# Chapter 75: Karsus
"Tyrant" Ba'er, "Undertaker" Calloway, and "Blade" Edge are all monsters with bounties exceeding 500 million Beli.
Within the Rocks Pirates, they hold the same status as Edward Newgate and Shiki.
There is also "Death Singer" Karsus, a Paramecia-type Sound-Wave Fruit Ability User, with a bounty of 460 million Beli.
Among the Rocks Pirates, these four are the only ones still alive who followed Hades' father, Jaeger, before the Rocks Pirates were established.
As for the rest of Jaeger's Old Crew, most who haven't joined under the protection of other Great Pirates are led by these four.
This is Jaeger's influence within the Rocks Pirates, and it still retains terrifying strength today.
In the future, it can completely compare to the strength controlled by a Sea Emperor.
For Hades, he has a significant possibility of subduing them.
Through this, he can instantly gain a vast faction.
If brought back to the Kronos Kingdom, it would definitely enhance the Kingdom's military strength.
Regardless, in this Great Sea,
Whether now or in the future, contention will always be the theme.
Even if you don't contend, you cannot be without strength.
Within the Rocks Pirates, he also needs to control his own strength.
And the first step to establishing his own faction is to subdue his father's Old Crew.
With his current prestige, he is far inferior to other Pirates in the Rocks Pirates.
Since Hades didn't sense malice, it means he has a chance to subdue them.
His previous performance has also gained their recognition to a certain extent.
What is currently lacking might be his own strength.
The weak submit to the strong; without the suppression of strength, how would others be willing to submit to him?
However, Hades is not in a hurry; he still needs a few years for growth.
The Rocks Pirates can still roam the Great Sea for over a decade.
It is currently Sea Calendar 1471, and the Rocks Pirates will likely collapse around 1485.
He has enough time to grow.
And the second phase of the Rocks Pirates contending with the Marines and the World Government has just begun.
Before that, there is one person Hades has a good chance of subduing.
That is "Death Singer" Karsus, a half-baked Bard who considers himself excellent.
"Death God" Ye Ge's most loyal servant and fanatical follower.
While they were observing Hades, Hades was also secretly observing them.
Karsus's heart was so excited it was almost trembling, his fervent gaze impossible to hide.
That fanatical worship, almost like faith, seemed to completely transfer onto Hades after Hades appeared.
Within Hades' range of emotional perception, Karsus's highly fluctuating emotions were as dazzling as the sun.
It even made Hades suspect that as long as he appeared before Karsus, Karsus would immediately bow down without needing to say anything.
With this first one, the rest will be relatively easy.
Karsus is the soul figure among Jaeger's Old Crew, and his strength is powerful, second only to Ba'er, Calloway, and Edge.
Back then, he was willing to go to his death for Jaeger, and his desire for revenge against the Marines was second only to his mother, Nyx.
Coupled with Nyx's activity in recent years, quite a few Pirates participated in the revenge against the Marines, and Karsus was one of them.
His mother also told him that to subdue his father Jaeger's Old Crew, the first one he could target was Karsus.
With Karsus's influence, as his strength increases and his status within the Rocks Pirates rises, these Old Crew will return under his protection.
In this regard, Hades has a much greater advantage than Shiki.
Even with great potential, Shiki is ultimately just a rising star in the Rocks Pirates.
Not to mention the many monsters at his level, just the three seniors, John, Silver Axe, and Wang Zhi, are stronger than him and are only in their thirties, not yet at their peak.
If anyone were to join a potential stock, their priority would currently be higher.
Where is Karsus?
A little inquiry is all it takes to find out.
At the Mountain Foot near a Forest east of Hachinosu, there is a small and simple Church.
Against the afterglow of the setting sun, as night fell, Hades quietly arrived.
The Church had no door.
Hades stepped up to the front of the Church, and a dark and damp aura assailed him.
At a glance, the interior of the Church was empty.
The floor, chairs, and even the windows seemed to have been meticulously cleaned.
Hades knew Karsus was inside, and he had even sensed that slightly excited gaze.
Walking into the Church, following the gaze, Hades saw Karsus's figure.
He was wearing a black robe, holding a Bible in one hand, standing to the side of the Pulpit.
The interior of the Church had no decorations or carvings, looking very simple and even somewhat eerie.
Looking at Karsus, Hades felt he wasn't like a Bard, but rather a Priest, a believer.
At this moment, Karsus's heart was not as crazy as Hades had felt before; he seemed somewhat peaceful, and the gaze directed towards Hades appeared somewhat gentle.
This made Hades realize that what Karsus was looking at before wasn't himself, but his father "Jaeger".
Tap! Tap!
Accompanied by crisp footsteps, Hades kept moving forward along the center aisle.
He lifted his leg and stepped onto the Church's Platform.
He stood on the light and shadow cast upon the Platform, which came solely through the high window.
"My soul waits in silence for God alone; from him comes my salvation!"
Karsus slowly walked closer, allowing Hades to see his appearance clearly.
He was a tall, thin young man with long hair, his face somewhat pale.
In reality, he was close to forty years old.
"I have always been waiting for the Grim Reaper to descend."
Karsus's words made Hades frown slightly.
He did not want to be seen as a substitute for his father Jaeger.
"Forgive me, but I am not the Grim Reaper."
Facing Hades' refusal, Karsus was not angry.
Instead, a smile appeared on his face.
"As long as I have a need, I have a reason to live. Satisfaction is death!"
"The Throne of Death has descended. I shall give my all to crown you!"
Karsus's intention to submit was very obvious, but whose will did this represent? Was it his father Jaeger's?
"Everything that should be mine is mine. Destiny is in my own hands, and the good or bad of destiny will also be created by me."
Hades would not refuse the help given to him by his family.
However, at this moment, he was somewhat displeased, because he was the king, and always had been, and didn't need to rely on others at all.
He had never thought of living in the shadow of the "Grim Reaper".
An invisible and terrifying Haki erupted from within Hades' body, permeating the air with endless pressure, perfectly controlled within the confines of the entire Church.
A terrifying aura like Netherworld Hell, merged with the ferocious god aura within Hades' body, that overbearing will belonging to a king was revealed without doubt.
(end of chapter)