Just then.
Alarm bells rang simultaneously on the warships on both sides of the cruise ship.
Since even the guards on the cruise ship recognized the flag on the sailboat ahead,
how could the navy not recognize it?
After four months of fermentation, it was believed that anyone navigating the Grand Line would know what that windmill flag represented!
On the warships, the navy soldiers looked at the approaching Freedom.
Although nervous, they were not afraid.
These two ships of theirs were not like Kendo's novices; the navy on board were all old hands.
So they all stayed quietly on deck, without any unnecessary movements.
Facing a pirate crew like the Silver Hair.
Opening fire.
That would be seeking death, wouldn't it?
Gulp—!
As the navy soldiers clearly saw the silver-white figure standing on the bow of the small sailboat ahead, reflecting in the sunlight,
they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
In their spiritual perception, as the Freedom approached, it felt as if the sky had darkened.
The increasingly strong pressure on their minds made sweat bead on their foreheads, and their breathing quickened.
"The pressure is too intense!"
At the bow of the cruise ship, the guard leader stared at the figures on the bow of the Freedom, and shivered as the sea breeze blew.
He quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look at the Freedom, for fear of attracting their attention.
Only then did he notice the little boy in front of him, his face flushed with anger.
The guard leader paid no attention to the gun in the boy's hand.
He stared into the boy's eyes and said urgently, "Your… Your Highness."
He took a breath before his tongue untangled, "The Silver Hair Pirates, the Silver Hair Pirates, hurry and leave."
"The Silver Hair Pirates?"
The boy's hand loosened.
Thud—!
The golden handgun fell quickly onto the deck.
He looked at the guard leader, his face full of disbelief, then his furious expression quickly turned from red to white, his pupils wide with terror.
Although his country was not on the main route of the Grand Line, it never missed news from around the world!
Although he usually didn't pay attention to the news, he had read about the shocking news of the Silver Hair Pirates a few months ago.
He never imagined he would encounter a pirate with a bounty of 1.5 billion, so his attention was solely on the bounty, and he wasn't interested in anything else, not even looking at it.
This was why he hadn't recognized the windmill flag that represented the Silver Hair Pirates.
He withdrew his gaze from the guard leader, lifted his leg, lowered his head, and spun in place.
"What to do? What to do?"
For ordinary pirate crews, with two navy warships escorting them, he naturally wouldn't be afraid.
But…
This was the Silver Hair Pirates!
No matter how arrogant and ignorant he was, having lived on the Grand Line, he couldn't be unaware of the value of a 1.5 billion bounty.
That was them.
That was them plus two navy warships, and they were still no match.
The guard leader, looking at the flustered little boy, saw a flicker of helplessness in his eyes.
"If he knew what to do, would he be this scared?"
He raised his head, glanced ahead, swallowed, and looked down at the boy.
"Your Highness, it's best to hide! There's no escape."
"Ugh!"
The little boy stopped in his tracks.
"Yes, hide. If the Silver Hair crew wants to kill or rob, let them rob. Quickly, go, go, go."
Saying that, he quickly walked past the guard leader and headed towards the cabin.
He wanted to find his father.
Only by staying by his father's side could he feel safe.
Swoosh—!
Just then, in front of the little boy and behind the guards, a silver-white figure appeared silently, like a dreamlike bubble.
Looking at the suddenly appearing figure, the little boy quickly slammed on the brakes and stopped in place.
Thump—!
His footsteps landed with a muffled, small sound.
As the sound appeared, the bubble, like a mirage, gradually became clear within a ripple of space.
"Yo! Kid, were you the one who fired at us?"
Kong Tai looked down at the boy, his lips curling into a smile.
"No… no, no, it wasn't me, it was my guard."
The boy stared at Kong Tai, his face ashen, his pupils shrinking to dots, utterly terrified.
As soon as Kong Tai appeared, although he didn't exude any aura, the boy could feel the scent of death emanating from him.
It was a deathly aura, like a black hole, pulling his soul into a dark abyss.
He was familiar with this aura, as he himself exuded it when he abused slaves and killed people.
If his killing was like a knife, then Kong Tai at this moment was a black hole himself.
He looked at Kong Tai, and his hair stood on end.
"Dangerous, dangerous, extremely dangerous!"
Kong Tai looked at the little boy, a hint of strangeness flashing in his eyes.
"Why is this guy so afraid of him?"
"He's not exuding any aura!"
He stroked his chin, thought for a moment, looked at the boy, and his eyes flashed red.
"Hmm?"
Staring at the boy, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
"So young, yet so evil?"
After fighting with Kizaru four months ago, his Kenbunshoku Haki could faintly sense the good and evil at the bottom of people's hearts.
After training for four months in Little Garden and sparring with Mihawk, his Kenbunshoku Haki had completely advanced.
He could now sense all emotions in people and animals, and could even see the good and evil at the very bottom of their hearts.
To him, a kind-hearted person appeared entirely bright.
Conversely, to an evil person, no matter how dazzling their appearance or how well they hid themselves, they appeared full of brutality, gloom, and darkness.
And this little boy exuded a brutality that Kong Tai found particularly repulsive, almost nauseating.
From his dark, reddish aura, he could sense that this little boy must have killed countless people.
So young.
He couldn't imagine.
Kong Tai ignored the boy, his eyes blazing with red light. His Kenbunshoku Haki instantly swept across the entire cruise ship and both warships.
Suddenly…
In the perception of everyone in this sea area,
the sky grew dark.
Crack—!
Lightning struck from nowhere, and purple-red lightning filled the entire sky.
Rumble—!
Countless bolts of lightning, like purple-red snakes, crisscrossed and collided in the sky.
An unparalleled killing intent surged from the bow of the cruise ship, reaching into the sky.
It quickly spread outwards.
Bang—!
Bang—!
Bang—!
…
Whether guards or navy, all felt a killing intent that made their hair stand on end.
This killing intent was accompanied by an infinite pressure, as if the entire sky was pressing down on them, forcing them to bow their heads.
Some navy soldiers with weaker wills directly knelt on the ground under Kong Tai's killing intent.