Chapter 603: Internal Conflict?
Chapter 603: Internal Conflict?
The storm showed no signs of abating, and through the curtain of rain outside the window, Sag looked ahead to the left through his telescope.
As they sailed on, beyond the rain, a cloud-like object could be vaguely seen, and above the clouds, half of an egg-shaped silhouette was visible.
It did look like an egg head.
Lily spread out a stack of nautical charts, quickly flipping through several to compare and then piecing them together. After a glance, she looked up at Sag and said, "The central area of the Grand Line, southeast of the Land of Harmony, is indeed an undiscovered region."
Normally, when sailing in the New World, apart from relying on the Eternal Log Pose and the Eternal Pose, there was basically no sense of direction, making it far more treacherous than the first half of the Grand Line.
Follow the sun?
Even in the first half of the Grand Line, it was impossible to completely rely on the sun for navigation, and in the New World, it was even more impossible.
Once the sun was obscured, without a Log Pose, the ship's location would be completely unknown. In just one hour, let alone an entire night, if the ship veered off course, it would be utterly lost at sea.
The islands currently recorded had all been verified through a long history.
So, despite Sag's seemingly bustling activities, with pirates conquering islands one day and discovering treasures the next, their progress was actually not that impressive.
Discovering an island seemed quick, but it had cost them two battleships and the lives of their subordinates to find it. Even for Sag's large-scale pirate crew, this was a significant sacrifice.
For an ordinary pirate crew, it would mean the disappearance of two crews at sea, and news of their fate would rarely spread.
Exploring and discovering in the New World was an extremely dangerous endeavor, and the rewards were not always high. Some islands might just be barren.
That was why Sag had been trying his best in the North and West Seas, and even wanted to connect with the Paradise side.
Compared to the New World, the first half of the Grand Line had been explored and discovered to a much greater extent.
"It really is an egg head," Sag muttered.
Sag put down the telescope, and a red dot suddenly flashed through his pupils. Lily, who also had a red dot flash in her eyes, was slightly startled, followed by Renetia, and then Moria. Soon, all the officers in the captain's room had their pupils glowing red.
"Sag," Renetia turned to look at him.
"Ah, better late than never," Sag said, walking towards the door. Lily followed closely behind him, picking up an umbrella on the way. As the door opened, Lily opened the umbrella, sheltering Sag from the wind and rain as they made their way to the deck.
The howling wind blew their hair and clothes, but at this moment, their postures were remarkably straight, unaffected by the storm.
Sag wore a sinister smile, Lily remained calm, and Maryka held an umbrella with a smile. Renetia, also sheltered by an umbrella, leaned back with her hands behind her head, baring her teeth.
The others were all in the midst of the storm. Moria giggled, Wyper stood foolishly behind Maryka and Renetia, and Hawkins and Urouge stood side by side, the former glancing sideways at the ship's side.
Akin, on the other hand, drew out the hammer from his waist and gripped it so tightly that his hand turned red.
"Lord Sag, let me handle this," Akin said, but before he could finish, Sag waved his hand dismissively. "It's pouring rain, and your ability won't be very effective. Let's make this quick."
Rumble...
As soon as he finished speaking, the sea surface trembled slightly, even though the Dead Omen Ship was sailing steadily through the raging storm.
Renetia furrowed her brows and ran to the railing to look at the sea surface, her expression confirming her suspicions. She clicked her tongue and said, "This thing is quite sneaky, hiding underwater!"
"Lady Renetia!"
Several navigators rushed out from the lookout above, their faces pale and drenched in sweat. "Monster, monster!!!"
Beneath the Dead Omen Ship, a shark's mouth opened wide, its sharp teeth completely enveloping the massive black ship, with even more teeth protruding beyond the ship's edges.
The Dead Omen Ship, larger than a Navy battleship, looked like a black chocolate egg cake in the shark's mouth, ready to be devoured in one bite.
As one of the crew members screamed, the shark's teeth had already surfaced, about to close in on the center and crush the ship.
However, not a single person on board showed any sign of fear.
It was just a slightly larger sea beast, nothing to worry about.
Sag extended a finger, and the cloak behind him extended into a dark cloud that rose into the air, merging with the storm clouds above.
Without even glancing at the rapidly closing shark teeth, Sag pointed his index finger downward.
"Lei Ying!"
A thunderous boom reverberated as a dazzling ring of lightning descended from the sky, striking the sea surrounding the Dead Omen Ship. The blinding flash caused the crew on the lookout to instinctively shut their eyes.
When they opened them again, a massive shark head was slowly emerging from the ocean's surface, casting a colossal shadow that became visible above the waves.
A navigator cried out in alarm, "Not good! This could sink the ship!"
Just then, Mary handed the umbrella to Renetia and, with a flash of movement, leaped from the side of the ship to where the shark's teeth were exposed. She grasped the tip of a tooth with her Haki-infused hand.
Boom!
Mary pushed forward with a single hand, effortlessly snapping the tooth and using her immense strength to push the shark's head back, creating a deep trench in the sea beneath the Dead Omen Ship as it separated from the vessel.
The shark's head nearly split the ocean in two as it pushed forward, and only then did its entire body emerge from the water, revealing its full form.
It was not a Sea King, nor was it a pure Sea Beast.
Sea Beasts were not this large.
This creature was crafted entirely from metal, but its shark head retained a semi-organic appearance, making it a mechanical shark Sea Beast.
"Mechanical," Lily observed, "Just as the intelligence we received indicated."
Mary took a step, creating a smoke ring with her movement, and then used Moonwalk to return to the deck.
"Ah, too bad," she said with a hint of disappointment. "It's mechanical. I thought such a massive Sea Beast would provide plenty of meat."
The pirates on the lookout exchanged glances, first sighing in relief and then bursting into spontaneous cheers.
"Long live the Governor! Long live Mary!"
Indeed, it was understandable.
Mere Sea Beasts were no match for the Governor, and their worries had been excessive.
However, their concern was not without reason, given human instinct.
Those aboard the Dead Omen Ship were elites who had participated in the Martial Arts Tournament, though as navigators, they received bonuses and did not compete directly with fighters. Instead, they engaged in contests of navigational skills.
Beyond strength, they also excelled in maritime knowledge. Being on this ship meant they had distinguished themselves among tens of thousands of pirates, but even so, they were not considered powerful.
Perhaps if they ventured out, each of them could lead a small squad on a warship or serve as a garrison chief in a stronghold, but that was the extent of their abilities.
Compared to the monsters they faced, they were insignificant.
They represented the pinnacle of what ordinary people could achieve on the high seas, but they were still far from the caliber of those monsters.
However, true monsters on the vast ocean were actually quite rare.
Those with bounties exceeding 100 million were still out of reach for them, and there were only a handful of such figures under the Governor's command, totaling around twenty or thirty.
The rest were all ordinary people.
Just as the cheers died down, another massive splash erupted around the Dead Omen Ship, and shadows emerged from the water, transforming into mechanical Sea Beasts of similar size to the giant shark.
There were lion-headed beasts with fish bodies, their fur and teeth remaining organic, but their eyes were covered by futuristic goggles with tubes extending from the sides and inserted into their foreheads.
Others had entirely mechanical heads, resembling enlarged wolf-headed Sea Beasts, or fox-headed ones with deer-like antlers.
Some had necks composed of segmented metal, resembling giraffe-like Sea Beasts.
There were also bull-headed, bear-headed, and monkey-headed Sea Beasts. Sagel even spotted a dog-headed Sea Beast with snot dripping from its nose.
"Wow!"
Renetia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Could they have achieved such a level of sophistication?"
She had been intently observing the mechanical shark, wondering how to tow it away, when she was suddenly presented with even more intriguing sights.
Mechanical Sea Beast technology, or perhaps Sea Beast modification, was something she had some knowledge of due to Quan's influence. However, the sheer size and extent of these modifications seemed to surpass even Quan's expertise.
It was a shame he wasn't present; otherwise, they could have begun their research immediately.
Sagel could mobilize all the officers because there were no lingering concerns about their defense.
The middle and upper-tier combat strength had been replenished.
Totland was guarded by the Big Mom Pirates led by Katakuri, while Land of Harmony was dismantled, and the Beast Pirates, led by Ash, were responsible for patrolling the waters around Land of Harmony and Ohara.
(Chapter End)
"So, Big Mom is holding the front line, while the Beast Pirates are at the midline and the main camp. He even left Xiph and Misty in Ohara, so no matter which side launches an attack, he can quickly return to defend, or even leave them completely."
Now, he has returned to the stage where he can sail freely.
The development phase is over; it's time to launch the offensive!
"Mechanical? No wonder."
Sagel chuckled, and sparks danced between his fingers, "Mechanical structures can't withstand lightning."
Especially during stormy weather, lightning has an amplifying effect, making it even more powerful.
For creations like these, once an internal issue occurs, there's no chance for repair.
The only commendable aspect is that it's not afraid of Conqueror's Haki.
After all, mindless machines without hearts can't perceive the wonders of Haki.
"Again, Raiying."
Boom!
Before the sea beasts could launch their attack, Sagel's finger tapped downward once more, and the sky erupted with a flash of light even brighter than before. Circular lightning poured down like a collapsing sky, striking the surrounding mechanical sea beasts as if a curtain of light had descended upon them.
As the curtain of light dissipated, thick sparks swirled on the sea's surface, and the sea beasts floated half-submerged, their resistance capabilities gone.
"Leave them be. If we can't capture Beckapank, we can at least study this case later. Lily, leave a life card here, and have someone nearby come to salvage it."
Sagel smiled, "These things, if used well, can relieve me of a lot of defensive burdens."
The Pacifistas are only effective on land, but these mechanical sea beasts, on the open sea, are almost always a sure hit against any opponent unless they encounter a top-tier fighter or a countermeasure. No ship can withstand them.
If they could be mass-produced, it would be incredible! Create a weaker version and sell it to escalate the conflict between the Rebellion and the World Government, intensify the battles between pirates and the Alliance States, and even attract the attention of the Unaffiliated States, forcing them to tighten their belts and buy this technology.
At that time, it will be the peak of lending.
With a simple reach, a large number of high-quality assets will be within grasp.
As for whether this technology could be used against them, how could he not leave a backdoor?
He always includes these features in his creations, especially in high-tech products.
In fact, even the warships currently being exported have backdoors, such as fixed locations for the gunpowder storehouse, specific nodes on the mast that are easier to break, and specific spots on the hull where cannon fire can trigger a chain reaction.
As for the guns and swords, they aren't that powerful. The weak remain weak, and the strong can fight with just a tree branch without affecting the overall situation.
Lily nodded and then looked up at the giant egg-shaped structure hanging high in the sky.
"Mechanical sea beasts... This is most likely Beckapank's location."
She furrowed her brows, and a red dot flashed in her eyes, "Hmm?"
Something felt off.
Although they were far away, Lily's Observation Haki picked up the sound of cannon fire and the clamor of battle in that direction, as if numerous auras were intermingling.
And...
Lily looked up at the egg-shaped structure, and her pupils suddenly contracted, "Sagel, that's..."
"I sense it too."
Sagel's mouth curled into a grin as he also stared at the egg-shaped structure's location, "The old monkey is there too, and his aura is fierce. What's going on? An internal conflict? This is a perfect opportunity!"
He spread his arms, "Full speed ahead! This might be our chance to see what the scientist who claims to have mastered the future for five hundred years actually looks like!"
Beckapank, the renowned scientist on the high seas, had always been in Sagel's mind, alongside strong figures like Kaido and Big Mom.
Intellect is also a form of strength.
But there had never been an opportunity to find him.
However, the opportunity has finally arrived.
Whether it's an internal conflict or an intrusion, as long as they capture him, it will be enough. That guy is definitely the key to activating Pluto, and at this moment, Sagel doesn't even care about acquiring new technology.
He's had enough of the slow learning process; he can't afford to wait any longer.
He must have this guy to activate Pluto in the short term!
Only then can his plan proceed without hindrance!
"No one can stop me!"
Sagel sneered, "Not even you, old monkey!"
(End of Chapter)
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