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Ye Chen stood with his arms folded, facing approximately three to four hundred people blocking his path. Among them, three individuals particularly stood out.
"Skyhawk Pirates Captain, bounty 230 million."
"Skull Pirates Captain, bounty 350 million."
"Fierce Tiger Pirates Captain, bounty 290 million."
"Ye Chen, you punk, you've got guts, daring to steal from the Celestial Dragons," said the skinny captain of the Skyhawk Pirates, with a hawkish nose and long, brown hair.
"Since you know I dare to steal from the Celestial Dragons, do you still dare to block my way?" Ye Chen's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"Haha, the Heavenly Tribute isn't even worth a 20-million-Beli pirate crew. What's there to be so proud of for snatching it?" the Fierce Tiger Pirates captain scoffed.
"Don't think that just because you touched the Celestial Dragons' property, no one would dare touch you, kid. Don't be so arrogant," the Skull Pirates captain added.
They don't dare to rob the Celestial Dragons, but they dare to rob me? It seems I'm being underestimated. Ye Chen felt quite speechless.
"Kid, hand over the Heavenly Tribute's valuables, and we'll spare your life," the Skyhawk Pirates captain offered.
Ye Chen looked at the captains of the other two pirate crews. "Is that what you all think?"
The captains of the Skull Pirates and Fierce Tiger Pirates exchanged cold smiles.
"You still haven't figured out who the hunters and the hunted are, you trash," Ye Chen sneered. "Little Sky, kill them."
At Ye Chen's command, Little Sky, who had been coiled around Ye Chen's neck, suddenly opened its eyes. Little Sky soared into the air, its body enveloped in a reddish glow. It rapidly expanded at an astonishing speed, its form swelling several hundredfold in moments. Its crimson dragon body coiled in the sky, its maw filled with razor-sharp teeth gleaming chillingly in the sunlight.
"What's going on? Didn't they say that dragon wasn't with him?"
"Damn it, who leaked that information?"
"How is that dragon with Ye Chen? We've been set up!"
Looking at Little Sky circling in the sky, a crushing aura suddenly descended. The faces of the three pirate captains contorted, turning ashen with grim understanding. They realized they had fallen into a trap.
The members of the three pirate crews stood dumbfounded, their faces etched with disbelief. Some were even half-scared to death by Little Sky, their faces as pale as ghosts.
"Now do you know who the hunters and the hunted are?" Ye Chen said calmly, his expression unperturbed. From the moment he arrived at Auction House No. 76, he knew his whereabouts would surely be exposed, but this was intentional. It was precisely to attract those who saw him as prey.
"Bastard!" The Skyhawk captain trembled with rage, his face alternating between green and white.
Looking at Little Sky in the sky, Fierce Tiger's expression turned ruthless. He said coldly, "Since it's come to this, let's gamble. Kill them, and we'll split the treasures together."
Skyhawk and Skull exchanged glances, then finally gritted their teeth. "Alright, that's the decision."
"My men, kill them! We'll get the Heavenly Tribute's treasures, worth two billion Beli! Tell me, kill or not?!"
"Kill, kill, kill!"
"Kill!"
Money swayed hearts. Upon hearing about the two billion Beli worth of treasure, the pirates on the field's eyes turned red, staring intently at Ye Chen.
"Kill!" Skyhawk ordered.
With a single command, countless pirates surged towards Ye Chen.
"Summon Thunderclap, Little Sky!" Ye Chen said coldly.
Roar, roar, roar, roar! Little Sky roared in response, its voice so loud it echoed across the entire island. In a moment, an orange Summon Thunderclap condensed in Little Sky's mouth. The Summon Thunderclap shot out, streaking across the sky as a yellow beam of light.
Boom, boom, boom!
The Summon Thunderclap struck directly, and a deafening explosion erupted. The ground shattered, trees were uprooted, and a surge of air from the explosion's center rippled outwards, sweeping across the island like a hurricane.
Smoke billowed. Near Ye Chen, a sudden, twenty-meter deep crater appeared. Hundreds of people lay sprawled around the rim of the pit.
Pop. The divine energy shield surrounding Ye Chen dissipated, and he walked forward. Seeing the devastation before him, and all three to four hundred pirates lying on the ground, Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged, showing no significant shift. This was merely what they brought upon themselves. In this world, once a conflict begins, it's either you die or I die. And from this incident, one could also see that money truly was like a demon.
"Die, brat!" Suddenly, a charred, black corpse behind Ye Chen abruptly leaped up, its hands gripping a katana as it lunged at Ye Chen.
Seeing the blade's gleam drawing closer, a look of triumph appeared on Skyhawk's face.
But just as the katana was about to pierce Ye Chen, a crescent-shaped blade of ki suddenly materialized. With a whoosh, the katana, along with Skyhawk, was instantly sliced in two.
"How is this possible? Blade aura projection, blade..." Skyhawk gasped, his voice choked with disbelief. He had always believed Ye Chen relied solely on the Sky Dragon. But only at the moment of his death did he realize this was false information. Ye Chen's own strength was formidable, at least his blade aura projection surpassed most others.
Why did I try to rob him? Skyhawk, consumed by regret, breathed his last.
...
"Lord Kaido, a red giant dragon has appeared on Island 8," a pirate reported to Kaido on an island in the Sabaody Archipelago.
Kaido abruptly turned. "Let's go, to Island 8!"
"Admiral Kizaru, a red giant dragon has appeared on Island 8," a Marine soldier reported to Kizaru.
Kizaru's eyes glinted. "Then I'll head over first."
No sooner had he spoken than Kizaru transformed into a yellow beam of light, streaking towards Island 8.
With the appearance of the Sky Dragon, countless Pirates, Marines, and Bounty Hunters surged towards Island 8. The previously tranquil Sabaody Archipelago was instantly stirred by Little Sky's arrival, sending ripples through its calm.