C20 You Are Shameless

Luo let out a sigh as he shook the roasted fish in his hand.

"There's no helping it. Life at sea is like this. We never run out of seafood. But we've gotten used to it."

Dawn nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, we're too poor. Eating this every day, we're nearly sick of it."

"What the hell do you mean? You're not telling me you prefer bread and vegetables, are you?"

He thought he had been a generous host. He had even offered them a lobster half a meter long. It wasn't rare, but it was the best he had.

But their expressions puzzled him.

Upon hearing his words, both nodded in unison.

"Of course, bread and vegetables are the most expensive foods. Don't expect to mooch off others in the future."

Wong Jiangxue's face registered shock.

She glanced back and forth between the little girl and Zhang Hai, sensing some unspoken secret between them.

Zhang Hai, however, couldn't help but laugh.

He used to think these pirates lived the good life, with their seafood feasts.

Now, it seemed they were just destitute, unable to even afford vegetables.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a Dimension Space portal and pulled out something resembling a loaf of silk bread.

At the sight of it, their faces transformed, especially Dawn's, who practically drooled.

"Give it to me, I want it!"

Luo, too, looked on eagerly.

Zhang Hai smirked.

"Call me daddy."

"Daddy."

The second time was always easier.

Dawn didn't hesitate and called out immediately, much more crisply than before.

"Good, I like your attitude. Here you go."

He handed her a generous slice, and the little girl was ecstatic, showing no hint of embarrassment.

Luo caught on quickly.

"Daddy."

Zhang Hai's expression turned to one of annoyance as he gave Luo a swift kick.

"Scram! Shameless old man, I don't have kids as old as you."

He tossed a slice to him, effectively silencing him.

It was exasperating, really.

He should take a look at himself – he was nothing like the adorable little girl.

Zhang Hai allocated the remaining portion to Wong Jiangxue, recognizing her as a key financial supporter. It was essential to keep her satisfied.

In addition to that, he selected two varieties of vegetables from his stock.

His warship's System Space housed an abundance of such items.

He had a substantial supply of greens, including bok choy and lettuce, thanks to the accumulation from thousands of warships.

Yet, for Zhang Hai, lobster was the ultimate delicacy.

Being from Earth, he had rarely had the opportunity to indulge in such gourmet fare.

After setting the course, it took nearly half a month to approach the Flame Devil Sea, located a thousand miles ahead.

His destination was chosen because Elder Wong of the Wong family was practicing his cultivation in the vicinity.

A practitioner of the Red Lotus school, Elder Wong specialized in Fire Attribute magic.

Beneath the Flame Devil Sea lay a wealth of undersea volcanoes.

The vibrant Fire Attribute energy here provided an ideal environment for his cultivation.

Naturally, volcanic eruptions also yielded Refinement Crystals, making the area a hotbed for pirate activity.

Wong Jiangxue's request for Zhang Hai to accompany her to this region was part of her strategy to gain Elder Wong's approval and secure the family token.

With the family token in her possession, she would become the rightful heir to the Wong family, granting her ultimate authority over family affairs.

Suddenly, the vessel jolted, sending a sharp pain coursing through Zhang Hai's body.

His consciousness snapped back to the warship.

He surveyed his surroundings with clarity, spotting a group of peculiar beings.

They were odd because, below the neck, they closely resembled humans, albeit with a reddish hue to their skin.

But what truly unsettled him was their octopus-like heads.

"Damn, what kind of monsters are these!"

"Captain, these are members of the Octopus Sea Clan, an intelligent maritime species," came the response.

"Why are they attacking us?"

"Captain, pirates exist among the Sea Clan, just as they do among humans."

Zhang Hai was internally cursing up a storm.

His radar swept the area and detected a warship, shaped like a massive tuna, trailing him at a steady pace.

"Captain, that's a Fishman Class warship of the Sea Clan, equivalent in rank to our Shuttle Warship. However, their combat styles are entirely distinct."

He had already figured it out.

The Fishman Class resembled an aircraft carrier in function.

It merely sent out minor forces for show, possessing no significant combat strength—at least, he hadn't discerned any yet.

The primary offensive weapon of the Shuttle Warship was the Octopus Torpedo, a type of underwater attack fish resembling a miniature octopus.

"Initiate Nether Energy camouflage, Shuttle Warship mode."

He could tell from the enemy's attributes that their speed underwater far surpassed that of the Shuttle Warship.

Thus, attempting to destroy them with deep-sea torpedoes was utterly impractical.

A direct, face-to-face confrontation would be far more effective.

The warship disassembled into components in just three seconds, reassembling into a Shuttle Warship that plunged into the ocean depths.

This left the surrounding Octopus Sea Clan warriors utterly perplexed, their attacks involuntarily ceasing.

Without hesitation, Zhang Hai, now a Shuttle Warship, pivoted his gun and unleashed a barrage of Torpedo attacks on the Fishman warship.

The Marlin Warship deftly twisted away, swiftly vacating its previous location.

His torpedoes missed their mark.

Dozens of shots later, he hadn't even grazed the enemy's skin.

"Damn it, how are we supposed to fight this?"

Zhang Hai was frustrated. He realized the Sea Clan's underwater speed was alarmingly fast, at least two notches above the Shuttle Warship's.

Although his Assault Barbarian Blood Level could outpace the enemy in speed, actually killing them posed a significant challenge.

"Captain, you could try ramming into them. It might cause some damage to your body, but you'll recover quickly," came a suggestion.

Zhang Hai pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

What was impossible for a standard Shuttle Warship was feasible for him.

"Activate acceleration skill."

His engines roared to life at full throttle. This was only the second time he had used this skill since acquiring it.

His velocity underwater surged, leaving the octopus warriors attempting to breach his hatch trailing in his wake.

The captain of the Octopus Sea Clan Warship watched in astonishment as the human's Shuttle Warship achieved such bewildering speed.

"How could this be possible! How can a human Shuttle Warship be so fast!"

"Captain! Run for it! This lunatic is trying to take us down with him!"

The red-headed captain of the Octopus Sea Clan snapped to attention.

With a swift change of direction, he immediately darted to one side.

The Fishman's advantage lay in its agility.

While the Phantom Warship outpaced its opponent in terms of speed, this was only true in a straight line.

Attempting to ram and destroy the enemy in such a long-distance dash was clearly unrealistic.

Zhang Hai, of course, didn't expect the enemy to foolishly wait to be rammed.

As he saw his adversary fleeing, a cunning smile crept onto his face.

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