C1 I Am a Battlecruiser!

On the vast expanse of the azure sea, Zhang Hai's face was etched with despair.

Back on Earth, he was human, but now he found himself inexplicably transported to a bizarre world known as Sea God Star.

To add insult to injury, he had been transformed into a ship.

Yes, a ship – the kind that was so rusty, it looked like it had been languishing at the bottom of the ocean for millennia.

"Host."

"Shut up, call me captain."

I had been trying to retrain this system for three days, yet it still couldn't get my title right.

Damn it, thinking it's something special just because it's a system. Damn it, with its constant 'host' this, 'host' that. It's nauseating. It feels like there's a bug crawling on me.

"Host—Captain. This system is not a bug."

"Scram, and stick to the point."

"Very well, after scanning, the other party is identified as a group of pirates. They are operating a Barbarian Blood Level Warship, with a speed of about fifty knots."

"A Barbarian Blood Level Warship? You're not serious? Are these pirates' equipment really that shoddy?"

"Captain, the Barbarian Blood Warship may be a beginner-level model, but its speed is considerable, making it well-suited for pirate combat tactics."

"Really? And what about you? What's your level?"

"Er, this, it could just about pass for a training ship. Also, please refer to us in the plural. Your body is now a warship, and this system serves merely as support."

"Zip it, junk. I want to be human! Not some piece of garbage warship!"

The system was itching to snap back at him, but considering his foul mood, it held back.

After all, anyone would struggle to come to terms with drifting at sea for half a month.

Since becoming a ship, Zhang Hai had engaged in brief conversations with the system. It wasn't exactly stimulating to just sit around.

But upon discovering the harsh truth, he almost wished he had remained ignorant.

In essence, if he wanted to return to Earth, he needed to upgrade himself to the highest level. Only then could he shatter the dimensional barriers and make his way back home.

Just then, a red flare soared into the sky from the pirates' vessel. Following closely was the sound of their ferocious bellowing.

"Attention, you riffraff on the opposing vessel. We've got your junker of a ship in our sights."

"Surrender now, or we'll show you that death might actually be a mercy."

The underling tugged at the big-bearded boss's sleeve, offering a sheepish grin.

"Boss, you've got the script mixed up. That's for interrogations."

The big-bearded leader glanced at his script and, sure enough, he had made a mistake.

Snatching another sheet from the underling's hand, he gave the fool a smack that sent him tumbling into the sea. Losing one was no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Having spoken his piece, he wasn't bothered by the slip-up and continued over the microphone.

"The gist is the same. It's pirate time now. Given the sorry state of your vessel, I might be kind enough to leave you a lifebuoy."

"Hahaha, boss, you're way too charitable."

"Indeed, lifebuoys don't come cheap, you know."

The scruffy band of pirates jeered. To them, such a tiny warship was nothing more than a plaything, perhaps even a training vessel. Worthless, though even a wreck has its nails.

Zhang Hai scanned his ship, finding none of the items they mentioned.

"System, do we even have lifebuoys on board?"

"Captain, certainly not. Such luxuries are beyond our means."

So, they were just broke and still putting on airs.

How could they even mention luxury items? Could they be any less self-aware?

A long blast of the horn sounded, and two rows of light, resembling Magic Arrays, lined the deck.

"Time to get to work, everyone."

Skeletons armed with shields and scimitars materialized in neat rows on the deck.

These skeletons were his sole combat force.

The sight of them left the pirates utterly bewildered.

"I can't believe it. People are still using Skeleton Warriors these days."

"Exactly, such rubbish should've been phased out long ago."

"Only a pauper would resort to such tacky stuff. I'm starting to doubt we could squeeze any loot out of you."

Zhang Hai was completely baffled.

"System, didn't you claim that skeletons were premium merchandise? Get out here now, I'm going to thrash you!"

"Captain, there's no need to get upset. There's clearly been some misunderstanding. Go ahead and confront them with confidence," he reassured the Captain. Despite his doubts about the reliability of the system, there was no turning back now.

The pirate captain, oozing arrogance, gripped the microphone. With one foot propped on the ship's railing, he pointed at the dilapidated Commander Room. "Listen up, you're trash, and this is your final warning. If you don't surrender, my thousand brothers will shred you to pieces in no time. You stand no chance against us."

Zhang Hai took control of the Phantom Warship, his own vessel, and charged at the nearest Barbarian Blood Level Warship. It was a brutal melee combat, each side equally matched in ferocity.

The pirate with the bushy beard raised an eyebrow and exhaled a cloud of cigar smoke, cursing under his breath. "Damn, you're ungrateful. Wipe out this garbage!"

He was blissfully unaware that the warship was unmanned. Had he known, it would have scared him half to death.

The pirates' Barbarian Blood Warships encircled their prey, making escape an impossibility. The battered-looking warship, in particular, was surprisingly swift.

With a resounding "Duang," Zhang Hai's head throbbed. The impact was unexpectedly painful. "Damn, why am I feeling pain? Shouldn't I be made of metal?"

"Captain, don't sweat the small stuff," came the reply.

He grumbled briefly as hordes of Skeleton Soldiers, armed with shields and curved blades, stormed the pirate ship, engaging in a fierce battle. It turned out the bearded pirate was right; the Skeleton Soldiers weren't particularly durable.

But Zhang Hai couldn't help feeling smug. He might have had only a hundred Skeleton Soldiers, but their numbers matched those of the pirates on a single Barbarian Blood Warship. And while his Skeleton Soldiers could be resurrected, the pirates' accumulated experience vanished upon death.

The fallen pirates were soon enveloped by the ancient Nether Energy Gravity Field of the warship. Consequently, their corpses were transformed into Zhang Hai's fighters. His forces swelled as the battle raged on.

Before long, every pirate aboard the ship had been vanquished.

"Ding! Warship Core detected. Would you like to devour it?"

"Eat it," Zhang Hai commanded.

The Warship Core would provide him with substantial experience. With experience came the potential for his warship to evolve, enhancing his combat power significantly.

The surrounding pirate ships had encircled us, their numerical superiority once again becoming evident. Yet, given the confined space, victory was inevitable amidst the frenzied combat.

Observing the tally of Skeleton Soldiers, which had surpassed three hundred, I knew this haul was a jackpot. The fortnight I had spent lying in wait was well worth it.

The pirate captain, nonchalantly puffing on his cigar, gazed upon the carnage with not a hint of compassion. To him, these expendables were merely fodder.

"When they're dealt with, let me know," he said, disinterested in watching any further.

He retreated to his cabin, where he glanced at the single-braided beauty trapped in the cage – a prisoner he had seized on his latest venture. Her identity was no mystery; she was a jackpot in her own right.

But his satisfaction was short-lived. A voice, laced with panic, echoed from outside, "Boss, we're surrounded!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, approaching the window. As he did, his cigar dropped from his lips in shock.

"How can this be? Why are there so many Skeleton Soldiers?"

"I don't know, boss. They seem to have come from that ship. We're completely hemmed in by them, and they'll soon be annihilated. What's our move?"

Even the usually unflappable bearded man was unnerved. He had never encountered such a ghastly scenario.

"Retreat! We can't let our ship be breached!"

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he considered the absurdity of someone employing such a tactic. It was sheer idiocy, yet it had worked – that was the truly baffling part.

Without a second thought for his crew, he fired up the engines and steered the Barbarian Blood Warship through the chaos.

The others tried to flee as well, but it was futile; their vessels had already been overrun by the skeletons. Escape was no longer an option.

​