Chaos and Madness

"Huff, huff!"

Philia is running.

His steps were unsteady, and he ran with a limp, looking both comical and pathetic.

A supple sensation came from beneath my feet; the ground of Black Lake Island was no longer hard, but instead felt like the Flesh of some living thing.

Every time Philia stepped down, the latter would wriggle upwards, trying to grab him and pull him in. This made him have to pull his legs out with force with every step, slowing him down considerably.

Not just the ground, but most things on Black Lake Island were horribly Distortion.

All the plants withered and dried up in an instant, as if all their life force had been absorbed; all the insects died stiffly; all the wild beasts either lay paralyzed on the ground or tore themselves apart, their bodies covered in blood.

In such an environment, many pirates also descended into madness.

Some pirates couldn't help but laugh, and as they laughed, they pulled out their knives and slashed their own necks repeatedly, tirelessly and without pain, until they had completely severed their heads.

Some pirates lost all reason and became pure beasts, following their most primal desires, pouncing on their companions and frantically tearing at their throats with their teeth;

Some pirates were howling in despair, as if they had seen or heard forbidden knowledge that should never be known, and they even gouged out their own eyes and deafened themselves!

O Sea God!

Philia's scalp tingled with fear. He couldn't imagine whether he would suffer the same Catastrophe. He simply ran desperately toward the island, just like the other panicked pirates.

Just a few minutes ago, the atmosphere on the island was quite cheerful. Ordinary pirates, unable to participate in the meetings of the kings or generals, still had their own fun. Some drank and made merry, others went to trade goods, and of course, there were also fights and arguments—in short, it was extremely lively.

But a terrible Catastrophe suddenly struck the island, and the Pirate Assembly instantly turned into a pirate execution ground. Everyone had only one thought in their minds: to escape as quickly as possible!

"Puff!"

Just then, not far in front of Philia, a strange object suddenly emerged from the ground and was exposed to the air!

It looked like a blood-soaked tree, its crown covered with vibrant red flowers, and its Vines Tentacle like Flesh tentacles. Embedded in the center of the trunk was a strange doll, complete with a mouth and eyes, but all of them were sealed with black lines.

Those Vines -like or Tentacle things seemed to come alive, and quickly pounced on the pirates.

"Aaaaaaah!"

The first few pirates couldn't dodge in time and were immediately entangled in the Vines, torn to pieces with screams of agony. Mouths sprouted from the Vines, scrambling to devour the fragments of the corpses. Those who missed out on the meat immediately turned their attention to the survivors.

There was more than one of these Flesh Tree; these Distortion and eerie figures were everywhere on Black Lake Island. They constantly stretched out their Tentacle, Greed seizing the lives of the pirates.

"Storm above!"

"Run!"

"Save me! I don't want to die!"

The pirates fled in despair, some going mad in the Distortion environment, others being torn apart by the Flesh Tree, their numbers rapidly dwindling.

But not all pirates were in such a sorry state.

"Swish swish!"

Alger Will opened his palm, and several sharp wind blades sliced through the air, cutting through all the Flesh Vines blocking his way.

"Everyone, follow me back to our ship and get out of here as soon as possible!"

He turned and shouted to his crew.

Like him, many other extraordinary pirates also used their abilities to gather their subordinates and rush towards the docks on the shore. Their pirate ships were all there; once they boarded, they could escape this dangerous island!

"What a terrifying scene... What on earth happened?"

As Alger fled, he continued to ponder, "Choosing this moment specifically to launch an attack seems like a deliberate assault..."

He couldn't help but feel that the mastermind behind it all was incredibly insane and utterly reckless. After all, there were Four Kings, five generals, and that guy [Temperance] here—meaning there were at least four Demigod, five Sequence 5 beings, and one being beyond the realm of combat power—how dare that mastermind!

Thinking of this, Alger Consciousness turned his gaze behind him.

He was quickly stunned.

The entire island was in chaos and madness, with two battlefields appearing simultaneously in the center of the lake and on its shore. Dark clouds filled the sky above the center of the Black Lake, and a tremendous sense of terror that sent shivers down one's Spirituality was rapidly brewing, while on the battlefield by the lake, "Admiral of Blood" was being chased by four other Pirate Admiral.

They've had an internal conflict?!

No, how could there be any internal strife during such a critical time, unless the other generals have already identified "Admiral of Blood" as their enemy!

The meticulous Alger analyzed the situation in an instant. He immediately looked away and shouted to his men, "Faster, faster!"

"Admiral of Blood" alone could not possibly have the courage to do such a thing, and he could not and would not have achieved such amazing results. It must be the force behind him, the "Rose School of Thought," that directed it!

This matter involves cults and evil gods, far more dangerous than Alger imagined. Regardless of how those kings and Blood Bishop deal with it, his best course of action is to return to the ship and hide as far away as possible!

"Snort."

Just then, a majestic and deep voice suddenly came from the lake in the center of the island, instantly resounding throughout the entire sea. A strange sense of chaos spread, and the Flesh Tree that had been growing wildly suddenly stopped, as if they had been intimidated by an invisible force, and their momentum instantly collapsed.

"The 'King of the Five Seas' has made his move!"

The surviving pirates had escaped death. One pirate shouted excitedly, his face beaming with joy, "We're saved..."

"Puff!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Vines, which had been sluggish, suddenly recovered and lashed out fiercely. His face was still beaming with a smile, but his head had already been sent flying high into the air, becoming food for the giant tree along with his shattered body.

As the pirates panicked once more, a Distortion, maniacal laugh echoed across the Black Lake.

He was an elderly man with sparse white hair, deep wrinkles on his face, and slightly brownish skin.

Shanks, the Demigod of the "Rose School of Thought"!

His body underwent a terrifying transformation, with countless fine Vines moving in and out of his body. Yet, his face showed no pain; instead, it was radiated with a fanatical smile.

"Nast, your abilities are ineffective against me!"

This mere Sequence 4 Demigod shouted at the numerous Sequence 3 below, his eyes filled with madness, "I have received the blessing of the Mother Tree! Praise be to the Mother Tree!"

The dark clouds above his head gathered further and hung heavily.

Something is coming.