The damp, slightly salty sea breeze rushed against them, carrying the wildness unique to the Pirate World.
Beneath their feet lay solid black reef rock. The roar of waves crashing against the shore filled their ears, while the air was thick with a chaotic presence.
Aizen stood atop the reef and took a deep breath, savoring everything this brand-new world had to offer.
Behind his glasses, his eyes glittered with an almost childlike excitement.
"Successful. It really worked!"
He muttered to himself, his voice trembling with uncontrollable excitement. "The world beyond is so real, so vibrant! Lord Yoru, you were right!"
Yoru returned the Complete Hōgyoku, which still emitted a faint azure glow. "What do you mean by that? Did you never believe me?"
Aizen took the Hōgyoku and fused it back into his body. That omnipotent sensation once again filled him from head to toe.
He shook his head. "Not exactly. It is only natural to have doubts about something one has never witnessed personally. So, Lord Yoru, where are we now?"
"I call this place the Pirate World for short. It is a vast sea divided into countless islands, where the World Government, the Navy, and countless pirate forces vie for supremacy."
"As for the powerful figures, the New World has the Four Emperors, the Navy has Admirals, and the World Government has the Knights of God. There are also various powerful individuals scattered across the sea."
"But I will not introduce them in detail. They basically cannot defeat you in your current state, so there is little point in discussing them."
"The only person truly worth taking seriously is a fellow named Imu, who has ruled this world for eight hundred years. I was hunted by him and fled to the Death God World. You only need