The Swordsmanship Tournament was about to begin, and the final month before it opened was especially busy.
Travelers, powerful fighters, and countless factions from across the world flocked to the Pluton Sea.
Just as the Marines had said, nearly all the Sea Emperors, Overlords of the Sea, and Young Kings of the New World were heading for Paros Island.
The Underworld Kings and powerful fighters from every walk of life were too numerous to count.
News of it all had spread across the world through the World Economy News Paper.
For months, tens of thousands of people had arrived on Paros Island each day for this Swordsmanship Tournament, aboard transport ships or by other means.
The Kronos Kingdom had made a fortune from fares and travel fees alone.
At least three million people had reached Paros Island so far.
The true number was undoubtedly much higher than the estimate.
And the final month before the tournament would bring even more.
At times like this, order on the seas was relatively stable.
Many residents and wealthy travelers took the opportunity to visit the Pluton Sea, then decided not to leave.
It was also a time when wealth from across the seas flowed into the Kronos Kingdom.
That was especially true once the Swordsmanship Tournament began.
"This brings back memories. Not long after the last Swordsmanship Tournament ended, we left the Thousand-Hand Bodhi."
"More than ten years have gone by in the blink of an eye."
The Storm Pirates' ship sailed across the sea.
A fierce storm swirled around it several hundred meters out, so dense it was plainly visible.
Yet the storm did nothing to hinder the Storm Pirates. Instead, it drove their ship swiftly forward.
That was the Storm Pirates.
It was their unmistakable way of sailing into view.
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