In that endless darkness, Im stood like a solitary mountain, his palms slightly open, sensing the dark power spreading within him.
Every ounce of His power seemed to be filled with infinite potential, every inch of His skin was stirred by that fiery energy, bringing uncontrollable pleasure and pain.
Blackbeard granted Him this power, and He was doing everything He could to control it.
But at this moment, Im's eyes held no greed, nor any pity.
He was focused on only one goal—to increase His power.
His consciousness was swallowed by this enormous energy, all thoughts and ideas seemed to disappear in this vast wave, leaving only the desire for power.
Im's fingers slowly curved, palms down, as if feeling that surging dark power.
Every trace of power flowing made His whole body tremble, as if bound by invisible chains, struggling to break free and release even greater energy.
However, although His power was expanding rapidly, Im's heart did not feel satisfied.
He knew that obtaining this power did not mean complete victory.
The power He possessed, although vast and powerful, was also full of instability.
If He could not completely control it, it might become His fatal weakness.
"Not enough..."
Im muttered to Himself, His voice so low that it was almost without any fluctuation.
His eyes were as deep as a bottomless abyss, staring at His gradually brightening hands, the black power was like a surging tide, engulfing His body.
He could feel that these powers were not static.
They roamed within Him, surging in, bringing a destructive impact, but also resisting within His body like beasts, tearing at His sanity.
Im's brow furrowed slightly, but His heart did not waver.
"Time..."
He whispered,
"I need more time."
The control of this power cannot be achieved overnight.
He understood that only when He was strong enough, only when these powers were stable enough, could He completely integrate them into His body and make them a part of Himself.
At that time, He would no longer be Im, no longer the mysterious and aloof existence He once was, but a stronger, more invincible being.
As His consciousness slowly settled, Im turned His gaze to the distance, although darkness enveloped everything, He could still clearly see that vast and boundless world.
On that land, there had been His conquest, and there had also been His loss.
All the memories surged like a tide, causing His chest to heave violently, but His eyes remained firm.
"I will eventually return to that peak."
He had an unshakable belief in His heart, although He was not completely strong at the moment, it did not matter.
For Im, the only task was to constantly draw strength until He completely surpassed all shackles and limitations.
As His voice fell, the surrounding darkness began to vibrate slightly, as if some unknown existence was responding to His call.
Im took a deep breath, His body gradually became harder, and the determination and desire in His heart soared to the extreme in an instant.
"For that day, I will be fearless."
The void in front of Him began to blur, and Im's figure melted into it, turning into a deep black shadow, as if becoming the core of the entire universe, possessing infinite power and possibilities.
As long as He was strong enough, He would eventually dominate everything.
And now, He only needed to continue to grow until His power reached an unparalleled level.
......
The sea breeze howled on the sails, carrying the salt and dampness of the distant sea. Jin stood on the deck, his eyes fixed on the distance.
The ship gradually approached its destination, and the tense atmosphere in the air intertwined with the churning waves on the sea.
Although he appeared calm, the fluctuations in his heart were far from as peaceful as they seemed.
"Sengoku and his people should be nearby."
Jin murmured to himself, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He knew Sengoku's character—the former Marine Marshal, firm and calm, but with this betrayal, whether he could still maintain that calmness had become an unknown.
He wondered how to face this group of former Marine elites.
The former loyalty and beliefs had been torn apart, and now they stood on different camps.
Jin knew that this cooperation was destined not to be as easy as before.
Although he still respected Sengoku, the current situation was completely different, and the foundation of trust and relationship had long become delicate and fragile.
"If we can cooperate, that would naturally be the best outcome,"
Jin slowly tightened his grip on the ship's rudder, his voice soft but firm,
"But if not, then we can only find another way out."
His eyes were still deep, as if calculating every possible change.
The ship gradually approached, and the isolated island in the distance became more and more visible. There were looming buildings on the island, and several dilapidated warships swayed in the wind, obviously Sengoku's base.
Just then, the crew's discussion broke Jin's contemplation:
"Sir, there seems to be movement ahead. They have ships approaching us."
Jin's nerves tightened instantly, his eyes piercing through the deck, locking onto the sea ahead.
"They've come at the right time."
He said in a low voice, turning and walking towards the cabin below.
As the ship gradually approached, the fleet on the sea gradually revealed its outline.
Several rusty Marine ships were docked in the outer harbor of the island, and there seemed to be defensive positions secretly set up around them, obviously to prevent enemy sneak attacks.
The crew began to adjust the ship's speed, trying to slow down their approach, while Jin paid attention to the surrounding movements, while thinking about how he should communicate with these former Marine Admirals.
Finally, when the ship stopped, Jin walked to the front edge of the deck, his eyes calm.
The canvas on the ship was removed, and the shadows floating on the surrounding sea were gradually swallowed by the light of dawn.
The atmosphere on the island also became more dignified in this silence, as if even time had been frozen.
"We've arrived."
Jin said in a low voice, reaching out and pointing to a group of figures standing in the distance.
They stood like sculptures on the edge of the island, wearing dilapidated Marine uniforms, their posture straight but revealing a strange silence.
The firmness and indifference in their eyes seemed to imply the glory of the past and the isolation of the present.
"Lord Jin, we are all ready."
A crew member stepped forward, holding a roll of prepared documents in his hand,
"Should we send someone over to contact them?"
"No."
Jin shook his head, his eyes deep,
"I'll go."
He slowly walked to a corner of the deck, took out a signal flag from his arms, raised it, and after a brief signal action, the flag fluttered in the wind.
The signal flag's movement quickly attracted attention from afar. Soon, those figures on the island gradually turned around, and several familiar faces appeared in front.
"It seems they are ready to welcome us."
Jin stood still, his face still without much emotion, but his heart was faintly tense.
The former Marines, the former comrades, everything that might stand before him now had become unrecognizable.
Whether it was the betrayal of faith or the division of positions, Jin felt a kind of strangeness he had never felt before.
Several small boats cut through the sea, slowly approaching their ship.
The ship swayed, waves splashed, and the crew operated the oars, gently pushing the ship closer.
The atmosphere on the island became more and more tense, perhaps both sides were waiting for the other's first words, determining whether this meeting could proceed smoothly.
Jin took a deep breath, lowered his head slightly, and once again examined the situation before him.
In any case, his goal had not changed, cooperation, or solving the problem.
He did not intend to let his purpose be lost in this complex situation.
He knew that this cooperation might be full of thorns, but he also knew that the value of Sengoku and others could not be ignored because of temporary contradictions.
As the final distance was shortened, Jin looked at the familiar faces gradually approaching him.
At this moment, he was not in a hurry to speak, but waited for Sengoku's attitude, waiting for how this situation would ultimately develop.
