Treasure?

Aboard the Crua, the ship Nova and the others were on, everyone was still dumbfounded as they watched the Marine warship gradually sail away.

Junhe walked over to Nova and asked, "Your Majesty, do you know that old man from earlier?"

"Of course I know him. He could be considered one of the absolute strongest in this world. More importantly, he is currently the strongest person in the Marines." Nova's lips curled upward as he praised him without reservation.

"Really? But judging by how he looked, he didn't seem that impressive," Junhe said in surprise.

"What the hell do you know? That old man is incredibly fierce, and his senses are extremely sharp."

After hearing Nova's words, Junhe's expression darkened slightly. He had questions he wanted to ask but did not know how to voice. Seeing that Nova did not seem to mind, Junhe hesitated before finally asking, "Your Majesty, the methods you used to train us before... were they related to the Marines?"

Nova smiled, then patted him on the shoulder. This time, he spoke without any reservations. "You're right. The training methods I gave you were the Marine training system that they have never shared with outsiders—the strongest techniques in the Marines, the Six Powers."

"So that's how it is..."

Only then did Junhe understand why Nova had always forbidden them from displaying those abilities before outsiders. The results of training among their hundred or so people had already reached such a level; one could only imagine the achievements of those who trained within the Marines.

It was not exactly surprising. Junhe merely wondered where his king had obtained such things when he was only ten years old.

But now was not the time to ask such questions. He only needed to know that he should remain loyal to the kingdom and loyal to His Majesty.

"Stop thinking about it and get moving. We haven't even covered half the journey yet. We don't even know whether we can reach the place before dark," Nova said directly to Junhe.

"Yes, Your Majesty..."

Once things quieted down again, Nova watched the ship slowly sail onward while considering why Garp had come to the South Blue. This place was quite far from Marine Headquarters. For an old man who normally had nothing to do, coming here definitely meant there was something going on.

The South Blue was generally weak and did not have many pirates. There was no reason for the Marines' strongest fighter to come here. More importantly, there were not many World Government member states in the South Blue, so there was absolutely no need for him to wander around here.

"Looks like that old man came here because of Bartoll."

This was, after all, where Pirate King Roger's son had been born, and where the Pirate King's wife had been buried.

Others might not know the relationship between Garp and Pirate King Roger, but Nova possessed the Eye of God and already knew the bigger picture. He understood their relationship very clearly.

The treasure indicated by the Treasure Map was also on Bartoll, while the Pirate King's wife had remained there as well. Could there really be no connection between these things?

At least, that was what Nova had always believed. As the king of this country, he knew Bartoll fairly well.

The island's permanent population was only around twenty thousand. Most of the area was surrounded by mountains. Although it was connected to the sea, there were not many places on the island suitable for human habitation.

As they continued sailing, Nova had no mood to admire the scenery along the way. Still, this time, he had effectively taken a trip along his kingdom's coastline.

The entire kingdom was not particularly large. It only took a day to travel around it by ship, and that was with the extremely slow speed of a sailing vessel. Calling it a palm-sized place would not be an exaggeration.

As night approached, the maid who had remained at Nova's side reminded him, "Your Majesty, we should reach Battila Island in about ten minutes. Lord Junhe asked me to inform you."

"Are we there?" Nova asked with a sigh.

"Yes, Your Majesty. But it is already dark. Should we spend the night on the island first?"

"We'll spend the night first. Pass down the order: anchor five li away from Battila Island. Don't disturb the island's residents," Nova instructed.

"Yes, Your Majesty..."

Nova had finally gotten the chance to come out, and he did not want to disturb the island's residents just because it was dark. If a ship suddenly approached at this time, the islanders might mistake them for pirates. If that happened, it would certainly cause panic.

Since it was already dark anyway, and there was enough room aboard the ship for everyone to rest, there was no need to do anything else.

The next day.

Early in the morning, Nova led everyone toward the location marked on the Treasure Map.

Battila Island was not small. Or rather, it was quite large.

However, most of it consisted of mountains and forests. This time, the place where they came ashore had been deliberately chosen to avoid the local residents.

Walking through the dense forest, Nova asked curiously, "Junhe, are you sure you can find the place this early?"

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. If there's nothing wrong with the Treasure Map, the exact location should be not far ahead," Junhe said.

By then, they had already been walking for several hours. Aside from those who remained on the ship, nearly twenty people had come along.

On such a vast island, it was quite difficult to determine a location with nothing but an unremarkable-looking Treasure Map.

Especially now, as they walked through the dense forest, they could barely even determine their direction.

After nearly another hour, the stifling heat in the forest was becoming unbearable.

"Junhe, didn't you say we were almost there? What exactly is going on now?"

Nova could not help shouting.

"Your Majesty, this forest seems very strange. I've realized that we've been circling in the same place all this time. I don't know what's happening," Junhe said helplessly.

Sweat was already slowly dripping from everyone's foreheads. The sweltering environment had made them all restless.

Junhe did not even need to say it. Nova had already noticed it himself. This place truly did feel rather strange.

Nova gave the surroundings a solemn look. Only then did he realize that there was not a single birdcall nearby. It was as though no living creatures existed here at all.

"Your Majesty, please rest for a moment. I'll take some men up into the trees to see what's going on," Junhe said respectfully.

"No need. No one separates. This place looks a little complicated," Nova said directly.

As soon as he spoke, Nova walked straight toward a massive tree whose crown was almost impossible to see. Its trunk was at least ten meters wide. Yet Nova had already seen this thing more than once, as though all their movements had been circling around this tree.

"System, can you find out what's going on?"

"Answer: I am very sorry, Host. This system is the Myriad Worlds Mall System and is not responsible for other types of situations."

Nova was speechless. Faced with their current situation, they were truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

But he could sense that there was definitely something in this place that he had yet to notice.

Nothing could appear for no reason. The same must be true of this place.

Since the system was useless, he would have to examine things more carefully himself.

"Your Majesty, have you discovered something?" Junhe asked as he walked over after seeing Nova's expression.

"Not yet."

Nova said this, then asked, "Does the Tru Kingdom have a place like this? Could no one have known about it before?"

"My apologies. I never paid attention to matters like this," Junhe said with his head lowered.

"Forget it. Let's find a way out first," Nova said helplessly.

"Your Majesty, why don't we just cut down these trees?"

A soldier stepped forward and asked after swallowing hard.

"No. These trees are far too large. It simply can't be done. Even if it could, who knows how long it would take," Junhe said.

"What he said might make some sense. We don't have any better options right now, so let's try it first," Nova said.

"But, Your Majesty, we didn't bring any tools before coming here. Relying on manpower alone, I'm afraid there's no good way to do it," Junhe advised.

"It doesn't matter..."

As soon as Nova finished speaking, a sword suddenly appeared in his hand, and his entire presence instantly turned sharp.

"Muramasa, whether we can get out of here next depends on you," Nova said to the sword in his hand.

As his words fell, Nova slowly drew the Demon Blade. His eyes began to turn blood-red as well.

Although he had not learned any swordsmanship, his strength alone was enough for him to use Demon Blade Muramasa to cut down the massive trees before him.

Seeing their king like this, Junhe and the others were all shocked and at a loss.

The aura emitted by Demon Blade Muramasa made even these specially trained people reveal frightened expressions.

"What is that?"

A soldier could not help asking.

"I think we'd better move farther away."

"His Majesty really is His Majesty. He's different from everyone else."

Everyone had something to say. Some were afraid, while others were filled with admiration.

But Nova did not hear a single word.

He focused entirely on the Demon Blade in his hand. The bloodthirsty desire it stirred within him was truly far too intense.

As it was his first time experiencing this blade, Nova could only let out a cold laugh and shout, "Since you have already recognized me as your master, you should obey my commands..."

The blade trembled continuously as he spoke. If Nova had not gripped it tightly, it would likely have flown away on its own long ago.

The evil aura of Demon Blade Muramasa began to fill the entire forest.

Nova gripped the hilt even tighter, doing his best to keep it from breaking free of his control.

Even so, man and blade remained locked in a standoff. The soldiers who had followed him all stood far away, as though they feared being harmed.

Even Junhe, the strongest among them, quickly retreated farther away and watched the situation ahead from a great distance.

The entire process continued for nearly half an hour. In the already sweltering forest, the sweat on everyone's foreheads had long since flowed beyond measure.

During the standoff, Nova struggled to maintain the situation. His physical exhaustion was far greater than anyone else's.

But it was not without results. After nearly half an hour of resistance, Demon Blade Muramasa had begun to calm down.

In the end, the evil aura Muramasa had originally emitted seemed to vanish completely.

It rested quietly in Nova's hand, appearing utterly ordinary. Yet the gleaming light along its blade was enough to reveal its nobility and extraordinary nature.

"Muramasa, since you and I are partners, I, Nova, will surely lead you onto the path of conquest and make your name known throughout this world."

Seeing that Demon Blade Muramasa had finally settled down completely, Nova's lips curved upward as he praised it.

The moment his words fell, Muramasa seemed to understand him, and its blade gently swayed twice more.

A weapon with a spirit would play a crucial role in increasing its wielder's strength.

Feeling the environment around him, Nova was already panting heavily, but the people behind him were still waiting for him.

In his current state, Nova had almost no strength left. After all, suppressing the Demon Blade had severely drained him.

It was already afternoon. If they did not leave this place soon, no one knew how long they would remain trapped in this sweltering forest. Especially after nightfall, if the dangers within revealed themselves, there was a good chance none of them would make it out alive.

Even though Demon Blade Muramasa had calmed down, not a single soldier dared approach Nova.

Nova paid no attention to their reactions. He held the blade horizontally, his gaze sharp as he stared ahead, especially at the ten-meter-wide tree before him.

With a flick of his hand, the blade came down. It was merely an ordinary slash, yet the blade light pierced straight through the massive tree.

The moment the blade light passed through the tree, everyone seemed to hear the crisp sound of shattering glass. Before the tree even fell, the stifling heat of the forest vanished, and it felt as though a breeze brushed past their bodies.