Before Klik could grasp the meaning of the other party's words, Bai Qi raised his right hand and clenched it.
The next moment, Klik's body was struck simultaneously from four directions by four speeding trucks, his entire body, save for his head, crushed thinner than paper.
With another lift of his hand, Klik's head slowly floated before Bai Qi. In the instant of death, Klik's face remained filled with disbelief.
He couldn't understand why he, the dignified Overlord of the East Sea and a pirate with a bounty of seventeen million, couldn't even muster a single counter-attack.
But he would never know, never.
After dealing with Klik, Bai Qi turned to leave. Ten steps later, he suddenly remembered something, turned back, and unleashed a dragon's breath upon the flagship behind him.
With their captain gone, this pirate crew had no reason to exist any longer.
"Lord Holy One, you have returned."
If Bernal had merely estimated Bai Qi's strength before, he had now witnessed Bai Qi's might and destructive power firsthand. Fifteen large ships had been utterly defeated in less than five minutes, with not a single pirate surviving. Even a Marine Admiral might not have achieved such a feat; he was a walking harbinger of destruction.
"The pirates have been eradicated. Let us proceed," Bai Qi said.
Casually tossing Klik's head onto the deck, Bai Qi returned to his normal size and entered his room.
"Officer, this..."
Looking at the still-dripping head, the soldiers were at a loss as to what to do.
"Put it away. Just put it away for now."
For the next three days, the warship encountered over a dozen pirate groups. The lowest bounty was only a few million, and the highest around twenty million. However, none of them escaped Bai Qi's grasp.
Those without bounties were killed outright. For those with bounties, they were also killed, with only their heads left behind.
"Why has the ship slowed down so much?"
Emerging from the cabin, Bai Qi asked a soldier cleaning the deck.
"Apologies, Lord Holy One. The warship is currently traversing the Calm Belt. Traveling too fast could easily attract Sea Kings."
The Calm Belt was unlike other seas.
The Calm Belt was a band of sea on either side of the Grand Line where pirates flourished, sandwiching the Grand Line between them. This sea had no wind and no currents, with the sea surface being absolutely still. Most pirate ships were sailboats powered by wind, and once a sailboat entered this region, it would lose power and be stranded, unable to move. Therefore, for pirates, it was a dangerous sea that was almost impossible to navigate. The presence of numerous colossal Sea Kings further increased its peril, making it a highly challenging area.
Ordinary ships would try to avoid it as much as possible.
However, pirate ships had only two routes to enter the Grand Line: the Calm Belt and Reverse Mountain.
Compared to the Calm Belt, the success rate of traversing Reverse Mountain was higher, but not significantly so.
Reverse Mountain had five waterways arranged in an X-shape, with four flowing in and one flowing out. Four of the waterways' currents flowed towards the mountain's peak. These four river channels connected the four seas: East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, and North Blue. The last waterway flowed into the Grand Line.
However, each year, many pirate ships attempting to cross Reverse Mountain were ultimately smashed against the Red Line Continent, tearing them apart. Thus, very few pirates succeeded in entering, making it the first layer of selection for strength.
Only two powers could safely traverse the Calm Belt. One was Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Her own nation, Amazon Lily, was located within the Calm Belt. Each time they entered, their ship was pulled by giant sea snakes, negating the problem of no wind and preventing attacks from other Sea Kings.
The other power was the Marines.
The Marine scientist Vegapunk had long ago researched placing Sea Prism Stone at the bottom of the ship, which could render the ship invisible within the Calm Belt. This made the Sea Kings below mistake the warship for seawater, thus preventing them from attacking.
However, if a Sea King emerged from the water, there was nothing that could be done, so one had to carefully observe the surrounding situation while sailing.
"It's a Sea King! A Sea King has appeared on the sea ahead. Divert course, divert course!"
As they were speaking, the lookout spotted a giant Sea King emerging from the water not far ahead. It was a strange creature resembling a giant eel, magnified countless times. He immediately reported it.
"Apologies, Lord Holy One, I must go to work."
The soldier started to leave, but Bai Qi grabbed him.
"I'll handle it," Bai Qi said.
With that, Bai Qi went to the bow of the ship, returned to his original size, and then let out a dragon's roar towards the sky.
Instantly, more than half of the Calm Belt fell silent.
The Sea King blocking their path, startled by the dragon's roar, dove back into the sea, too terrified to show its head again.
"Alright, we can go now. Speed up," Bai Qi commanded.
After Bai Qi's dragon roar, the entire Calm Belt quieted down. The warship's speed, previously sluggish, increased dramatically. In just eight days, they had exited the Calm Belt.
Entering the Grand Line, they encountered even more notorious pirates. Bai Qi, without exception, destroyed every one he saw, and every ship he saw.
Finally, after two weeks of continuous sailing, on the fifteenth day, the warship arrived at Marineford.
"Bernal? Didn't you go to the East Blue? Why are you back?"
As soon as the warship docked, Bernal encountered an acquaintance.
"Uh, I have something to discuss with the Fleet Admiral."
The other person didn't notice Bernal's helplessness and thought he was joking.
He nudged Bernal's shoulder and said, "With your disposition, you want to see Fleet Admiral Sengoku? What for, a raise?"
However, the man quickly fell silent. Bai Qi's enormous body leaped from the warship, and the moment his feet touched the ground, the entire port trembled violently.
"Is that a Sea..."
Before the man could finish speaking, Bernal covered his mouth.
Bai Qi's appearance drew the attention of the Marines at the port. Moreover, this was Marineford, the Marine Headquarters. The Marines stationed here were all elites. Facing Bai Qi, whose appearance clearly marked him as no good, they instinctively gripped their weapons.
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Bernal quickly stepped forward to explain.
"Everyone, please don't be alarmed. This is Lord Holy One. He is very powerful and wishes to join the Marines."
Compared to Marines in other regions, the Headquarters Marines had a higher capacity for acceptance. After all, the Marine ranks included non-human beings, so what was one more Sea King?
Furthermore, Bernal had a good reputation during his time at Headquarters, so most of them believed Bai Qi's intentions.
"Such a monster wants to join the Marines? Do you think just anyone can join the Marines?"
Just then, a discordant voice was heard.
Following the direction of the voice, everyone held their breath.
The speaker wore a fiery red shirt, a pink flower on his chest, and a white coat draped over his shoulders, emblazoned with the word "Justice."
From the insignia on his shoulders, it was clear this person was an Admiral!