Chapter 43: Marvel 43
Max continued heading in the direction of the giant crab until they reached the Sandora River. He watched as the crab struggled to move on the water, managing to stay afloat for a moment before finally sinking.
"We should help them," Gwen, sitting behind him, suggested.
"Hmm, yes, we should," Max agreed, urging his Nightmare Horse forward. These horses could traverse any terrain, including water, so it looked like they were galloping across the river's surface.
As they approached, Max called out, "You guys look like you need help!"
Chopper, the little reindeer doctor of the Straw Hat crew, turned to see Max and his group riding toward them on the black, flame-maned Nightmare Horses. His eyes widened in horror. "M-Monsters!" Chopper yelled, instinctively backing away.
Max chuckled softly, his red eyes glowing slightly. "Easy there, Doctor," he said, recognizing Chopper. "We're not here to harm you."
Sanji squinted, recognizing them. "Wait a second… aren't they the people we saw back in the desert?"
Before anyone could respond, Max snapped his fingers, summoning several more Nightmare Horses onto the water's surface. The creatures stood tall, their black coats shimmering with an eerie blue flame, their glowing manes reflecting on the water.
"Ride them," Max said, his tone calm but commanding. "It'll make things easier."
The Straw Hat crew exchanged glances. Nami, always quick to act, decided to trust them. "Alright, come on, Vivi!" she said, pulling Vivi up onto one of the Nightmare Horses. The two of them quickly took off, riding across the water.
Zoro grinned, intrigued. "This is definitely more interesting than walking." He climbed onto his own horse, glancing back at Sanji. "Try not to fall off, dartboard."
"Shut up, mosshead!" Sanji snapped as he got onto his own horse, clearly annoyed but still impressed by the strange summons.
Usopp nervously helped Chopper onto one of the horses, muttering, "I-I don't like this, but… I guess we have no choice!"
With everyone mounted, the Straw Hat crew, led by Max and his group, began riding across the river, the Nightmare Horses galloping over the water like it was solid ground. The eerie sight of the flame-maned creatures created an unforgettable image as they raced toward the far shore.
"thanks for help" Vivi said as Max shrugged and asked " why were you all in such a hurry?" he asked.
"We are heading to Alubarna," Vivi explained, her voice tense with urgency. "There's a fake king there, stirring up chaos and causing a civil war among the people. I need to reach them before the fighting starts and reveal that he's not the real king."
Max nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "Well, I guess we can help," he said casually, causing Vivi to look at him, hope flickering in her eyes.
"But in return," Max added, "we'll take a ship."
Vivi was momentarily stunned by the request but quickly recovered, nodding. "I'll give you more than just a boat," she promised, determined to secure their assistance. Nami, standing nearby, glanced at Max and his group, a calculating look on her face as she wondered if they might even get their hands on Vivi's money, too.
"Great," Max replied, a faint smirk forming. "We'll help you stop the war and expose the fake king. And once that's done, we'll claim our ship."
With the deal made, the group continued riding across the water toward Alubarna.
"We were planning to disguise ourselves and try to enter the city to inform the people..." Vivi began explaining her strategy, but Max cut her off.
"Wait," Max said confidently. "With us here, you don't need any plan."
As he spoke, he stretched out his arm, summoning a sleek black sword in his hand. Zoro's eyes immediately locked onto it, narrowing as he sensed its immense sharpness. 'That sword... it's no ordinary blade,' Zoro thought, gripping his own swords tightly, his instincts telling him Max was a formidable swordsman.
Max, unaware of Zoro's reaction, casually touched the tip of his sword to the sandy ground. "Army of the Night," he commanded.
From the point where his sword touched, a dark shadow expanded rapidly across the terrain. Moments later, black-clad knights emerged from the shadows, their armor gleaming under the desert sun. Cavalry units appeared alongside them, and skeletal warriors rose from the ground, their shields and spears at the ready.
"After all," Max said with a smirk, "in the face of true strength, all plans are meaningless."
Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Vivi, and even the now-fainted Usopp gawked at the massive army following Max, their sheer number and intimidating presence overwhelming.
"Just... who is he?" Sanji muttered under his breath, still in disbelief.
"I don't care," Vivi said firmly, regaining her composure. "As long as he's helping us, that's all that matters."
The others nodded, though their eyes remained fixed on Max, now leading the shadowy army towards Alubarna, ready to crush any opposition in their way.
Army of the Night is a recent skill Max unlocked, functioning similarly to a Necromancy spell. Since unlocking this skill, any person killed by him becomes part of his immortal army. He obtained this ability after destroying the second Hydra base, so the people from the latter two Hydra bases now serve in his army. This immortal army follows only Max. Those with higher rank or skill from when they were alive have been turned into powerful undead knights, but the rest are skeletal soldiers and cavalry. Currently, Max has only four undead knights, while the rest of his army consists of skeletal soldiers and cavalry.
But now that Max has arrived in this world, his army is poised to expand exponentially. This world is rife with scum, many of whom are powerful, making it an ideal place for Max to grow his forces. One of the most intriguing aspects of his Army of the Night skill is that undead knights and higher-level undead retain the skills and powers they had when they were alive—including their superpowers. Although Max hasn't yet confirmed whether he can raise an undead with a Devil Fruit power, he's about to find out. This world holds new opportunities for him to test the full extent of his ability.
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Do check out my original : Strongest Extra Survival, while waiting for New chap
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