The central ruins of Sky Island had now become a wasteland filled with the aura of death.
The lightning-fast assault of the six Ancient Species Beast Girls was as merciless as a harvester. Among the elite crew members of the Roger Pirates, aside from the core trio of "Gold, Silver, and Copper," all had fallen—either frozen into ice crystals or tormented to death by deadly poison.
Today could be said to be the greatest calamity ever faced by the Roger Pirates, bar none—a near-catastrophic blow. The entire lower and middle ranks of the pirate crew had been completely wiped out.
Even during the previous all-out encirclement by the Rocks Pirates, such a devastating situation had never occurred. Roger's heart ached with pain, nearly rendering him speechless. He hated this, hated it!!!
Brian stood in mid-air, coldly observing the entire scene from beginning to end, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Shifting his gaze from the six Beast Girls, he looked back at the three remaining members of the Roger Pirates. His eyes were icy, carrying the arrogance of a victor.
"Now, your Roger Pirates are down to just three people," Brian's voice dripped with extreme mockery, striking directly at Roger's heart.
These words, laden with extreme ridicule, were like a blunt knife, brutally carving into the pride of Roger, the future "Pirate King." Every muscle in his body trembled with rage, yet he was firmly locked in place by the oppressive aura emanating from Brian, Berlos, and Agni, unable to move recklessly.
Below, Leona had already raised her longbow, its aim fixed firmly on this future Pirate King, leaving no room for any action on his part.
"Hiss—"
"Damn it!!! Cass!!!"
Rayleigh took a deep breath. As the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates and Roger's closest comrade, he too felt the heavy weight of humiliation and vigilance.
He glanced sideways at his fallen companions scattered haphazardly on the ground, especially the ship's doctor, Cass, who was frozen within a massive block of ice, his form still visible.
Onboard the ship, Cass had been close to him, and the two often drank together. He never imagined that a single failed mission would cost the lives of nearly all his comrades.
"Goddamn it, Captain! Let's fight them to the death! To the death!"
Gaban's explosive temper could no longer endure this. He despised the deathly silence that hung in the air, and having witnessed his brothers fall one by one, he had long been itching to act.
However, as soon as he uttered these words, three piercing gazes instantly fixed upon him. The three Mythical Zoan Beast Girls stared intently at Gaban, poised and ready to launch an attack at any moment.
Gaban felt as if a mountain had been placed upon his shoulders. Beads of cold sweat trickled down his temples, and for a moment, he dared not speak recklessly again.
He now deeply understood just how overwhelming the pressure on his captain had been earlier. And this was without even including that monster, Brian. Yet, it was already terrifying enough.
No wonder all his brothers had perished, and he too had been unable to take any action.
"This level of power—this is no longer something an ordinary pirate crew can possess." Rayleigh murmured to himself, knowing that the man before him and his army were monsters far beyond expectations.
He looked at Berlos standing beside Brian, her form shrouded in shadows and an aura of malevolence. The bloodline pressure emanating from her Mythical Zoan lineage carried an essence of death and decay, chilling to the core.
This woman, from the beginning until now, had been focusing her formidable presence entirely on him, watching his every move, leaving Rayleigh completely unable to take any action.
"Captain, Gaban." Rayleigh's voice was low and calm, carrying the steadiness of one who had weathered countless battles. "This evil aura, let me cleanse it. I will avenge our comrades."
Though he said this, Rayleigh had already prepared himself for death in his heart. In this situation today, escape was far too difficult, nearly impossible.
Nearby, three Mythical Zoan Beast Girls with Admiral Candidate-level strength, plus a Brian whose depths were unfathomable.
In the distance, the six Ancient Species Beast Girls who had already finished their battles, though not approaching this area, were still watching every move here intently from afar.
These were six Vice Admiral-level combatants; once united, they could significantly hinder even an Admiral-level fighter in a short time.
And on their side, the Roger Pirates, only three combatants remained—three Admiral-level fighters.
Roger did not object. He tightly gripped his sword "Ace," his eyes burning with unyielding fighting spirit. "Rayleigh, be careful! That woman carries a nauseating stench of decay. She may seem weaker than you, but she is extremely formidable."
Gaban also spoke gravely, "Rayleigh, don't worry. The captain and I will deal with Rocks' remnants."
Rayleigh nodded without another word. He took a step forward—an immensely heavy step—facing Berlos across the distance.
"A Hellhound Mythical Zoan? A fruit carrying such pure evil should not exist in this world," Rayleigh said softly. His long sword "Underworld King" was drawn once more, its blade coated with Armament Haki as thick and dark as ink, refined to an extreme, as if capable of severing the void itself.
On Berlos' pitch-black face, a sinister smile appeared. She licked her lips with her tongue, her eyes filled with bloodthirsty excitement.
"'Underworld King'? What an arrogant title. In hell, there are no kings—only eternal suffering and death. The vitality in your body makes me ravenous." Berlos' voice was hoarse and low, like the whisper of a devil from the depths.
The shadowy aura around her suddenly surged, its malevolent pressure turning even the surrounding air cold and heavy, as if dragging the entire Sky Island into a realm of shadows.
Standing behind her, Brian curled the corner of his mouth. "Berlos, show him what true despair is."
"As you wish, Master."
At this moment, he was in no hurry to have everyone attack together to finish off the opponents. He felt a thrill akin to a cat toying with a mouse, especially since the target was the "renowned" future Pirate King. This pleasure was truly enough to bring one to climax.
Crude as the saying might be, Brian indeed felt an intense pleasure here—it felt great. He wanted to prolong it, in no hurry to end it.
The battle erupted the instant Rayleigh took the initiative to strike!
Rayleigh moved, his speed so astonishingly fast that in Brian's Observation Haki perception, the afterimages he left behind were even more exquisite than the "Shave" of the Six Styles.
"Underworld King Sword Technique·Extreme Speed Slash!"
Rayleigh's longsword, imbued with unparalleled Armament Haki, swept horizontally toward Berlos' neck at a speed almost impossible for the naked eye to follow.
He chose the most direct and lethal attack, attempting to shatter Berlos' defense with a single strike of his most proficient swordsmanship.
Clang—!
An ear-splitting metallic clash erupted over Sky Island.
Thus began the desperate struggle of the Roger Pirates!