Chapter 211: More Than a Pirate

The battle continued to intensify as the Abyssal Sea Serpent grew increasingly aggressive.

Its enormous body twisted beneath the waves, creating powerful currents that made all three ships sway. The mages continued bombarding it with spells, while the knights and pirates worked together to keep the sirens from boarding their vessels.

"Keep attacking! Don’t let that thing dive!" one of the mages shouted.

Several fireballs exploded against the serpent’s head, followed by multiple lightning bolts that struck its neck.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The creature let out a furious roar and thrashed its body against the water.

A massive wave swept toward the nearest ship.

"Brace yourselves!"

The knights immediately raised their shields as the wave crashed against the vessel. Some pirates were thrown off their feet, while others desperately grabbed onto the railings.

Jooquin, however, remained near the bow, his curved sword dripping with siren blood.

"HAHAHA! You really are a stubborn bastard!"

He glanced toward the mages who were still attacking the creature.

"Don’t stop! Keep hitting it until it can’t move!"

The serpent suddenly stopped thrashing.

Its enormous head slowly emerged from the water, and its yellow eyes fixed on the ships.

Something began gathering inside its open mouth.

A strange pressure spread across the battlefield.

William immediately noticed the change.

"Wait... What is it doing?"

The water around the serpent began flowing toward its jaws, forming a rapidly spinning mass. Its throat expanded as it compressed an enormous amount of water into a concentrated sphere.

The mages who noticed it quickly paled.

"That’s...!"

Before anyone could finish speaking, the serpent opened its jaws even wider.

SHOOOOOOOOOM!

A tremendous jet of water burst from its mouth.

Unlike an ordinary wave, the attack was incredibly concentrated, resembling a massive water cannon. It tore through the sea with terrifying speed, leaving a deep trail of violently displaced water behind it.

"DEFENSIVE FORMATION! NOW!"

William’s voice rang across the ship.

The knights immediately gathered their mana, forming several overlapping barriers along the vessel’s side.

The water jet struck a moment later.

KRAAAAAAAAAASH!

The defensive barriers shook violently.

Cracks spread across their surfaces as the concentrated water pressure continued pushing against them. Several knights were forced backward, their feet scraping against the deck.

"Hold it! Don’t let the barrier collapse!"

More knights rushed forward to reinforce the formation.

However, the attack was far stronger than they had anticipated.

One layer of the barrier shattered.

Then another.

"Impossible! It’s breaking through!"

William gritted his teeth and poured more mana into his sword. A bright magical barrier formed in front of the remaining knights, helping reinforce their defenses.

Even so, the ship continued shaking under the tremendous pressure.

On the other side, Jooquin’s vessel wasn’t faring much better.

The water jet struck its side, forcing the entire ship to tilt dangerously. Several pirates screamed as they lost their footing, while the mages hurriedly cast wind spells to stabilize the vessel.

"CAPTAIN! WHAT SHOULD WE DO?!"

Jooquin grabbed the railing with one hand, his grin finally disappearing.

"Tch! That damn snake has quite the bite!"

He looked toward the serpent, then toward the mages still hovering above the water.

"YOU LOT! HIT ITS HEAD! DON’T LET IT KEEP FIRING!"

The mages immediately redirected their attacks.

Several lightning bolts descended from above, striking the serpent’s head simultaneously.

ZZZRAAAAK!

The creature’s head jerked sideways.

Its water jet shifted direction, sweeping across the sea instead of hitting the ship directly.

The concentrated stream eventually struck the surface, creating an enormous explosion of water.

BOOOOOOM!

A towering column of seawater erupted into the air.

The three ships rocked violently as the resulting waves spread outward.

For a moment, the battlefield was covered in mist and falling water.

William lowered his sword slightly, breathing heavily.

"Is everyone all right?!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

He looked toward Luna.

Despite the tremendous disturbance, she was still standing within the magical formation, continuing her analysis.

’She’s still working...’

William tightened his grip on his sword.

’Then we’ll have to hold out a little longer.’

Meanwhile, beneath the waves, the Abyssal Sea Serpent slowly turned its enormous head toward the ships again.

Its yellow eyes glowed through the mist.

The previous attack had failed to sink them.

And judging by the way it began gathering water inside its mouth once more, it wasn’t finished yet.

William gritted his teeth as the Abyssal Sea Serpent continued to circle the ships, its enormous body moving beneath the turbulent waves.

"JOOQUIN!" he shouted, turning toward the pirate captain. "Do you have any way to defeat that thing?!"

Jooquin glanced at him.

"Didn’t you say you could handle it earlier?!" William continued, his frustration boiling over. "You were so confident that it was just a big snake! Yet all you’ve done is throw your men into danger!"

For a moment, Jooquin simply stared at him.

Then his lips curled into a grin.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

His booming laughter carried across the deck, drawing the attention of several nearby pirates.

William’s expression darkened. "What’s so funny?!"

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Jooquin wiped the corner of his eye, still grinning. "I just never thought I’d live to see the day when a knight would actually ask a pirate for help!"

"Stop laughing and answer the question!"

Jooquin’s smile slowly faded.

He turned his attention toward the enormous serpent. Its yellow eyes glowed through the mist as its body shifted beneath the waves, preparing for another assault.

"Well, I suppose I’ve had enough fun."

He rested one hand on the hilt of his curved sword.

"I’ll cut that snake’s head off."

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere around him changed.

A powerful aura erupted from his body, spreading across the deck like an invisible tide. The surrounding air grew heavy, and even the waves seemed to tremble beneath his presence.

William’s eyes widened.

’What... is this aura?’

He instinctively tightened his grip on his sword. The pressure coming from Jooquin was far beyond what he had anticipated.

’His strength... it’s at a higher level than mine.’

William had encountered powerful warriors before, but he hadn’t expected a pirate captain to possess such overwhelming power.

Meanwhile, the pirates aboard Jooquin’s ship erupted into cheers.

"THAT’S OUR CAPTAIN!"

"FINALLY! THE CAPTAIN’S GETTING SERIOUS!"

"SHOW THAT SNAKE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ANGER HIM!"

Their voices rang across the sea as Jooquin stepped toward the edge of the deck, his curved sword still sheathed.

His eyes remained fixed on the Abyssal Sea Serpent.

"Now then..."

He cracked his neck, his grin returning.

"Let’s see how long that ugly head can stay attached to its body."

Jooquin raised one hand without taking his eyes off the Abyssal Sea Serpent.

"Oi! Mages! Give me a hand!"

His crew immediately understood what he wanted.

"Understood, Captain!"

Several mages gathered behind him and began chanting their spells. Streams of magical energy flowed toward Jooquin, wrapping around his body and strengthening his physical abilities. At the same time, another mage stepped forward and placed a hand against the captain’s curved sword.

"Lightning Infusion!"

Crackling bolts of electricity spread across the blade, illuminating its sharp edge with a brilliant blue glow.

Jooquin examined his weapon for a moment before giving it a satisfied grin.

"Not bad~"

Meanwhile, the sea began to churn violently.

The Abyssal Sea Serpent emerged once more, raising its enormous head above the water. Its yellow eyes locked onto the ships, and the water around its mouth began gathering into a dense sphere.

"Captain! It’s coming!" one of the knights shouted.

William immediately turned toward his men.

"Defensive formation! Reinforce your barriers! Don’t let that attack reach the ships!"

The knights hurriedly raised their shields and began gathering mana, preparing to withstand another devastating water blast.

However, Jooquin didn’t even bother to move away.

Instead, he smiled.

As the serpent unleashed its attack, a concentrated torrent of water shot toward the ships with terrifying force.

Jooquin finally drew his sword.

SHING!

A brilliant flash of lightning swept across the deck as he swung his blade.

The next instant, the enormous water attack was sent flying sideways, its trajectory violently redirected before it could reach the ships.

The torrent crashed into the sea in the distance, producing a tremendous explosion of water.

Silence fell over the knights.

William stared at Jooquin in disbelief.

’He... deflected it?’

His eyes narrowed as another thought crossed his mind.

’Wait. If he could repel an attack of that magnitude, then why didn’t he do it earlier?!’

Before William could question him, Jooquin had already moved.

He bent his knees and launched himself from the ship, soaring high above the turbulent sea.

The Abyssal Sea Serpent immediately turned its head toward him, opening its enormous jaws as it attempted to intercept the incoming pirate.

But Jooquin only laughed.

"BWAHAHAHA! Is that all you’ve got?!"

His sword crackled with electricity as he raised it above his head.

"You’re not nearly big enough to stop me!"

His aura surged once more, gathering around his body and blade. For a brief moment, the surrounding air seemed to distort beneath the pressure of his power.

Then he swung.

"CRESCENT CLEAVER!"

A brilliant arc of lightning flashed across the sea.

The slash passed through the serpent’s enormous neck so cleanly that, for an instant, its head remained suspended above its body.

Then—

SHHHK!

Its head separated completely.

The massive creature’s body convulsed once before collapsing into the ocean. A tremendous wave spread outward as its enormous corpse sank beneath the surface.

Jooquin landed back on the deck with his sword resting casually over his shoulder.

For a moment, everyone remained silent.

Then the pirates erupted.

"CAPTAIN!!!"

"THAT’S OUR CAPTAIN!"

"HAHAHA! DID YOU SEE THAT?! ONE SWING! HE CUT ITS HEAD OFF WITH ONE SWING!"

Cheers and laughter filled the ship. Even some of the mages who had supported Jooquin couldn’t hide their excitement.

The knights, meanwhile, exchanged stunned glances.

William stood motionless, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.

’Just who exactly is this pirate...?’