C5 He Said You Are a Coward!

The Demon-Hunting Battleship was bolstered by a magical gravity field, which allowed the archers aboard to extend their range by 30%.

This enhancement was limited to ten people at a time, but it was a significant edge. With hundreds rotating in shooting volleys, the results were astonishing.

Against the Barbarian Blood Level Warship, he was invincible.

"Boss, I heard our target this time is a woman—a real beauty at that. What do you think, brothers?"

The sly-looking fellow eagerly rubbed his hands together and licked his lips in anticipation.

Hsiang Yuan gave him a sidelong glance and waved dismissively. He was all too aware of their character. Yet, to keep them loyal, he generally indulged such requests.

"Fine, have your fun. Just keep it from getting too vile."

"Hehe, don't worry, Boss. We've got a sense of measure," they replied with a chuckle, which Hsiang Yuan met with disdain.

The encirclement was complete in under ten minutes.

Zhang Hai was surrounded from several directions by the Barbarian Blood Level Warships.

"Listen up, you scum on that ship. You have one minute to decide."

"Surrender now, hand over the hostages, and we might just leave you in one piece."

"Should you choose to resist, we'll chop you to bits and feed you to the fish!"

Another voice called out from a different direction.

"Brother Shanhao, since when did you get so soft-hearted?"

"Actually giving them a chance to surrender? We should just go up there and slaughter them."

"Exactly. Why bother with all this fuss? Even if they're armed to the teeth, our numbers will crush them."

Shan Gong smirked to himself.

A bunch of fools. I'm merely looking out for your welfare.

If the enemy were to simply refuse, there'd be no fun left.

But such thoughts were not to be voiced in the presence of the enemy.

"Silence! Do as I say."

The crowd's grumbling ceased.

Though Hsiang Yuan was a Bounty Hunter, his crew was a motley crew. Many were former pirates.

Now flying the Bounty Hunter flag, their deeds were hardly distinguishable from their piratical pasts.

For them, coercion was all too familiar.

After all, this was the sea.

The vast expanse of Sea God Star was over 90% water, making the disposal of bodies and evidence almost too easy.

Zhang Hai was visibly frustrated. Why did these guys always resort to such tactics?

Even if it were necessary for the story, there was no need for their endless, pointless chatter.

I've already prepared a grand gift. Aren't you ready to come up and join the fun?

"A bunch of fools, you're nothing but maggots living on a ship."

"Oh, and let's not forget, you're all spineless."

"Your leader taking you lot out is like a brainless move. I bet he's a clueless little girl. Or perhaps a cross-dressing boss."

"And you want the girls from here without paying? I must reprimand you for that. Dream on if you think you can get women for free!"

His voice carried over the loudspeaker.

Everyone fell silent upon hearing him, their faces turning dark with anger.

Shanpao glanced back at the Commander Room and noticed Hsiang Yuan's face was so livid it looked like it could drip ink. He instinctively recoiled.

"Boss? Should we take them out now?"

Hsiang Yuan grabbed the loudspeaker from him, his face thunderous as he barked.

"What did you say, you idiot! Say it again, I dare you!"

"Damn it! I've been at sea long enough, and I've never come across a little punk bold enough to talk to me like that."

"Do you really think you can escape my encirclement with your pathetic Barbarian Blood Warship?"

Zhang Hai smirked, unimpressed by the lack of action. Clearly, the man was all talk. He taunted further.

"Small fry, I'll have you feeding the fish within minutes. You're nothing but a coward."

Shanpao looked bemused.

"Boss, he called you a coward."

"Shut it! Keep it up, and you'll be scrubbing toilets!"

Hsiang Yuan was seething with rage.

"You've got nerve, kid. Just wait, I'll flay you alive and show you just how blissful death can be!"

A red flare shot from his waist into the sky, and upon seeing it, everyone kicked into high gear, charging toward the debris.

Zhang Hai couldn't shake the feeling that he'd heard this guy's lines before; they seemed eerily familiar.

He would have liked to make a gesture as if to clear his ears, only to realize he didn't even have hands. His mood soured considerably.

Meanwhile, the encircling Barbarian Blood Warships had closed in, now a mere three nautical miles away.

Zhang Hai smirked internally and pressed the remote control button.

Suddenly, the sea erupted with a sequence of ring-shaped energy pulses, startling the warship captains so much they nearly wet themselves.

"Nothing's wrong?"

They were all baffled by the light screen that had appeared. It looked intimidating, but it didn't seem to have inflicted any damage.

Hsiang Yuan hadn't joined in the attack with the others. He had witnessed the previous odd assault with crystal clarity.

Despite his imposing stature, he was a true sky mage, specializing in long-range archery.

With the aid of Wind Type magic, his arrows could reach an effective distance of three nautical miles, far surpassing the one nautical mile range of the Magic Cannons.

Observing his subordinates, Hsiang Yuan quickly pinpointed the issue.

"Boss, aside from our Devil Hunting Level Warship, the others are all in hiding," he reported.

Rolling his eyes, Hsiang Yuan grabbed the microphone.

"Kid, I'm not sure what tricks you're using, but do you really think you've got the upper hand on us?"

Zhang Hai was about to exploit a weakness when he heard this and furrowed his brow in confusion.

He was out of the enemy's firing range, so what was Hsiang Yuan implying?

Just then, a roaring sound filled the air.

To his astonishment, he saw the group had leaped into the sea but were neither sinking nor swimming. Instead, they were charging across the water's surface as if it were solid ground.

"Is this supposed to be surfing?"

But these individuals weren't using surfboards; they were simply hovering above the water.

"Captain, these are Floating Water Rings from our Magic Equipment inventory. They come in various forms but all serve the same purpose."

"Wow, are these guys really that loaded? How come I've never seen this stuff before?"

"Some captains have a few in the System Storage. But not many."

In comparison to these pirates, half of whom had Floating Water Rings, the ones we encountered before were practically paupers.

Now, however, he felt like a caterpillar surrounded by a swarm of ants, at risk of being overwhelmed at any moment.

"Wake up."

Aboard the Phantom Warship, a series of white halos flickered to life.

His warriors quickly took up strategic positions.

The Magic Bullet, resembling a pristine white ostrich egg, was hurled with reckless abandon.

A direct hit would blast a sizable hole through the target instantly.

The Barbarian Blood Level Phantom Warship was equipped with only one Magic Cannon, firing once every three seconds. It would have been more effective against a warship, but against these minor threats, it was rather pointless.

Zhang Hai didn't bother with any fancy tactics; he simply stood his ground, waiting for them to approach.

Despite some losses, these casualties were insignificant for the nearly thousand-strong pirate crew.

The nearest pirate lunged onto the deck with a powerful kick.

Scimitars raised high, they prepared to bring them crashing down.

The warriors, faces impassive, unleashed powerful shield strikes into the air.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Several unfortunate souls were blasted off the deck, yet they landed in the sea without sinking.

Zhang Hai watched with eager eyes, thinking if his skeletons could be equipped like this, their fighting power would skyrocket.

The sounds of metal clashing filled the air as the deck descended into a fierce melee.