The former territory of the Fear Pirates was now a scene of constant, chaotic warfare. The two Emperor crews, like massive stirring rods, had thrown the entire region into turmoil. Other major pirate crews, also wanting a piece of the pie, formed alliances to stand against the two Emperors. Fierce battles erupted daily across the sea. Islands were conquered, then retaken, changing hands multiple times in the relentless conflict.
Meanwhile, Bege's Sea Patrolling Beasts had been released into these waters, dispersed near the important islands of the Fear Pirates' former domain. He had given them a single order: annihilate every ship in the region.
Afterward, Bege returned to the sky island to wait for his crew to recover from their injuries. Once they were healed, they would descend to the sea once more to reclaim the territory they had fought and died for.
The most important islands were the primary targets for every pirate crew. Battles of offense and defense took place every day, with pirate ships constantly approaching their shores.
Now, with the arrival of the Sea Patrolling Beasts, the tide of battle shifted dramatically.
One day, a fleet of more than a dozen ships belonging to a major pirate crew was heading toward an important economic hub, preparing to seize it.
Several other pirate crews were also converging on the town from different directions. The Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates had also sent forces, meaning a tough battle was inevitable.
As the fleet neared the waters of the economic hub, a colossal shadow suddenly appeared beneath them. The massive shape was several hundred meters long, a terrifying sight to behold.
A lookout spotted the shadow and reported it to the captain in a panic. The captain, a notorious pirate of the New World, rushed to the bow and peered down. When he used his Observation Haki to probe the shadow beneath the waves, his face changed drastically.
"A Sea King! What is a Sea King doing here?!"
BOOM!
The sea trembled. Giant octopus tentacles, each several meters thick, shot out of the water, piercing through the bottoms of the pirate ships.
One ship after another was impaled and then brutally torn to pieces. In an instant, more than half of the fleet was destroyed.
Hundreds of pirates were thrown into the sea, desperately swimming toward the remaining ships.
Then, a massive wave rose from the depths, and the giant Sea King that had been lurking below surfaced. Its hundred-meter-long body emerged from the water, revealing a bizarre creature with the upper body of a bull and the lower body of an octopus.
The number "Sea 36" was carved into its horn, identifying it as one of Bege's Sea Patrolling Beasts.
Its tentacles shot out from the sea like towering pillars, smashing down on the surviving vessels.
"Kill it!" the pirate captain roared, drawing his sword and severing one of the monster's tentacles with a single slash.
The pirates on the remaining ships opened fire, and the stronger fighters used their various abilities to fend off the giant Sea King's assault.
The captain leaped into the air, running across the sky toward the bull-octopus's head. He brought his sword down, the sharp blade carving a huge gash in its head. Blood sprayed out, and the monster let out a tremendous, agonized cry before diving back into the sea.
The pirate captain followed up with another slash that broke off one of its horns, splitting its head open. The heavy scent of blood filled the air and stained the sea red.
The bull-octopus monster dove deep into the ocean. It didn't flee but continued its attack from below, its tentacles shooting up and impaling the remaining ships, destroying them all.
"Damn it! Damn this Sea King!" the captain roared in fury. He dove down from the sky, and a slash of sword energy pierced the sea's surface, striking the Sea King's body and opening another massive wound.
The bull-octopus writhed in pain and dove into the deeper parts of the ocean, disappearing from sight.
These Sea Patrolling Beasts possessed considerable intelligence. If they encountered an easy target, they would kill them all. If they met a powerful opponent, they would destroy the ships and then flee.
Once they escaped into the vastness of the sea, it was nearly impossible to hunt them down.
The injured bull-octopus fled, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation. The wreckage of the pirate ships floated on the surface, with hundreds of pirates clinging to the debris to stay alive.
The pirate captain landed on a broken plank, his face a mask of utter fury as he roared at the sky.
"My fleet, that I worked so hard to build, destroyed just like that! Damn it! Damn that Sea King!"
However, the blood-soaked sea soon attracted all sorts of sharks and smaller Sea Kings.
These carnivorous fish swarmed the area, surrounding the survivors. With no ships to escape to, the pirates could only defend themselves passively. It was only a matter of time before they were all killed.
Meanwhile, in the waters on the other sides of the economic hub, other fleets were also intercepted by Sea Patrolling Beasts. One fleet after another was destroyed. Only the two Emperor-level crews managed to fend off the beasts. In the end, only those two crews were left to fight for control of the town.
Sea Patrolling Beasts appeared near all the important islands in the Fear Pirates' former territory, inflicting massive casualties on any approaching ships.
In just three days, at least a dozen pirate crews, including over a hundred ships, were destroyed. Tens of thousands of people were lost to the sea. The chaotic free-for-all in the region was extinguished in an instant.
The major powers suffered heavy losses, and the number of ships on the sea dropped drastically. Few dared to set sail, and other factions were too afraid to enter the territory. The entire region fell into an eerie calm.
Now, only the two Emperor crews and an alliance of a few major pirate crews remained in the former territory of the Fear Pirates.
Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Most of the territory had been seized by the two Emperor crews, with the remaining alliance of major pirate crews also getting a share.
Just when everyone thought the Fire Tank Pirates would not make a move and the dust had settled, they appeared.
Jackfruit Island, a major economic hub under the former Fear Pirates, had been occupied by the Beasts Pirates. The island was defended by King the Wildfire, the Beasts Pirates' top All-Star, who had already repelled three waves of invaders.
On this day, a colossal, behemoth-class flying ship tore through the sky, appearing above the island for all to see.
The combatants of the Beasts Pirates quickly assembled. A tall figure pushed through the crowd and looked up.
He wore a black suit and a black mask that covered his entire head, and a pair of black wings grew from his back. This was King the Wildfire, the top All-Star of the Beasts Pirates and the user of the Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Pteranodon. He was formerly the Chief Jailer of Impel Down but had later betrayed the Marines and joined Kaido, becoming his right-hand man.
Even someone as arrogant and domineering as Jack had to respectfully call him "Big Brother."
King's expression was grave as he looked at the massive warship in the sky, his eyes fixed on the tall, powerful figure standing at its prow.
"The captain of the Fire Tank Pirates' Giant Corps, with a bounty of 1.1 billion, Majin Oars," King mused. "So the Fire Tank Pirates couldn't resist after all. They couldn't bear to give up such a big prize."
A strong fighting spirit ignited in King's eyes.
After the battle on Fear Island, the bounties of all the surviving members of the Fire Tank Pirates had been increased. Little Oars Jr.'s bounty had now reached 1.1 billion, making him a renowned pirate in the New World.