Chapter 585: I Won't Tell You
Chapter 585: I Won't Tell You
Boom!
The thunder roared again, tearing through the storm and illuminating the island with a burst of light. Within the glow, the Dead Star Ship docked along the coast, and its crew appeared on deck, braving the wind and rain as they lowered the gangplank.
Hawkins and Ulki led the way, accompanied by their subordinates holding umbrellas, as they descended the gangplank.
Hawkins glanced around, and due to the storm's obstruction, he only realized upon reaching the end that their docking position was surrounded by piles of ship wreckage.
Much of the wreckage seemed to have been carried away by the ocean currents, and there were no flags, but the exposed wooden patterns on the floating debris also caught their attention.
These were their ships.
Their ships were not only meticulously crafted but also of exceptional quality.
Renetia's dream was to build ships that could withstand any storm, allowing people to navigate the vast seas freely. This dream was not limited to the Dead Star Ship; every ship she built was strictly controlled, using only the finest materials.
In their territory, islands producing wood were everywhere, but even wood had different grades. The best wood came from the primeval forests of the magnetic island Parti, and their ships were made from this material. The second-best wood was used for building houses and furniture.
The wood used for shipbuilding had distinctive grain patterns, and one could identify them with careful observation.
Like the wreckage here, it was evident at a glance that these belonged to their warships.
"I don't recall any of our warships coming here," Hawkins said.
"I don't remember either," Ulki added with a sinister laugh, looking towards the interior of the island. "It seems there really is a capable person here."
"If there's someone capable, we should just kill them."
On the gangplank, Sage descended, accompanied by Lily and others, all holding umbrellas.
"If we encounter them at sea, we'll crush them there. If we meet them on land, we'll finish them off on land. If we find them in a tavern, we'll drown them in the tavern. In short, anyone daring to challenge us without fleeing will face our wrath!"
Sage stopped at the bottom of the gangplank, standing firmly on the ground with a sinister smile. "Otherwise, people might mistake me, the Pirate Emperor, for that Straw Hat brat!"
"The Straw Hat brat is only the 'Fifth Emperor' and not yet on par with the Four Emperors," Hawkins said calmly.
"It doesn't matter."
Sage laughed, his eyes glinting with a crimson light as he looked in a particular direction. "Four guys..."
Perhaps out of habit, Hawkins drew a tarot card to divine their fate, then put it away.
"And?" Ulki glanced at him and asked.
"You already know the answer," Hawkins replied calmly. "No one is a match for Sage."
"Let's go take a look!"
Sage's voice was menacing. "I want to see what's going on here!"
...
The sudden arrival of the storm and the colossal ship's silhouette docking in the rain startled the four of them.
"Let's go!"
The goggled youth took the lead in retreating, but as soon as he moved, a streak of light flashed from the east, piercing through the rain and wind, and encircled the entire island.
In just one circle, the small boats docked along the coast where they had landed began to disintegrate, one after another, with barely any time in between. As soon as one boat broke apart, the next one followed suit, until all four were completely destroyed. The streak of light, having circled the island, suddenly shot up towards the sky above them, causing even the raging wind and rain to momentarily freeze.
It seemed that even the storm had been torn open, revealing the figure within.
As the figure descended, Lily's battle skirt fluttered slightly, exposing her slender white silk legs up to her knees. She had just sheathed her rapier at her waist, and her entire body was visible as she descended through the gap in the storm.
"Sword Princess!"
The goggled youth clenched his teeth, his face grim, but deep down, he felt a sense of relief.
Thankfully, it was only the Sword Princess. Compared to the arrival of the most formidable opponent, facing a Sword Princess was not impossible.
Boom!
The torn storm attempted to close, but just as the rain was about to enter the vacuum, a mysterious loud noise reverberated.
A terrifying black-red torrent, akin to a giant wave, surged skyward, sweeping around the island before soaring upwards like a pillar, piercing the overcast sky and creating a hole in it.
The rain ceased, and the wind subsided.
"Someone explain this to me," a voice filled with audacity and arrogance echoed behind the Sword Princess.
The four turned to see a white-haired youth approaching, his fur-trimmed cape swaying with his movements.
By his side, a pink-haired, freckled little girl with pigtails hugged her head, strolling leisurely.
A woman with sleek black hair like a waterfall had a gentle expression, as if on a casual stroll through the countryside.
A man with golden, wavy hair and eyebrows transformed into six vertical lines exuded elegance as he strolled leisurely.
A muscular Sky Islander, adorned with a massive beaded necklace, grinned bizarrely, showing no signs of tension.
Renetia, Marika, Hawkins, Ulki, and...
The goggled youth turned his gaze towards the white-haired man at the center, offering a wry smile. "Looks like almost everyone is here."
Sage approached Lily, his eyes fixed on the peculiar quartet. He continued his unfinished sentence, "Who the hell damaged my ship and erased the related memories!"
As he spoke, his gaze fell upon the long-haired youth with his eyes covered, clad in peculiar armor, and striking an oddly familiar pose.
"Oh! The mightiest Demon King is questioning me, the Dark Messenger?"
The youth with covered eyes crossed his arms, twisting his waist and thrusting his hips, forming a ninety-degree twist. "The ability to erase memories is within my domain, but as of today, I have yet to unseal this power. O Demon King, do you wish to curse me?"
"D-Demon King?"
Renetia blinked in surprise and turned to Sage. "Aren't you human?"
"That's the mightiest Demon King, and you, the Witch of Techniques, your name rings throughout the world. Even before the Time King, you are a formidable rival. But I prophesy that the Demon King's forces and the Time King, Kaz, will be entangled until the world's end!"
The youth with covered eyes faced them, one hand covering the collar of his armor and the other pointing at them, while leaning his body backward, striking a pose.
"You're not the Dark Messenger?"
Renetia blinked, "But, he seems kind of cool."
Smack! Sage tapped her on the back of her head and clicked his tongue. "Don't engage in chuunibyou talk, it's contagious, especially to kids!"
He stared oddly at the youth with covered eyes, raising his eyebrows and then shaking his head. "Damn, even on the high seas, I run into chuunibyou."
Indeed, this guy was familiar, a typical chuunibyou.
In the age of great maritime exploration, encountering a chuunibyou was indeed peculiar.
Sage turned his attention to the rugged man wearing women's clothing, a sword at his waist, and a thick beard and chest hair.
"No, it's, me, I, am."
The burly man twisted his body and spoke softly. "I'm a swordsman, not an ability user."
"There's a swordsman's aura about him."
Lily glanced at the sword at his waist and frowned. "And a powerful one at that."
Swordsmen had a sense for each other, and although this guy appeared ordinary, the sword aura within him was intense.
Sage looked at the man with a deep and solemn expression, his arms crossed.
"Catastrophe."
The man spoke slowly, "I've heard you're a master of your craft. Coincidentally, I believe my martial arts have reached an unparalleled level, and I wish to test my skills against yours."
"Oh? That's impressive."
Sage smiled and turned to the goggled youth, "Then it's you."
"Is there a need for such exclusion?"
The goggled youth smiled, showing his teeth. "I never thought I'd attract your attention without any related memories. I'm not targeting you specifically; I have a mission that must be completed."
"You're causing trouble in my territory and want to make amends?"
Sage scoffed and stepped forward. "Do you take me for a fool? Those one hundred and eighty men and three ships are on your tab!"
He might not remember the related memories, but the data could be checked.
Conveniently, Lily had a habit of constantly updating her data. After confirming the issue, she immediately returned to investigate.
Although no one had any memories, the recorded information remained unchanged, and these were the missing pieces.
"You even know the number of people?"
The goggled youth shook his head. "Sorry, I've erased their existence, completely wiping them from the high seas."
Bang! As he finished his sentence, a fist suddenly appeared on his face, punching him hard and sending him flying backward, landing heavily.
"Oh my!"
The goggled youth rolled on the ground, rubbing his face as he stood up, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He smiled bitterly, "Even 'erasing' wasn't fast enough."
"Hmm?"
Sage retracted his hand, looked at his fist, and then at the youth. "Interesting, you should've been unable to block my punch. Your head should've exploded or, at the very least, suffered severe injuries. What's your ability with just a minor injury like that?"
The goggled youth smiled faintly. "I'm not stupid enough to tell you."
On the high seas, many would explain their abilities.
But he was an exception.
Only by not revealing his ability could he remain enigmatic, maximizing its use.
(End of Chapter)
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