Ring Tree Island Crisis

That morning, the Hunting Squad members gathered early at the training grounds.

Thick clouds hung overhead, seeming ready to press down at any moment. Not a trace of sunlight could be seen in the sky, and gloom shrouded Ring Tree Island.

Just like everyone's mood at the moment—heavy and bleak.

"Starting today, Luo Han, you'll patrol alone in the direction of Green Cliff on Ring Tree Island.

Cole, you'll patrol with me starting from here. Everyone else... train hard!"

Uncle Kate stood before the group and spoke in a deep voice.

His expression was grave, and his gaze held a seriousness unlike usual.

"Understood! Uncle Kate, I'll carry out the patrol duties properly from today onward."

Luo Han, standing at the front of the group, replied in a low voice. Compared to the other Hunting Squad members, he was relatively small, only around two meters tall.

After half a year, Luo Han had finally grown to two meters due to his enhanced physical talent. After that, he began controlling his height.

He could not stand out too much yet!

Fortunately, the Mind Fruit gave him strong control over his physical body. Luo Han could freely regulate his body's growth to a certain extent, much like Life Return among the Six Powers.

Everyone looked at Luo Han worriedly. He was still a little too young!

Yet no one underestimated Luo Han. Just looking at Cole, who was now nearly five meters tall, showed how much his strength had improved over the past half year!

And how weak could Luo Han be when he had constantly fought Cole without falling behind? Luo Han was already a dependable companion.

Over the past half year, Luo Han had used Psychokinesis to save several Hunting Squad members who had encountered accidents. Everyone trusted and cared about him deeply.

But changes unlike anything seen before had appeared around Ring Tree Island over the past six months, so everyone was still worried.

"Alright! Set off! Stay safe, Luo Han!"

Uncle Kate looked at Luo Han with concern as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Mm! I will!" Luo Han replied.

Afterward, Luo Han, Cole, and Uncle Kate set out on patrol!

With a whoosh, Luo Han flew up from the top of the island and headed all the way to the waters around Ring Tree Island, to the boundary between the highly concentrated salt sea and ordinary seawater.

He glanced at the deep sea ahead, and a trace of solemnity flashed through Luo Han's eyes.

He then began patrolling along the boundary, flying at an altitude of over a thousand meters so that he could react in time if anything happened.

After all, beneath the calm surface of the boundary waters, Luo Han could already sense no fewer than four Large Sea Kings with his Divine Sense.

They ranged from roughly three thousand to eight thousand meters long!

He maintained a speed of fifty kilometers per hour as he flew around the island on patrol.

Hm! A few more Large Sea Kings had arrived. There were far more than yesterday.

This is going to be difficult! Luo Han thought bitterly.

Half a year ago, Luo Han had just decided that he would spend his future days leisurely and happily improving his physical talent and growing stronger.

He would slowly study the Mind Fruit's abilities and spend more time with Grandma Mo.

Who would have thought that the waters around Ring Tree Island would suddenly undergo such changes afterward?

As the Scale Fruit's ripening date drew closer, some Large Sea Kings began appearing in the surrounding boundary waters.

At first, no one thought much of it! Some Large Sea Kings had come to the boundary waters before as well.

But most Sea Kings would either head directly toward Ring Tree Island or swim around outside the boundary before leaving.

This time was different! The Sea Kings that came to the boundary all remained silently in the deep sea!

Yes, silently.

It was as though every Sea King that came here had made an appointment!

Over the following half year, more and more Sea Kings arrived at the boundary, and their sizes grew from three thousand meters long at the start to as much as eight thousand meters now.

The Hunting Squad members soon learned of this change. After all, these Large Sea Kings surfaced every day, rising above the water and staring straight at Ring Tree Island with eyes as large as houses.

That gaze! Luo Han's body and mind had trembled violently the first time he saw it!

There was intelligence within it, along with a trace of greed and madness!

Luo Han and the Hunting Squad members could now be certain that these Sea Kings were waiting for the Divine Tree's Scale Fruit on Ring Tree Island to ripen.

These Sea Kings had all become outstanding hunters, hunting the Divine Tree.

Sigh! When Luo Han had read One Piece in his previous life, he had always felt that any strong person could easily crush Sea Kings, even Large Sea Kings.

But only when these monsters, each comparable to the Himalayas, stared straight at you with eyes larger than houses...

Would you understand just how small and ignorant you were!

Luo Han felt extremely heavy-hearted. His attacks! Honestly, he did not even know whether they would work against a Sea King three thousand meters long.

Not to mention one eight thousand meters long!

For Sea Kings that were eight thousand meters long, Uncle Kate and Uncle Witt were probably the only ones on the island who could handle them.

But the Scale Fruit would not ripen for another half year!

By then, Luo Han did not believe there would only be Sea Kings eight thousand meters long.

There would definitely be ones over ten thousand meters long!

Sigh! This is impossible to solve! If only I could communicate with these Sea Kings! Luo Han thought.

Then he could explain the situation and directly give all the Scale Fruits to the Sea Kings, letting them fight over them themselves!

Unfortunately, that would not work! Even if he threw out all the Scale Fruits now, these Sea Kings would not abandon their attack on Ring Tree Island.

Just like when the Divine Tree had first been attacked by Sea Kings! Even after the Scale Fruits were gone, the crazed Sea Kings had nearly uprooted and destroyed the Divine Tree.

Luo Han, who had lost count of how many times he had sighed, felt utterly helpless. This crisis on Ring Tree Island had no solution at all!

If only I could develop Amaterasu from the Naruto World! I wouldn't need to control them all. As long as I controlled the strongest few Sea Kings, this crisis could be resolved.

And with Super Giant Sea Kings like that as mounts, traveling around the world would be much safer! Hehe!

Thinking of that pleasant future, Luo Han could not help but laugh aloud!

Then his eyes darkened! First, I have to survive this crisis. If it really comes down to it, Cole and I can only take some of the people and fly away through the sky.

The sea surface was now surrounded by Sea Kings. Even the Salt-Eating Sharks that normally hunted Sea Kings had retreated beneath Ring Tree Island and no longer dared to go out.

But... Grandma Mo and the older generation might not be willing to leave, especially if it meant abandoning some people.

Grandma Mo would be even less willing to leave!

Sigh! Thinking of this, Luo Han let out another deep sigh.

He looked in the direction of Ring Tree Island!

Poor Divine Tree, it had to face its old nightmare again. He only hoped that it could survive this time as well!

At any rate, Luo Han could not see any hope of defending Ring Tree Island against the attacks of this group of Sea Kings.

If only I were stronger!

Luo Han's intense desire for strength erupted once again. This time, he would not slack off anymore.

Only strength could protect the people important to him.

Just like this time! If Luo Han's Psychokinesis were stronger, he could take all one hundred thousand people on the island and fly away with them.

But now, Luo Han could only carry at most two thousand people through the air, which was nowhere near enough!

Boom! Boom! Boom! The thick clouds brought enormous raindrops. Raindrops the size of basketballs poured down crazily, smashing into the sea.

Luo Han wrapped his entire body in Psychokinesis to keep his clothes from being soaked through!

He looked down at the deep sea, using his Divine Sense to observe the Sea Kings beneath the water!

How much would this massive rainstorm reduce the salt concentration in the waters around Ring Tree Island?

He only hoped that this group of Sea Kings would not take advantage of the lowered salt concentration to attack Ring Tree Island!

Sigh! That was why everyone had been so worried today!

Fortunately, the Scale Fruit still had half a year before ripening!

The Sea Kings had not gone mad yet. They still possessed intelligence, so they probably would not attack!