The long-awaited storm appeared in the sky.
Thunderbolts struck down, illuminating the dense rain curtain that was hard to see through, as the swirling storm agitated whirlpools on the sea surface, pushing forward with the storm.
The ships that saw the storm curtain from afar immediately turned around to avoid it, not stopping for a moment.
The stories that are considered legendary on the open sea are commonplace for these people.
Seeing a storm of such intensity, they knew that the Disaster was about to move.
At this moment, if one rushes into the storm to save a little time and gets swallowed by a whirlpool, it might not be possible to salvage them even if attempted.
On the surrounding sea surface, there were mostly merchant ships and pirate ships coming to sell their stolen goods.
As a Great Pirate, Disaster was the only one who did not prohibit foreign merchants and foreign pirates from entering his territory simultaneously.
Of course, the premise was to safely reach the affiliated sea area of O'hara and, when leaving, to evade the pirates waiting or following around the surrounding sea area until they get out of the affiliated area before they act.
The sea is inherently chaotic, Sage neither intended nor was able to change this fact, he could manage his own territory, but could he control the sea?
Just follow his rules.
Within his territory, the rules are simple: ships flying the Disaster Corps flag cannot be robbed, and all islands under Sage's command, except for certain magnetic field large islands, cannot be directly landed on. Once approached and discovered, it is considered an invasion.
This set of rules had been in place for a long time, since Sage dealt with the Red Hair, and no one ever violated it again.
In the banquet hall on the first floor, Lily, standing beside the throne, glanced at Sage tapping his fingers and enjoying the music in the hall, thought for a moment, and still worriedly said:
"Really, not leaving even one subordinate behind?"
The banquet in the hall opened as usual, and those who attended this time, besides the usual three hundred members of the Demon Race dispatched, the rest were all pirates, with the standard two thousand fully packed in.
Including the cadres, as long as they were on the main island, it didn't matter who, they all brought everyone.
The three major female cadres, as the standard equipment on the ship, naturally boarded the ship.
Gin had long given up the power to independently lead a ship, and when the designated area for conquest was about to be completed, he also returned to the main island. Now, as the Combat Commander managing the pirates, he, of course, boarded the ship together.
Hawkins and Urouge were also here, not to mention even Moriah, who hadn't moved for a long time, also came, along with the newly joined Weevil.
Except for those captain-level cadres that didn't all come, the ones who should come have come.
He indeed didn't summon the grand fleet, but these 'few people' practically constituted the entirety of Sage's upper-mid-level force.
But correspondingly, the main camp was left with only Sipher and Misty watching over.
After all, Sage even brought Stansen, the Giant, on board this time.
"If someone wants my life, I obviously have to take it seriously."
Sage smiled and said, "Just right, let's test your recent achievements, such a good opportunity, and the opponents have gathered quite a few notable ones, give them a try."
"Ah..."
At that moment, Marika, who was approaching with a tray of specially prepared drinks, slightly smiled upon hearing this, "Do I need to go into battle? I'm kind of looking forward to it..."
Training to become stronger had always been ongoing; although Sage enjoyed all the wealth and luxury in Storm City, he had not forgotten the essence that brought this wealth and luxury.
Except for consistently studying the Poneglyph, his subordinates have been training along with him.
Since the last battle with Katakuri, Lily awakened the power to Severed Will and could even cut open the Foreseeing the Future.
After repeated confirmation and training, Sage confirmed that it wasn't Observation Kill, as Observation Kill suppresses one's presence to avoid Observation, Lily directly and violently cuts through.
Compared to the suddenness of Observation Kill, Lily wasn't afraid of being seen into the future. When necessary, she could even sever future fragments.
This was much rarer than Observation Kill; the profound realm of Iron Cutting, the concentration of Observation application, even included some techniques of Conqueror's Haki entanglement. Though she hadn't yet mastered Conqueror's Haki entanglement, the signs could already be seen.
These combined should be considered her personal unique application.
It is foreseeable that once she masters Supreme King's Entanglement and fully utilizes this power...
A Great Sword Master who can Severed Will will emerge.
Marika hadn't been idle either, even before Weevil joined, she felt a bit like she was lagging behind the development pace of the Disaster Pirates. Although her Armament application was becoming more proficient and her Observation was not bad, she still felt something was lacking.
Although as a cook she didn't care much about these, if she could keep up, why not?
Then she approached Sage, as a being with extremely high proficiency in Body Techniques, if Sage could guide Lily in targeted Iron Cutting development, then it would be much simpler for Marika.
In terms of Haki, Sage's suggestion was to first accomplish external release and internal destruction.
And in Body Techniques, specific to Marika's brute strength and her ability to use Life Return, he specially developed a set of Qi Gong Techniques.
One could store the power of Life Return through a breathing technique and then release it explosively during battles to enhance oneself.
This ability existed, and there was an old man under Doflamingo's command named Lao G, who used a type of Qi Gong Technique called 'Jio-Ken', claiming the older, the stronger, as it could store the strength from youth and unleash it in one breath, briefly restoring peak condition.
Such Qi Gong Techniques, being a kind of martial art, meant that there was nothing Sage did not know.
This kind of storage-based Qi Gong Technique, in essence, was an alternative application of Life Return, and for Marika, who was proficient in Life Return, there wasn't even a need to learn this move.
What Sage taught her was a more improved method.
Still the Life Return set, but by increasing food intake, those surplus strengths were stored, even in normal times Marika only needed to maintain the strength required by an ordinary chef, and the remaining energies could all be stored.
Then when fighting, feedback to herself, the increase in strength would be tremendous.
It could be regarded as a low-cost consumable version of the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique.
As for Renedia, there wasn't much suggestion; Sage didn't understand modification or invention, so apart from focusing on Observation, the rest was her own development.
Pluton's technology was enough for Renedia to research for a lifetime.
But it's noteworthy that...
"Hey, charge! I want to eat that kebab, don't let anyone else get it!"
"Yes! Boss-lady!"
In the hall, Renedia sat on Weevil's shoulder, directing that guy who was of a similar height to Moriah to rush and snatch the food she fancied.
Recently, she had been getting along well with Weevil.
The reason was that after Weevil joined, he accidentally saw Renedia working on the Round Cycle II; the mechanical structure made his eyes light up, and he immediately became an admirer.
Renedia, self-styled as the senior, had Weevil acknowledge her as his superior; after a few days together, Weevil was letting her ride on his shoulders.
Buckin, seeing her mother gone, let Renedia stand in as the boss-lady, directing Weevil.
It indeed surprised Sage.
Urouge continued to temper his physique and Haki, and recently began meditating, attempting to master Life Return.
This technique isn't guaranteed to be learned after mastering the Six Styles, but since the Six Styles is the technique most capable of deciphering the human body, once learned entirely, it would naturally lead to mastering Life Return.
Hawkins's swordsmanship was also steadily progressing and he had even begun to gradually develop his abilities.
Moriah was also gradually recovering.
Under such circumstances, of course, it had to be taken out for examination to see where these people's strengths truly lie.
Right now, his current plan was about to be completed, and the subordinates' strengths determined the development of his next plan.
The Black Ship sailed swiftly, passing through the sphere of influence, and in the sea area directly reaching the Country of Cyan, its storm suddenly stopped.
On a high pointed island nearby, a red-haired man wrapped in chains stood at a mountainside spot, gazing into the gradually dispersing clouds and the massive Black Ship swiftly halting within the storm's curtain.
"They've arrived... hey, it seems you guessed correctly, they must take this route." the red-haired man turned and said.
"Hehehe, now that they've come, let's begin, fighting on this island I've selected."
Beside him, a long-nosed man wearing wooden clogs laughed, waving a feather fan in his hand, as the fan moved, a curious gust of wind spread out to the sea, but did not disturb the water.
Clearly feeling the howling wind, but where it passed, there was no movement, blowing directly onto the Black Ship ahead.
"Divine Concealment."