Spring in the year 1515 of the Sea Circle Calendar arrived a little later than usual. Lead-gray clouds piled up over the West Blue, and the sea breeze carried a biting dampness, heralding troubled days ahead.
On Longquan Island, beneath the eaves of Longwei City, icicles gradually melted, their droplets tapping a crisp rhythm against the bluestone paving. On the training ground, white breaths mingled with the shouts of drills. Even in the biting spring chill, the soldiers of Peach Blossom Spring had not missed a single day of training.
Guan Yu ran his hand over the edge of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, feeling the faint hum from its edge. Lately, he had gained a new understanding of the flow of Armament Haki. Within the azure radiance, a darker sheen faintly emerged, more subdued yet more dangerous. He raised his eyes toward the northeastern waters, a sharp glint flashing through his phoenix eyes, as though his gaze had pierced the layers of fog and caught sight of the approaching storm.
Charcoal crackled inside the council hall. Wrapped in a thick fur coat, Guo Jia lightly tapped a piece of encrypted intelligence, his languid voice carrying a grave undertone. "'Ripper' Jason, bounty of 120 million Beli, assembled his main fleet three days ago-twenty-three warships in total-and left his lair on Shattered Bone Island. His heading takes him straight toward our Hurricane Gorge."
"120 million Beli..." Zhang Fei's fierce eyes widened, and his voice boomed like a great bell. "Finally, someone worth fighting! My Eight-Foot Serpent Spear has been thirsting for this!"
Zhao Yun continued steadily, "According to reports, Jason possesses immense strength and a brutal temperament. Countless souls have fallen beneath his giant axe. Many of the pirates under him are fierce fighters as well. We must not underestimate them."
"Fengxiao, do you mean this villain is coming for Peach Blossom Spring?" Worry creased Liu Bei's brow.
"Almost certainly." Guo Jia nodded. "That old Chancellor has suffered one setback after another. Now he is setting a tiger upon a wolf, hoping to use Jason's sharp blade to test our edge. Very well. Let him see whether Peach Blossom Spring is such an easy bone to gnaw."
Seated upright at the head of the hall, Chen Yu swept his gaze over the heroes under his command and said gravely, "We will meet soldiers with generals and floodwaters with earthworks. We have honed our blades for so long. This is precisely the sort of whetstone we need! Fengxiao, do you have a plan?"
Guo Jia smiled faintly and walked to the map of the West Blue, pointing at the narrow, throat-shaped waterway. "Hurricane Gorge is a gift from heaven. The winds are strong, the currents swift, and hidden reefs abound. Large ships have little room to maneuver. I have a plan: invite them into the trap, then catch them with nowhere to run."
He explained in detail, "Zhao Yun will lead our naval elites, using the speed of our boats and his familiarity with the waters to resist them at every turn within the gorge, pinning down their main force and blunting their momentum. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong will each lead their own elite troops and lie in ambush beforehand at Eagle Beak Rock and Crouching Dragon Reef on either side of the gorge's mouth. Once their main force has advanced deep inside, their formation has fallen into disorder, and fatigue has set in, all three generals will strike at once and head straight for Jason's flagship! On land, Lord Liu Bei will coordinate defenses at key points along the coast to guard against small pirate bands slipping through to launch raids."
"An excellent plan!" Guan Yu stroked his beard in approval. "Hold defensible ground, await the weary while rested, and strike them unprepared!"
"The key to this battle is a decisive strike. To defeat the bandits, capture their leader." Guo Jia looked at Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong. "Generals, I entrust Jason's head to you."
"We will not fail!" the three generals answered in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.
Several days later, outside Hurricane Gorge, cold winds howled and murky waves surged skyward. The enormous fleet of the Giant Axe Pirates broke through the fog like a pack of savage sea beasts, appearing at the edge of sight.
At the bow of the flagship Wave-Cleaver, Jason's mountainlike body stood tall, a fearsome giant axe resting on his shoulder, his knotted muscles bulging beneath his leather armor. Looking at the gorge's mouth ahead, which resembled the open jaws of a monstrous beast, he licked his lips and gave a cruel smile. "Peach Blossom Spring? Hmph, a bunch of skulking cowards! Boys, follow me in and slaughter them! Take all the treasure and women you want!"
The pirates howled wildly and drove their warships toward the gorge's mouth like arrows loosed from bowstrings.
Yet the moment they entered the gorge, a storm of attacks met them head-on!
Dozens of Peach Blossom Spring's speedboats shot out like phantoms from behind the reefs on either side. Arrows swarmed like locusts, and flaming arrows streaked like meteors, targeting sails, rudders, and oars! Clad in white robes and holding a silver spear, Zhao Yun stood at the bow of the command vessel. Driven by Reshiram's power, the speedboats were exceptionally nimble, weaving freely through the raging waves. He nocked an arrow and drew his bow, his Observation Haki already working silently. The arrow left the string as though it had eyes, piercing the throat of an enemy helmsman with perfect accuracy!
"An ambush! Watch out for the arrows!" Jason roared, swinging his giant axe to block. Armament Haki coated the axe head, deflecting the incoming arrows with crisp metallic clangs. He was inwardly startled. The enemy's arrows carried tremendous force; this was no ordinary navy. "Speed up and break through! Crush them!"
Relying on their sturdy hulls and thick shields, the pirate ships charged straight through the rain of arrows. But the narrow waterway sharply reduced their speed, and their formation began to fall apart.
Just as Zhao Yun held Jason's main fleet fast within the gorge, leaving it unable to advance or retreat, thunderous war drums erupted on both sides of the entrance!
On Eagle Beak Rock to the left, Guan Yu's Human-Beast Form appeared. The energy mane behind his head stirred without wind, and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade blazed with brilliant azure light, condensed Armament Haki coiling around its edge like a black dragon! "Green Dragon Crescent: Sea-Cleaving!"
An enormous azure slash spanning a hundred meters tore through the air with Rayquaza's shriek. Rather than striking the ships, it slammed into the sea directly ahead of the Wave-Cleaver!
Boom!!!
A deep chasm split the sea, and towering waves erupted skyward. The powerful shock wave sent the Wave-Cleaver rocking violently, while several escort boats along its flank were overturned outright by the huge waves!
Jason steadied himself, shocked and furious. "What a powerful slash!"
On Crouching Dragon Reef to the right, Zhang Fei's Human-Beast Form resembled a colossal god of lava descending upon the world. Groudon's power erupted as he roared and smashed his Armament Haki-coated fists into the reef! "Fury: Fissure Wave!"
Boom!
A terrifying shock wave spread along the seabed. The water beneath Jason's fleet churned as though boiling. The keels of several pirate ships groaned, their hulls listed, and pirates tumbled into the sea like dumplings into a pot!
Almost simultaneously, atop a jutting reef high above, Huang Zhong's beard and hair bristled in his Human-Beast Form. Dialga's power made time seem to slow in his eyes. He drew his bow into a full circle, the Armament Haki gathered on the arrow merging with a spiraling current of air! "Setting Sun: Star-Piercing!"
Whoosh!
The arrow became a streak of light too fast for the naked eye to follow. Observation Haki predicted the path of Jason's blocking motion, and the arrow skirted his giant axe to shoot straight for his left eye! Its speed far surpassed the speed of sound!
Terrified, Jason desperately jerked his head aside. The arrow grazed his cheekbone, tearing away a strip of flesh and leaving blood streaming down! He broke out in a cold sweat.
Peach Blossom Spring's three top generals surrounded Jason's flagship in a triangular formation!
Guan Yu wielded his blade with divine skill. Rayquaza's power granted him supreme speed and cutting force, and every stroke forced Jason to block with all his strength!
Zhang Fei's blows were heavy and powerful. Groudon's power granted him boundless strength, and the blasts from his fists drove Jason back step after step!
Huang Zhong's archery was uncanny. Dialga's power let him command the timing, and every arrow struck precisely where Jason had to defend, leaving him unable to handle everything at once!
Though Jason was fierce, pushing his Armament Haki Hardening to its utmost and swinging his giant axe wildly, the three powerful fighters attacked in perfect coordination. Within a few exchanges, he was struggling to fend them off. Several wounds deep enough to expose bone opened across his body, and his blood stained the deck red.
How is this possible! How can Peach Blossom Spring have so many powerful fighters! Horror filled Jason's heart, and his fighting spirit ebbed. He feinted with his axe and tried to leap into the sea to escape.
"Villain, you will not escape!" Guan Yu's Observation Haki had already predicted his movement. The Green Dragon Crescent Blade traced a strange arc. "Retreating Blade Tactic: Returning Wind!" Blade light flashed, and blood sprayed!
"Argh!" Jason screamed as both legs were cleanly severed at the knees. His huge body crashed to the deck, and Zhang Fei rushed forward and planted a foot on his chest, capturing him alive!
With their commander captured, the pirates' morale collapsed, and they dropped to their knees to beg for mercy. Peach Blossom Spring had won an overwhelming victory at Hurricane Gorge!
After the battle, Longquan Island held a grand victory feast. Yet the inner circle felt little joy; instead, their mood grew even graver.
Jason was thrown into the dungeon and placed under strict guard.
News of the battle spread across the West Blue as though on wings. The names of Peach Blossom Spring's Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Zhao Yun truly resounded across its waters, earning them the title "Four Sweet Commanders of Peach Blossom Spring." The formidable strength they had displayed struck fear into all who coveted their territory. Upon hearing the news, the Chancellor of the Flower Country was both shocked and furious, but for the moment, he could think of no further plan.
Yet Chen Yu and Guo Jia both understood that defeating one Jason had only temporarily intimidated the petty villains. Beneath the West Blue, greater undercurrents still surged. Those true overlords who dominated their own territories, those watching from the Grand Line, might only just have been drawn to the light shining here.
Candlelight flickered inside the study in Longwei City. Chen Yu and Guo Jia sat facing each other.
"Fengxiao, though we won this battle, as I see it, strong as Guan Yu and the others are, they still fall short of the truly highest level of combat strength. Their Haki training and development of their fruit abilities must also advance further," Chen Yu said slowly.
Guo Jia nodded. "You see clearly, my lord. Though Jason boasted a bounty of 120 million, he was merely a brute. Our future enemies may not be so simple. Guan Yu and the others possess extraordinary talent, but the mysteries of Conqueror's Haki, the techniques of Ryuo, and even the realm of Future Sight through Observation Haki cannot be attained without trials of life and death and great opportunities. For our next step, we may need to turn our gaze toward a wider world, or... quietly await the changing tides."
Chen Yu gazed into the deep darkness outside the window, his eyes profound. "Yes. Vast though the West Blue is, there truly are too few strong fighters here. It is time for Peach Blossom Spring to sink its roots deeper and stretch its branches toward more distant skies."
In the spring of 1515 of the Sea Circle Calendar, Peach Blossom Spring laid the foundation of its supremacy in the West Blue with a resounding victory. Yet everyone could feel that the winds were growing stronger and the waves would soon rage even higher. The voyage ahead was destined to hold still more challenges and opportunities.
Before you continue