you are a formidable rival. However, I shall prophesy that the Demon King's forces and I, the King of Space-Time Gatz, will be entangled until the world's end!"
The young man shielded his eyes as he faced them, one hand covering the collar of his armor, the other pointing at them while his body leaned backward, striking a pose.
"Aren't you a Dark Envoy?"
Renedia blinked several times, "But, somehow it feels a bit cool..."
Slap!
Sage gave the back of her head a light tap, smacking his lips, "Stop talking with someone who's being overly dramatic, it's contagious, especially to kids!"
He looked strangely at the young man shielding his eyes, raised an eyebrow, and shook his head saying, "Damn it, how do I still encounter someone being overly dramatic on the high seas..."
That's right, this guy looks familiar, isn't he just someone being overly dramatic?
In the era of great sea voyages, meeting someone being overly dramatic is indeed bizarre.
He then looked over at the burly man dressed in women's attire, with a sword at his waist, and sporting a thick beard and chest hair.
"No, it's me." The man coquettishly twisted his body and slowly spoke, "I'm a swordsman, not an ability user."
"He does have the aura of a swordsman..."
Lily glanced at the sword hanging from his waist, furring her brow slightly, "And a powerful swordsman at that."
There's a certain resonance between swordsmen, though this guy seems ordinary, the sword aura contained within him is incredibly strong.
Sage turned his attention to the man with a solemn expression, arms crossed.
"Natural disaster..."
The man slowly said, "I've heard you're a person of pinnacle mastery, coincidentally, I also believe my body techniques have reached the realm of no rival. I wish to spar with you."
"Oh? Sounds interesting..."
Sage chuckled, turning to the guy with the goggles, "So it's you then."
"Is it necessary to deduce like that?"
The young man with goggles grinned, "I never expected to attract you here, obviously without any related memories. I say, can we reconcile? I wasn't targeting you, just that I had a mission that must be completed."
"You're causing trouble on my turf, and you want to make peace with me?"
Sage sneered, stepping forward, "Do you think I'm made of clay? Those one hundred and eighty plus subordinates, three ships, all your responsibility!"
He doesn't remember the related memories, but data can be checked.
Luckily, Lily has a habit of keeping track of data at all times; once she confirmed there was an issue, she immediately went back to check.
Although no one has any memories, the recorded data hasn't changed; what's missing are those.
"Ah... You even know the numbers."
The young man with goggles shook his head, "Sorry, I've erased them completely, wiped them from existence on the sea."
Bam!
Just as he finished speaking, a fist suddenly appeared on his face, punching him fiercely in the face, sending him flying and landing heavily.
"Oh my god..."
The young man with goggles rolled on the ground, rubbing his face as he stood up, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, bitterly smiling, "Couldn't even react in time to 'erase'."
"Hmm?"
Sage withdrew his hand, glanced at his fist, then looked at him, "Interesting. Logically, you shouldn't have been able to withstand that punch; your head should either explode or at least suffer serious injury. But to be only lightly injured... What's your ability?"
The young man with goggles smiled slightly, "I'm not stupid, I won't tell you."
On the seas, many are willing to explain their abilities.
But he is an exception.
Only by keeping it under wraps can he remain enigmatic and maximize the use of his ability.