Chapter 161 The New World
"Is this the New World? These natural disasters are just too exaggerated. If a ship were even slightly inferior, it would probably sink the moment it entered these waters!"
"You can say that again. I thought the weather in the first half was scary enough, but the New World is on a whole different level of terror."
"Under such horrific catastrophes, it's no wonder the New World is a gathering place for the strong. Anyone even slightly weak simply couldn't sail these seas."
"Wait, what's that? Quick, fire the cannons! A mountain is falling from the sky!"
"
Amidst the chaos of the shifting catastrophes, the members of the Hunting Team had already retreated into the cabins, and the three warships had entered their sealed states to block out the wind and rain.
Despite the danger, curiosity about the New World led many members to gather in front of the reinforced glass in the observation area to watch the scene outside.
Some frowned at the harsh weather, while others were brimming with excitement, eager to make a name for themselves in these treacherous waters.
Suddenly, someone was drawn to a strange sight in the sky.
As they focused their gaze, they quickly realized that massive mountain peaks were actually falling through the storm-wracked sky.
No.
They weren't ordinary mountains.
They were giant blocks of ice, each as large as a mountain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Intense cannon fire immediately erupted from the two escort ships.
Shell after shell accurately struck the giant ice blocks plunging from above, the sound of explosions drowning out even the roar of the storm.
The sky was blanketed by fire, and the giant ice blocks were blasted into scattered shards and snowflakes.
"It's actually quite beautiful."
Looking at the ice shards and snowflakes drifting through the sky past the window, Zane smiled faintly.
Seeing that his subordinates' reactions were commendable and that they weren't intimidated by the New World, Zane stopped paying them much attention. Instead, he returned to supervising the training of Baby 5 and Nico Robin.
Both women were his lovers.
Naturally, Zane took special care of them.
Whenever he was free, he would bring the two of them to the private training room to provide guidance.
"Keep your hands higher and put some power into those punches. Why are your movements so wide? Are you trying to crush your enemies with your chest?"
"Don't slack off. This machine was specially built for this. Back then, Manlong and I had to beat each other up every day just to awaken our Observation Haki. You're lucky you only have to dodge these tennis balls."
""
First was Nico Robin.
Since her greatest weakness was her physical constitution, Zane strictly guided her through the Six Powers to improve her physical fitness.
Then there was Baby 5.
Using the custom-built ball machine, he had Baby 5 practice dodging using only her hearing and intuition while her eyes were blindfolded.
Time passed steadily.
With the insight of his God's Eye and constant guidance, both women showed visible progress.
As time slipped away, the natural disaster outside gradually subsided.
Even in the New World, the weather wasn't always dominated by violent storms.
One stretch of sea might be raging with wind and rain, while the next could be bathed in bright sunshine.
But while the weather might be bright, the environment was rarely peaceful.
Indeed.
No sooner had they survived the natural disaster than a man-made one arrived.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the thunder of cannons, a fleet of pirate ships approached from the distance, launching a fierce assault on the New Riding the Wind and Waves and its two escort ships.
"Damn Three-Eye Pirates! They made us wait so long. No matter what, we're taking them down this time."
"Captain, the other guy has a ten-billion bounty. Isn't it a bit reckless to try and corner him?"
"Reckless my foot! Is this your first day at sea? A bounty doesn't equal strength, let alone a ten-billion one. If we get that, we can retire and live the high life!"
"Exactly! What's the point of a high bounty? At best, he's just a rookie in the New World. There's nothing to be afraid of!"
""
The world was never short of desperate criminals blinded by greed.
Just like the pirate forces currently attempting to surround the Hunting Team.
The ten-billion-bounty tag, rather than acting as a deterrent, had ignited their avarice.
From the moment Zane's bounty was posted to the rumors of the Hunting Team entering the New World via Fishman Island, this group of pirates had been waiting bitterly in these waters.
"Mercury: Silver Treasury!"
Facing the incoming bombardment.
The escort ships immediately accelerated, positioning themselves in front of the New Riding the Wind and Waves.
Watching the shells screaming toward them, Wyper stood on the deck of Escort Ship No. 1 with a look of arrogance. He spread his arms, and a massive, mirror-like curtain of silver light gathered behind him.
Weapons made of mercury emerged from the silver light, firing continuously to intercept the incoming shells or strike directly at the distant pirate ships.
When the mercury hit the pirate ships, aside from its inherent impact force, it quickly evaporated into toxic mercury vapor under his control.
"Cough, cough... Damn it, is this poison gas?"
"Get away! Don't let the gas get near you!"
"Dammit, help! I don't want to die!!"
""
The mercury vapor spread aggressively, soon enveloping the entire pirate ship.
One by one, the pirates on board collapsed, gasping for breath, their lives fading away amidst agonized wails.
"How about that? This is a move the Captain taught me himself. Pretty impressive, right?"
Seeing the distant pirate ships go silent under his mercury attacks, Wyper grinned and turned to look provocatively at Bones.
Bones glanced at him.
"The move the Captain taught is naturally powerful," Bones said calmly, "but it still depends on whether the user is up to standard."
With that, Bones leapt out, using Moonwalk to step through the air toward a distant pirate ship.
"Dice-Dice: Sky Splitter!"
Gazing down at the pirate ship below, Bones's right arm transformed into a giant blade two meters long.
Cloaking it in Armament Haki, he immediately swung the giant blade arm downward.
Clang!!!
A brilliant shockwave erupted, slicing through both the air and the pirate ship below, splitting the vessel entirely in two.
'*What's there to be so proud of? The Captain taught me moves too!*'
Having cut the ship in half, Bones muttered to himself, even glancing back at the escort ship as if to check Wyper's reaction.
"Tch."
On the deck, Wyper curled his lip as he watched Bones cleave the ship.
That guy Bones was really keeping up the pressure.
As soon as Wyper learned Armament Haki, Bones had mastered it shortly after.
Now that Wyper had learned a powerful new move, Bones had apparently reached the Steel-Cutting Realm of swordsmanship through the Captain's teachings as well.
"Wyper, are you competing with Bones? Let me join in too!" Kamakiri approached with great interest.
Without waiting for Wyper's response, he also used Moonwalk to dash toward one of the distant pirate ships.
Evading cannon fire and gunshots.
Once Kamakiri successfully landed on a pirate ship, his body immediately swelled, transforming into a humanoid velociraptor with a dragon's head, two sharp claws, and a thick tail.
His height of nearly three and a half meters turned the originally lean Kamakiri into a figure of immense pressure.
""
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