Chapter 894: Confrontation
World Calendar 670, Ettoman’s capital, Glass.
Groups of pirates were patrolling the streets, and the people looked at them with respect and fear.
There were not many people on the streets, but there were still some. After the great change, a few citizens grew brave enough to enter the streets.
Although they had lost a great deal in the war, life had to continue.
Today’s Glass City was somewhat different.
The shops on the streets were decorated with all kinds of colorful flags that flapped in the wind. It was as though an effort was being made to make the place appear festive.
In fact, there was one joyous occasion… or perhaps an occasion fit enough to be called joyous that was about to happen in Ettoman.
Pirate King Roche, conqueror of Ettoman, favorite of an Evil God, Augustus the First, would be crowned Emperor Augustus!
Roche himself was merely an unknown kid. Fang Yuan was going to establish the new Augustus Empire, so he had also adopted it as his surname.
If this pirate country could survive, then he would undoubtedly become famed throughout history as Emperor Augustus, also known as the Pirate Emperor!
In the golden palace that was once the home of the queen, the ceremony was underway.
“Your Majesty, everything has been prepared!”
Witch Cassenia entered a fitting room and saw Fang Yuan dressed in full regalia. She was humble and respectful.
Something seemed off about Fang Yuan.
His eyes were dazed, looking like he was feeling satisfied but also trying to suppress something.
“This world… has already felt it?”
Cassenia heard Fang Yuan’s mumble.
Then she felt an enormous pressure and collapsed under it.
“Ah, the focus of the world…”
Fang Yuan was not the least bit surprised.
He was churning the tides of the world. It was as though a great river was surrounding his body.
Cassenia was a witch who was extremely sensitive to the forces of fate, so it was normal for her to faint.
It could very well be the case that she would not be able to come within ten meters of him starting from now on.
“Going from the Pirate King to the Pirate Emperor seems to be another drastic change!” Fang Yuan looked at the scene thoughtfully. “After all this is truly over, it will be time for this world to expel me…”
The power of this world was undoubtedly immense.
It suppressed the powers of Demon Masters and Demon Gods to a pitiful state.
Had it not been for him, those Evil Gods would still be imprisoned outside of the main world.
Fang Yuan believed that what he was doing would fundamentally disrupt the flow of the world, thereby completing a harvest.
“At the very least… there is no one who can stop me now!” he said in a low voice. He ordered his men to take Cassenia away before donning a golden robe and entering a hall.
“Augustus!!”
“Augustus!!”
A few pirates who had yet to rid themselves completely of their habits cheered in an uncultured manner.
Standing beside the pirates were old nobles who were forced to surrender and become ministers of the new empire. They wore smiles on their faces while what they thought to be well-disguised despise seeped through their eyes.
“The Great Conqueror, Augustus the First!”
They immediately knelt upon Fang Yuan’s arrival.
Fang Yuan approached the dais slowly and sat on the throne. He then took the crown from a servant and placed it on his head.
According to Opher conventions, there should also be a pope. However, even if those renowned popes were willing to come to the new Augustus Empire, Fang Yuan did not want to be crowned by them. Fang Yuan did not welcome the idea of theocracy and preferred to hold power in his own hands.
“Your Majesty!”
Regardless of how much they disapproved of this coronation, the nobles and officials knelt obediently.
Fang Yuan took a deep breath, and an explosive sound came from his body.
A grand energy scattered around him, causing even the air around him to become unstable.
With a flash, it was as though a mist had parted before his eyes and revealed the ocean.
A fierce-looking fleet bearing the flags of various countries had arrived at the coastal waters.
His subordinates, including Wilson and Butcher, as well as the four pirate governors, Edward, Aeoris, Wang Zhi, and Nymphadora, had already led fleets of their own and were ready to fight the incoming fleet.
It was worth noting that Donald was among them as well, as if he belonged with them.
“The forces of the allied countries?”
Fang Yuan shook his head.
Even if they could defeat the pirates, they could not step on land.
Unless… there were Evil Gods willing to help them.
He stood up and looked at the respectful pirate representatives, nobles, and ministers below the dais. He announced in a voice as clear as a bell, “I hereby declare… the Augustus Empire is officially founded today!
“I shall disclose the act concerning the nobles tomorrow!
“Now, let us enjoy a lively dinner!”
…
He stepped down from the dais after the announcement and entered a hidden room behind the hall.
Smack!
The door slammed shut. Fang Yuan sneered. “My sole weakness remains myself… Once I die, my subordinates will definitely split apart, and even the Augustus Empire will splinter!
“Therefore, the Evil Gods won’t only pay attention to my troops. They’ll place most of their attention on me… I have to admit that after I stepped onto land, it would be hard to receive help from the legendary ships…”
Bloop! Bloop!
The door locked as soon as he finished his sentence.
Large amounts of bubbles appeared, and dirty seawater started to seep into the room through the door crack.
No! It was not seeping! It was crashing in!
The white seawater turned into lines like the scythe of a death god, and the water stream quickly cut a big rosewood desk in two. The cut was incredibly smooth.
“That’s right!” The voice of the Deep-Sea Stalker echoed from the seawater. “Your future is to head toward your destruction under our control… I have seen it…”
“Where’s Wanderer and Monster Ruler? And the Raging Thunder God?” Fang Yuan’s expression remained unchanged. “Do you… feel that my crew is a greater threat than me?”
“Outsider, save your breath!”
Bubbles appeared and formed the figures of two men.
The first figure was the one who spoke. Fang Yuan could tell that it was the voice of the Seabed Wanderer. “Your power in this world originates from the pirates. The Raging Thunder God will be pleased to make their acquaintance. He is rather talented when it comes to destruction… As for the three of us, we will punish you on behalf of the sea!”
“Merely the Raging Thunder God?” Fang Yuan nodded in satisfaction. “In that case, the lot of you will experience two unforgettable failures today…”
“You’re bluffing!”
The seawater in the room had already submerged Fang Yuan’s shoulders.
In the seawater, a monster of unknown species appeared. It was similar to those ugly murlocs but decidedly different at the same time.
It had three heads and four arms, but its bottom half was that of a fish.
It was the physical manifestation of the Deep-Sea Stalker in this world. He opened his mouth filled with saw-like teeth. “Could anything go wrong when Aida is using his powers to deal with some mortals…”
“With all due respect, it’s not only mortals,” Fang Yuan interrupted, smiling.
“Yes, we know. You’ve invited Hermes as well…” the Deep-Sea Stalker said in a very dismissive tone. “But he shouldn’t be able to make it…”
“No! It’s not Hermes either… To tell the truth, I would have never guessed that when I was trying to start war and slaughter, pushing the world into the abyss, I would receive so much goodwill, or rather… greed. But luckily, I have great experience in dealing with matters like this.”
From Fang Yuan’s perspective, he was someone who was going to leave the Great Voyage World. He did not have any heirs either. How this world would turn out did not matter one bit to him.
As a result, he was extremely decisive when making certain deals.
For example, promising to hand over Augustus, the Pirate Empire, to the Evil Gods after he left.
“We both know that the fate of this world is in the hands of those countries with great marine powers!” Fang Yuan laughed heartily. “I am the master of the Augustus Empire! No one knows more about the secrets of the core of this world, and no one understands this world more than I do! For example…”
Smack!
He snapped his fingers.
Immediately, the deep-sea Evil Gods screamed.
A hazy sensation separated them from the world, and they were now back to being observers, just like before.
“I realized that in the main material world, our powers would be weakened to a horrifying extent… However, if all of us are simply observing in the deeper parts of the world, not affecting the surface, then this world is extremely lenient to us, right?”
“You dragged us back into this sealed state. Ahh… I want to devour you! Devour all of your organs, devour everything you have!” the Deep-Sea Stalker roared. His murloc-like body expanded dramatically, and he turned into a monster the size of a whale.
The other two Evil Gods’ auras also exploded while they stared at Fang Yuan.
“I am the Dream and Armament Master, in charge of armaments and dreams!” shouted Fang Yuan. Immediately afterward, a strange-looking weapon appeared on his hands.
The weapon was neither a saber nor a sword but similar to both, and it seemed to have traces of every armament that had existed in history. Its edge shined with lights, and there was a fuzzy quality about it, allowing it to change shape at will.
“Omnidirectional Divine Demonic Armament Dao, kill!”
Fang Yuan’s eyes burned like fire as he transformed into the towering Pangu Giant. Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water surrounded him, and the weapon in his hands grew in size to match.
With a roar, he jumped forward and swung down.
Rumble!
The air shook; the seawater parted; the monster screamed in agony.
With one stroke, all foes would be exterminated!