Nearly a month passed.
The Nightfall Pirates' grand fleet expanded rapidly, their power growing two or three times larger. The massive armada, vast and imposing, finally reached its ultimate destination: the Sageros Sea.
At the speed of their own ships, they could have arrived much sooner. However, the pirate ships of the trailing main fleet were not on the same level as the Queen Anne's Revenge and its two escort vessels. They simply could not keep up with the flagship's speed.
Because of this, the fleet slowed down. In addition, their frequent stops at islands to purchase supplies took a considerable amount of time due to their enormous numbers.
With the arrival of the Nightfall Pirates, pirates across the Sageros Sea reacted in completely different ways.
Those already within the Nightfall Pirates' sphere of influence, such as the White Bird Pirates, were excited and full of anticipation.
But pirates belonging to other factions, or those who had not yet submitted to the Nightfall Pirates, felt immense pressure. Uneasy and anxious, many began contacting their backers and seeking support.
Long before the fleet arrived, Mostima had already arranged for people to welcome Teach at the edge of the Sageros Sea, directly along the route he would pass.
Out on the sea, Teach stepped out of the ship's training room. After changing clothes, he walked onto the deck with a smile, watching the crew members training.
An invisible gravitational force pressed down on the pirates exercising nearby.
Redyat glanced at Teach curiously.
"What's wrong?"
Teach usually trained for longer periods, so seeing him appear this early was unusual.
"I sensed a familiar aura. Someone will be here to greet us soon," Teach said with a smile, turning his head toward the distant sea.
They've grown much stronger.
Teach silently thought to himself as the images of two figures surfaced in his mind.
Not long after, a ship appeared in the distance ahead of the Nightfall Pirates' fleet, steadily approaching them.
On the other side of the sea, a dual-masted sailing ship more than sixty meters long cut through the waves. At its bow was a massive sculpted python head, and two pirate flags fluttered in the wind.
One flag displayed a skull entwined with a giant python.
The other bore the Nightfall Pirates' emblem.
At the bow stood a towering figure more than four meters tall, staring into the distance.
"Voss, Boss Teach is finally back," Mobius said excitedly.
Compared to three years ago, Mobius had grown considerably. His powerful physique and overwhelming presence made him stand out among his peers. More importantly, he possessed a mysterious ability that he had yet to reveal.
Beside him stood another figure.
Voss.
He was about three meters tall. Though his body appeared slender and somewhat thin, it contained astonishing strength.
Dressed entirely in black, arms crossed, he looked calm and quiet.
"Mm," Voss replied.
Now a young pirate with a bounty exceeding 200 million Berries, Voss had undergone intense tempering. His strength had increased dramatically.
Yet his flickering gaze betrayed the turmoil inside him.
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Killing. Training. Building a reputation in the underworld.
All of it had been preparation.
People needed goals. Something to strive toward.
And now, that moment had finally arrived.
As if sensing its master's emotional change, two enormous shadows appeared beneath the ship.
Suddenly, two giant pythons broke through the water's surface.
Each snake was more than thirty meters long, their bodies thick as water barrels.
They were massive cobras, the pets of Mobius and Voss.
In just a few short years, their bodies had grown nearly tenfold.
Their auras were powerful, comparable to those of formidable beasts.
During their time with Mobius and Voss, they had devoured countless beasts, Sea King corpses, and massive quantities of flesh.
Even the bodies of defeated humans had been fed to them.
With such abundant and high-quality nourishment, the two snakes had gradually broken through their natural limits. They were beginning to evolve into giant beasts, perhaps even something approaching Sea Kings.
The giant serpents slithered onto the ship from the sea. Their huge bodies occupied a large portion of the deck, forcing the other crew members to move aside.
Their forked tongues flicked through the air as they settled behind their masters.
Back on the Nightfall Pirates' fleet, some pirates stared at the approaching ship nervously.
"Are they enemies?" one of them asked.
But the answer soon arrived.
The ship was not an enemy.
It was an ally.
Mobius's Snake King Pirates approached steadily until they reached the Queen Anne's Revenge.
Looking up at the colossal warship, Mobius had to tilt his head back.
Bringing Voss and several cadres with him, he boarded the flagship.
Immediately, he saw Teach seated on his throne.
The crew members lined both sides of the deck as guests arrived, while the cadres stood closest to Teach.
Seeing these familiar faces, the comrades who would fight beside him in the future, Mobius could feel the immense strength radiating from them.
The other pirates also focused their attention on Mobius and his group.
Mobius, captain of the Snake King Pirates, was already a young pirate with a bounty worth several hundred million Berries.
He was also one of Teach's earliest followers. Like Pito, he had spent two years with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Boss Teach!" Mobius shouted excitedly.
Looking at Teach and sensing the unfathomable pressure emanating from him, a deep sense of awe rose in Mobius's heart.
No matter how much stronger he became, he still could not gauge Teach's true depth.
He had improved greatly.
But Teach had grown even more terrifying.
And because of that, Mobius knew he had to become even stronger.
He glanced briefly at the other cadres aboard the ship. Aside from Pito and Redyat, his gaze was confident and even slightly provocative.
Redyat was Teach's right-hand man, the vice-captain. Mobius knew very well how formidable he was, much like Ares, whom Mobius also found difficult to surpass.
But the other cadres?
Mobius intended to become Teach's strongest general.
And they were all competitors.
The cadres clearly sensed the meaning behind Mobius's undisguised gaze.
Shiryu slowly wiped the blade of his beloved sword. The bright metal reflected his face, twisted into a cruel smile.
Gar exuded a beast-like aura. Faint white lightning flickered across his body from time to time.
Slada remained expressionless. With one hand, he effortlessly lifted the ship's massive anchor and rested it on his shoulder. His pupils shifted to a dark golden color as he stared intently at Mobius.
Wallace crossed his arms, radiating a heavy presence. The surrounding air subtly heated up.
Laffitte held his cane with one hand. Removing his top hat, he politely bowed toward Mobius and his companions.
Liszt simply smiled.
Baccarat's gaze moved between Mobius and the other cadres, her eyes gleaming with amusement as if she were watching an entertaining show.
Kaguya glanced at Mobius briefly before looking away, his expression indifferent, as if his provocation meant nothing.
Young Clemons stood closest to the cadres. The teenager, already more than two meters tall and covered in dense muscles, stared at Mobius without the slightest hint of fear.
Teach watched this scene with a smile.
Healthy competition within the crew was exactly what he wanted.
Still, the moment did not last long.
Teach stood up.
"Let's return to our territory first," he said calmly. "Then we'll prepare for the next phase of our plan."
Mobius nodded.
Originally, Teach had planned to invade Saint Louis Island immediately after reaching the Sageros Sea. His plan was to eliminate the three kingdoms there, conquer the Christi Kingdom, and seize complete control of Saint Louis Island.
But that plan had been based on the assumption that the Sageros Sea was stable.
Plans rarely survived reality unchanged.
The current situation in the Sageros Sea was chaotic. If the region was not stabilized first, enemy forces could easily use the turmoil as an opportunity to interfere during the conquest of Saint Louis Island.
Under such circumstances, it was necessary to first bring most of the Sageros Sea under control.
The reason it was "most" was simple.
The Sageros Sea contained 109 inhabited islands, according to official maps. Besides Saint Louis Island, there were nine other kingdoms scattered throughout the sea.
Teach had no intention of dealing with those kingdoms for now.
Once the overall situation stabilized, they would naturally submit.
The 109 islands referred only to those recorded on maps and inhabited by people. There were also numerous uninhabited islands and beast islands scattered across the sea, though some were recorded as well.
After all, only inhabited islands could truly produce resources.
Most pirates rarely interfered with how islands inside their territory were governed. Instead, they simply collected protection fees.
Even though these pirates did not appear to pose much threat to Teach, leaving them alone would eventually create problems.
If not dealt with quickly, they would become a persistent burden.
Over time, those islands might be plundered recklessly. Such damage would cause enormous losses, and recovering from it could take years.
Moreover, Teach had already decided that the Sageros Sea would belong entirely to him.
Which meant those losses would also become his losses.
Mostima had handled things well. Pirates with especially cruel behavior had already been eliminated, and most of his subordinates behaved relatively well.
As for delaying the timeline, it did not matter much.
The current state of the sea had little effect on Teach.
Once all pirate groups outside the Nightfall Pirates were wiped out, no outside force would be able to intervene easily.
Parage Island, a large island relatively close to Saint Louis Island, had been occupied by Mostima and turned into the Nightfall Pirates' base in the Sageros Sea.
Dozens of nearby islands were also under their control.
Mostima's forces had developed impressively. After years of activity in the New World and rapid expansion within the Sageros Sea, their numbers had exceeded ten thousand.
But with those forces alone, controlling one-third of the Sageros Sea's islands was already the limit.
Each island required a garrison.
Further expansion would lead to a shortage of manpower.
However, the arrival of the Nightfall Pirates changed everything.
Their fleet brought 28,000 pirates.
Combined with Mostima's forces, their total manpower now reached an astonishing 40,000.
More than enough to annex and occupy the entire Sageros Sea.
Everything was ready.
All that remained was the east wind.
And now, that wind had arrived.
Teach had returned to Parage Island.
On that day, most of Mostima's subordinates gathered at the island's port.
Mostima hovered in the sky with a pair of wings spread behind him, gazing toward the distant sea.
Ares stood nearby, his colossal body towering nearly nine meters tall. His thick golden hair reached his waist, and slightly curved golden horns rose from his head.
The terrifying aura around him forced everyone to keep their distance. Within twenty meters of him, only his direct subordinate Sarika dared approach.
"Giant Lizard" Hadena.
"Mad Ape" Hademan.
"Mantis Man" Abby.
"Jet Man" Kaski.
All stood among the crowd.
Far away, on a rooftop, two women stood side by side.
"Thorn Woman" Loya.
And "Queen" Anne.
Besides them were many other powerful pirates.
They had already received word that the Nightfall Pirates would arrive today.
With excitement burning in their hearts, they waited for their king's return.
Finally, the fleet appeared.
On the distant horizon, a single black dot emerged.
Then another.
Then several more.
Soon dozens of ships could be seen.
One after another, the fleet advanced across the sea with overwhelming momentum.
Many pirates began breathing heavily.
Their faces flushed with excitement. Their eyes widened, fists clenched tightly as they tried to contain their emotions.
Mostima smiled as he stared at the fleet, his gaze fixed on the flagship at its center.
Even from afar, his eyes seemed to meet Teach's.
Mostima had waited many years for this day.
And now it had finally arrived.
Their future was about to begin.
"What a magnificent ship, don't you think?" Anne said with a bright laugh.
As the fleet approached, she could clearly see the largest ship among them.
The Queen Anne's Revenge.
This warship, named after her, the flagship of the Nightfall Pirates, had already shaken the world the moment it first appeared.
Looking at it, Anne remembered Teach's promise to her.
Memories of their time together resurfaced.
Loya also watched the approaching fleet, anticipation shining in her eyes. The gentle light in her gaze was completely different from the ruthless "Thorn Woman" known for killing without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Teach and his crew watched the island growing closer.
They too felt excitement.
Because today marked the true beginning of their struggle for supremacy in the New World.
The fleet continued advancing, an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Everyone's gaze focused on the Queen Anne's Revenge, eagerly waiting for Teach to appear.
At the bow of the flagship, crew members emerged one by one.
Cheers erupted from the crowd below.
Yet the person they truly awaited had not appeared.
Then Teach stepped forward.
Walking slowly to the bow, facing the sea breeze, his long slightly curly hair fluttered in the wind.
A smile spread across his face.
Then he burst into wild laughter.
In the next instant, his terrifying Conqueror's Haki erupted into the sky.
Before everyone's eyes, the layered clouds overhead were blown apart.
"Your king has returned!"
Teach's voice echoed between heaven and earth.
This declaration was not only meant for the pirates gathered before him.
It was also a proclamation to the entire New World.