The patrolling soldiers along the coast were the first to spot the massive ship flying through the air.
At first, they thought it was an illusion, rubbing their eyes and looking again—
"R-report, sir! There's a giant pirate ship... f-flying into our territorial waters!"
The soldier in the watchtower trembled, his voice shaking as if he were about to cry.
The garrison officer's expression changed drastically upon hearing the news. He rushed out of the barracks and raised his binoculars:
"A giant pirate ship? And it's flying in the sky?!"
He gasped sharply.
Throughout the entire West Blue, the number of forces possessing a pirate ship of this scale could be counted on one hand.
Could it be that another reckless pirate, ignorant of the consequences, was coveting the legendary treasure of Kano Country?
They just keep coming one after another—don't they know that Kano Country is guarded by "Dongyang"?
However, when his gaze fell on the flag at the top of the mast, his heart tightened violently.
That flag...
"Identify the flag immediately! Which pirate from the West Blue does it belong to?!" the officer roared hoarsely.
In truth, he had already seen it clearly but refused to believe it.
The next moment, a voice trembling with extreme terror came from the watchtower:
"S-sir... the flag this ship is flying... it doesn't belong to any pirate from the West Blue!
That pattern... i-it seems to be exactly the same as the flag of the legendary ruler of the New World—the Rocks Pirates!"
The Rocks Pirates?!
That infamous, terrifying organization whose name alone was enough to make children stop crying—why would they appear in the West Blue?!
"W-what did you say?! The Rocks Pirates?!"
The officer's face instantly turned as pale as paper.
Why? What could Kano Country possibly have that would attract the Rocks Pirates?
Could it be... the treasure of the Ice Continent?!
"Hurry... hurry to the palace and report to the king!!" the officer screamed, his voice distorted by fear.
"No need to trouble yourselves with reporting—"
The soldiers on the dock looked up in terror to see a figure standing before them, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
It was a young man, seemingly not even twenty years old, with black hair, crimson eyes, and a cold, stern expression.
He wore a black coat open at the chest, a long black sword hanging at his waist, and his entire being exuded a suffocating Haki.
...
Inside the opulent palace, the king was embracing his favorite concubine, enjoying music and dance amidst a scene of extravagance.
"Your Majesty, have another drink~"
The beauty spoke in a soft, coquettish voice, her eyes seductive.
The king laughed heartily and was about to reach out and embrace her when suddenly—
A series of urgent screams and the sound of heavy objects falling came from outside the palace.
Before he could even express his anger, the palace's ornate doors were torn from their frames and came flying straight into the hall!
"Protect the king!!"
The guards nearby reacted swiftly, rushing forward to shield the king.
These guards were all elite experts, each possessing at least the strength of a Marine captain.
"Bam!!"
What Raiver Sky had casually thrown inside was none other than the guard who had been stationed at the entrance.
"Bastard! Who dares to be so bold as to break into the palace?!"
The king stared at the tall figure slowly walking in from outside the palace gates, his face flushed red with anger, his beard trembling.
"Old fool, what are you barking about?"
Raiver Sky's voice was icy, like a cold wind blowing through the hall.
The king felt his vision blur.
The next moment, a heavy blow struck his chest, sending his world spinning as he was kicked to the ground.
A foot pressed down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe, almost suffocating him.
The force was controlled with extreme precision—enough to make him feel the threat of death, yet not enough to kill him instantly.
"Guards! What are you standing around for?! Seize this madman at once!"
The king, who had never suffered such humiliation, felt his rationality instantly consumed by rage as he roared hoarsely.
He was the monarch of Kano Country, one of the most powerful figures in the West Sea!
Even Chinjao, the Dongyang of the Happo Navy, would bow respectfully in his presence!
How dare this brat, who appeared out of nowhere, to...
"Stop barking."
Raiver Sky's voice remained calm:
"I took care of the guards outside the palace before I entered."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the few remaining guards in the hall:
"As for them—"
Before he could finish, a terrifying crimson glint flashed in Raiver Sky's eyes.
Buzz—
Conqueror's Haki!
Not a full release, but a precise shockwave targeting only those few in the hall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The remaining guards didn't even have time to grunt before their eyes rolled back, foam spewed from their mouths, and they collapsed unconscious.
They hadn't even seen what happened—only an indescribable, terrifying Haki, like a collapsing mountain or a raging tsunami, had crushed down on them before they lost consciousness.
"Now, it's quiet."
Raiver Sky looked down from above, his gaze as cold as ice.
When the king met his eyes, it felt as if his throat had been seized. All curses stuck in his throat as he trembled uncontrollably.
"You... who are you... breaking into the palace... what do you want..."
The king forced a smile uglier than crying, completely yielding.
Having witnessed the other's inhuman, terrifying strength, his only thought now was to preserve his life. Any sense of royal dignity had long been thrown to the winds.
"Rocks Pirates, Officer Raiver Sky."
Raiver Sky reported his name truthfully.
It might save some trouble for the upcoming "negotiation."
After all, the fearsome reputation of the Rocks Pirates was enough to make most people abandon resistance.
"Wh-what... the Rocks Pirates..."
The king gasped sharply, his words cutting off abruptly.
His eyes widened, fixed intently on Raiver Sky's youthful face, as a recent newspaper flashed through his mind—
The front-page headline of the World Economic Journal, that impossibly young face, that staggering 2.5 billion Belly bounty...
The king's eyes rolled back abruptly, and from sheer terror, he fainted on the spot.
Officer Raiver Sky of the Rocks Pirates—how could he not know?
Even secluded in the West Sea, as a monarch, he had heard of the few great pirates who had shaken the seas in recent years with their absurdly high bounties.
Especially this monster, whose first bounty had reached a terrifying 2.5 billion Belly.
Seeing this, Raiver Sky felt speechless.
He had thought that as a king in a high position, the man would have at least some backbone or cunning. He never expected him to faint from fear.
He raised his hand and slapped the king across the face, jolting him awake.
Slap.
The king groggily came to, his blurred vision gradually clearing. When he saw that young, icy face again, he wished he had actually died.
"G-grand sir... s-spare... spare my life..." he stammered, incoherent with fear.
Raiver Sky released his foot and lifted him up: "Take me to the Ice Continent."
Upon hearing the words "Ice Continent," the king jolted in shock.
So that was it! The target of the Rocks Pirates was the glacial treasure guarded and passed down through generations by the Happo Navy's Dongyang in Kano Country!
Come to think of it, in Kano Country, only the mountainous accumulation of treasures from successive generations beneath the glacier could pique the interest of the Rocks Pirates, even prompting them to dispatch an Officer personally.
That was the wealth accumulated over eleven generations since the founding of Kano Country!
Although nominally belonging to the Happo Navy's legacy of protection, in reality, successive kings had regarded those treasures as their personal assets.
They had merely been unable to lay hands on them due to the indestructible glacier and the vigilant guard of the Happo Navy.
And now, the Rocks Pirates were coming to seize them...
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!