After going into the sea, I met the witch.

A deep blue light rose from the ground and converged to form the shape of Freyne.

Looking at Salem, who was stuck in a dilemma, she chuckled and said, "Since you're here, why rush to leave?"

Two or three professionals?

Salem, nicknamed "Mountain of Flesh," suddenly turned pale.

Even more terrifying was the girl wearing the witch's hat; her spirituality made the hairs on his body stand on end out of instinctive fear.

What a load of bull! This is a murder plot against me, isn't it?!

The thought involuntarily popped into his mind.

Chapter 17 The Power of Professionals!

"Crash..."

Waves crashed against the hulls of the two pirate ships.

On the bow deck of the Black Rose, "Mountain of Flesh" Salem looked extremely pale, his thick face trembling with fear.

Could it be that because I knew too many of that lord's despicable deeds, he devised this scheme to kill me?

After his initial panic, "Mountain of Flesh" Salem quickly calmed down—he knew that if that important person really wanted to get rid of him, there was no need to give him that mysterious weapon.

In other words, the appearance of these two professional girls was an accident, an accident that even the big shot's intelligence network could not predict.

"Qiang..."

The sharp sound of a rapier being drawn rang out, and "Mountain of Flesh" Salem's eyes narrowed as he looked at the knight girl who had jumped off the bulwark and was walking towards him step by step.

Cecilia's pace quickened and became more hurried, while a faint white spiritual glow emanated from her.

"Ding!"

In the blink of an eye, a distance of more than ten meters, the rapier, like a venomous silver snake, aimed at the eyes of "Mountain of Flesh" Salem.

The sword was too fast and too urgent for the bulky and clumsy "mountain of flesh" Salem to react to.

At the critical moment, "Mountain of Flesh" Salem roared, and a visible shockwave expanded outward, causing Cecilia's rapier to stop in mid-air. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he quickly dodged to the side.

However, Cecilia's rapier paused for only a moment before following her like a shadow, piercing through the left arm of the terrified "Mountain of Flesh" Salem.

At the same time, on the other side, Frey also raised her hand, her slender, white index finger pointing towards the heart of "Mountain of Flesh" Salem, and a point of deep blue light appeared.

"Thorn-"

Even though he had dodged desperately, a bloody hole, about the thickness of an index finger, appeared in Salem's chest, and what was even more terrifying was that the wound was covered with a layer of deep blue spiritual energy that was corroding his flesh.

Fortunately, at the last second, he narrowly avoided a fatal blow to the heart.

Faced with the combined attack of Freyne and Cecilia, this professional pirate, who dominated the coastal areas and had a bounty of £18000, was seriously injured in just one exchange.

On the distant deck, Ryan, watching this battle of professionals, also had a solemn expression.

The speed, strength, physique, and even sonic attacks displayed by "Mountain of Flesh" Salem far exceed the limits of normal people. Even though his current physical qualities far surpass those of ordinary people, he would still be no match for him. If it were "Wandering Clone" instead, there would be some hope.

As for the strength displayed by Cecilia and Freya, it was even more alarming to Ryan.

Cecilia's astonishing rapier technique was so fast that he couldn't even see the trajectory. With a flash of silver light, the rapier had already pierced through the enemy's body. Coupled with the inexplicable pale white light that permeated her entire body, her speed reached an astonishing level.

Freyne is even more terrifying; she manipulates pure, deep blue energy in a form almost identical to a laser weapon.

"Is this the power of the Path of the Profession?" Ryan was shocked. After witnessing the strength of the professionals, the slight sense of pride that had unconsciously arisen in his heart due to the improvement of his strength vanished in an instant, and he became even more determined to play it safe.

……

At the bow deck.

Salem, nicknamed "Mountain of Flesh," has a ferocious expression.

He could still bear the piercing wound in his left arm, but the deep blue beam of light that pierced his chest and almost touched his heart nearly took his life.

As the female knight withdrew her rapier and attacked again, the gleaming tip of her sword aimed directly at his brow, "Wall of Flesh" Salem knew he had no way to back down.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and "Mountain of Flesh" Salem suddenly crushed a black cross in his arms.

This was the "mysterious weapon" bestowed upon him by that superior before he embarked on his secret mission.

He originally didn't want to use it because even if he ultimately won, he would pay a heavy price if he did.

But given the current situation, we have no choice but to use it.

A thick black fog spread out.

Freyne and Cecilia's expressions changed, but the black mist spread too quickly, and before they could react, they were enveloped in it.

Thick black fog formed a hemisphere with a diameter of more than ten meters on the deck.

"what?!"

The sudden turn of events made Ryan's expression turn grim.

The pirates of the Skull, who had been panicking and trying to flee because "Wall of Flesh" Salem was at a disadvantage, turned ferocious again and charged at the pirates of the Black Rose with their weapons raised.

The already unfavorable situation has turned into a one-sided one.

Without having time to think about what the black mist was, Ryan slipped into his cabin.

In the shadows of the corner, Ryan held a longsword, his eyes cold.

He didn't know how long the "Black Mist Hemisphere" had existed, or whether Freya and Cecilia, who were trapped inside, would eventually break free. All he could do for now was wait.

We await the end of the battle, and the emergence of the final victor.

If Freya and Cecilia are defeated, he will have no choice but to escape on his raft.

Even if the chances of successfully escaping are extremely slim.

Before this, all he could rely on was the long sword in his hand.

Screams, footsteps, waves, and the sound of flesh tearing... all these sounds intertwined, gradually calming Ryan's heart.

Thanks to his battles with the giant crabs on the beach in the "Wandering Lands," he was no stranger to combat, and now he was actually quite eager to try it out.

He was no match for professionals, but he had no fear of ordinary pirates.

Ryan's eyes were fixed on the hatch; if any enemy tried to force their way in, he would not hesitate to take action.

When he was in a state of mental concentration, his senses became increasingly acute.

The noise around me gradually faded away, leaving only the sound of footsteps that allowed me to judge the distance.

……

"Too weak, too weak!"

"You trash, all of you, die! Hahaha!"

Audis Lusen pulled his scimitar from the corpse lying in a pool of blood at his feet. The spray of blood mist drenched him, but he did not flinch. Instead, he bathed in the blood mist, a morbid, maniacal laugh on his face.

As the first mate of the Skull, although he is not a professional, his robust physique and superb scimitar skills make him one of the top tier of experts below the professionals.

None of the pirates on the Black Rose who encountered him survived more than three blows. Within just a few minutes, a terrifying five people died at his hands.

Chapter 18 Clash of Cold Weapons, Advancement in Swordsmanship!

Now, the pirates of the Black Rose can no longer be seen on the deck.

They were terrified of being killed.

Captain Freyne and First Mate Cecilia are trapped in the "Black Mist Hemisphere," their fate unknown. Facing the pirates of the "Skull" who outnumber and outgun them, the pirates of the "Black Rose" are no match for them.

Those who survived hid inside the cabins, trying to prolong their lives.

But their approach is nothing more than ostrich behavior. It's only a matter of time before the distance is found.

Audis Luxen, carrying a blood-stained scimitar, grinned as he looked toward the cabin on the deck not far away.

On the Black Rose, there were only four or five cabins on the deck. Only the highest-ranking people on the ship were entitled to live there. The rest of the crew had to live in the dark and cramped lower cabins, enduring all sorts of unpleasant smells and terrible conditions.

Therefore, the probability of finding valuable items hidden in the cabins on these decks is far greater than in the lower decks.

Audis didn't know why his captain wanted to attack the Black Rose, but for him personally, while the thrill of fighting was exciting, it would be even better if there were material gains in the process.

As the first mate of the Skull, Audis had priority in choosing the spoils, so although the other pirates also coveted these deck cabins, none of them dared to compete with him for them.

After scanning the area, Audis raised his scimitar and pointed to the cabin with the first mate and second mate's nameplates.

He dared not take the captain's cabin, which was the spoils of Captain Salem, the "Mountain of Flesh." Therefore, he chose the first mate's cabin, which matched his status and position.

As for asking for an extra second officer's cabin?

Who dares to have an opinion?

After Audis made his choice, the pirates around him also chose their targets and forced their way in.

Carrying a scimitar dripping with blood, Audis walked to the door of the second officer's cabin.

As is customary, this cabin should have been the second mate's spoils, but who knew he'd just seen someone hiding inside?

Audis grinned wickedly. He had no other hobbies but enjoyed seeing the despair on other people's faces.

He raised his foot and kicked hard.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the wooden cabin door shook, and with another kick, it let out a mournful cry, unable to hold on any longer, and was forcibly kicked open.

Amidst the splinters of wood, Audis strode in, laughing maniacally: "Come out, I see you, trash."

"Struggle, work hard, and then please me."

His response was a fleeting glint of cold light in mid-air.

"clang!"

The crisp sound of metal colliding rang out.

Audis's expression changed slightly, and he took three steps back. The power coming from the opponent's weapon was evenly matched with his own.

He stared intently at the young man holding the sword opposite him.

He had light blond medium-length hair, distinct and deep facial features, and although his hands were calloused, his skin was still smooth. He looked more like a noble young master who had gone to sea than a pirate.