"Let's go."
After delivering a solid beating to Nieders, Bai Yu turned calmly, bringing Koby with him. Without even a glance back, the two strode away from the scene.
It didn't take long for them to return to the Foxy Pirates' ship.
"Colonel Bai Yu… was it really okay to deal with Nieders like that?" Koby asked hesitantly.
"Won't Gasparde back off from the race out of fear or suspicion now?"
Returning aboard, Koby's concern surfaced immediately.
"Gasparde thrives on being admired," Bai Yu replied coolly. "That's precisely why he's putting on this whole performance."
"With his kind of ego, he won't just join the race."
"He'll make sure to target us first."
Bai Yu spoke with confidence, his tone sharp and certain.
Hearing that, both Koby and Bellemere nodded silently. There was nothing more to say.
---
Elsewhere—
Inside Gasparde's personal command tent, within the camp of the Gasparde Pirates…
Smack!
A loud slap echoed through the tent as Gasparde smashed his palm against the wooden table in fury.
The news from Nieders had clearly not pleased him.
The atmosphere in the tent dropped several degrees as the surrounding pirates lowered their heads. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
"You couldn't even handle a minor errand…" Gasparde hissed, voice low and venomous. "You came back like this?"
"Pathetic."
"Foxy Pirates, huh? Well done."
He sneered. "Let me show you what happens… when you insult me, Gasparde!"
With a glare that could freeze seawater, Gasparde's expression twisted into pure rage.
Every crew member present could sense it—Gasparde was dead serious.
Just as Bai Yu had predicted.
---
The Next Day – Noon, Hannabal Island
The entire island buzzed with anticipation and festive excitement.
"Welcome back, everyone!"
"The moment has arrived! All contestants, please proceed to the race channels!"
Driven by the host's amplified voice, the crowd reached a fever pitch.
One by one, all the participating pirate ships entered the special competition canal designed for the race.
A short distance ahead, Bai Yu spotted the Gasparde Pirates' ship among the front-most.
Standing boldly at the bow, Gasparde slowly turned around—his eyes locking onto Bai Yu's figure.
In an instant, his gaze sharpened.
Lifting one hand, Gasparde dragged a finger across his throat in a cutting motion—a clear and vulgar challenge.
Tension hung thick in the air.
Bai Yu merely smirked in response, utterly unimpressed, and turned away as though swatting a fly.
"Mr. Bai Yu, where are your two companions?" Foxy jogged up, clearly puzzled.
Since departure, he had seen neither Koby nor Bellemere onboard.
"They're off handling another task," Bai Yu replied cryptically, giving Foxy a look that left room for interpretation.
Foxy tilted his head in confusion, but decided not to press further.
---
"All contestants are in position!"
"I now declare—the thrilling, deadly Sea Race…"
"Officially begins!"
Booooooooom!
With the sound of the massive horn, the race was underway.
"Let's go!"
"The championship is ours!"
"No one's stopping us!"
Voices roared from every direction.
Pirate ships, large and small, burst forward from the start line in a flurry of sails and cannon fire.
The Foxy Pirates' ship also surged ahead with full momentum.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
To the sides of the narrow canal, chaos erupted. Ships collided, hulls shattered, and cannonballs arced through the sky.
Fierce clashes took out several competitors within moments.
By sheer luck—or perhaps obscurity—the Foxy Pirates, still relatively unknown, had been assigned a later starting slot.
As a result, they avoided the brunt of the initial carnage and navigated the first channel turn smoothly.
---
"What the heck is that?!"
The helmsman suddenly shouted, pointing ahead.
Blocking the channel just around the bend were three pirate ships—aligned head-to-tail in a makeshift blockade.
They had turned sideways, forming a wall across the channel, making further passage impossible.
"Hahahahaha! Dead end, boys!"
"Dare to cross Lord Gasparde? You've only yourselves to blame!"
The decks of all three vessels were lined with jeering pirates, clearly expecting an easy win.
From their words, it was obvious: these were Gasparde's loyal dogs, sent to eliminate Bai Yu.
"Mr. Bai Yu… what now?" Foxy gritted his teeth, staring at the blockade with frustration.
"Simple," Bai Yu said, eyes sharp. "Charge straight through."
"Got it!"
"ALL CREW! Full speed ahead!" Foxy shouted.
The ship didn't slow even slightly as it plowed forward.
"They're insane! They're actually charging?!"
"Sink them! Don't let them get close!"
The blockade pirates were stunned at first—but quickly regained composure.
"Fire!"
On command, all three ships rolled out cannons.
The barrels aligned in unison, pointing directly at Bai Yu's ship.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Cannon after cannon fired, shells whistling through the air in deadly arcs.
As the incoming barrage descended upon them, Bai Yu stepped forward—right to the bow of the ship.
Squatting slightly, he placed one hand calmly on the hilt of his Longyan Katana.
He stared down the blockade, completely unfazed by the shells approaching.
Only a few hundred meters remained.
Then, Bai Yu called out.
"Foxy—it's your turn."
"Fufufufu… been waiting for this!"
Foxy, unable to suppress his grin, raised both arms dramatically.
"Slow-Slow Beam!"
The next moment, a radiant wave of slow energy rippled from his hands.
Om! Om! Om!
The translucent circular waves expanded outward and passed through the descending cannonballs.
Suddenly—time slowed.
The cannonballs, previously screaming through the air, now hung motionless, drifting down as if suspended underwater.
This was the power of the Slow-Slow Fruit: any object or person hit by its light waves would have their movement delayed for 30 seconds.
Thanks to that, the Foxy Pirates' ship, still moving at full speed, glided safely past the suspended shells.
In the blink of an eye, they closed the distance to the blockade.
Whoosh!
With their ship nearly at ramming distance, Bai Yu's grip tightened on his sword.
The blade trembled faintly, emitting a clear hum.
A turquoise flame burst into existence, dancing along the katana's edge—the mark of Bai Yu's Azure Dragon Sword Intent.