"Captain, our territory has been taken over by the Sandstorm Pirates and the Rakshasa Pirates."
"What?"
This news caused Xia Ling's expression to change. She hadn't expected them to dare to do such a thing.
Ye Yu knew that these two pirate crews were on par with Xia Ling's former crew in terms of strength in Hangzhou. The captain of the Sandstorm Pirates, Sha La, was a Sand-Sand Fruit Ability User.
The captain of the Rakshasa Pirates, Ye Ming, was a String-String Fruit Ability User, both highly talented. Although they were only Level 8, not as high as Xia Ling and Zhao Yan'er, and their abilities weren't as strong, they had recruited a large number of members.
After all, Xia Ling placed great emphasis on character assessment when recruiting, which made it difficult for many to join. In contrast, the Rakshasa and Sandstorm Pirates had much lower entry barriers.
These two pirate crews knew that to compete, they needed a numerical advantage. Each crew had over ten thousand members.
Xia Ling hadn't been worried initially because, during this period, no one would want to cause conflicts. But they had taken over her territory while she was away.
Xia Ling frowned and asked, "When did this happen?"
"Shortly after you left. After taking over, they cut off our communication with the outside world. We just managed to get out and immediately informed you."
Xia Ling was furious: "They have some nerve. Wait for us, we'll be there soon."
"Understood, Captain."
...
After hanging up the phone, Xia Ling was seething with anger.
Zhao Yan'er's fighting spirit was also ignited: "We must make them regret this."
Xia Ling nodded: "In the past, we might have hesitated, debating whether to fight for territory. But now, with Ye Yu here, his Conqueror's Haki is a natural counter to numbers. Plus, we've recruited so many new fighters, our strength has significantly increased."
Zhao Yan'er agreed: "Yes, our strength now surpasses either of their individual crews. Although they have strong members, they can't compare to us."
Meanwhile, in Hangzhou.
Sha La, the captain of the Sandstorm Pirates, looked grim.
Her first mate, Lu Qi, whose ability was the Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Form—the same fruit as Lucci in One Piece—was an 8th-level Talent.
Lu Qi asked, "Captain, what should we do? Originally, we planned to join forces with the Rakshasa Pirates to take over and divide their territory, driving them out of Hangzhou and finding a new base. Even if they found out, they wouldn't dare to confront us directly since it's both our crews occupying the territory. But now, their strength has increased significantly, especially with Ye Yu's powerful Conqueror's Haki. Our main advantage is our numbers."
Sha La nodded: "I know, but don't worry. They won't dare to attack. Even with Ye Yu, we can just keep our lower-tier crew members at a distance. If one kilometer isn't enough, we'll go ten kilometers. I don't believe his Conqueror's Haki can reach that far."
Lu Qi cautioned: "Captain, maybe we should contact Ye Ming? It would be best to form an alliance and gather together. That way, they definitely won't dare to make a move."
Sha La frowned: "Is that necessary? Although we've recruited many, most are Non-Ability Users. What is there to fear?"
"Captain, dealing with either of our crews individually would be troublesome. The casualties would surely be high. Even if they don't want to suffer heavy losses before the mutation, there's always the risk of the unexpected."
"Fine."
Sha La then contacted Ye Ming.
As for why they wanted to seize territory, it was meaningful because after the true mutation, treasures would randomly appear in many places. Therefore, for powerful pirate crews, the more territory they controlled, the better.
Everyone wanted treasures, after all, treasures could be exchanged for experience.
This was the reason for occupying Hangzhou's territory.
At this moment, Ye Ming was also somewhat worried, and the executives had proposed an alliance.
Answering the phone, Ye Ming said, "I can roughly guess your intentions."
Sha La asked, "So, an alliance?"
"We can form an alliance. Announce it publicly. With our two powerful pirate crews allied, they can only endure and dare not return. Even if they do come back, they can at most take away the few dozen people they left behind and won't dare to confront us."
"Yes, they are no match for us. Besides, in fifteen days, the Overlord and the Flying Pirates will join forces against them. They are even less likely to provoke us now. If they engage in a major battle now and suffer losses, they will be even more doomed in fifteen days."
"Exactly."
The two pirate crews were not afraid at all.
Soon, the alliance announcement was released and quickly became a hot topic.
The pirate crew established by Xia Ling had its territory in Hangzhou occupied by the Sandstorm and Rakshasa Pirates respectively.
The Sandstorm and Rakshasa Pirates had formed an alliance.
Many onlookers instantly understood.
"This is a very provocative move."
"Even for a pirate crew, having their territory taken is a disgrace. But this time, Xia Ling and her crew definitely won't dare to act."
"Indeed, the Sandstorm and Rakshasa Pirates have allied. Moreover, in half a month, they will have to face the Overlord and the Flying Pirates. Only a fool would act now."
"They can only pretend it didn't happen and swallow their pride."
...
Everyone believed that Xia Ling's pirate crew would not take action.
At this moment, Xia Ling and Zhao Yan'er naturally found out and were extremely furious, their fists clenched tightly.
"Damn it."
Zhao Yan'er said gravely, "This way, it's difficult to take action. Dealing with one alone would be to our advantage, but with them allied, even though we have Ye Yu, who can target their lower-tier members, their combined strength is stronger than ours. So..."
Although she didn't want to admit it, Zhao Yan'er had already made a choice in her heart.
Xia Ling sighed and nodded, "Sigh, we can only endure it."
At this time, the crew members and executives naturally knew as well and were equally displeased. They wanted to fight and reclaim their territory, but they knew it was unrealistic. The atmosphere was heavy and frustrating.
The crew members in Hangzhou sent the latest information.
"Captain, not only have the two pirate crews allied, but their lower-tier members have also been divided into hundreds of groups and stationed in various locations across Hangzhou."
"Understood."
After hanging up the phone, Xia Ling was even more certain that they couldn't take action.
Zhao Yan'er said, "They did this to disperse their lower-tier members, thereby reducing the impact of Ye Yu's Conqueror's Haki on them."
Xia Ling nodded, "Yes, even though Yu's Conqueror's Haki is powerful, with them spread out across the entire city, it would be difficult for his Conqueror's Haki to affect them effectively. This battle really can't be fought."
Just then, Ye Yu spoke up, his tone resolute.
"I think we should take action."
This shocked Xia Ling and Zhao Yan'er. Take action?
The crew members also heard this. Although their eyes lit up with the desire to fight and restore their honor, they knew the captain wouldn't allow it.
Xia Ling asked, "Why?"
Ye Yu said solemnly, "This will be an opportunity to establish our authority and let the world know our strength."
Xia Ling nodded, "Although that's true, the premise is that we must win. Choosing not to fight might be mocked by many, but it can reduce casualties. Let's endure for now and focus all our efforts against the Overlord and the Flying Pirates in fifteen days. We'll choose a favorable sea terrain then."
Ye Yu shook his head, "This time, our overall strength has improved significantly. We can fight, even if they form an alliance. Our comprehensive strength is much higher than they imagine. They look down on Non-Ability Users, but this time, many of our Non-Ability Users are formidable."
At this moment, the crew members who were more eager to fight were the Non-Ability Users, wanting to prove that they were not inferior.
Enduring this time would make people think they were easy to bully, and they would surely take advantage in the future. Therefore, it was essential to establish their authority.
Even though they understood this, Xia Ling and Zhao Yan'er still looked grave. Despite the eager gazes of many crew members, they were about to shake their heads and refuse.
"Captain, let's fight."
"Even if it means sacrifice, I want to fight them and show that we are not to be trifled with."
"It's frustrating and infuriating. The Overlord and the Flying Pirates are coming to provoke us in fifteen days, and now the Yaksha and the Sandstorm Pirates have also taken our territory, thinking we won't dare to act. Let's show them!"
"Yes, Captain, let's fight them!"
...
Xia Ling sighed and shook her head, "Let's just..."
At that moment, Ye Yu confidently spoke up, interrupting Xia Ling, his commanding voice resonating throughout the pirate crew.
"What if I told you that my Conqueror's Haki can currently cover the entire Hangzhou City?"
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!