Chapter 158

"The most terrifying monster on the sea?"

"Lu En kid, are you really as Vice Admiral Kapu said? Do you truly possess the makings of the most terrifying monster on this sea?"

"Then let me wait and see."

Aokiji's eyes flickered as he cast a deep look at Lu En.

Inside his head,

Captain Kapu's words from moments ago kept echoing.

Since Kapu dared to say so…

Aokiji absolutely did not think

that the man was exaggerating.

Based on his understanding of Kapu's character,

the man wouldn't lie about something like this either.

Therefore,

when Kapu said those words, there had to be a reason!

"Only four years old…"

"And already Vice Admiral Kapu calls him the most terrifying monster on the sea!"

"That really is no small matter."

Aokiji marveled again and again.

The more he thought about it,

the more curious he became, a strong anticipation welling up inside him.

"After all…"

"Even I, Sakazuki, Borsalino — none of us were ever given such an extremely high evaluation by Vice Admiral Kapu."

"Now then, let me have a good look."

"You, hailed as the most terrifying monster on the sea — just what are you capable of?"

A mere four-year-old brat, no matter how monstrous…

just how strong could he possibly be?

Aokiji couldn't help but shake his head, unimpressed.

…

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye,

a whole day had passed.

Under Kapu's orders,

the warship, advancing at full speed, had already cut straight across six islands in succession.

The entire journey was clear and unobstructed,

encountering no resistance whatsoever.

Finally—

on this very day,

early morning,

the scorching sun hung overhead,

the sunlight bright and warm.

An enormously massive warship finally arrived smoothly at its destination — Chuanliu Island!

Chuanliu Island lay in the rearward sea region of the first half of the Grand Line.

To its right, adjacent to the Calm Belt's Amazon Lily — the island commonly known on the sea as Women's Island.

To its left, adjacent to the Long Ring Zhangdao, an archipelago composed of nearly a hundred small islands.

Ahead,

close to Enies Lobby, the Navy's highest judicial institution, established by the Marines.

Recently, Chuanliu Island had become a forbidden zone that many merchant ships dared not approach.

All because…

an extremely powerful and vicious group of pirates had come to Chuanliu Island.

Their name: the Demon-Person Pirates!

The leader of the Demon-Person Pirates, the Demon-Person Oren, carried the bloodline of the Giant race — six meters tall, with an immensely powerful physique, possessing the Giant race's tremendous strength, vitality, healing ability, stamina, and more.

In short,

even without a Devil Fruit, the Demon-Person Oren was an extremely powerful monster.

Moreover,

the Demon-Person Oren was also an Animal-Type Devil Fruit user, able to transform into a ferociously powerful raging bear, his height surging to ten meters — no less formidable than a true Giant warrior.

When that happened,

both his strength and vitality would receive a terrifying surge!

The Demon-Person Oren, a great pirate with a bounty of sixty million Berries, was indeed worthy of his reputation.

Besides that,

over the past half year, the Demon-Person Pirates' actions had grown increasingly rampant and unbridled, attracting countless notorious pirates who flocked to join them, all eager to enlist in the Demon-Person Pirates.

Thus, they formed a pirate crew made entirely of villains.

Every crew member is a thoroughgoing villain, possessing considerable strength, with bounties reaching tens of millions of Berries.

In summary.

In the first half of the Grand Line, the current vast scale of the Demon Man Pirate Crew can truly be called one of the top pirate organizations!

Otherwise, the Headquarters high-level would not have dispatched Koby, one of the Navy's top combatants.

On this day,

Dengdao.

The coastal harbor.

At this moment,

A gigantic warship had already docked at the shore.

Anchored,

Stopped,

Furled the sails.

The white seagull flag, symbolizing the Navy, fluttered in the wind high above.

On the deck.

Koby was fully prepared, ready to depart the warship and land on Dengdao.

But…

The thought that he had to bring along a burden filled him with helpless frustration.

His gaze shifted,

Koby looked toward Lu En, who stood beside him, preparing to accompany him to Dengdao to join the crackdown on the Demon Man Pirate Crew, and silently sighed, thinking to himself.

Later, when the full-scale battle with the Demon Man Pirate Crew begins, I must ensure Lu En stays well away from the battlefield.

That way, I can effectively prevent Lu En from becoming a target of the Demon Man Pirate Crew's attacks.

Thus,

I can focus entirely on annihilating every last member of the Demon Man Pirate Crew!

"Lu En, are you ready~?"

"Don't let your guard down…"

"The Demon Man Pirate Crew are truly vicious pirates! Thoroughgoing villains! They do nothing but commit atrocities—arson, murder, plunder."

"Especially their captain, Demon Man Oren, is a powerful pirate, one of the monsters of this region of the Grand Line."