Because Alvis Island wasn't on any major sea routes, nor was it a well-known, bustling island, even the News Coo didn't bother coming this way.
The Triangle Pirates had holed up here for over a year, cut off from the outside world, so they had no idea what had happened recently. Not even something as major as the changes to the Seven Warlords of the Sea had reached their ears.
"What the hell happened while we were gone?" Marcus asked, his voice low but grim.
Despite his bloodthirsty nature, he wasn't a fool. Pirates powerful enough to be given the title of Warlord of the Sea by the World Government were no joke.
Sure, the Yonko might not bat an eye at a new Warlord, but for anyone else, every shift in that roster was like a seismic shock, a sign of upheaval that could ripple through the seas.
Especially because Warlords were state-sanctioned monsters. Each new name on that list demanded thorough investigation. The last thing you wanted was to mistakenly cross one of these giants and pay the ultimate price for your ignorance.
Even Wolf, though he didn't know the specifics of what kind of power came with the title of Warlord, could gauge the sheer strength of someone like Aeridar just from Snake Nekk's devastating defeat.
In the Council of Five Guardians, none of the five ever conceded superiority to another. But none would claim they could take down a fellow Guardian with ease either. And yet, when Nekk had stumbled back in disgrace, all he said was this:
"It was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea... I was beaten head-on."
That single sentence had left the remaining four in stunned silence.
"Damn it. Maybe Lion could hold his own against someone like that..." Wolf muttered, his muscles tense.
Wolf had already released his Observation Haki.
What he sensed from the man before him, Chris T. Aeridar, was staggering.
The sounds within Aeridar's body rang out like thunder: blood flowing like rushing rivers, his heartbeat pounding like a roaring engine.
For someone who didn't even stand two meters tall, his body was forged of terrifying, overwhelming strength.
Truth was, a skilled Haki user could conceal their internal sounds from being sensed. But Aeridar didn't bother. He deliberately let them echo out, to make sure his foes felt his power.
Intimidation by intent.
Wolf and Marcus stopped fighting at the exact same moment, unspoken understanding flickering between them. One of their crewmates, a minor pirate, was trembling behind Marcus, too terrified to move.
"Anyone else alive?" Marcus asked under his breath, tilting his head slightly.
"Some... died. The rest... passed out." The pirate wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice shaking.
"Passed out?" Marcus narrowed his eyes and looked at the pirate like he'd just said the stupidest thing imaginable.
Even Wolf shot the guy a strange look, as if to say: Are you serious right now? Out of over a hundred men, only a few were dead and the rest were merely unconscious? Was Aeridar actually holding back?
"Marcus-sama... That man... he has Conqueror's Haki." The pirate swallowed hard and instinctively took a step back. Aeridar's overwhelming presence still echoed in his mind.
"Conqueror's Haki..." Marcus took a deep breath, fingers tightening around the hilt of his massive ringed blade.
Wolf's entire body went rigid.
They'd encountered someone with Conqueror's Haki once before on Alvis Island.
That man had nearly wiped out the entire Council of Five Guardians on his own.
The warrior clans under their protection had suffered immense casualties, and it had taken every last card they had to finally bring him down. The scars from that battle had yet to fully heal.
And now? Another one had appeared.
"An altar... underground tunnels... masked warriors clashing with pirates... Looks to me like you two know exactly what treasure lies beneath this island," Aeridar said with a faint smile, glancing at Marcus before turning his eyes to the masked Wolf, sizing him up.
"Captain, looks like we're getting rich again," Arlan chimed in with a smirk.
If even the ordinary warrior-guards here were this strong, and they had elites even stronger among them, then clearly, this place had to be hiding something valuable. Maybe even something tied to that ancient kingdom from centuries past.
"No. There's no treasure here."
Wolf and Marcus answered at the exact same time.
Then immediately turned and glared at each other.
Though their rivalry simmered beneath the surface, in this moment their thoughts were in perfect alignment: keep this terrifying outsider out of it at all costs.
One man would've been bad enough, but this man came with multiple officers, all of whom looked far from weak.
"Heh... Whether there's treasure or not isn't up to you," Aeridar chuckled, tapping his chest with a finger. "It's up to me."
He didn't believe a damn word of their denial. They'd been ready to kill each other a second ago, and now they were suddenly so in sync they could say the exact same sentence in perfect unison?
"Pfft. So what if you're a Warlord? You're still just a filthy pirate," Wolf sneered, unwilling to back down.
He'd heard stories of the Seven Warlords' power, sure, but hearing wasn't the same as seeing. He might be wary, but not terrified. He was a Guardian of the Five, how could he show fear to a mere pirate?
"Filthy pirate, huh? So what?" Marcus scoffed, his lip curling. "At least I enjoy life!"
Without another word, he swung his massive blade straight at Wolf's neck, cold steel slicing the air with deadly intent, steeped in the stench of blood. It was the kind of weapon that had taken more lives than anyone dared count.
Wolf was caught completely off guard. He hadn't expected Marcus to fly off the handle over a single comment, let alone go straight for the kill.
But his reflexes kicked in fast. He crossed his arms in front of him, instantly hardening them with Armament Haki.
Marcus's blade slammed down on Wolf's jet-black arms with a thunderous metallic clash.
The force behind the blow was monstrous, Wolf's arms jolted violently from the impact, and a searing pain shot through them like they were about to snap in two.
He staggered backward, his boots dragging deep furrows across the ground as he struggled to stay upright.
Just as Wolf managed to stop himself, a deafening explosion erupted behind him. The whole corridor trembled. A moment later, a gale-force shockwave howled through the passage like a tidal wave.
Wolf was knocked clean off his feet, slammed to the ground by the sudden blast.
"What the hell was that?!"
Marcus and the others recoiled in shock. Instinctively, they reached for whatever nearby protrusions they could grab to steady themselves.
Without hesitation, Aeridar thrust both palms forward. With a whoosh, the air in front of him compressed, forming a barrier of condensed pressure that surged like an invisible wall, holding the raging wind at bay.
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