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It was already an incredible feat to have sailed the ship to this point, let alone to face such enormous waves.
"Everyone, get ready! Lower the sail quickly, and hold on to anything you can! Don't get swept away by the waves!" Anos shouted once more.
The soldiers behind him were prepared for the incoming waves, their expressions were focused and serious.
The towering waves stood at least thirty meters high. Although their ship was relatively large, a wave of this size could easily shatter it with just one blow.
In a panic, the crew scrambled up the mast to cut the ropes holding the sails. As the massive wave drew closer, the anxiety on their faces became more pronounced.
Meanwhile, the navigator at the wheel, steering the rudder, was completely bewildered.
It was his first time encountering such a monstrous wave, and he couldn't understand why his king insisted on riding it head-on.
Anos stood alone at the front of the deck, summoning the demon sword Muramasa from his system space. His eyes remained fixed on the approaching wave.
He paid no attention to the anxious crew behind him and didn't even hear Suzu's frantic shouting.
As the wave was about to crash into the Tempest, Anos bellowed, "Devouring Slash!"
In an instant, faster than the eye could follow, the demon sword Muramasa was unsheathed.
A massive arc of light slashed through the wave, cleaving it in two.
The crew was left utterly dumbfounded, their jaws practically hitting the deck in disbelief.
The wave had been split down the middle, and the force of the strike had carved a deep gap into the sea for miles ahead.
The Tempest sailed through the parted wave unharmed, though the split waters began to surge back together, causing the ship to shake violently.
Fortunately, after a few tense moments, the ship finally stabilized.
Watching the huge wave slowly recede, the entire crew aboard the Tempest ship began to relax and collapsed onto the deck, one by one, with no intention of getting back up.
Even the navigator at the wheel felt as if half of his life had drained awaat that moment.
However, the soldiers who followed, after witnessing Anos's powerful slash, had stars in their eyes, almost ready to burst out.
This was the first time Anos had used a Devouring Slash, and even he didn't expect to display such overwhelming power.
As the sword cleaved through the waves, even he was taken aback.
"Your Majesty, you're incredible! I thought I was done for!" Suzu was so frightened that she knelt on the ground, the fear in her eyes all too apparent.
"Alright, it's fine," Anos said calmly. "But after today, you need to find me a better navigator. We can't let someone third-rate guide us anymore. Who knows what disasters might happen in the future?"
Anos sighed. The navigator aboard the Tempest was simply too inadequate.
"Your Majesty, you're truly amazing..."
"Indeed, Your Majesty is extraordinary..."
Listening to the praises of the soldiers behind him, Anos shouted helplessly, "Stop flattering me and make sure no one is injured! Check if everyone on the ship is accounted for!"
"Yes, Your Majesty..." The synchronized voices of dozens of people echoed across the sea.
"Suzu, where are we now?" Anos asked.
"Your Majesty, the compass was broken in the impact, so I'm not exactly sure where we are," Suzu replied sheepishly, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
Anos was speechless. He couldn't even muster a response to this level of incompetence. It was beyond frustrating.
"Are you telling me that we only had one compass on this ship?" Anos asked, disbelief clear in his tone.
After hearing this, Suzu stared at Anos nervously and nodded, her fear palpable.
Anos slapped his forehead in frustration. It was his first voyage at sea, and yet here he was, stuck in a situation like this.
Without a compass, finding a place to dock in the vast ocean was nothing but a pipe dream.
But their luck wasn't running out just yet. It seemed as if fate had smiled upon them.
As the two were fretting, a pirate ship suddenly appeared on the horizon, moving swiftly toward them.
They didn't even have to search it was coming straight to them!
"Cheer up! Looks like our compass is coming to us!" Anos said with a sly grin on his face.
Suzu scrambled to the railing, glancing in the direction Anos had indicated.
The pirate ship, though small in the distance, was clearly making its way toward them, nearly lost on the horizon if one didn't pay attention.
"Your Majesty, they're pirates!" Suzu said, worried.
"It doesn't matter. Now that we've finally come across a group, let's make the most of it!" Anos said with excitement.
He was visibly eager, and the soldiers behind him were equally fired up.
How could they be afraid of pirates now? Everyone was ready for action.
As the two ships closed in on each other, the pirate flag became visible a large skull emblazoned on the sail. The pirates were already preparing to fire.
But they wouldn't get the chance. As soon as they were close enough, Anos vanished. When he reappeared, he was already aboard the pirate ship.
The ship had about forty or fifty pirates on board, and the captain, standing on the deck, was busy barking orders. "Men, it seems we've got some big business today! Get ready to fire!"
"Cap… Captain…" one of the younger crew members stammered, trembling as he spoke. He was pointing at Anos, now seated in the captain's spot.
The pirate captain turned impatiently, ready to curse, but froze when he saw Anos sitting in his place.
"Who are you?" the pirate captain demanded.
"I'm the captain of the ship you were just about to fire on. Shouldn't we settle this now?" Anos replied with a calm smile.
"How did you even get here?" the captain muttered to his subordinate.
"Captain, he appeared out of nowhere. I think he might be a Devil Fruit user," the crewman whispered.
Several pirates rushed to the deck with weapons drawn, surrounding Anos.
Gaining some confidence from his men, the captain shouted arrogantly, "You're just one man. We outnumber you. How do you expect to win?"
"Look behind you," Anos said, still smiling.
When the captain turned, he saw more than a dozen of Anos's men soaring through the air toward the pirate ship. The confident smirk he wore moments ago evaporated, replaced by wide-eyed fear.
"Captain, we can't take them on!" one of the crew members whispered.
"You don't need to tell me, I can see that!" the pirate captain snapped.
Turning back to Anos, who was still seated calmly in his spot, the pirate captain tried to flatter him. "You're a pirate too, right?"
"Excuse me?" Anos said, raising an eyebrow.
At that moment, a dozen guards from the Tempest landed on the pirate ship's deck. Seeing them, the pirates gave up, tossing their weapons to the ground.
"What's the name of your pirate crew?" Anos asked.
"Our crew is the Barlow Pirates. I'm Barlow, We're heading to the New World. There are 51 of us, and we have around 30 million beris worth of gold and silver. If you want, you can take it all just leave us some food," Barlow said, his voice trembling as he explained the situation in detail, clearly afraid of displeasing Anos.
Anos stood up, a satisfied smile on his face. He had no particular grudge against pirates, but his crew needed the resources.
"Well then, if you've been so forthcoming, what are you waiting for? Take the 30 million beris!" Anos ordered his guards.
"Yes, Your Majesty," they replied, enthusiastically rushing to search the ship. Soon, they returned with a large chest brimming with jewellery.
"Your Majesty, it's all here. It's worth exactly 30 million beris," a guard reported.
"Good, at least this trip wasn't a waste. Making money this way is quite fast!" Anos mused aloud.
Meanwhile, Barlow watched, his heart sinking as his treasure was taken, though he dared not protest.
"Who's your navigator?" Anos asked.
"Navigator? Uh… I am," Barlow answered, bewildered.
"You?!" Anos was surprised. "How did you survive the huge wave just now?"
For a small ship like theirs, a 30-meter wave could easily send it to the ocean's depths. Yet Barlow and his crew were unharmed, and the ship appeared intact.
"The wave? Oh, that. We were far enough away to catch the surge, so we just rode it in. Honestly, I didn't expect such massive waves in the Four Seas," Barlow explained with a laugh.
"That's not what I meant…" Anos replied, exasperated.
Seeing Barlow's natural navigation abilities, Anos grinned. "Your skills aren't bad. How about becoming my navigator?"
The other party's navigation skills must surpass those of his navigator. What mattered most now was where they were headed next. Anos didn't trust his navigator for the journey ahead.
"Haha, don't be ridiculous, I'm a pirate…" Barlow said with a smile.
"This is King of the Tru Kingdom, his influence is immense. With His Majesty, you can travel anywhere in the world, unlike you, who lives on the edge every day," said a guard standing beside Anos.
"His Majesty??"
Barlow stared at Anos in disbelief. In his experience, most kings he had encountered were bloated and sluggish.
But this king was young, strong, and exuded a commanding, handsome presence. It was hard for Barlow to believe.
Barlow glanced at the Tempest with a reluctant expression. Was it his turn to make a choice?
"What's your aspiration?" Anos asked suddenly. After all, everyone in the pirate world chased dreams.
The question caught Barlow off guard. A dream? He wasn't sure he had one.
"If I had to say, it would be to find my brother, who became a pirate," Barlow said after a moment's thought.
"That's a noble goal, but with your crew's strength, you won't make it to the Grand Line. You'll likely be killed halfway," Anos remarked with a smirk.
"Huh? You might be right, but I still intend to follow my path!" Barlow replied with determination.
"What's so great about your tiny ship? Isn't your goal to find your brother? Become my navigator. On this ship, you can go anywhere across the seas."
Anos's eyes shifted to Barlow's crew as he spoke.
Noticing this, Anos added with a smile, "If you're worried about them, I can find suitable roles for them aboard."
In truth, the people of the Tru Kingdom had limited sailing experience, and many aspects of ship management were beyond their expertise.
For example, it had taken significant effort to remove just two sails, causing chaos among the crew.
Now that Anos had a clearer understanding of his crew's sailing abilities, he realized how ill-equipped they were for such responsibility.
With more ships on the horizon, the Tru Kingdom wouldn't remain as it was. Their navigation skills would need to improve significantly to meet the kingdom's growing demands.
It wasn't every day that someone like Barlow came along. As long as he didn't cause too much trouble, why not bring him aboard?
Pirates did have their strengths. Their survival skills and ability to handle emergencies far surpassed those of Anos's crew.
"Captain, since His Majesty has offered, shouldn't we seriously consider it?" one crew member suggested.
"That's right, Captain…" another chimed in.
The crew began persuading Barlow, pointing out that if they joined the Tempest, they wouldn't have to live as pirates anymore, nor constantly worry about survival.
Truthfully, Barlow was beginning to waver. Anos was only seeking a more capable navigator.
After all, the upcoming journey was full of uncertainty, and relying solely on his current navigator left him feeling uneasy.
After the massive storm they had survived, it was clear that Barlow, despite his short stature, possessed impressive navigational skills.
In the vast sea, without a qualified navigator, even a ship as large as the Tempest could capsize in a storm.
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