One Piece, I'm just an adventurer.

The sea beasts, hurled forcefully onto the towering city walls, pounced on the orc soldiers as soon as they landed, baring their fangs and claws. Initially, due to their relatively small numbers, the sea beasts, despite their ferocity, were quickly felled by the valiant counterattacks of the orc soldiers. However, as time passed, more and more sea beasts surged ashore, climbing the walls like a tidal wave. The previously easily manageable situation instantly turned into a bloody and brutal slaughter.

However, amidst the chaotic battle, Lang Yan remained remarkably calm and composed. He stood fearless, brandishing his sharp weapon, ruthlessly slaughtering any sea beasts that approached. His eyes were cold and ruthless, as if these ferocious sea beasts were nothing more than weeds to be harvested at will.

Finally, when the number of sea monsters was evenly matched with the orc soldiers defending the city, a high-pitched, resounding horn blast suddenly rang out. The sound, like lightning piercing the sky, instantly shattered the tense atmosphere on the battlefield. Hearing this familiar horn, Lang Yan, who had been expressionless, suddenly showed an uncontrollable look of excitement. He knew this meant their long-awaited moment had finally arrived—it was time to unleash the powerful cannons mounted on the city walls!

"Prepare for artillery fire!" Lang Yan shouted, his voice booming like thunder, seemingly containing an invisible magic. As his command was given, the massive cannons that had been hidden in the shadows on the city wall slowly emerged, like a sleeping behemoth gradually awakening, revealing its ferocious and terrifying fangs.

Immediately afterward, Langyan roared again without hesitation: "Fire!"

With Lang Yan's command, the cannons suddenly unleashed beams of intensely hot energy! The light, like a dazzling sun rising abruptly, instantly illuminated the previously dark and gloomy battlefield. The energy beams, carrying an overwhelming and powerful momentum, surged like a raging torrent, directly towards the densely packed horde of sea monsters ahead.

Faced with such a sudden and powerful attack, the sea creatures had no time to make any effective evasive maneuvers. In an instant, a deafening roar resounded, accompanied by countless blinding flashes of fire and billowing smoke. Vast numbers of sea creatures were blasted to pieces, their flesh and blood flying everywhere, under the terrifying energy impact. Their mangled limbs and broken bones scattered in all directions, like a bloody and tragic downpour.

However, in just a short while, the sea beasts that had rushed to the foot of the city wall were completely wiped out, leaving behind a large empty vacuum zone.

This scene brought a huge sigh of relief to the beast soldiers who were holding the city wall. Without the continuous support from the rear, the sea beasts that had finally managed to climb the city wall were now like helpless trapped beasts, unable to stir up any more trouble.

Just then, the beastmen, who had been on the defensive, finally seized the opportunity and launched a full-scale counterattack. The tiger-men and lion-men, with their astonishing strength, easily sent several sea beasts flying like balls with each attack.

The wolf soldiers, led by Lang Yan, fully utilized their agility and skill, swiftly weaving through the numerous sea beasts. Whenever they found a suitable opportunity, they would launch a fierce attack without hesitation, delivering a fatal blow to the sea beasts.

However, just as Lang Yan thought the sea monster attack was about to end, suddenly, the calm sea began to churn violently without warning. Then, one after another, enormous squid sea monsters burst from the water! Their thick, long tentacles stretched out rapidly, like ferocious, terrifying pythons, tightly coiling around many orc soldiers who hadn't yet reacted, and mercilessly dragging them into the unfathomable depths of the sea.

"No... impossible!" Lang Yan stared wide-eyed in horror at the radar screen in front of him, his voice trembling as he exclaimed, "How could the radar not detect these damned squid?"

At this moment, his previously confident expression had vanished, replaced by pallor and panic. They had been brimming with confidence for this operation, believing that their newly invented, powerful laser cannons would easily fend off the surging tide of sea monsters. However, no one had anticipated that these enormous squid would be able to evade the advanced radar detection system on Star Chaser Island undetected, silently creeping from the seabed to the vicinity of the steel walls. This had never happened before; if they had known this, they would never have so hastily deployed their precious and energy-intensive laser cannons prematurely.

It's important to understand that while these laser cannons are incredibly powerful, they require a full twenty minutes to recharge after each firing. Right now, those menacing giant squid are baring their fangs and claws as they approach the city walls, leaving them no time to recharge.

The situation was extremely critical, and Lang Yan knew he couldn't just sit and wait to die. He gritted his teeth and decisively gave the order: "Tiger-men and Lion-men, listen to my command! Follow me down the city walls and kill the enemy!" His gaze was firm and resolute, his mind focused on only one thought—he had to quickly wipe out these ferocious giant squid. Otherwise, if they slowed him down, the consequences would be unimaginable. After all, if even these giant squid could be brought to the foot of the city walls without anyone noticing, the mysterious force behind this attack must be hiding even more terrifying tricks up its sleeve.

Such thrilling scenes were unfolding in every corner of the steel walls, and most of the regional commanders followed Langyan's example, resolutely leading their most elite orc warriors down the walls to engage in a desperate battle with the squid.

Gas spewed from the back of their combat suits, and they soared into the air, then swooped down to swoop down on the giant squid.

These gigantic squids displayed astonishingly terrifying strength. Even when faced with a tidal wave of orcs, they stubbornly resisted, showing no signs of weakness. Only a very few exceptionally powerful regional commanders, considered top-tier experts, were able to swiftly and decisively subdue these giant squids. However, in most other regions, the battle was at a stalemate, with no clear victor in the short term. The battlefield under Langyan's command was one of them.

In truth, in terms of individual strength alone, Langyan wasn't particularly outstanding among the regional commanders. His ability to successfully lead powerful and ferocious orc soldiers like the tiger-men and lion-men into battle wasn't solely due to his physical prowess, but more so to his exceptional command abilities. It's important to understand that highly intelligent individuals are extremely rare within the orc race, and Langyan was precisely one of those exceptionally intelligent orcs.

At this moment, Lang Yan's forehead was already covered with large beads of sweat, which slid down his cheeks. As time passed, the inexplicable unease deep within him grew stronger, as if a cataclysmic event was about to unfold. This ominous premonition weighed on his heart like a heavy boulder, making it difficult for him to breathe and causing his heart to race.

A deafening roar followed by a deafening crash suddenly erupted, startling Lang Yan. He abruptly turned his head towards the city wall. In an instant, his eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets, his face filled with astonishment and anger. The steel wall that had protected Star Chasing Island for over three hundred years was slowly sinking!

"No..." A heart-wrenching roar erupted from deep within Lang Yan's throat, its sound echoing through the heavens and sending shivers down the spines of all who heard it. Immediately afterward, without hesitation, he abandoned the enemy he was currently fighting and soared into the sky like lightning. However, when he reached mid-air and took in the entire situation, a wave of despair washed over him like a surging tide.

It turned out that it wasn't just the section of the city wall he was responsible for defending that was sinking; the entire seemingly indestructible steel wall was being dragged away by an invisible giant hand, slowly disappearing into the ground.

"It's over...it's all over..." Lang Yan floated motionless in the air, like a soulless shell. His eyes were empty and lifeless as he muttered to himself, "How is this possible? What happened? How could the steel wall suddenly sink?"

Meanwhile, the other orcs also flying in the air stared in disbelief at the horrific scene unfolding before them.

"No...no way...this must be my imagination! It can't be!" An orc rubbed his eyes frantically, trying to prove that it was just a terrible nightmare. But no matter how much they denied it, the sinking steel walls continued to slide relentlessly into the abyss, seemingly without end.

At this moment, these usually brave and fearless beastmen were filled with deep confusion and fear, completely unaware of how to deal with such a sudden disaster.

"Hehehehe, without these damned walls, let's see how you lowly ants can withstand my army of sea monsters." A piercing voice suddenly rang out in this space.

(I can't write well, so please bear with it; I've even lost a few strands of hair.)

Chapter 43 The Methods of the Person Behind the Scenes

"Hehehehe..." A chilling and extremely piercing laugh suddenly exploded in this space, like the hooting of an owl, shattering the tense and oppressive atmosphere.

"Without this damned city wall as a barrier, I'd like to see how you lowly ants can possibly withstand my invincible army of sea monsters!" With these provocative and disdainful words, the entire scene instantly became tense.

Upon hearing this voice, all the orcs present were stunned, their expressions changing drastically, as if struck by lightning.

The voice was all too familiar to them. Ever since they were innocent children, every year in the vast square of the inner city, the legendary deeds of the person who spoke that voice had been repeatedly played. This person was none other than the source of all evil—the Demon Bone Sea—who had orchestrated countless massive, ferocious attacks on the city by sea monsters!

However, unexpectedly, a full century ago, this vicious demon had been decisively defeated by the then-powerful orc sage, ultimately falling miserably into the vast, turbulent sea, and vanished without a trace, his fate unknown. Everyone assumed he had perished, becoming a speck of dust in the annals of history. Who would have thought that after a long period of silence, he would miraculously reappear in the world!

Just as everyone was in astonishment, suddenly, a slightly aged but still steady and powerful voice came from the depths of the towering inner city of Star Chaser Island: "Brave and fearless beastmen, please retreat to the inner city defense line immediately."

"Excellent! The Wise One has spoken!"

"Quickly, quickly, we must retreat back to the inner city as instructed by the Wise Man!"

In an instant, shouts resounded through the sky, and the orcs, as if waking from a dream, sprang into action, rushing towards the inner city.

But some fiercely independent orc warriors glared angrily at the rolling waves in the distance, gritting their teeth and roaring, "Hmph! You despicable sea beasts, come at me if you dare! I'll be waiting in the inner city, ready to slaughter you all!"

As the orcs hastily retreated, the seemingly indestructible steel wall, like a sinking giant ship, slowly and completely disappeared into the depths of the earth.

In an instant, the once calm sea surface seemed to boil, and countless huge, ferocious-looking sea beasts suddenly leaped up from the turbulent sea, baring their fangs and claws, rushing towards the land in a frenzy.

"Ah!" A piercing scream tore through the sky.

"Ah!" This was followed by another scream of terror.

"Damn it, don't touch me!" an orc shouted, brandishing his weapon as he tried to scare away the sea monster that was approaching him.

"I'll fight you to the death!" another orc roared as he charged toward the oncoming sea beast, but was instantly sent flying by its immense power.

The screams and curses echoed through the sky. Those orcs who were slower to retreat had nowhere to escape in the air and could only watch helplessly as they were mercilessly shot down from mid-air by the ferocious sea beasts.

Gazing at the chaotic and bloody scene, Lang Yan gritted his teeth in anger and couldn't help but curse, "Damn it!" Despite his anger and resentment, he knew there was no other way. Without the solid defense of the steel city walls, their current forces were simply no match for such a massive and ferocious army of sea monsters.

Just then, Da Pan gripped the dragon-patterned staff tightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and said eagerly to Lin Yi, "Brother, are we just going to stand by and do nothing? Aren't we going to help them?"

Felina, standing to the side, also spoke up with anticipation: "Yes, Brother Lin Yi, these sea monsters are really disgusting!" As she spoke, she wrinkled her cute little nose and looked at the ugly and deformed sea monsters that were rampaging with disgust.

Lin Yi turned and scanned the faces of the others. Each of them wore an eager expression, clearly unable to contain their urge to help. Seeing their expressions, Lin Yi couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying loudly, "Haha, since you want to go, then go! Let these wretched sea beasts see what you're made of!"

He stood atop the clouds, calmly watching the horde of sea beasts below. He had no intention of stopping Da Pan and the others from attacking them. In his eyes, these seemingly ferocious sea beasts were no more than slightly stronger than ordinary ants.

"Haha, finally it's my turn to show off my skills!" Da Pan shouted excitedly. After receiving Lin Yi's approval, he leaped down from the white clouds like a shooting star. In the instant of his descent, the ordinary-sized dragon-coiled staff in his hand suddenly began to expand rapidly, transforming in the blink of an eye into a colossal pillar reaching to the sky. Da Pan gripped the now enormous staff tightly with both hands and raised it high above his head.

With a furious shout, "The profound meaning of the Eight Desolate Staff Technique - Shockwave!" Da Pan used all his strength to smash the coiled dragon staff in his hand fiercely towards the dense horde of sea beasts below.

A deafening roar resounded, as if the entire world trembled. The massive dragon-coiled staff crashed down upon the horde of sea beasts with overwhelming force, instantly sending dust and blood flying. A large number of sea beasts didn't even have time to utter a scream before being brutally crushed into piles of minced meat by this terrifying blow.

However, this was only the beginning. The moment the Panlong Staff touched the ground, a mysterious and powerful shockwave spread rapidly in all directions like ripples. Wherever this shockwave passed, whether it was a massive adult sea beast or a newborn cub, none were spared, all coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground. If anyone were to dissect the corpses of these fallen sea beasts for a closer look, they would be astonished to find that their internal organs had already been reduced to dust by this strange shockwave.

"Hmph, you're utterly pathetic! You're all too weak." Da Pan muttered disdainfully as he continued his rampage through the sea beast horde, brandishing his dragon-patterned staff. At that moment, he was like a god of death descending upon the world, radiating a chilling aura.

Besides Da Pan, Filina was the second to make a move. Her graceful figure stood in mid-air, her hands moving rapidly. With her movements, jet-black clouds quickly gathered in the sky, like a vast black curtain slowly unfolding, completely obscuring the sky that still retained a sliver of light, plunging the world into endless darkness.

"Hehe, prepare to die, you disgusting creatures!" Philina shouted excitedly, waving her small hands forward. In an instant, several incredibly thick bolts of lightning, like silver snakes dancing wildly, roared out from the dense black clouds, crashing down on the sea beasts below with earth-shattering power.

The sea beasts below were like crazed demons, rampaging and slaughtering across the battlefield. However, the instant the dazzling bolts of lightning crashed down, a powerful sense of fear surged within these ferocious creatures. They halted their frenzied actions, raising their heads to gaze at the sky in utter terror.

"So white, so bright..." These were the last thoughts that flashed through their minds. Then, under the dazzling light of the lightning, these enormous sea beasts were like snowflakes thrown into a furnace. In the blink of an eye, they were reduced to ashes by the violent power of the lightning, turning into piles of fine powder that drifted in the wind.

Meanwhile, Kerry, standing not far away, was not idle either. He gently played the requiem flute in his hand, and the melodious and resonant sound of the flute immediately resounded throughout the entire battlefield. The beautiful and melodious notes seemed to possess magical power; wherever they went, the sea beasts that had already fallen into a frenzy seemed to be frozen in place for a brief moment.

Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, the orc warriors who were trapped in the center of the battlefield because they were too slow seized the chance and sprinted towards safety with all their might. As they ran, they looked back, their eyes filled with relief at surviving and gratitude towards Kree.

Kerry, completely absorbed in playing the requiem flute, caused crystal-clear bubbles to gradually appear in the air with each breath. These bubbles shimmered with a faint light and grew at a visible speed, eventually coalescing into incredibly sharp longswords. These longswords, sculpted from bubbles, hovered silently in mid-air, emanating a chilling aura.

Just as Kerry was thinking this, the bubble sword, shimmering with a strange light, plummeted down like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, the sea beasts, which had been briefly suspended in mid-air, had no time to react before the incredibly sharp bubble sword easily pierced their bodies.

These bubble swords, after successfully piercing the sea beasts, did not stop there, but instead exploded with a deafening roar. The powerful impact instantly swept the surrounding sea beasts into the explosion, causing the already severely injured creatures to collapse and die instantly.

At the same time, Simon and Dotai also leaped down from the clouds without hesitation. Their figures swept past like two black whirlwinds, their weapons flashing with ferocious power, each attack carrying a deadly threat. In an instant, fists and spears clashed and crisscrossed, blood splattering everywhere, as if two ruthless killing machines were frantically reaping the lives of sea monsters.

On the other side, Reiju's hands moved gently, and an extremely dense green poisonous gas continuously spewed from her hands. This poisonous gas, like a ferocious beast, opened its blood-red maw and pounced on the sea monster horde. Every sea monster touched by the poisonous gas screamed in agony, then collapsed to the ground in droves, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably, quickly losing their lives. In terms of sheer numbers of enemies killed, even the brave and fearless Da Pan and his companions were slightly inferior at this moment.

Fiona didn't move, but four sharp blades appeared out of thin air and quickly killed the sea beasts. Wherever the blades passed, blood streaks appeared, and the heads of the sea beasts fell off one after another.

In contrast, Chiyo appeared more calm and composed. She stood quietly in place, not rushing to attack like the others. Compared to Da Pan and the others, Chiyo's inner desire to fight was not as strong.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of Da Pan, Simon, Dota, Fiona, Filina, Kerry, and Reiju, the speed at which the sea monsters landed on the island was significantly slowed. Moreover, under their fierce onslaught, the sea monsters suffered heavy losses, with mountains of corpses piled up and the stench of blood permeating the entire island.

With the strong support of Da Pan and his men, the orcs, who were originally at a disadvantage, were able to retreat smoothly into the inner city and temporarily gain a chance to catch their breath.

"Who are you people? How dare you be so audacious as to slaughter my army of sea beasts!" Just as Da Pan and his men were engaged in a fierce battle, a furious shout suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap from a clear sky. It was the voice of the man who had made the orcs' expressions change drastically earlier.

Da Pan and his companions scanned their surroundings with keen eyes, but they couldn't find the person who had spoken.

"Hmph! You cowardly rat hiding your head and tail, if you have the guts, stop hiding and show yourself to fight me. Let's see if I can beat you so badly you'll be running for your life!" Da Pan replied with a face full of disdain, wielding his weapon with great force, not taking his opponent seriously at all.

However, Lin Yi, suspended in mid-air, couldn't help but show a look of surprise. With his extraordinary Observation Haki, he should have been able to easily perceive any movement in his surroundings, but strangely, he was completely unaware of the speaker's location and movements. This situation was truly unexpected for Lin Yi, and it made him feel a sense of vigilance.

"Hehehe... You ignorant ants, since you are so eager to die, then I will grant your wish today! Witness my formidable power!" With a sinister and eerie laugh, a blinding, eerie red light suddenly appeared in mid-air like lightning and pierced into Da Pan's forehead with lightning speed.

"Not good!" Lin Yi cried out inwardly. The eerie red light was incredibly fast, striking Da Pan almost instantly.

However, he wasn't too worried. If there was any danger to his life, the spatial marker he left on Da Pan would definitely be triggered. If it wasn't triggered, it meant that Da Pan wasn't in any immediate danger.

Lin Yi flashed, appearing beside Da Pan like a ghost. Da Pan's eyes were closed, his body motionless, as if he had lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Felina and her companions moved with lightning speed, wielding their weapons to slay the surging sea beasts from all sides, clearing a space before rushing to Lin Yi's location.

However, at that moment, the eerie red light suddenly reappeared. This time, its target was none other than Felina, hurtling towards her like a deadly arrow.

"Hmph, you think you can succeed again? That's wishful thinking!" Lin Yi snorted coldly, his tone calm yet exuding unparalleled confidence and authority.

As he finished speaking, an invisible force erupted from his body, instantly imprisoning the red light that was shooting towards Felina, stopping it just two meters away from her.

"Huh! Brother Lin Yi, the red light has disappeared!" Felina exclaimed in surprise, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

Just as Lin Yi successfully imprisoned the strange red light, the originally dazzling light vanished into thin air before everyone's eyes.

"No, it hasn't really disappeared; it's just become invisible to the naked eye." Lin Yi frowned slightly, carefully sensing the space he had imprisoned, and explained in a deep voice.

At the same time, he became increasingly curious about the owner of that voice.

Chapter 44 Finding the Mastermind

"Brother Lin Yi, Da Pan... he won't be alright, will he?" Felina stared intently at Da Pan, who still had his eyes closed and remained motionless. Her brows were furrowed, her face full of worry, and she asked in a slightly trembling voice.

Lin Yi frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Da Pan, and he softly comforted him, "Don't worry, Felina, Da Pan will be fine. It's just some minor mental attack. With Da Pan's strength and willpower, he'll wake up soon."

In fact, when Lin Yi used the Space Imprisonment Technique, he clearly sensed the spiritual energy contained within the eerie red light. This energy could induce a state of frenzy, but its intensity wasn't particularly high. Lin Yi believed that with Da Pan's abilities, he should be able to quickly break free from this spiritual restraint. However, Da Pan remained unconscious, leading Lin Yi to speculate that perhaps Da Pan was intentionally trying to glean some crucial information about the mastermind from this eerie red light.

Hearing Lin Yi's affirmative answer, Felina's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was relieved a little. She gently bit her lip, a happy smile appearing on her face, and said, "Really? That's wonderful! I hope Da Pan can wake up soon."

After learning that Da Pan was alright, the other friends finally relaxed and smiled with relief.

At this moment, Robin, who had been silent all along, noticed Lin Yi's thoughtful expression. She stepped forward and asked, "Captain, do you think it's possible for us to find the person who attacked us in the dark through this strange red light?"

During the fierce battle just now, she simply stood quietly to the side, not participating. Although she was the oldest among Lin Yi and the others, she had been on the run since childhood, constantly on the move, and had no time for systematic training. As a result, her strength was relatively weak.

Seeing this, Lin Yi shook his head slightly, a hint of disappointment on his face, and slowly said, "That cunning fellow is far too cautious. After I successfully imprisoned that red light, he immediately severed his connection with it without hesitation. Finding him will be a tricky matter! However, perhaps we can get some valuable clues and information from Da Pan later."

Sure enough, not long after, Da Pan's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open. Having just woken up, he couldn't contain his joy and eagerly shouted in a cheerful tone, "Haha, big brother, I've located that guy's exact location!"

Upon hearing this good news, Lin Yi couldn't help but beam with joy, and he didn't hold back his praise for Da Pan: "Well done, Da Pan! In that case, the important task of tracking down and capturing that guy is now entirely entrusted to you."