The New World.
Above the sky in some unknown sea area...
A large sailing ship was suspended in the air, drifting towards the unknown.
"Captain."
From the bow of the ship, a voice filled with excitement and a hint of apprehension called out.
"Are we really going to fight for those two positions?"
Jobie Luo was the first mate of this ship, with a bounty of 350 million. A black-sheathed long sword hung at his waist, clearly indicating he was a swordsman.
In the New World, pirates like him, while not countless, were certainly not few.
It was heard that two of the Four Emperors had died, leaving behind vast territories unclaimed.
Upon hearing this news, he was both excited and nervous.
Excited because this might be an opportunity for their pirate crew to rise.
With their current strength, even if the captain was a great pirate with a bounty of 600 million, it would be absolutely impossible for them to compete for those two positions.
This was something they, who could sail independently in the New World without joining the outer circles of the Four Emperors' crews, understood very well.
After all, even though the Four Emperors were dead, their outer pirate crews were still around!
Among these pirate crews, there were countless others far stronger than them.
However... just a few days ago, the captain obtained a devil fruit, a legendary one.
The previous owner of this fruit was a true legend who, with this fruit, could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate.
Even though he was dead, no one dared to underestimate this fruit.
According to his understanding, after learning of the demise of this legendary strongman, many pirates began to stir.
Of course, they were among them.
Everyone wanted to obtain this fruit, to glimpse that peak realm, and to become legends themselves.
Yet, a year had passed, and there was no news of this fruit. While for the great sea, a year might be but a drop in the ocean, insignificant.
But for the pirates of the New World, this was a long period of life and death.
Not everyone in this world could become a monster.
Without the talent and aptitude, reaching the pinnacle of life and seeking further breakthroughs would necessitate finding another path.
Neither the captain nor he were Devil Fruit users.
At their level, ordinary Devil Fruits, while capable of increasing strength, offered only marginal gains. Compared to the side effects of Devil Fruits, the strength gained was negligible.
This was something they had understood since they arrived here.
It was precisely because they were not Devil Fruit users, unafraid of falling into the sea and the water, that they could truly establish themselves in the New World.
But all these side effects paled in comparison to this legendary Devil Fruit.
The saying "There are no useless fruits, only useless people" was best taken with a grain of salt. If you truly believed it, you would be close to death.
Having sailed the Grand Line since the Roger era, for them, chicken soup and passion were things of the past.
What they wanted now was to live out their remaining years in peace.
Although they knew this was a pipe dream.
But this fruit, like a true demon, tempted those who obtained it, drawing them into the abyss of power, bringing them a long-lost passion and the arrogance befitting great pirates, and of course, a certain ferocity.
"Hehehehehe!"
Beside Jobie Luo, a man nearly 3 meters tall, with his shirt off, his body shaped like an inverted triangle, Hyde laughed heartily.
Then, he turned to his brother, who had been with him since he set sail, and said, "Jobie, do you remember our dream when we set sail?"
"Our dream when we set sail?"
Jobie Luo gripped his sword hilt, his eyes filled with recollection. "How could I forget? I still remember the pride you had facing the sea at the village entrance. It was that pride that brought us to where we are today!"
"Brother," Hyde looked at Jobie Luo, then turned, stepped forward, stood at the bow of the ship, spread his arms, and declared loudly, "The time is now. It's time to realize our ambitions."
Looking at the confident and flamboyant Hyde, the last trace of apprehension in Jobie Luo's heart seemed to be inspired and slowly disappeared.
"Alright, my captain."
Jobie Luo stepped forward, standing beside Hyde, and also spread his arms. "Let us turn this world upside down, and at the very summit, enjoy the view from the peak!"
"That's the spirit! Hehehehehe!"
Looking at Hyde, Jobie Luo saw the figure who had given him courage at the village entrance when they first set sail.
He grinned.
"Hahahahaha!"
He also burst into laughter.
There was no more apprehension in his voice, only the soaring sharpness of a swordsman and the passionate gallantry.
Of course, they were pirates, evil pirates, so their unmasked ferocity was also present.
"Captain."
Just then, a man holding a telescope ran from the deck behind them. He looked at the laughing captain and first mate, bowed, and said, "Captain, an island has been spotted ahead."
"An island."
"Yes!" The man nodded and handed the telescope to Hyde. "It looks like an ordinary small island."
"Shall we go down?"
"We're running low on fresh water."
"Go down? Of course, we'll go down." Hyde took the telescope and looked down through the lens. As if thinking of something, a bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes.
"It's the perfect opportunity to test my new ability on this island."
"The captain's new ability?"
The pirate who delivered the message also seemed to recall something, and his face lit up with excitement.
"With the captain's ability, we can control several small islands along the way. When we reach the Four Emperors' territory and see islands floating in the air, those pirates will surely be terrified out of their wits."
The scene of them dominating the Four Emperors' territories and their Hyde Pirates becoming the new Four Emperors flashed before his eyes. The messenger pirate trembled with excitement.
"Can you do it?"
Compared to Little Luo Lou's excitement, Jobie Luo was much calmer.
After all, Hyde had not possessed this fruit for long, at most about a week.
Although the legendary example was there, and most pirate crews in this world knew how to use this ability, Hyde had only recently acquired it. Being able to make their warship fly was already remarkable.
Now, to directly find islands, Jobie Luo was unsure if Hyde could succeed.
"Don't worry, I can feel that I should be able to."
Lowering the telescope, Hyde waved his hand with confidence, then steered the sailboat downwards towards the island.
None of the three mentioned what would happen to the people on the island.
They were pirates. Was "massacring cities and annihilating towns" not the duty of pirates?
The weak, in this world, had no right to choose.
At least, in their eyes.
Although they didn't usually do such things, who told the island below to be so "lucky" as to be spotted by them!