Chapter 318: White Lion Pirates
The boundless sea stretched out before him, waves rolling in whitecaps, and seagulls wheeled overhead with their mournful cries.
The Abyss, bearing the gilded dragon ghost flag, sailed smoothly across the water.
On the deck, Adrian called up the interface panel and opened the task system.
The current task for the Wind's Wielder had been successfully completed, but the follow-up Weather Prophet quest would have to wait until they reached Lodestar Island.
The Scholar task, requiring a significant investment of time and effort in dusty tomes, was set aside for now.
Most of the other tasks were long-term and not a priority at the moment.
After a quick overview, Adrian focused entirely on the [Extreme Trial], which was just one step away from completion!
Defeating the top CP0 agents Stussy and Mr. Fox had been straightforward, but considering their overall strength, the panel still awarded a cumulative 10 trial points.
Currently, the progress for the Extreme Trial task stood at 950/1000!
Adrian tapped his foot impatiently. He hadn't anticipated getting bogged down in this level 80 quest for nearly a year.
He wondered what kind of power shift he might experience upon completing such a challenging task.
After all, level 80 was the clear divide between the strong and the weak.
The Extreme Trial task required Adrian to continually challenge powerful opponents to advance it.
Lost in contemplation, he chewed on his bottom lip, eyes narrowed in concentration. A sly grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as a perfect opponent appeared in his mind.
Yes! It was none other than Charlotte Linlin of Totto Land!
Eat, sleep, fight Big Mom.
Life was just that mundane.
"Last time I faced Charlotte Linlin was at the end of Sea Calendar 1499, nearly a year ago," Adrian recalled silently.
"I wonder if a year has been enough for the S-level trial task to reset its cycle."
"Otherwise, the reward for the challenge keeps decreasing. Experience points are secondary; the main issue is the low quality of loot. It's really annoying."
"And speaking of time, it's almost been a year since I last had candy."
"Maybe I should pay a visit to Totto Land and stir up some trouble with the Charlotte Family!"
"I recently took out Charlotte Daifuku and Charlotte Oven. I wonder what their reaction was!"
Having decided on his final trial opponent, Adrian no longer hesitated and called Rumi to activate the Abyss's resin storage.
Thick resin secreted by Yarukiman Mangroves seeped from the corners of the Abyss, slowly forming a resilient bubble membrane over the ship's hull.
Rumi navigated the ship, gradually submerging it.
Before heading to the New World, it was time to clean up the trash at Fish-Man Island!
Half a month later.
The Ox Bell tolled sixteen times.
{Have a wiki excerpt - The Ox Bell is a sacred bell that is kept in the plaza of Marineford. It was originally on the ancient warship Ox Lloyd's (オックス・ロイズ号, Okkusu Roizu-gō?)}
The Abyss, fully prepared, set off for the New World, receiving a warm send-off from the residents of Fish-Man Island.
Following a series of relentless attacks, the number of pirates and slave traders active on Fish-Man Island had significantly decreased.
During their few days' stay, Adrian only accumulated five more trial points.
Boom!
With a geyser-like eruption, the Abyss tore through the ocean's surface, crashing back down with a deafening roar.
Returning to the New World, Adrian found the weather far from welcoming.
The sky was overcast, heavy with ominous clouds, as if a massive storm could break out at any moment.
Having emerged from the deep sea, Adrian decided not to let Rumi continue navigating the ship towards Totto Land, as it would take far too long.
Instead, he instructed Rumi to use her abilities to store the Abyss within the fortress.
Having faced off against Charlotte Linlin multiple times, he was very familiar with that area! Adrian knew the Totto Land sea region like the back of his hand. With a silent transformation, he phased into his ghost form and soared into the stormy sky, a ghostly streak cutting through the roaring clouds.
...
The current New World was not yet the stable territory of the Four Emperors as it would be in the future.
Aside from top-tier pirate crews like the Whitebeard Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates, there were still many second-tier pirate crews.
Among the most famous three were—
The Beasts Pirates led by Kaido!
The White Lion Pirates led by Guliang!
The Deathwish Pirates led by White!
In the New World, the Edd War sea region was a place full of legendary stories.
Years ago, it was in this very sea that the Flying Pirates and the Roger Pirates fought in an unprecedented battle.
It was in that very battle that Golden Lion Shiki's dream of ruling the seas was shattered by a sudden massive storm.
But thanks to the legendary reputations of Shiki and Roger, even years after the Battle of Edd War, this unpredictable sea region remained one of the most sought-after territories by New World pirates!
The area originally controlled by Shiki's Flying Pirates had significantly weakened after Shiki's imprisonment following his bold attack on Marineford.
Consequently, the Flying Pirates had to withdraw and abandon this sea region, which was a sign of their captain's legendary past.
Currently, the White Lion Pirates were the ones occupying the Edd War sea region!
On the choppy sea surface, a massive pirate ship with a white lion figurehead moved leisurely.
Aboard the White Lion Pirates' ship, the atmosphere was lively, filled with toasts and laughter, creating an incredibly festive scene.
Sitting on the captain's throne was a burly and robust man with dark red spiky hair, black eyes, and six cat-like whiskers on his cheeks. He wore a black open jacket and black trousers, with a rapier at his waist.
He was none other than Guliang, the captain of the White Lion Pirates!
"Lion's Paw Pudding!"
Guliang's large right hand formed a claw and swiftly reached out to grab a soft, pink pudding from the banquet table.
"Hahaha! Another new move from the captain!"
"Lion's Fall, Lion's Splash, Lion's Spin... Haha! The names never change!"
"Isn't there also a move called 'Awakening Sleeping Lion'?"
Everyone at the banquet laughed and cheered.
At this moment, the lookout, still alert, suddenly shouted.
"Captain, someone is flying towards us!"
"Flying?!"
"Goran, are you seeing things again?"
"Besides our captain, who else can fly? It can't be Shiki returning, right?"
The crew continued to joke and laugh.
Guliang suddenly stood up, a red gleam flashing in his beast-like eyes as he shouted.
"Hey! It's definitely a person! And... I think I've seen them before!"
"No matter who it is, if they dare fly over my head, they'll taste my attack first!"
Raising both arms, Guliang's hands formed claws, with black spikes replacing his nails. White fur emerged from his forearms, resembling the limbs of a lion.
With a loud roar, he shouted out his move's name while launching star-like slashes into the sky.
"Reverse Lion Meteor Shower!"