Grand Line
Momousagi's appearance had been nothing more than a minor interruption.
After leaving Systai Island, the Shinigami Pirates set sail once again.
As the Soul Society sailed across the vast sea, it entered a region choked with thick fog.
"Rain and fog together… what a miserable kind of weather." Gin Ichimaru leaned lazily against the mast, clearly bored. With a casual flick of his hand, a mass of Reiatsu condensed in his palm into a flame.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
Even without the full incantation, the blazing light of the red fireball still briefly drove back the surrounding fog.
A red glow flickered through the mist, bright and sharp.
Thanks to that light, Ren Kuro—standing up in the lookout—was finally able to make out what lay ahead.
"Hm? Why is there a black shape in front of us?"
Holding a telescope with both hands, he focused on the distant silhouette. At the edge of his vision was a massive black shape, large enough to tell at a glance that it was a ship.
A truly enormous pirate ship.
"Interesting… In a fog sea this deserted, there's actually a ship hiding here." Ren Kuro's curiosity was instantly stirred. He noticed that the vessel was not moving very quickly. It seemed to be drifting in place, with no sign of trying to leave the region.
Which meant—
it was staying here on purpose.
"Since we've come across it, we might as well find out what it is." Ren Kuro decided on the spot to pursue the giant ship. With the performance of the Soul Society, catching up to it would not be difficult.
"Gin! Byakuya! Kenpachi! Stay sharp—we may be about to fight another pirate crew!" Ren Kuro shouted down from the lookout.
"What a pain. Even in a damn place like this, there are still people around?" Kenpachi Zaraki clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Now I want to see what kind of idiot would stay in a fog sea like this. Probably someone just as dumb as you."
Ren Kuro spread his hands helplessly.
"…Are you calling me an idiot?"
Kenpachi turned his head away, completely ignoring him.
"What, you disagree?"
"Then steer the ship yourself, you directionless meathead."
Ren Kuro stopped speaking and silently threw another Shakkahō at him.
Ahead, in the fog
Within the mist, the outline of a gigantic island-ship slowly became visible.
On its flag was a skull with an unusual onion-shaped hairstyle and a pair of bat wings wreathed in flames.
That flag made the ship's identity unmistakable.
The vessel of the Thriller Bark Pirates—
and the largest pirate ship in the world.
Thriller Bark.
"Bad news, Vice-Captain Aldrich! A pirate ship has suddenly appeared behind us. It's closing in fast!"
At the front of the island-ship, a pirate rushed up to report to the tall man before him.
The pirate still held a telescope in both hands. He was usually responsible for watching the surrounding sea, and not long ago he had noticed the shadow of a pirate ship emerging through the fog.
"Did you get a good look at their flag?"
"No, Vice-Captain. The fog was too thick. I couldn't make out their identity."
"But I don't recognize the ship at all. It's probably just some rookie pirate crew from one of the Four Blues."
The tall man called Aldrich showed a vicious smile.
"A rookie from the Four Blues? Heh… so more prey has wandered into the trap?"
As Vice-Captain of the Thriller Bark Pirates, Aldrich was no ordinary figure. With a bounty of 250 million Berries, he was already one of the standout names in the first half of the Grand Line.
And his power wasn't the only thing enviable.
As the right-hand man of Gecko Moria, he was a genuine big shot in these waters.
"Vice-Captain Aldrich, should we report this to Lord Moria?"
"There's no need." Aldrich's smile turned colder. "Any fool who barges into this sea of fog is just another rookie pirate crew with no idea what they're walking into. We'll crush them ourselves. No need to disturb Lord Moria."
"Yes, sir!"
The subordinate shivered at the malice in his voice and hurried off.
Aldrich narrowed his eyes.
"Not bad, actually. We can use these fools to raise morale before we head for the New World. After all… Lord Moria's real target is Kaido."
The moment Moria's name came up, reverence filled Aldrich's face.
As the user of the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, with a bounty of 320 million Berries, Moria had already proven his terrifying strength. He was one of the most infamous pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, and his ambition was as greedy and swollen as a giant beast.
He intended to sail into the New World, challenge the rising Kaido of the Beasts, and seize his place as the pirate with the greatest claim to becoming an Emperor of the Sea.
That was the reason Thriller Bark had deliberately remained hidden in this fog sea.
Moria was cautious.
Until his preparations were complete, he would never reveal his full power.
With those thoughts in mind, Aldrich moved to the rear of the island-ship and raised his telescope to inspect the pursuer again.
But the moment he saw what was coming through the lens—
his face changed instantly.
A black skull flag filled his vision.
And on it—
thirteen Zanpakutō.
If he had seen it half a year ago, he might not have cared.
But now, he knew exactly what it meant.
The unstoppable—
Shinigami Pirates.
"Damn it… of all crews, it had to be them!"
Aldrich's face turned deathly pale.
"There are supposed to be three Admiral-class monsters on that ship… Even Marine Headquarters fears them."
And worse—
the Soul Society was moving at terrifying speed.
It would overtake them soon.
There was no time left to flee.
"Three Admiral-class monsters… any one of them could crush Lord Moria."
Despair flooded Aldrich's heart. They had once planned to head to the New World and contest Kaido for dominance—
but now, it seemed they would never get that chance.
A short while later—
the Soul Society closed the distance.
Ren Kuro stood at the very front of the deck, his voice ringing across the sea.
"Me, Ren Kuro—this is a robbery!"
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