The Wind Blew Softly

Night shrouded the sea, and a battered pirate ship swayed faintly amid the waves.

Several exhausted pirates stood on the deck, nervously staring toward the battlefield fading into the distance.

Their eyes were filled with anxiety and fury.

Though they had successfully escaped that suffocating bloodbath, they knew in their hearts that this was not a victory, but—only a temporary retreat.

Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was grave.

Several pirates walked with heavy steps, their low murmurs echoing beneath the dim lights.

Two middle-aged pirates pushed open the door and entered the first mate's cabin, their faces dark.

The atmosphere immediately became suffocatingly oppressive.

"First Mate, things are bad..."

One of them spoke, his low voice carrying a slight tremble.

The fear in his eyes had not yet fully faded. The memory of that battle still haunted him.

"They... they never gave us any chance at all."

The other pirate gritted his teeth, his tone full of rage yet tinged with helplessness.

"Jin An, Whitebeard, Kuzan... those monsters were far stronger than we imagined. Hardly anyone could withstand their attacks."

The first mate remained seated by the table. After a moment of silence, he slowly raised his head and swept his gaze over them.

"How did you escape?

Didn't the enemy pursue you?"

The two pirates exchanged a glance, the fear in their hearts surfacing once more. After a brief silence, one of them finally said through gritted teeth,

"We hid as best we could and used the Clear-Clear Fruit's power to avoid pursuit.

Unfortunately, we barely had any chance to fight back.

We simply had no way to deal with that kind of speed and strength."

As the first mate listened, his expression gradually turned grave, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

Clearly, he had already realized that the