Faced with a barrage that could level a small island, Rocks didn't even bother to stand up. Newgate just yawned again.
"Gatz, Silver, Dolum, time to stretch your legs," Rocks said, waving his hand lazily. "Remember, don't sink all the ships. We need supplies. And ask about the G-8 Vice Admiral's taste preferences, so Ren can prepare the menu in advance."
"OOOH! Leave it to me, Captain!" Gatz was the first to respond. He let out an excited roar, pushed off the deck with his powerful legs, and his massive body shot into the air like a cannonball, soaring dozens of meters high.
"Spinning Anchor Strike!" In mid-air, Gatz swung his giant anchor, creating an impenetrable black whirlwind. BAM! The dense barrage of cannonballs slammed into the black whirlwind as if hitting an invisible wall. They were all deflected or detonated, exploding into brilliant fireworks in mid-air. Not a single one reached the ship.
"What?!" The captain of the Marine fleet's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Before he could recover from his shock, a silver afterimage flashed from the pirate ship. Silver's figure streaked across the sea like a phantom. His feet stepped on the waves kicked up by the cannonballs as if on solid ground, and he charged toward one of the warships at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.
"Stop him!" The marines on the warship opened fire in a panic, but the bullets couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes. In a few breaths, Silver had boarded the deck. His spear was like a dragon, each movement creating a blur of afterimages. The tip of the spear precisely struck the wrist of each marine, disarming them without causing any fatal injuries. In the blink of an eye, the combat strength of an entire warship's deck was completely neutralized by him alone.
Dolum stood at the bow. He didn't dodge the incoming cannonballs, but swung his giant axe. CLANG! A cannonball was precisely split in two, whizzing past both sides of the ship and into the sea. "Hmm, the forging of this iron shell is decent, but the gunpowder ratio is off. The explosive force isn't concentrated enough," Dolum commented like a professional munitions expert, before splitting another cannonball with his axe.
The Marine captain stared blankly at the surreal scene, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. This wasn't a rookie pirate crew; this was a group of monsters! Just as he was about to order a retreat, the figures of Rocks and Newgate appeared on the deck of his flagship, one on the left and one on the right.
"Hello there, Marine Captain," Rocks said with a devilish grin. "I hear you wanted to blast us to smithereens?"
"Gurararara, we've run out of wine on our ship. We were hoping to borrow some from you," Newgate said, shaking his empty wine barrel.
The captain's eyes rolled back, and he fainted dead away.
The battle was more of a one-sided armed robbery. Half an hour later, the six Marine warships had been completely looted. All the marines had been stripped of their clothes and tied up with seaweed on the deck. The Rocks Pirates' ship was now piled high with food, wine, and ammunition. Ren was carrying a high-quality block of chilled beef from one of the warship's cold storages, nodding in satisfaction. "Hmm, it seems this Vice Admiral has decent standards for ingredients."
Rocks sat in the Marine flagship's command chair with his legs crossed, interrogating the captain he had slapped awake, casually asking for detailed information about the G-8 Branch's defenses and the Vice Admiral. Newgate had found the wine cellar and was happily chugging down a barrel of the finest rum. Gatz and Dolum were excitedly counting their spoils.
"We're rich! We're rich! So much Beli!"
"The specifications of these cannonballs are perfect for my new design..."
This farcical victory filled the crew with unprecedented confidence for the upcoming assault on G-8. Ren glanced at the rapidly increasing experience points on his system panel, then at the distant horizon. His eyes were calm. He was just one step away from the Master level.
From the unfortunate patrol fleet, Rocks pried out everything about the G-8 Branch. The commanding Marine Vice Admiral was named Gion, a general famous for his strategic mind and impenetrable defensive tactics. While not a top-tier fighter himself, he was extremely difficult to deal with. He had turned the G-8 fortress into an iron bucket, with over a hundred heavy cannons, three defensive sea walls, and an elite Marine unit.
"Sounds like a guy hiding in a turtle shell," Rocks commented dismissively after hearing the report.
"Gurararara, the stronger the turtle shell, the more fun it is to crack," Newgate was clearly also interested in the challenge.
"Dolum, adjust the course according to the intel. We'll bypass their main sea route and break through from the Thunder Abyss to the west," Rocks drew a tricky route on the sea chart.
"The Thunder Abyss?" Dolum's face paled. "Captain, that's a notoriously dangerous sea region. It's plagued by constant thunderstorms and terrifying sea beasts. It's known as the 'ship graveyard'!"
"Perfect," Rocks grinned. "The most dangerous place is often the most weakly defended. Besides..." He glanced toward the kitchen with a look of anticipation. "I hear there's a very special ingredient there."
Ren walked out of the kitchen, holding an ingredient index he had drawn himself. On it was a ferocious and majestic giant beast.
"The Thunder Abyss Leviathan," Ren's voice was calm. "A super-giant Sea King that lives in thunderstorm-prone sea regions and feeds on lightning."
"Its flesh and blood contain pure lightning energy, and its heart is known as the 'Heart of Thor.' It's a mythical ingredient that can activate the consumer's body and greatly increase their neural reaction speed. However..." Ren paused, then continued, "This creature only appears in the center of the most violent thunderstorms. It's extremely difficult to hunt."
"Wahahaha! Did you hear that! The Heart of Thor!" Gatz's eyes instantly lit up. He felt like he was about to start drooling again. "If I eat that, will my fists be able to conduct electricity?"
"It might make you feel a bit more comfortable when you get struck by lightning," Silver quipped.
The decision was made. The battered sailing ship turned its bow once more. Like a fearless challenger, it sailed resolutely toward the forbidden sea of lightning and thunder.
Three days later, they entered the Thunder Abyss. The sky was covered in thick, leaden clouds, turning day into dusk. Silver, snake-like bolts of lightning tore through the sky and struck the sea, the roars of thunder incessant, shaking their eardrums. The waves became violent, like moving mountains, battering the small ship that could fall apart at any moment.
"Hold on! Everyone, hold on tight!" Dolum yelled at the top of his lungs, clinging to the helm, fighting a desperate battle against the raging nature.
Just then, Silver's alert came from the crow's nest. "It's here!"
Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing. In the distance, a huge waterspout, thicker than the ship's hull, shot up into the sky. Within the waterspout, a beast of unimaginable size slowly revealed its form. It was covered in dark blue, steel-like scales. A huge, ferocious horn grew from its head, the tip of which gathered a dazzling electric light. Every breath it took was accompanied by lightning and thunder.
This was the Thunder Abyss Leviathan.
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