I, Kizaru, only came to the chat group after I became invincible

Chapter 421 Fewer People Are Going to Sea
Marcus put down his glass and walked to the bow of the ship to look ahead. On the once clear sea, a huge cloud of fog was drifting in from afar, its unnatural silvery-white color shimmering in the sunlight.

"What is that?" the ship's first mate asked, frowning. "I've been at sea for twenty years and I've never seen fog like this before."

“Whatever it is, let’s change direction,” Marcus cautiously ordered. “Something doesn’t look right.”

"Yes, sir! Full port!" the first mate immediately relayed the order.

But when the helmsman turned the helm, something unsettling happened. No matter how he turned the helm, the boat seemed to be drifting uncontrollably toward the thick fog.

"What's going on?" Marcus shouted. "Why is the ship not obeying commands?"

"Captain! Something's wrong!" the helmsman shouted in panic. "The rudder isn't working at all! The ship feels like it's being dragged along by something!"

Just then, the other crew members also noticed something amiss. There were no obvious ocean currents, and the wind direction was normal, yet their ship was drifting uncontrollably toward the mysterious thick fog.

"Damn it! Lower the anchor!" Marcus commanded anxiously.

Several crew members immediately went to operate the anchor, and the huge iron anchor crashed into the sea. But to everyone's astonishment, even after the anchor was dropped, the ship continued to drift forward.

"This is impossible!" a crew member exclaimed in horror. "The anchor is clearly in the ground, why is it still moving?"

The thick fog drew ever closer, its silvery-white mist emitting an eerie glow. As the fog began to touch the edge of the ship, Marcus felt a strange chill rise from the depths of his heart.

"All personnel, prepare for battle!" he shouted. "No matter what we encounter, we will fight to the bitter end!"

The crew immediately grabbed their weapons, but faced with this supernatural phenomenon, everyone was filled with fear. Fog gradually enveloped the entire ship, and visibility rapidly diminished.

"Captain! I can't see anything!"

"The fog is so thick! You can't see your hand in front of your face!"

"Don't panic, everyone!" Marcus tried to reassure the crew. "It's just fog, it'll clear up in a bit!"

But as time passed, the fog showed no signs of dissipating; instead, it grew even thicker. Even more frightening, strange sounds began to emanate from the surroundings—creaking sounds like ancient wood and the lapping of waves against a ship's hull, but they didn't sound like their own vessel.

"Wait a minute." The first mate pricked up his ears alertly. "Did you hear that? It sounds like other ships."

Everyone held their breath and listened intently. Indeed, a variety of sounds came from the thick fog: the sound of sails billowing in the wind, the sound of ropes rubbing together, and the sound of planks clattering against each other.

“There are other ships nearby!” one of the crew members exclaimed excitedly. “Maybe we can call for help!”

"Hey—! Is anyone there—!" Marcus shouted. "We need help—!"

But only eerie echoes responded, reverberating through the thick fog. There was no human reply.

Suddenly, the thick fog began to thin, and visibility slowly returned. But when Marcus and his companions could see their surroundings clearly, they all gasped in shock.

Their ships were anchored in the center of a vast space, surrounded by all sorts of vessels. There were ancient sailing ships, modern steamships, and various pirate ships. These ships floated silently on the water, like a giant ship graveyard.

"Where is this place?" a young crew member asked in a trembling voice.

Marcus looked around and saw that the sky above the space was a hazy gray, with neither sun nor clouds visible. In the distance, a thick fog surrounded the area, like an invisible barrier.

“We’ve entered some kind of alternate dimension,” the first mate said, his face pale. “These ships…look like they’ve been deserted for a long time.”

Indeed, although the ships were well-preserved, they were all unusually quiet. There was no one in sight, no sound, as if time had frozen in time.

“What’s written on that ship?” a crew member asked, pointing to the nearest sailboat.

Marcus examined it closely and noticed the words "Sea Breeze" engraved in large characters on the bow of the old sailing ship. Judging from its style, it must have been a vessel from at least fifty years ago.

“The Sea Breeze?” The first mate frowned. “I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before.”

“I remember now!” another older crew member suddenly exclaimed. “The Sea Breeze was the name of a famous merchant ship from fifty years ago! It was said to have mysteriously disappeared en route to the New World!”

“Missing?” Marcus felt a chill run down his spine. “That means this ship has been adrift here for fifty years?”

"Look over there!" someone pointed in another direction. "That ship looks much older!"

Upon closer inspection, everyone discovered it was an extremely ancient-looking ship, its hull marked by the passage of time. Judging from its appearance, the ship was at least a hundred years old.

"And over there... My God! How many ships are there?"

As their view expanded, they discovered that there were hundreds of ships in this mysterious space, some new, some old, and some so ancient that their age was impossible to discern.

“How did these ships get here?” Marcus’s voice was filled with fear. “Where are the people on board?”

Just as the question was uttered, a strange sound came from all directions. It wasn't the sound of wind or waves, but a chilling whisper.

"What's that sound?" The crew members gripped their weapons nervously.

The sound grew clearer, like countless people whispering simultaneously, but the specific content was indistinct. This sound was particularly eerie in the silent space.

“Captain,” a crew member said, his voice trembling, pointing to a ship in the distance. “Look over there.”

Marcus followed the direction the finger was pointing, and his heart stopped beating. On the deck of the ancient ship, two dark red lights were flashing. At first, he thought they were some kind of light, but upon closer inspection, he realized they were clearly a pair of eyes!
"What is that?" The first mate's voice almost turned into a scream.

As they gazed at those red eyes, more red light began to emerge from the other ships. One pair, two pairs, ten pairs, dozens of pairs—countless pairs of eyes glowing red slowly appeared from the shadowy corners of each ship.

“We’re surrounded.” Marcus swallowed hard, his hand gripping the weapon at his waist. “Everyone, prepare for battle!”

But even seasoned pirates felt an unprecedented fear in the face of this supernatural phenomenon. Those red eyes watched them silently, like predators observing their prey.

Meanwhile, far away from this mysterious space, the Thousand Sunny is approaching a bustling town.

"Wow! There's a huge town up ahead!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the distant port. "It looks so lively!"

Indeed, the harbor ahead was bustling with activity, with many ships anchored and people coming and going on the docks. It was a typical harbor town, with classic and elegant architecture.

“According to the nautical chart, this should be Florence Town,” Nami said, examining the map in her hand. “It’s one of the largest trading ports in this area.” “Floren Town?” Robin mused. “I remember it being famous for shipbuilding and maritime trade.”

"Great!" Franky exclaimed excitedly. "Perhaps we can replenish some supplies for the Thousand Sunny here!"

“I want to go to town to buy some fresh ingredients.” Sanji was also looking forward to it. “The seafood in port towns is usually very fresh.”

"Let's go ashore and take a look!" Luffy said eagerly. "A new town is sure to have lots of interesting things!"

The Thousand Sunny slowly sailed into the harbor and, guided by the dockworkers, moored in an empty berth. Although many ships were docked there, the Straw Hat Pirates' ship still attracted a lot of attention due to its unique design.

"Captain, do we need to pay a mooring fee?" a dockworker asked as he approached.

“Of course!” Nami took out her wallet. “How much is it?”

“1000 Berries per day, with an extra charge for fresh water if needed,” the worker replied politely.

After completing the docking formalities, the Straw Hat Pirates prepared to enter the town. But just as they were about to leave the dock, they heard several crew members nearby having a heated discussion.

"What did you say? The 'Poseidon' is missing too?"

"Yes! They left the port three days ago, and we haven't heard from them since."

"This is the third ship to go missing this month!"

"What exactly is going on? This area of ​​water has become extremely unsafe lately."

Upon hearing this conversation, the Straw Hat Pirates involuntarily stopped in their tracks.

"The ship is missing?" Nami said worriedly. "That sounds dangerous."

"What if we encounter some sea monster?" Chopper asked nervously.

“Let’s go ask around,” Robin suggested. “Maybe we can find out some useful information.”

Luffy walked over to the crew members who were discussing the matter. "Hey! What did you mean by the ship going missing?"

Several crew members turned around and saw Luffy. At first, they were a little wary, but after seeing his young face, their vigilance relaxed slightly.

"You're new here, aren't you?" one of the middle-aged crew members said. "These waters have been quite turbulent lately; several ships have mysteriously disappeared."

"Mysteriously disappeared?" Sanji walked over as well. "Could you tell me more about it?"

“It means exactly what it says,” another crew member chimed in. “These ships never returned after leaving port, not even a whisper of news.”

"Has the Navy sent anyone to search?" Borsalino asked.

“Of course we sent them!” the first crew member sighed. “But the search team found nothing. The ships seemed to have vanished into thin air.”

“That’s very strange.” Sauron frowned. “Ships can’t just disappear without a trace.”

“We think so too.” The older crew member nodded. “But that’s the reality. And the types of ships that went missing were varied—merchant ships, fishing boats, and even pirate ships.”

"Pirate ships can disappear too?" Franky was surprised. "Pirates are usually pretty good at fighting."

“Yes, that’s the most puzzling part.” The crew member shook his head. “The captain of the recently missing ‘Poseidon’ is a pirate with a bounty of 5000 million Berries; his strength should not be underestimated.”

"Even a pirate with 5000 million Berries can disappear?" Chopper swallowed hard. "They must have encountered something terrifying."

“Some say it was the work of sea kings,” a young crew member interjected. “Others say it was a ghost ship.”

"A ghost ship?" Brooke suddenly became interested. "What kind of ghost ship?"

"It's the legendary Ship of Death!" the young crew member said in a low voice, feigning mystery. "It's said that the ship specializes in collecting the souls of other ships, and any vessel it targets will mysteriously disappear!"

"Haha! That sounds interesting!" Luffy wasn't scared at all; instead, he became excited. "A ghost ship! I want to see it!"

"Luffy!" Nami quickly stopped him. "Don't talk nonsense! What if we really run into him?"

"Isn't that even better?" Luffy grinned. "A new adventure!"

The crew members exchanged bewildered glances at Luffy's reaction. This young man wasn't afraid at all; on the contrary, he seemed quite excited.

"Young men, I advise you to be careful," the older crew member kindly advised. "These waters have been very dangerous lately. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to go out to sea rashly."

“Thank you for reminding me!” Nami thanked her politely. “We’ll be careful.”

After bidding farewell to the crew members, the Straw Hat Pirates entered the streets of Florence Town. The town was indeed bustling, with wide, clean streets, numerous shops, and merchants and busy residents everywhere.

“Although I’ve heard about the missing ship, this place still looks normal,” Usopp remarked, observing his surroundings.

“It’s a big town, after all; it won’t stop operating just because of some rumors,” Robin explained. “But I noticed that there are indeed fewer ships in the port than expected.”

"Are you worried that fewer people are going out to sea?" Chopper asked.

“Very likely.” Borsalino nodded. “If the disappearances continue, it will definitely affect maritime trade.”

They strolled slowly along the town's main street, Luffy frequently drawn to the various stalls and shops. Sanji searched for places to buy ingredients, while Franky kept an eye out for shops selling shipbuilding materials.

"Hey? There's a huge notice board over there!" Chopper pointed to a square in the center of the street. "It's covered in all sorts of papers!"

The group went over and saw that the notice board was indeed covered with various notices. There were government announcements, business advertisements, and some missing person notices. But the most eye-catching were several large reward posters.

"Look! Here's our bounty poster!" Luffy excitedly pointed to his photo. "Haha! It's the same photo!"

(End of this chapter)