"Momo Hundred Times!"
Sage, exposed in the air, immediately swung the cloak on his shoulder, drifting beneath the crowd about to enter the sea, forming a massive black cloud-like thing.
The black cloud swelled up, supporting all two thousand people. As it ascended, it hovered mid-air, quickly moving towards Sharp Mountain Stone Island.
Homiez, the Thunderstorm Cloud, had fused with his cloak. Simple dark clouds couldn't support these subordinates, but the cloak had physical form.
"Oh..."
Jekai looked up in astonishment, "Such a technique? It's rumored that where disasters hit, wind, rain, and thunder are inevitable. So that's how it is..."
A huge black cloud covered half of the sky, and the howling winds cracked the stones, dropping fragments. The once clear Sharp Mountain Stone Island was oppressed by a gloomy sky.
Above the black cloud, the subordinates, recovering from brief panic, drew their weapons, assuming hostile combat stances.
From the ground looking up, one could only see in the black cloud, vicious and hostile pirates of various forms gathered together.
Descending from the sky, stepping on clouds, they seemed like celestial troops and generals descending. Yet, the black cloud emitted black aura, shrouding the pirates, resembling evil spirits transforming.
At the edge of the black cloud, Sage appeared, overlooking the entire Sharp Mountain Stone Island, his gaze fixed on a slope, where a man holding a feather fan bore a ferocious grin:
"Waiting for me here, huh? Is it you? Jekai or something. Where did you take my ship!"
The man looked about fifty or sixty years old, much like the batch with Akainu and Kizaru, considered middle-aged.
He had just swung his arm...
"So they found out... The intel has been leaked," Jekai sighed, "The World Government really can't be trusted, but it's okay. I didn't expect them to. The necessary conditions have been met."
He slightly bowed to the sky, politely saying, "Honorable master of World Desire City, I am the King of the Country of Cyan, Jekai."
"Surely, you have heard of this operation. If you agree to abandon the conquest of the Country of Cyan and surrounding islands, we are willing to accept your protection and raise your banner."
"Hmm? So agreeable? Sure, you're the King, hand me your head, and I'll consider it a deal!" Sage said.
"That is absolutely impossible. To accept your protection, I'm willing to pay a protection fee and gladly join your prosperous world. As a king, I'm also happy to help manage those restless citizens so you won't be troubled by them."
Jekai smiled, "A person of your stature doesn't need to handle so many matters; merely governing is sufficient."
Just like other Great Pirates, that's all needed.
If Sage truly accepted, Jekai would feel reassured; he paid great attention to the movements of this Great Pirate nearby.
The people in places conquered by Sage lived much better than before, indicating a very wealthy life. Joining them would allow Jekai to also seize this wealth.
Even transferring Sage's share of power to his own!
This is what he was best at!
"Look, look..."
Sage chuckled, pointing to Jekai while addressing the crowd on the black cloud:
"This is why I don't keep those with legal and nominal claims; their minds are always on such things. So in any conquest, no matter good or bad, the biggest figure must die for me."
Lily's eyes turned colder, thinking more extreme than Sage.
One kill isn't enough...
All with such tendencies should vanish; O'hara succeeded by doing this, smoothly changing names and spreading orders everywhere.
"Not agreeing? I suppose so; pirates are willful and won't give us choices..."
Jekai didn't care about Sage's attitude, shaking his head with a smile, raising his arm to wave the feather fan, "Then let's see who's stronger, in this... specific place I selected!"
Bang!
Almost as soon as Jekai finished speaking, Sage, above the black cloud, formed a line in the sky, striking directly towards Jekai.
"Divine Concealment!"
Boom!!
Debris flew, raising dust, and the ground where Jekai stood was smashed into a huge depression.
In the depression, Sage kicked away a rising stone fragment, frowning, "Vanished? Even I can't sense it..."
Rumble...
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground's stone surface suddenly broke open, revealing sprouting new green shoots, which rapidly grew into thick tree roots, quickly lunging at Sage as if possessing intelligence.
Ding!
The twisted and entwined tree spikes stopped at the surface of Sage, blocked by a thin layer of black flame, making a crisp sound without penetrating further.
Rumble!
The branches and green shoots between the stones continued to emerge, breaking both the surface slopes and the highest sharp mountain stone pillar, growing in the wind, turning from shoots into towering trees.
Before long, the entire island was covered by trees, transformed into a massive forest so dense sunlight couldn't penetrate!
"Heh heh heh, welcome to the Sea of Trees. Come find us, Calamity, see if you'll be broken before you find us or despair after finding us!"
Jekai's voice sounded stable and confident in the air.
"Sage, they're all gone!"
Behind him, Lily's voice sounded.
He turned to see only two people by the coast on the black cloud formed from his cloak: one was Lily, the other was Moriah.
Two thousand people disappeared in the wave of Jekai's fan.
Lily Moon Stepped, quickly moving beside Sage, as shadow bats flew from the black cloud, forming Moriah's figure on the ground.
"It's an ability," Moriah said gravely, "Very strong, only Lily and I resisted..."
"They should be fine."
Lily took out two white papers with Marika and Renedia's names, letting them slowly move in different directions in her palm.
"No changes on the Life Cards."
The Life Card, a product of the New World, was certainly present on Sage's side as well.
This item, usually made using a person's nails or hair, represented the person's vitality and could be observed through the paper.
In weakness, the Life Card would shrink by burning, and in health, it would return to its original size, quite mystical.
But if one died, the Life Card would burn to ashes.
This could also serve as a positioning tool, helping others find the way.
Sage had so many islands, some undiscovered without corresponding Eternal Poses.
To remake one would take considerable time. For now, they used Life Cards of local stationed Pirate captains and local chosen leaders for directions.
Now, with two Life Cards showing no changes, Marika was not a concern, and Renedia, who had been on Weevil's shoulder, was likely transferred along with him.
With Weevil around, the issue wasn't grave.
"Sage, should we go directly? It feels off to me," Lily asked.
Sage glanced at the rapidly growing giant tree roots beneath him, with red light flashing in his eyes.
"I can still see the future; it's not a sensory issue; the surroundings are being blocked, and these trees... They think, good, very good!"
The cloud in the sky reformed into a cloak, quickly drifting onto his shoulder.
"You two go search, but you might be intercepted. Be cautious of these trees; damn, they absorb human moisture! A good plan, trying to exhaust my people with time and then deal with me, but..."
Let me see if you're smart or if my fists are harder!"
Sage raised his fist, which gathered a Wind Blade, aiming at the direction of the tallest stone mountain now a giant tree, fiercely slashing.
Shhh!
The fierce Wind Blade cut open the forest blocking the front, spilling lots of splintered wood.
Sage moved, disappearing instantly, speeding forward.
The Observation Haki's sensory was blocked?
No matter!
Seeing the future provides another method!
Using Foreseeing the Future to discern the direction and ultimately find the target will suffice.
With Sage's speed, it won't take long.
And this forest... cannot stop him!