Golden Horns

In this battle, Bullet's terrifying strength was fully displayed; even Teach, at his current level, was still quite a bit weaker than him.

Of course, he wouldn't be too badly beaten, since everyone has a different fighting style. Teach would naturally avoid the drawbacks of the Dark- Dark-Dark Fruit and make good use of its power.

Bullet might not even be able to escape from the Star of Ruin alone. Even if he survived the infinite gravitational compression, Bullet combat power would be reduced by at least half.

A five-year age difference is indeed a significant gap for them, as this age group is a period of skill development and their potential has not yet been fully realized.

Five years from now, Teach's abilities will undoubtedly have improved in all aspects, and Teach is confident that he will not be weaker than Bullet. However, for now, some gaps are unavoidable.

A powerful physique and an immense amount of Haki.

It's far from time to stop. In a training room in the Night Palace, exclusively for Teach, there's a terrifying gravity field created by the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit.

The gravity in the entire field was two hundred times stronger than normal. Teach was sweating profusely inside, constantly doing basic exercises and throwing heavy punches. Each punch was delivered with all Teach might. Without perseverance, it would be impossible to keep going, let alone under such terrifying gravity.

Each punch Teach threw was incredibly difficult, as if it were being slowed down, but the booming sound continued.

The entire training room has excellent sound insulation and is made of very hard materials; a single punch under gravity cannot shake the entire training room.

Bullet naturally put pressure on Teach as well. He thought the gap between himself and Bullet wasn't that big, but now it seems he was too arrogant. The gap between them is not small, and if they didn't have the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit, the gap might be even greater.

Bullet's overall strength is terrifying, unmatched by anyone. His monstrous talent combined with his Devil Fruit ability creates a terrifying physique that is no less powerful than the boost from a powerful Mythical Zoan, and may even be stronger. Bullet's stamina is the World's Strongest.

Barrett is more durable than Kaido.

After this battle, Bullet disappeared again in the sea, while the Navy was stirring and preparing for a major operation, undoubtedly aimed at Bullet.

A large amount of combat power was gathered from various Marine Branch to the Marine Headquarters, and some clues could also be detected in terms of military supplies.

However, the specific details could not be found; the navy's intelligence network was tightly sealed, but a storm was already brewing.

In response, some people are waiting to see how things develop, while others might even offer some assistance to the World Government.

Bullet poses a significant threat to many forces, including Teach and the Night Pirates, though not a major one. Compared to the overall strength of the Night Pirates, Bullet is far too insignificant.

Therefore, regarding the Navy's actions against Bullet, Teach and the Night Pirates will only observe and wait. In addition Bullet has no close relationship with the Night Pirates, and he has only fought Teach once.

The Night Pirates have no connection with the Brotherhood, after all, the Night Pirates are Doflamingo's public supporters, and Doflamingo's forces are in competition with the Brotherhood.

Moreover, the Night Pirates are also a major arms dealer in the New World, producing and selling their own weapons. Many pirate crews like to buy firearms from the Night Pirates because, although they are not cheap, they are of good quality and durable.

They can be used for a long time, and their cost-effectiveness is undoubtedly higher. Those who are strong and have status like to carry one or two weapons from the Night Pirates. This is also the standard equipment for some executives of large pirate crews.

Moreover, pirates within the Night Sea Domain almost always purchase weapons from the Night Pirates.

The Night Pirates specialize in mid-to-high-end small-sized weapons, Beasts Pirates specialize in mid-to-high-end large-sized weapons, effectively dividing up the high-end weapon market in the New World.

The Navy and the World Government want to eliminate the Bullet threat more than anyone else.

How can Bullet, all alone, stop the combined forces of the Navy and the World Government?

In Teach's eyes, Bullet's fate was sealed. Even if Bullet tried to hide, she couldn't escape the World Government and Navy's intelligence network; at most, she would suffer greater losses.

No power would allow an uncontrollable monster like Bullet to exist. If someone like Redfield were to disappear without a trace and not cause trouble, that would be one thing, but even the World Government and the Navy wouldn't want to cause trouble for Redfield.

Redfield, having consumed the Mythical Zoan Bat-Bat Fruit in Vampire form, is even more troublesome.

The Bullet is an unstable factor, and of course, most people fear Bullet power.

When everyone grasped this concept, the Navy's action against Bullet became inevitable.

Bullet is a pirate, and pirates will not cooperate with the Navy. The fact that pirates do not help Bullet is the best support the Navy and the World Government can offer.

After all, when the Navy collaborates with pirates, they always have the intention of abandoning them after they've served their purpose.

This period belonged to Bullet; it was as if the world consisted only of Bullet's name.

Bullet's name and photo are almost always on the front page of newspapers and media outlets around the world.

Even the Dark Emperor and Whitebeard had to be pushed aside.

Whitebeard will be staying in his own territory, dealing with the internal forces that caused trouble during the war with the Night Pirates; it will take at least a few months.

The Dark Emperor kept a low profile and returned to his territory after the great battle, disappearing without a trace.

The Night Pirates have become even more vigilant, both overtly and covertly, with mechanical creatures appearing all over Night Pirates skies, land, and even sea.

Numerous spies from various factions were identified.

These mechanical creatures primarily serve to monitor, investigate, and track, and they also possess considerable combat capabilities; ordinary people would be no match for them.

At first, it might feel a little uncomfortable, but gradually, the entire Night Sea Domain gets used to the presence of these mechanical creatures, which become a unique feature of the Night Sea Domain.

The Night Pirates' appeal has not diminished; on the contrary, it has increased.

In the heart of the Night Pirates, beneath Saint Louis Island, lies a massive research base and control center, which Otto, along with a large group of scientists, recently developed and created.

Combining Otto's biomechanical technology with the artificial intelligence technology discovered on the Sky Island, an intelligent life form named "Shar" was born. It obeyed the Night Pirates, controlled all the biomechanical creatures, and helped the Night Pirates monitor the entire Night Sea Domain.

Artificial intelligence technology is incomplete. Although "Shar" possesses extremely high intelligence, she cannot think and remains a machine that only obeys the orders of the Night Pirates.

If it were truly capable of thought, Teach would still have some concerns, worrying that "Shar" might go out of control. Even with the so-called highest authority, there's no guarantee that accidents won't happen.

Unless we acquire real artificial intelligence technology from the moon, since there should be relics there.

Teach already had a plan: once Enel's strength had increased further, he would send him to the "Infinite Earth," which was the moon.

Similarly, Teach must also search for the "Uranus," a threat that must be eliminated as he Uranus the Red Line.

Now that "Shar" is in the picture, the entire Night Sea Domain will be impregnable. To prevent sudden attacks like those by Golden Lion Shiki, the Night Pirates have deployed many eyes even in the high sky.

Today, the Umbrella Group has been established in the Night Sea Domain. In addition to the shipyard business of the Night Pirates, it also has a department that builds airships, as well as an entertainment industry, mainly a film and television company that produces movies.

The film and television department has been initially established, but filming has already begun. The entire Night Sea Domain Night Pirates, and naturally, so does the Umbrella Corporation, which gets the green light for everything it does.

Let's test the waters with a movie first, a film about the Combat Pyramid, the story of a person fighting his way up from the bottom to the top. It will also be a great way to promote the Combat Pyramid.

If the response is positive, then the next step will be various movies, and even localized "Pirates of the Caribbean" series with pirate themes, which are already in the works.

Having reached this point, Teach naturally has the right to do what he wants, and movies are one of them, especially bringing Pirates of the Caribbean into the world.

The appearance of the airship was like a depth charge. Airships are completely different from pirate ships, and also different from the extremely fast flying machines of the Flying Pirates.

The high-profile press conference brought the airship directly to the world's attention. It was exclusively for the nobility and the wealthy, and its ability to withstand sea pirates alone surpassed that of countless luxury cruise ships.

Moreover, it allows people to touch the sky and gaze at the beautiful scenery of the sea.

After a test flight, coupled with the aerial perspective, airships suddenly became a sensation worldwide. Even small airships were considered comparable to a forty-meter-long pirate ship.

The large airships were as long as 200 meters, making them perfect for aristocratic gatherings.

Moreover, even if the airship is damaged, it will not land immediately; there is a backup plan to allow the airship to continue flying, and it also carries a spare ship.

Everything has been considered very clearly.

Orders are pouring in from all over the world. No one wants to miss out on something this good. Of course, the price is also very high, with a minimum of 50 million Beli. Moreover, it can be specially modified according to the buyer's requirements, or have special markings added, which will increase the price even further.

Among them were even orders from the Celestial Dragons, which the Night Pirates naturally wouldn't refuse, since the Celestial Dragons are all wealthy and powerful individuals.

In a short period of time, the total value of orders from all over the world reached tens of billions of Beli, from which the Night Pirates were able to make a fortune.

Trade between the Night Pirates and the West Blue has now begun, involving both air and sea transport.

Air transport naturally involves specially modified airships, while sea transport involves ships with Seastone inlaid in their hulls.

There are even dedicated cargo ships for transporting goods.

Seastone is a precious and non-renewable resource, and the Night Pirates obtained a large quantity of Seastone from Wano Country.

The defeat of Wano Country against the Beasts Pirates made them clearly aware of their own shortcomings, and they needed various things for development, which naturally led them to trade with the Night Pirates.

The currency used in the transaction was, of course, Seastone.

The currency of Wano Country is different from that of the sea. Although it also has Beli, Wano Country definitely cannot afford them, and the Night Pirates do not need Beli.

Over the years, the Night Pirates have acquired a large amount of Seastone from Wano Country, some of which has been used on these ships.

While airships are safe, they cannot compare to ships in terms of cargo capacity.

Teach also plans to use airships to connect the four seas and even the New World, so that he can travel directly from the four seas to the New World, but this will require cooperation with the kingdoms of the four seas.

With airships present, the Calm Belt and the Red Line will no longer be insurmountable barriers to them, and the number of people coming to the Night Sea Domain will definitely increase.

Negotiations are already underway, and the West Blue is naturally not a problem. Trade volume has increased exponentially. Not only the Dark Council, but also the West Blue Alliance, and the total trade between various forces and the Night Pirates amount to tens of billions, or even more, annually.

The New World has many valuable things, and the Four Seas also have things that the Night Pirates need, and even things that the New World needs. By reselling these things, the Night Pirates can also make enough profit.

They selected an island each for the West Blue and the Night Pirates, using these two islands as a passage connecting the West Blue and the New World.

The connection between the West Blue and the Night Sea Domain is no longer a problem and has already begun; it's only a Calm Belt away, and a round trip won't take long.

Here, the airship is simply a means of transportation.

If successful, and with the backing of other forces in the West Blue, it can expand to the entire West Blue and even the Four Seas.

With the West Blue Alliance firmly established and the Dark Council joining forces, they could naturally see the potential benefits. They could acquire a large airship that could transport hundreds or even thousands of people at a time.

Now that the Dark Emperor has become emperor, naturally no one will dare to provoke the Night Pirates; the fate of the Whitebeard Pirates is still fresh in everyone's mind.

Given that the combat power of the Four Seas and the New World is on a completely different level, this transportation network will not be a problem at all. It will soon be able to connect all the important islands in the West Blue, and it is foreseeable that these islands will become more prosperous.

Population movement promotes economic development, a fact already demonstrated in the Christie Kingdom and the Night Sea Domain.

Connecting all the islands is difficult; even Sea Train can only connect nearby islands, otherwise the economic burden would be too great. Combining it with airships would be much faster.

A different life is coming soon, and it will be much more convenient. The Night Pirates value efficiency; once a plan is made, it is immediately executed to complete it in the shortest possible time.

The discussions with West Blue proceeded without any obstacles and could be completed in just one year.

All that's needed is to send someone to manage it and set aside an open space for the airships; it's an incredibly easy thing to do.

From now on, whatever happens at sea will have nothing to do with the Night Pirates; they can just quietly develop their business.

Ares had already left the New World, arrived at "Paradise" with Lafitte and spent some time finding the location of the Island of Rare Beasts using a map.

Meanwhile, Bullet, holding a cane, leaned against a tree, waiting.

The ground around them was littered with animal carcasses. These rare beasts were not considered powerful by Lafitte, and after killing some, he dared not approach any further.

Life seemed too peaceful; no one had a temper, Lafitte didn't think much of it.

The only thing worth mentioning about the island is their destination: the Kirin Lion, known as the "Guardian Deity of the Rare Beast Island."

The Kirin Lion is very powerful, even more ferocious and terrifying than many other beasts in Lafitte's eyes. Despite its considerable intelligence, it is still a beast.

Also, this Kirin Lion is old. No one knows how long it has lived, but it has finally reached the end of its life, although it is still more than ten years away from that time.

Ares was even more terrifying; he was the king of beasts, a monster among monsters. After a fierce battle, the Kirin Lion was killed by Ares.

His flesh and blood turned into food and were swallowed by Ares.

Unexpectedly, there was an even greater surprise: the pair of golden horns of the Kirin Lion contained terrifying power, and these golden horns also became the source of Ares' power, which Ares then devoured.

Ares felt an intense craving from this golden horn, and by consuming it, Ares would gain immense benefits.

Through hypnosis, Lafitte learned the function of the Golden Horn, the most precious treasure on Beast Island, the source of the Kirin Lion's power; any animal that eats it will gain terrifying power.

The fact that the Kirin Lion alone could contend with Ares demonstrates just how terrifying the power contained within the Golden Horns is.

Although he was somewhat tempted, it wouldn't work on him. People who ate the Golden Horn would only turn into horned monsters. This power clearly didn't belong to humans and was undoubtedly only suitable for Ares.

In the past few days, Ares has been digesting the power contained within the Golden Horn ever since he consumed it.

He transformed back into his original Ant King form, a form that Ares felt was most suitable for him.

Lafitte could clearly sense the transformation that was taking place in Ares, and his aura was constantly growing stronger.

The fact that this enormous golden horn could enhance Ares's strength made Lafitte feel that the trip was worthwhile. The enhancement of Ares's strength would naturally benefit the Night Pirates.

The giant golden horn represents a symbol of power. Ares' own power was already formidable, but after devouring the golden horn, he became even more terrifying.

Finally, Ares woke up.

He stood up, and a terrifying aura erupted from his body. He unconsciously released Conqueror's Haki, and all the animals on the island trembled under his terrifying presence.

Ares transformed back into his demon form, Lafitte keenly noticed the changes in Ares: his golden horns had become larger, longer, and slightly curved, and their color had become more subdued.

It's easy to imagine that Ares gained a lot.

Feeling the power within his body, Ares smiled excitedly and let out a whoosh, his breath creating a strong gust of wind.

"How was it?" Lafitte asked curiously as he approached Ares.

"Hmm, I feel like I possess endless power, it couldn't be better," Ares laughed, waving his arm and a terrifying force swept through the air, forming a horrifying air wave that crashed towards the small mountain behind him.

The rocks shattered; such terrifying power was generated with just a swing of the arm.

It's worth noting that Ares, with his monstrous talent and sheer power, is arguably the World's Strongest, and he's even more terrifying now that he's consumed the Golden Horn.

Just then, something unexpected happened. The waves on the sea suddenly rushed towards the island of rare beasts, crashing around it and splashing up a lot of white spray, encircling the island and forming an arc, like a crown.

Suddenly, all the animals on the island knelt down in front of Ares, as if paying homage to the new king.

"How boring, let's go." Ares looked down on the animals and glanced at them disdainfully before speaking.

The Kirin Lion was not as strong as he had imagined, mainly because he was too old. He died at Ares's hands not long after. If he had been in his prime, he could have lasted much longer.

However, the biggest surprise was the golden horn, which contained terrifying power, further enhancing Ares' strength.

Soon, Ares, now back in his Ant King form, rode on Lafitte's back and left the island of rare animals.

Although Lafitte's beast form wasn't as large as other Ancient Species, its bat wingspan was still eight meters, and carrying Ares on its back, it was completely...

Now that their business was done, they prepared to leave the first half of the Grand Line, which was, after all, the territory of the Navy and the World Government.

However, instead of going directly to the New World, they returned to the Night Sea Domain via the Four Seas route.

Although Ares's mission is over, Lafitte still has other tasks to complete.

Once Ares is delivered to Reverse Mountain, members of the Night Pirates will naturally come to Ares.

An airship is approaching Reverse Mountain from the Night Sea Domain via the West Blue.

502 Golden Corner