The pirates sat and forgot, and they really believed the nine truths and one lie.

The naval high command was fully aware of the cooperation between Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Black Order.

This mysterious and powerful organization's decision to openly stand with the Navy and fight alongside justice has undoubtedly given the Navy a shot in the arm, but it has also completely surprised most pirates on the battlefield.

"What appeared in the sky... was actually real?!"

"The Black Order really exists, and they're even on the Navy's side?!"

A chorus of surprised and doubtful voices rose and fell within the pirate camp.

The cult that had once made a fleeting glimpse in the celestial images, exuding mystery and immense pressure, has actually stepped out of legend and into reality, appearing as such a clear ally.

Of all the pirates, besides Blackbeard Teach who has a grudge against the Order, the one who is most distressed is probably Charlotte Linlin, who is far away on Whole Cake Island and is paying close attention to the battle.

Inside the Cake Castle, Lingling, who was sitting on the throne, suddenly shuddered the moment she saw Lucy and Claire's figures on the screen.

The giant candy she was holding was unconsciously crushed into pieces.

A violent, furious aura erupted from her body without warning.

"The Black Order actually dared to show up?!"

Lingling's voice was shrill and distorted, her eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, and her expression was as ferocious as a demon.

The power of the Soul-Soul Fruit surrounding her began to fluctuate violently, as if it were about to go out of control at any moment.

A terrifying pressure swept through the entire hall, turning the children standing by pale. They trembled in fear, thinking their mother was about to go mad. Who could defeat a mad mother?

If it's all true...

A thought that had been buried deep in her subconscious resurfaced uncontrollably: the two things within Lingling's body that could never fully merge and occasionally caused intense fluctuations in her emotions and personality.

Regarding the Soul-Soul Fruit, its strange properties beyond her control, and the root cause of her unpredictable temper and tendency to go berserk at any moment.

Could it really be related to that damned Black Order?!

This speculation nearly drove Lingling mad on the spot. Some things were unacceptable. The disappearance of the only person in the know, Longbread, further fueled the suspicions about Cake.

"Mom...Mom!" Just as Lingling was on the verge of losing her temper, a voice filled with anxiety and fear rang out.

Charlotte Perospero, the eldest son who knew his mother's temperament best, practically tumbled over and unhesitatingly opened his arms to tightly hug Lingling's dauntingly strong arms.

With a trembling voice, she advised, "Mom, please calm down. You must calm down."

"We need to observe this carefully. The Black Cult is too complicated. We must plan this carefully. Mom, please don't act rashly!"

Perospero's words were like a bucket of cold water, temporarily extinguishing the raging fury burning in Lingling's heart.

Her violently heaving chest gradually calmed down, and the bloodshot in her eyes faded slightly.

She took a few heavy breaths, forcibly suppressing the turbulent emotions churning within her.

Yes, we can't lose control. Now is not the time. We can't hurt our children here because of our emotions.

"The Black Order, I'll catch one of them sooner or later and get to the bottom of what happened to me," he thought of the nun, who was also from the Black Order.

She turned her gaze back to the ongoing battle on the screen, but her eyes became even more profound. The Black Order had several exorcist marshals.

Now that exorcists and greatswords have appeared, the exorcist marshals at the top of the order are definitely not to be underestimated.

In the past, pirates and the Black Order generally kept to themselves.

The Black Order seems to be only interested in demons and monsters, occasionally eliminating some human scoundrels who aid and abet evil, but it doesn't seem to have much time to deal with ordinary pirates who burn, kill, and plunder on the sea.

But now everything is different.

On the castle, Lucy, the exorcist leading the expedition, stood quietly beside Sengoku.

On this battlefield, all the forces of the Black Order that came with her will be at her disposal.

Her gaze pierced through the smoke and chaos of the battlefield, colliding with the hateful gaze of Blackbeard Teach in the distance.

A faint, cold smile slowly crept onto the woman's usually icy and indifferent face. "Sometimes, having more people doesn't guarantee you'll win."

Lucy rarely shows her true strength in public.

Within the Black Order, there is an unwritten consensus: if she needs to personally intervene, it must be an extremely difficult and dire task.

She was one of the main forces on the front lines in eliminating demons and had experienced countless bloody battles.

Claire once mentioned to the members of the Navy's SWORD Secret Squad that Lucy, the exorcist leading the team, was, in a sense, the number one person after the Exorcist Marshal.

Through the abilities she gained through her holiness, she is well-suited for large-scale battles, often facing multiple powerful enemies alone and undertaking exceptionally difficult tasks that are unimaginable to ordinary people.

One after another, the exorcists who partnered with Lucy died, but only Lucy has persisted until now. Perhaps there is an element of luck involved, but exorcists will not be lucky forever.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Black Order's higher-ups have long intended for Lucy to succeed an aging or soon-to-retire exorcist marshal, making her the next exorcist marshal.

Although there are internal struggles within the cult and factions are independent of each other, merit and strength are usually the criteria for judgment.

The Black Order sent her here because they had absolute faith in Lucy's abilities and believed she could help the Navy overcome their current difficulties.

The Navy is a reliable ally, more stable than those sea emperors. Pirates are prone to turning their backs on their patrons, and the Navy controls vast resources, enabling them to exchange goods with the Black Order.

"We only know her name, not Lucy's abilities. Her purified holiness might even be more powerful than her original Devil Fruit in some aspects," Lady Muzan warned Blackbeard, urging him not to be careless.

The Blackbeard Pirates' base is coexisting with many demons, some of whom are killed by exorcists when they are alone, without even the ability to return and report back.

As for the legendary female greatsword who reigns over the desert kingdom, she strikes fear into the hearts of countless demons. She can fight Naraku to a standstill, so she is still worth being wary of.

Claire, this female greatsword, is also quite strong individually and cannot be treated like an ordinary swordsman.

But can one exorcist and one female greatsword really hold off the seven officers of the Blackbeard Pirates all by themselves?

Isn't that a bit too presumptuous?