Not only were the other Ghost Kings terrified.
The Water Ghost King, also on the Thousand Sunny, was dumbfounded, swallowing a mouthful of saliva:
"Is this the grandeur Mr. Zhang Wei spoke of? What the hell."
At this moment.
The Water Demon King and its subordinates were being beaten by the Straw Hat Pirates. Both Nami's side and Luffy's side were experiencing the same.
"Gear Third!"
"Armament Haki!"
"Gomu Gomu no Gatling!"
Luffy unleashed a barrage of Gomu Gomu no Gatling towards the Water Demon King. The Water Demon King quickly retreated, not daring to confront Luffy head-on, preparing to attack Luffy with remote control of seawater. At the same time, it reminded its subordinates:
"Little ones, quickly cast the Ghost Formation!"
Before its voice faded.
It shouted to the other Ghost Kings again:
"Quickly, someone come help me. Luffy and Chopper are both Devil Fruit users. If you break their bubbles, you'll reduce our combat strength by two, and we'll have an advantage."
Its voice echoed through the sea.
However, before the Ghost Kings could respond, Luffy's voice answered:
"Armament Haki!"
"Gigant Axe!"
Seeing the Water Demon King create distance, Luffy, having undergone training from Rayleigh, possessed combat experience far beyond two years ago. He directly inflated his leg into a giant's leg, then raised it like an axe. The Gigant Leg smashed fiercely towards the Water Demon King.
The Gigant Leg was too large.
It spanned over ten meters, splitting the surrounding seawater, and directly struck the Water Demon King.
"Ah!————"
The Water Demon King was struck by the axe, its entire body smashed into the seabed. It spat out a large amount of blood.
"Boss!"
"Quick, form the formation, break Luffy's bubble."
The Water Demon King's ghostly subordinates immediately formed the Ghost Formation, intending to suppress Luffy and break his bubble. As yokai from Sakura Country, they were familiar with the One Piece anime and knew that Devil Fruit users like Luffy feared seawater the most. Once their bodies touched seawater, they would lose their mobility.
However.
The thought was good, but as they were about to act…
The Water Ghost King quickly shouted:
"Careful! That Ghost Formation is very powerful; it can unleash Ghost King-level power within an area."
As the words left its mouth.
Luffy had already sensed their intentions. His gaze turned towards those yokai, and a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body.
At this moment.
Luffy was like a king, exuding kingly might.
Immediately after.
The surrounding yokai, who were about to form the formation, fell like dominoes. Starting from the closest to Luffy, one by one, their eyes rolled back, and they foamed at the mouth, falling unconscious.
"Ding! The yokai… No! It's that Conqueror's Haki which was very buggy in the early stages of One Piece but became common later!"
"Host gains System Points +2000."
"Quick, dodge, that's Conqueror's Haki, don't get close to Luffy."
The Kappa King roared, controlling the seawater with its hand to pull other yokai out of the range. It knew that the Ghost Formation of these yokai was the most effective way to break Luffy and Chopper's bubbles, as within the formation, it was a domain.
However.
At this moment.
A deafening, monstrous roar echoed:
"You won't stop Luffy!"
The Kappa King looked up, its pupils contracting sharply. A giant, sky-obscuring hand appeared above its head. Upon closer inspection, it was Chopper, who had consumed a Rumble Ball and transformed into a giant monster form.
It could be seen.
With a wave of Chopper's hand, seawater poured in, carrying tens of thousands of tons of water that surged down. The Kappa King wanted to resist, but as it raised its hand, blade auras that could cut steel and even seawater attacked.
"Don't interfere with our captain's actions."
It was Zoro who had made his move.
He was like an Asura demon god, with three swords in hand, unleashing his most impactful move:
"Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai!!"
Chii!
The Kappa King wanted to dodge, but Zoro's swords were too fast. It managed to dodge a fatal blow, but half of its body was also severed. Then, Chopper's giant hand swept down, and the Kappa King, as if struck by a heavy blow, had its severed half fly away.
"Ding! Before the Kappa King's death… I was blown away by Chopper? No, where's my lower body?"
"Host gains System Points +130."
Looking at its lower half lying in the distance, and then at its upper half:
"Ding! The Kappa King died with unseeing eyes… I should have known not to attend the party."
"Host gains System Points +140."
"Kappa King!"
The Water Demon King's eyes were bloodshot, its face filled with horror.
They couldn't defeat the Straw Hat Pirates before, and now with the death of the Kappa King, the situation was even more dire. Because of this, with the death of the Kappa King, the other Ghost Kings could no longer sit still.
"Ding! The Ghost Kings… Damn it, why are they so strong? This is still the Straw Hat Pirates before Jinbe joined. How strong will they be after Kaido's training? We must leave here, we can't win!"
"Host gains System Points +1000."
As the system notification sounded.
All the Ghost Kings, including the Water Demon King, turned and fled.
In response.
Luffy and the others noticed immediately:
"Trying to run?"
Usopp pulled out his slingshot and unleashed his magical seeds, attempting to intercept. Chopper also opened its large hands to intercept. Zoro and Sanji swam over. Although they were in the sea, giving the Water Demon King and its subordinates a geographical advantage, Luffy and the others, relying on their respective abilities, managed to stop them.
"Damn it, Water Demon, think of a way quickly."
Rain Woman spoke in a disheveled manner. She was almost half-dead from being beaten by Nami and Robin, and she spoke while supporting her injured body.
The other Ghost Kings also looked over:
"This is your territory, you're familiar with it. Quickly take us to some sea trench or something to shake them off. In the sea, we have an advantage over them in wearing bubbles."
Facing their words.
The Water Demon King's mouth twitched:
"This is the shallow sea. The deep-sea trench you're talking about is at least ten miles away, but we can try. We'll cooperate to hold them off and see if we can escape. Also, I'll teach you the Ghost Formation, and we'll cast it together. With our Ghost King strength, combining them can rival a top-tier Ghost King."
In the face of mortal danger, the Water Demon King couldn't afford to care about anything else and decided to use the Ghost Formation to fight back.
However.
The other Ghost Kings were somewhat helpless:
"Where is there time to learn the Ghost Formation now? They won't give us time to study the formation. Let's just cooperate to hold them off and see if we can escape to the deep-sea trench. The terrain there is easier for us to navigate…"
As they were speaking.
A deafening roar echoed through the seabed. Not only the Ghost Kings but even the pursuing Straw Hat Pirates were stunned. They looked towards the source of the roar.
Then.
"Ding! The Ghost Kings widened their eyes… Holy crap! What did I see?! Sea Kings?"
"Host gains System Points +1200."
In the distance, enormous creatures let out roaring sounds and swam towards them. They were too massive, at least a hundred meters long, as if they were going to occupy the entire ocean. Just a flick of their tails sent hundreds of tons of seawater cascading, a shocking sight that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.
Those were Sea Kings!
Whether it was Luffy and the others, or the Ghost Kings, their mouths were wide open. Especially the Ghost Kings, their minds went blank:
"Ding! The Ghost Kings… What the hell, this is definitely not Hokkaido, it must be the Grand Line, right?! Damn Water Demon King, your territory is in the Grand Line?!"
"Host gains System Points +1300."
…