Pitch-black storm clouds.
They obscured Patches's vision and senses.
Under this sky shrouded in dark clouds, Patches was like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
As for this prey that had willingly laid itself on the dinner plate, Roy began to toy with him in retaliation.
The rumbling thunder pushed Patches to the brink of collapse.
Because he never knew which direction the next attack would come from.
Humanity's fear of darkness and the unknown constantly gnawed at Patches's nerves.
"My lord, I don't know how I offended you, but please spare my life. I'm willing to be your dog!"
Faced with the fear of darkness and death.
The pirate who had been so arrogant moments ago now lowered his head.
Although the other party had stripped him of everything, before absolute strength and the line between life and death, everything he had lost was insignificant.
Only when people were on the verge of despair did they realize what was most precious.
So-called power, wealth, and beautiful women were nothing more than passing clouds before life.
Because once life was gone, there was truly nothing left.
Even the proudest hero would likely hesitate in fear when faced with the boundary between life and death.
Much less Patches, who was merely a cunning and cruel pirate.
Fine virtues showed little in him, but his fear of death and bullying of the weak while fearing the strong were displayed to the fullest.
The dark clouds represented Roy's eyes.
Watching the Black Eagle flap his mangled wings and beg loudly for mercy.
Roy had never intended to kill him, because killing him just like that would be far too merciful.
This incident had caused Roy and Spandam heavy losses.
Although the wealth in the royal capital below could make up for part of Roy's losses, time was limited, so Roy could not take all the wealth below with him.
And the Zoan Devil Fruit user before him was the chief culprit behind this entire incident.
The moment he rushed into the dark clouds, Roy had already regarded him as his property.
After all, at the slave auctions on the Sabaody Archipelago, a pirate with a bounty exceeding one hundred million was worth a great deal.
What was more, this pirate was a flying Zoan Devil Fruit user.
With that added distinction, his value would undoubtedly be even greater.
Of course, taking him directly to an auction would be far too wasteful in Roy's eyes.
After all, everyone knew who loved slaves most in the world of the Pirate King.
Without a doubt, the Celestial Dragons living in Mary Geoise were the foremost connoisseurs of slaves. Roy had already found a master for Patches.
By presenting him to the Celestial Dragons, Roy could win their favor and conveniently make use of the power in their hands.
In Roy's eyes, that was the true way to kill two birds with one stone.
After all, power was the most enticing thing in this world.
And privilege, a byproduct of power, was sometimes even more alluring than money.
The ability to fly was something no one could refuse.
A slave with a bounty exceeding one hundred million who was also a flying Devil Fruit user would count as a rare treasure even in Mary Geoise.
Watching Patches struggle bitterly within the dark clouds.
Roy was already considering what kind of privilege he should trade him for.
Sometimes, even a tiny scrap that slipped through the fingers of important people was enough to leave an ant stuffed with riches.
Ordinary Celestial Dragons might not have much understanding of the power they held, having grown accustomed to it.
But the authority of any one of them, when placed in the Blue Sea beneath Mary Geoise, was a deterrent comparable to a nuclear weapon.
And that was Roy's goal: to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons and follow Spandam's father's connections. While earning the trust of the higher-ups, he would also seek benefits for himself and chip away at the World Government's foundations.
The futile pleas received no response from within the dark clouds and turned into roars.
Patches no longer had the strength to keep flying.
Yet in his desire to survive, he had no choice but to maintain his altitude with all his might.
Because from judging the previous attacks, he had discovered that the moment his altitude dropped, the attacks would strike fiercely.
For Patches, who had suffered repeated mental and physical blows, this was undoubtedly torture.
And Roy, standing high in the sky, had no pity whatsoever for Patches, who was wrapped in the mass of dark clouds.
Another sonic shell pierced through Patches's shoulder blade.
No longer able to sustain flight, Patches let out an unwilling roar before falling toward the sea like a meteor.
"That's all you've got? How boring. I thought you could hold on for another ten minutes!"
Watching Patches rapidly plummet toward the sea.
Roy waved his hand.
A vast expanse of dark clouds suddenly spread downward.
Patches had already fallen unconscious from his rapid descent and excessive blood loss.
When he was only a hundred meters from the sea, Roy grabbed him by the neck, slowing his fall.
Bang!
When they were still five or six meters above the sea, Roy tossed him aside like garbage onto a beach covered in tiny hailstones.
The temperature in the Krol Kingdom had become extremely cold.
While Roy tortured Patches, the hail and rain constantly falling from the sky.
Had already wiped out all the pirates in the kingdom.
The wind howled across the island, while the rain and hail in the sky showed no sign of weakening.
Using the positioning from his Echo Map.
The terrain within a radius of more than ten miles soon appeared in Roy's mind.
Once Roy confirmed the location where the Black Eagle Pirates had stored their plundered treasure.
His entire body turned into a streak of black cloud, and he swept through the kingdom filled with silence.
Bang!
The sturdy door was kicked open, and the treasure that came into view filled Roy's face with delight.
Although there was less treasure here than he had expected, it was only natural when he thought about it.
After all, the annual Celestial Gold had already been paid some time ago.
And with so many members in the Black Eagle Pirates, their daily expenses were no small sum.
Besides, Roy knew that the real wealth was actually on the pirates who had been crushed to death, but due to time constraints, he could not search them one by one.
After simply packing up the treasure here.
Roy glanced at the shore, where the sky had begun to brighten.
He first placed the treasure in a fixed location, then flew straight toward the weapons factory.
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