CHAPTER 466: CHAPTER 361: WINNER TAKES ALL, LOSER BITES THE DUST!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...

The sounds of thunderous explosions vibrated through the air, and brilliant orange flames erupted in front of the Black Tide Town docks.

Streaks of scarlet fire trailed across the sky with a piercing shriek, plummeting fiercely towards the firmly stacked central square.

The Golden Deer was now equipped with nothing but carronades. This sacrificed range for larger caliber and more ferocious firepower. Under double shot firing, its projectile weight reached an astonishing 424 pounds.

A standard 32-gun Level 5 Ship armed with cannons only added up to 312 pounds.

Among the ships with fewer than fifty guns, it could claim the title of "Half-Step Peak Grand Perfection" with its firepower alone.

With 44 glowing red-hot shells and the manual guidance of Storm Elves, this was the most terrifying "Meteor Fire Rain" of the current era.

Even if a Fifth-order Legend fire mage were to intervene, there would unlikely be any qualitative difference.

Following the bombardment, Byron and Violet intertwined their fingers, their Divine Light merged into one, and they commanded a swarm of suicide mission Warship Birds, glowing red, to dive-bomb the site.

"Blood and Fire Sing As One," the grand move they launched together, had no problems. Except for being expensive, it offered only advantages.

Despite their wealth, the luxury of pelting people with gold and silver made them wince at the cost.

But then, from the memories of the possessed entities, they learned of the superior performance of the Meis Leviathan Whale oil bombs.

They promptly scheduled the development of whale oil bombs.

If a mere "Whale Explosion" held such terrifying power, what kind of chemical reaction would adding "Blood of Metamorphosis" and "Flame’s Kiss" produce?

Violet pursued the title "Calamity Witch," a follower, according to legend, of the "Rift Whale Leviathan."

If one day they could turn that "Leviathan" into a super bomb, wouldn’t it be more than enough to slay a god?

Mr. Byron, who suffered from late-stage "insufficient firepower phobia," felt a sense of...healing, just thinking about the super mushroom clouds rising and the continents shifting.

As the first shell hit the ground, Byron’s voice was carried clearly on the breeze to every ear in the town:

"Hereby, I, Byron Tudor of the Sea Hunter, declare war on the Laplace siblings, rulers of Black Tide Town.

The victor takes all, the vanquished bite the dust!"

A golden parchment scroll floated above Byron’s head.

It was the Holy Relic: The First Overseas Colonization Decree of the Great Voyage Era:

"This was the very first colonization decree issued by the Castilian King, symbolizing the beginning of everything.

Great Voyages! Great Colonizations! Great Conquests!

Later seized by Byron, he replaced the Anchoring Castilian Oxen City Codex with his own Golden Law.

As the territories conquered overseas increased, so did the status and historical significance of this decree.

After Byron audaciously seized two Native Empires and a large part of Yucatan Island with the help of the Golden Law, this Sacred Relic quietly rose to the level of a First-Class Sacred Relic."

Effect: Wherever you look, the land is an enemy’s state.

Ability Two, Declaration of War:

"Holding the decree, one can declare war on any sovereign or power of a foreign land in the name of the Sacred Golden Emperor or his spokesperson. Victorious conquest allows seizure of all the opponent’s assets.

These include, but are not limited to, Sacred Relics, Miracles, and witchcraft creations which require special bloodlines or status to use, expanding territories for the Golden Empire."

Historical Mission: The user must become an unceasing Conqueror from this point forward.

Whether compared to the initial conquests of Cortes or Byron’s takedown of Yucatan Island and successful capture of the largest chunk of the Bantaan Archipelago, nobody in recent times had been more successful before the opening of the New Continent.

No sooner had the word "bite the dust" left his mouth, than the first scorching shell ruthlessly plunged into the crowd of Deep Sea Clan on the square, carving a horrifying trail of flesh and blood.

Then came the second, and the third...

Though they were merely solid cast iron shots weighing at most a few dozen pounds, they easily inflicted damage by the ton.

Behind them flocked countless "missile" Warship Birds.

BOOM! CRASH! One after another, searing roses of flame blossomed throughout the town. The puddles on the ground not only failed to extinguish the fire but were almost boiled away themselves.

The ritual gathering had drawn clan members from all over to the square, standing all too closely packed.

Flesh and blood splattered, and Bone Crusher fragments flew wide; fierce flames ignited house after house, centered on the square.

Despite the disregard for hostages, the guided munitions still mostly skirted around the fish ponds, minimizing collateral damage.

One Warship Bird, instead of exploding, quietly dived into a fish pond, dissolving instantly and dispersing the vaccine it carried.

Suddenly, hundreds of dead fish eyes jolted to life.

"Declare war? How is that possible? The Sea Hunter is already here?!"

The Laplace siblings, who had been fantasizing about how to threaten Byron into submission with hostages, abruptly turned pale.

Anticipating a jailbreak, they had long dispatched elites to patrol the nearby seas.

Firstly, the Barnacle Crab’s one-time jump of a thousand kilometers couldn’t be precise. As long as it landed in the nearby seas, it would be detected immediately.

Secondly, even if the Sea Hunter hadn’t come rushing over as desperately as Yemengade, they wouldn’t be able to escape the eyes of the Deep Sea Clan at sea.

They had not anticipated such a premeditated, precise attack, carried out with cold calculation.

Announcing warfare in advance was considered polite, even praiseworthy. This practice was in keeping with a "Great Good Man" and befitted their reputation.

But when a bullet hits the body before a declaration of war, what’s the difference between that and a surprise assault? Polite, yes, but barely.

Having come to their senses, the siblings immediately launched a counterattack, chanting together:

"O Ancients of the Deep Sea Clan, Loyal Guardians of Luanyun City, Abyssal Horror who commands the currents, heed my prayer.

Unfurl the Divine Domain! Dominate the currents!"

Byron’s timing was impeccable; the merging of the two towns, one real, one illusory, was no convenient task to undo.

Like a carriage that has come to a stop, it needed time to resume normal speed.

But Black Tide Town in the Dream Realm was not a town that could only take blows without retaliating.

The brother among the Laplace siblings raised his hand, and suddenly the accumulated water surged, instantly forming three towering Torrent Gates, lined up before the square.

Even though the cannonballs were enchanted for greater power, their lethality dissipated after piercing through three layers of water.

The Torrent Gates repaired as quickly as they were damaged, able to instantly restore themselves even after a barrage from warships.

The sister also swung her trident, and ripples spread across the water beneath her feet, shooting out sharp jets of water from the wave crests that were comparable to the firepower of cannons.

The air itself emitted sharp, explosive sounds.

WHIZZ! WHIZZ! WHIZZ!...

It was common knowledge.

By whatever means, upon acquiring the "Kingly Title" within the ranks of the Ladder of Glory,

one could establish Iron Laws of Sovereignty that served their interests, whether as a Pirate King or a legitimate King, within their own domain or where their power could reach.

Truth only existed within the reach of military force, or as far as the cannons could fire.

Under the guidance of a King or a Regent King through the Law Network, numerous powerful ruling abilities could be employed.

One could monitor any infraction against the laws, issue Decrees at will...

The Guardsmen within the Core Royal Domain could also receive significant enhancements from the laws, gather the power of the citizens, and unleash strength beyond their Extraordinary Level...

The inherent realm of the "Kingly Title" was rooted among all subjects or nationals who accepted rule by law, either actively or passively, and it remained effective even in the absence of the "Kingly Title" holder.

Just as the North Sea Pirate King, "Whale Hunter," had been missing for years, yet his Iron Laws of Sovereignty still lingered at Iron Anchor Bay, continuing to uphold his Domain of Royal Power.

It was Byron and his companions’ first encounter with such a display of a Fifth Order Divine Domain.

Yet it clearly possessed powers akin to The Domain of Royal Power.

Spread upon the foundation of believers and the core parish, this gave the Divine Son and Daughter siblings an immediate boost with their father’s Authority, namely, the authority and rank described in the Three-part Honorable Title.

—Loyal Guardian of Luanyun City, Abyssal Horror who commands the currents.

The honorable title followed a specific format: the first part detailing identity, the second Authority, and the third rank.

Anyone could describe using the format of an honorable title.

For example: the second-highest position on a ship, the captain’s loyal assistant, the First Mate who manages the logistics and the crew.

Thus, upon hearing an honorable title, one would know the primary powers of the "Abyssal Horror" Dagon included: Guardian and commanding the currents.

Especially at sea, that was their absolute home field.

Confronted with the counterattack of the Divine Son and Daughter, the large Ammonite Sea Monster, Little Whorl, already positioned in front of the Golden Deer, let out a cry: KREEEE—!

With sixty tentacles waving, it activated its Innate Ability, "Torrent Armor," under Byron’s command, churning the water into a rapidly spinning, gigantic ring of water.

From the side, it crashed into the incoming jets of water, scattering them into disarrayed splashes.

The Golden Deer was doused with nothing more than a heavy rain.

「At the same time.」

The "Death Knight" Andrew had already stealthily boarded the Miracle adventure ship, the "Ironclaw Vessel."

The next moment, torrents of remorseful fire erupted from his hands, then spread swiftly, igniting the rudder, the sails, each plank, and every cannon on board.

CACKLE, CACKLE, CACKLE...

In the blink of an eye, this warship was transformed into a horrifying Ghost Ship ablaze with hellish fire, under the Skeleton Knight’s maniacal laughter, becoming Andrew’s new "Mount."

The hundreds of Mad Hunt Legionnaires assigned to him by Byron were empowered by the fire of repentance, swiftly manning the cannons, loading the ammunition.

Together with the Golden Deer, they flanked the town and the square from either side.

Andrew cackled with his bony jaws agape, "Lads, give these monsters a taste of their own medicine."

Surrounded on all sides, the Divine Son and Daughter siblings failed to notice that beneath their very feet, a human hand had silently climbed up onto the pool’s edge.

The "Whirlwind Jet Armstrong Cyclone Cannon" (See Chapter 306), which had shown its prowess during the siege of the Double-faced Person, carried its master’s full rage and burrowed viciously towards the sister, who was closer.