Chapter 9: The Sky Battle
The horizon was a jagged, unsettling line of black against the pale blue sky. It wasn't a natural formation. It was a fleet. A massive, menacing armada of noble ships, their sails emblazoned with the crests of the 20 Kings. The air, which had been a soft, peaceful breeze, now felt heavy with a sense of foreboding, the ozone of distant cannons prickling the back of Kuro's neck. The Aurora Sovereign, a beautiful golden ship in a sea of calm, was about to become a battlefield.
"So… they think they can just roll up on us with that much firepower? That's cute."
Roger said, with a defiant grin. He was standing on the deck, his Phoenix fruit a silent, powerful thing that hummed with a low energy. Sanji, now with two swords, was standing beside him, a look of quiet intensity on his face. Prince, a glutton for punishment, was stretching his limbs, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Their formation is a classic Line of Fire. We can use the clouds as cover."
Stella said, her voice calm and confident. She was at the helm, her Pika Pika no Mi a silent, powerful beacon of light. She was a navigator, a guide, and now, a strategist. Kuro, who was standing beside her, felt a deep sense of pride. He was used to the sterile, tactical approach of the System. He was used to being a lone wolf. But now, he had a crew. A family. And they were going to fight.
This is it. This is the first real battle. The first time we're not just running. We're fighting. They're not just my crew. They're my family. And I'm going to protect them. The System is not just a tool. It's an extension of my will. It's a part of my family now.
Prince, with a gleeful whoop, attempted to use his Gomu Gomu no Mi to stretch to a noble ship. He misjudged the distance, and he just ended up flopping into the water, with a comical splash. The crew, despite the impending battle, let out a round of laughter.
[SYSTEM: LORE INSIGHT - THE NOBLE FLEET USES PROTO-HAKI, A FORM OF POWER-NULLIFICATION. WARNING: DEVIL FRUIT USERS ARE VULNERABLE.]
The noble fleet began its attack, and the Aurora Sovereign sailed into the storm, ready for battle.
The battle was a symphony of chaos. The noble ships, with their cannons firing and their soldiers boarding the Aurora Sovereign, were a force of pure, unbridled destruction. The deck of the ship was a canvas for the battle, with the sounds of swords clashing and cannons firing echoing in the air.
"Your little tricks are useless, pirate scum. My Haki negates your fruits. You are nothing."
The admiral, a massive man with a face like a storm cloud, said, with an arrogant sneer. He was a master of Proto-Haki, a form of power-nullification that made the crew's Devil Fruit abilities useless. Roger, Sanji, and Prince, who were fighting with all their might, felt their powers drain from them, a cold, empty feeling that left them vulnerable.
"Maybe… but my shadows don't care about your 'rules.' They just… eat."
Kuro said, with a menacing grin. He was a man of shadows, a strategist who had been playing a game with the world. And now, the game was over. He was going to fight. He felt the admiral's Haki, a cold, shimmering thing that left a faint, light-nullifying trail, a testament to his power. And Kuro, with a wicked smile, absorbed it.
He thinks he's so powerful. He thinks he can just nullify our powers. He's wrong. My shadows don't just nullify. They eat. They consume. I'm not a simple Devil Fruit user. I'm an anomaly. I'm a force of nature. He made the mistake of thinking he could win with force alone. He forgot about the shadows.
The admiral, who had been so arrogant, so full of himself, felt his power drain from him. He was a god of light, and Kuro, a king of shadows, had just consumed him. He was defeated. And the battle shifted in their favor.
The sun was a brilliant, triumphant thing in the sky. The noble fleet, leaderless and defeated, retreated in a panicked frenzy. The Aurora Sovereign, a little battered but victorious, was a monument to their victory. Kuro and the crew tied up the admiral, who, with his last breath, warned them.
"You may have won this time, but Imu is watching. The King of Shadows… he will not be pleased."
The admiral said, with a look of pure terror in his eyes. He was not a warrior. He was a slave. He was not a king. He was a pawn.
"Let him watch. We're not running. We're coming for him."
Roger said, with a rare, sober look. He was a king of pirates, a man of fire and fury, and he was not afraid of any shadow. Kuro, with a serious look on his face, used his Arbiter's Fee function to copy the admiral's Haki ability. He felt a new power, a new ability, a new tool in his arsenal.
[SYSTEM: PROGRESSION - LEVEL 6, 32 VOWS. ABILITY: ATTRIBUTE GAMBLE UNLOCKED.]
With a new ability and a clear enemy, the crew set their sights on the next destination, a place where they could learn more about the 20 Kings. They were no longer running. They were hunting. And the world was about to feel their wrath.
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