"Kill all you impostors!"
Gin roared like a beast towards the sea, and as the Black Ship drew closer, his presence became increasingly menacing. Before the Death Star could fully approach, he found a piece of iron from somewhere, which turned into molten iron at his touch. He raised his legs high, assuming a throwing stance.
The molten iron was coated with a layer of darkness.
"Fist Bone·Flowing Fire!"
Thud!
With a heavy stomp of his foot, a blob of molten iron shot forward like a meteor, aiming straight for the dragon beast figurehead at the bow of the ship.
Clang!
A streak of lightning flashed as Lily drew her White Thunder, covering the blade with a black glow. She swiftly jabbed at the flying iron blob, adding some complex force to it, channeling the entire mass into her sword. It seemed to ignite in a blaze as she flung it aside, splashing into the sea, turning into clouds of steam and transforming into fragments of iron.
"I know this move is called Thunderfire Sword!" Renedia shouted loudly.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Sage gave her a glare before swiftly advancing, leaving behind a series of smoke circles. He reached Gin rapidly, his outstretched hand encircled with black and red lightning, giving Gin, who looked like a mad beast, a firm slap across the face.
Slap!
The crisp sound had Gin spinning twice in his throwing posture before fainting on the ground.
"What the hell... disappearing for a while, and you've turned into a mad dog, gone from Gin to Bellamy." Sage exhaled a puff of smoke as he spoke.
Bellamy, who followed on the ship: "?"
He had just returned not long ago and barely had any rest before following Sage aboard, only to hear this comment.
What to say...
He felt nothing about it.
After all, he was a 'hyena'.
"Get a couple of people to drag him back and see what's going on." Sage waved his hand without turning his head.
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly paused, frowning at the thick fog around them.
Something felt...different.
In the next moment, his eyes widened, his entire being frozen in place, instinctively reaching out to touch something.
Simultaneously, the three female high-ranking officers were the first to disembark, reaching the shore. However, upon entering the fog, each of them, like Sage, first froze, then their eyes filled with fury.
"The ship capsized? Impossible!"
Renedia shouted first, "There's no way the ship I built would capsize due to mere waves. This is the Death Star; I don't believe it! Don't try to stop me, you shipwrecking scoundrels!"
She extended her Mechanical Hammer, aiming it at the Death Star, ready to twist its handle.
"I won't let anyone go hungry!"
Meanwhile, Marika opened her smiling eyes, filled with cold intent, "A group of Sea Beasts daring to steal our food!"
Her hair radiated a dark brilliance, and after covering it with Haki, she transformed it into sharp spikes, directing them toward the Death Star.
"Ennio!!"
Lily drew her White Thunder once more, coiling it with surging Haki, intending to slash it down. As her blade flowed, those still aboard the Death Star could see the almost visible Haki.
"This really is..."
Urouge raised a hand to his forehead, sweating.
"Disastrous." Hawkins rarely uttered a word.
He had no time to sweat, as Scarecrows started covering his entire body.
The two of them, arriving slightly behind, witnessed the scene.
What a joke!
Never mind that it could affect high-ranking officers... why was Sage stopped!
If this kind of attack hit, the bow of the Death Star wouldn't hold out for long!
Bzz!!
Just as the attacks were about to land, an overwhelming torrent of black-red surged toward the entire island like a tidal wave. The Supreme King's presence brought a massive gust of wind, unleashing black-red lightning that struck the surrounding ground, creating craters.
The airwave blew everyone's bodies backward, while also awakening the three female high-ranking officers from their attacking stupor.
"Flying Bird!"
Lily twisted her descending sword, transforming it into a bird-shaped slash, shooting it towards the sea.
Marika's hair quickly fell and retracted, while Renedia tossed her Mechanical Hammer upwards, firing a specialty shell that exploded into a massive blast in the sky.
Boom!
"This is..."
Lily furrowed her brows, looking around at the dissipating fog, "An illusion?"
"So realistic!"
Renedia's rare solemn expression appeared on her small face, "I saw the Death Star destroyed, and these subordinates wanted to sink the ship, it infuriated me!"
"On my end, it was Sea Beasts stealing food from the hungry." Marika said.
Lily remained silent for a moment, then said, "I returned to Oykot and met my adoptive father..."
Renedia thought for a moment, then said, "Isn't that the one Sage called 'Ghost Father' back in the East Sea?"
"Stop learning random words, Reni!"
Sage's voice came from behind, his eyes filled with a red glow, his face not looking well.
"Sage, what did you see?" Renedia asked curiously.
"I've seen quite a lot." Sage counted on his fingers, "Endless car and house loans, losing my job in middle age, old parents with no income above and young children below crying to be fed...now that's hell on earth!"
In that fleeting moment, even Sage, who feared nothing, felt a surge of hopelessness.
Then he realized something was off.
He had been living again for over twenty years; the past should be forgotten, no one remembers that much.
Just like after twenty years, no one remembers exactly how many classmates they had or their everyday life in elementary and middle school. Occasionally recalling a few scattered memories is already quite good.
But one thing he did not know was that he hadn't reached that stage in his past life yet.
Yet this sudden illusion managed to trigger something deep within him, making him experience first-hand what being a defeated corporate drone felt like!
And in that moment, he felt utterly hopeless.
Then he quickly realized...
Damn it, he was a pirate now!
Having gone through a reincarnation, where did this idea of a corporate drone come from?
Ability User!
Realizing this, Sage immediately gathered his Haki to dispel the illusion.
The Devil Fruit abilities, if they involve harm, are manageable. But effect-based abilities applied to others can be broken if one's Haki is strong enough.
The Supreme King's impact also brought those on shore back to their senses. If it had been any later, although the Death Star wouldn't be easily destroyed, losing the ship's bow or having the front deck damaged was something he didn't want to see.
Sage turned to look in a direction within the mist, gritting his teeth as he said:
"Well done! Even though I never went through such things, you've forced me to experience what it's like to be a washed-up corporate drone, fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! When I catch you, if I don't smash you into fireworks, I don't deserve to be called Norton!"