CHAPTER 539: CHAPTER 487: PLANNING THE ANNIHILATION OF A NATION (4,000 WORDS)

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!...

The deafening roar of cannon fire continued to rumble across the sea.

The complete destruction of the Invincible Fleet did not mean the end of the uproar on the sea. The Hilus, unqualified to participate in the war and thus surviving cruisers, along with numerous merchant ships, frequently shuttled between the semi-fallen zones and the only remaining territory of Lobito, scrambling to transport their nation’s noble expatriates and various precious resources.

Those who secured a ticket to escape were overjoyed, hoping to preserve their lives and assets after reaching Lobito; those who didn’t were wailing in despair, left only to cover their heads and wait for the new colonial rulers to decide their fate.

For a moment, the various states of human nature in reality were more fascinating than an opera performance.

These Hilus people, who had enslaved more than half the world, probably never imagined that such a fate would one day befall them.

However, securing a ticket did not guarantee safe arrival at their destination.

Because they still had to pass through the blockade zones established by the Alliance’s commerce raiders.

The high-level attitude was simple: maintain pressure on the Southern Continent, using these people as hostages to force Hilus into concessions during negotiations.

The old foxes were not naive enough to think that occupying Hilus’ colonies would allow them to rest easy; in the end, the size of their territories would still be determined by their own strength.

At this moment, the scene occurring on the route west of "Treasure Tree Bay" was a perfect illustration of this strategy.

A ship flying the flag of Phaletis, its hull covered with various marine parasites—barnacles, tube worms, bryozoans, mussels, algae—looking like an ancient battleship that had sunk to the ocean floor years ago and was dredged up again.

Just a moment ago, it had boldly sunk a Hilus ship with its bronze cannon covered in green rust.

Facing a cruiser whose crew had been slaughtered completely, the ship was slowly sinking into the water in a blaze of flames.

"Shipwreck Elegy, sacrifice!"

A voice as filthy and sticky as deep-sea sludge echoed on the antique ship, and a black stone sculpture at the bow, resembling a shipwreck, emitted rings of hazy black light.

Cold, deep, chaotic...

The parasites on the ship began to grow at a rate visible to the naked eye, gradually eroding the original wooden structure of the battleship and using their bodies to replace it.

"Ha—"

Feeling the powerful force rising within his body, the captain, whose appearance resembled a ghost more than a human and who wore a captain’s hat, let out a long sigh.

This captain’s bare upper body had mostly transformed into the shell of a crab or lobster, while the rest retained a humanoid shape, covered entirely with various marine parasitic organisms, similar to the ship beneath his feet.

Especially, in the hollow socket of his left eye, a tuft of black, fine tentacles swayed like a living creature, resembling the ghostly hand of a water ghost rising from the depths.

Beside him, the crew, equally intoxicated by the surge of power, although less mutated than the captain, had already become monstrous enough.

Evidently, they were once familiar faces to Aiven, Gel, and the old crew of the "Silver Wings," or rather, although the people had changed, the distinctive Ocean Treasure had left a lasting impression.

It was the "Ocean Treasure: Elegy of the Sinking Ship," gained from One-Eyed Becky and then traded for interests with Count Stuyak of the Kingdom.

Effect: Each time an Order Side Ship is sunk, the owner’s vessel receives a boost, with the increase determined by the destroyed enemy ship’s strength.

As long as they continued hunting the warships of civilized nations, becoming a true Legendary Battleship was not a dream.

And the crew aboard this ship had collectively embarked on the path of the "Shipwreck Mourner." This captain had become a far stronger Tier 2 "Ship-Bound Spirit" than One-Eyed Becky ever was, and the crew had begun their transformation into Tier 1 "Water Ghosts."

After completing another sacrifice.

"Let’s go, we continue the hunt.

Soon, the ’Bone-Eating Worm’ will become a Quasi-Legendary, Legendary Battleship under our hands, and even everyone’s nightmare!

Abundant wealth, superior treatment, the opportunity to become Extraordinary, the Count will grant to our families!"

"Oh hoo—!"

As a force under the Count, they were taking advantage of the war to strengthen their power. Not seen before the great battle, they came to pick up the spoils afterward, perfectly in line with the nobles’ usual style.

But at this moment.

Da.. Da.. Da..

Suddenly, the crisp and pleasant sound of hooves echoed across the sea.

"What’s that sound?"

Soon, the grotesque crew members saw a holy figure passing by the warship from afar.

It was a girl in a white dress, riding a white deer like an elf.

Her long hair, dancing with the sea breeze, was a dazzling silver-white, she wore a simple white dress, and sat sideways on the back of the white deer as if condensed from light, barefoot.

The white deer galloped, traversing even the sea as if it were flat ground.

Behind them, a large group of sharks of various types seemed to have shed their fierce nature, following step-by-step, like guards flanking them, even including demonized sharks among them.

"That light is blinding..."

"I feel like cutting her!"

"..."

To the crew of the "Bone-Eating Worm," the pure and ethereal aura of the girl was unbearably glaring, with an irresistible urge to draw their swords.

The girl, also noticing this bizarre warship, couldn’t help but wrinkle her jade-like nose. Just the sight of this group of "people" from afar filled her nostrils with the decaying stench of the sea.