Chapter 255
Chapter 255
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 256
Chapter Title: Provoking the Commander
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Pararararak!
Nene leaped into the air, her body spinning at high speed like a top as she unleashed a relentless spray of poison mist toward her surroundings.
The poison was so potent that the deck it touched blackened in an instant.
Using such a technique on a ship packed with allies could have been risky, but Saladin's fingers, controlling Mimi and Nene, showed not a hint of hesitation.
After all, the deck, once filled with navy sailors prepared for battle, now held only two—no, four—people.
This was entirely thanks to Delro's training.
Last winter, one of the key focuses of Delro's drills had been "evacuation."
In the event that one of the enemy's absolute powerhouses infiltrated their ship, they were to abandon it immediately and flee to nearby vessels without delay.
Staying on board would only lead to a pointless death or becoming an obstacle in the way of their own powerhouses.
Delro had drilled this into the Assei thoroughly. The enemies they faced weren't a handful of elite powerhouses, but hordes of ordinary pirates.
Thanks to that training, Saladin could maneuver Mimi and Nene without restraint.
Saladin's poison was dangerous enough to instinctively raise alarms, but Pardal scoffed and spun his scythe at high speed.
Weeeeeeng!
The scythe rotated around its pole like an umbrella, forming a circular barrier in front of Pardal.
Pfshaaaa!
The scythe's astonishing rotational force scattered the poison mist harmlessly into the surroundings.
Then, Pardal lightly swung it to shake off the lingering remnants of the toxic fog.
"What, that's it? If that's all you've got to show, this is turning out way too easy."
Clank!
A faint metallic clink emanated from Pardal's shoulder as he slung his scythe over it with confident swagger.
...A metallic sound?
Saladin's ears didn't miss that tiny noise, but he pretended not to notice and calmly continued his conversation with Pardal.
"No way that's all. If anything, you're the one whose reputation as Commander seems undeserved."
"Hmm, what makes you say that?"
Perfect, hooked. He might be skilled in combat, but when it came to provocation, this was my clear victory. It was all too obvious how to rile this guy up.
"They say the Archipelago Commander rivals the Empire's Four Marquises. Looks like rumors are just rumors, though—trying to compare yourself to them with this level of skill. The Four Marquises felt way more terrifying."
"...You talk like you've actually fought the Four Marquises."
Good. His expression was hardening bit by bit.
"Well, maybe I have, maybe I haven't. Who knows what really happens, right?"
I shrugged, flashing a sly grin as I curled my lips toward Pardal.
"At least a Four Marquis wouldn't be flailing around this pathetically against someone like me. Hahaha."
"...You bastard."
Pardal's face twisted in fury at my taunt. He gripped his scythe, then let out a long breath.
"Okay, I'll give you that. Your mouth is at least somewhat impressive."
The smile vanished from Pardal's face as he exhaled and nodded.
"A mouth that can piss off the Commander? That's rare. Guess I'll have to cut it off and brew it into some liquor."
Click!
Pardal assumed a stance, gripping the scythe slung over his shoulder. The sight sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn't stop here.
"What a total pervert. Why are you eyeing a guy's mouth? They say long hauls at sea turn pirates into weirdos, but you're one of them too?"
Pardal didn't reply any further. He simply swung his scythe straight at Saladin.
Kwajajajak!
The aura etched sharply into the scythe tore through the deck—crafted meticulously by the kingdom's artisans—like it was paper.
Saladin, floating in the air amid the shattered deck fragments, swung both arms to position Mimi and Nene on Pardal's left and right.
Pardal's scythe was already deeply embedded in the deck.
Evading attacks from Mimi and Nene would be no easy feat.
"Die!"
As Saladin's fingers moved, Mimi and Nene drew blades from their wrists and closed in to pressure Pardal.
With his scythe sealed, Pardal was at a clear disadvantage. Yet he curled his lips at the approaching pair.
Gotcha.
Clank!
While the massive blade remained lodged in the deck, the pole excluding the scythe extended with a long seam, stretching like a chain weapon.
Chiriririt!
Pardal swung the handle like a chain weapon, leaving the blade fixed in the deck.
Shweeeee!
The chain shot toward Nene's torso at his command.
It coiled around her body before she could react.
Pardal poured aura mercilessly into the chain, smashing Nene's torso to pieces.
Kwajik!
"Haha! Too bad, puppeteer! One of your prized toys smashed to bits without a fight!"
Pardal laughed triumphantly. In truth, Saladin's taunts hadn't angered him in the slightest from the start.
He'd just found the scheming Saladin amusing and played along briefly.
Destroying one of the puppeteer's key toys as payment for humoring him was no loss at all.
But Saladin's expression didn't change in the least.
"What are you doing?"
"...?!"
At Saladin's reaction, Pardal's eyes involuntarily turned to the doll he'd supposedly shattered.
What had broken wasn't the doll—it was chunks of deck wood.
"That subtle metallic clink from your oversized scythe moving. I caught on right then, idiot."
Pardal swept back his bangs and laughed in disbelief at Saladin's sneer.
In the midst of crashing waves and splintering wood, amid all that noise, he'd heard the chain in his scythe?
"...Ha! Look at this guy."
Swoosh!
He effortlessly yanked the scythe free from the deck.
As expected, he'd only pretended it was stuck as a feint.
"Fun, very fun. Let's play for real now."
The long blade of the drawn great scythe gleamed as Pardal licked it. He exuded the eerie aura of a reaper from hell.
"Crazy bastard's got metal poisoning. Why lick the blade, you freak."
Saladin kept his fingers moving calmly even as he watched.
Fwaaah!
Mimi and Nene charged at Pardal once more.
"Fire!"
Kwaaaang! Kwaaang!
Cannonballs hurtled through the water with ferocious momentum.
Leading the barrage was a slender girl sprinting across the waves.
Her fragile frame looked like it would pulverize instantly before the merciless shells.
But the moment she was already dashing over the water, she was no ordinary frail human.
Chachachachachachachaaa!!
On the contrary, the girl obliterated the cannonballs with terrifying force, closing the distance to the firing ship in a flash.
Tadadot!
Near Olivia's flagship, she leaped high into the air, bounding off nearby ships—Omari, the girl.
Her body bent back like a drawn bowstring as she glared downward, her eyes filled with chilling intent.
"Die."
Bwaaaaaak!
An immense aura-laden energy followed her X-slash with the daggers, surging toward Olivia's flagship.
Before such overwhelming might, even the flagship was just a slightly larger boat.
Differing little from other ships that lasted a second—it wouldn't hold two.
As Olivia's warships teetered like sandcastles before the waves...
-Grooooar!
A massive bear's roar echoed from the flagship. The swung forepaw rent Omari's aura to shreds, making her prior threat seem trivial.
Grizzly.
The apex predator ruling the food chain, even making upper monsters like Dragon Mountains ogres yield.
"What the...?"
Omari's eyes widened at the unexpected turn.
Even for her, veteran of countless battlefronts, a grizzly suddenly appearing on deck was bewildering.
Her gaze caught a woman cloaked in the grizzly's illusion atop the ship.
The woman stood protectively beside the old man who had just mocked her with leisure.
"Fight barely starts, and you go straight for the flagship captain's head? No manners."
Black Lion, leader of Azure Stream—White Wing.
Beast Master, Rampang.
Just before battle commenced...
"Lady Rampang must never move."
Dwayne urgently impressed this on her.
"What?"
Rampang was the surprised one.
With the priest absent, their forces already had gaps.
In this situation, if she didn't move, how would they handle the waves of ordinary pirates—the backbone of the archipelago forces?
As if reading her thoughts, Dwayne added,
"With the baron detached from the main force, overwhelming naval victory matters more than clashes between elites. For that, Delro's safety must be absolutely secured. Until Ballack moves personally to upend the field, Lady Rampang must not leave this spot, no matter what."
From Dwayne's stern expression and resolute gaze, Rampang sensed the true weight of his words.
No matter what. Even if someone died before her eyes, prioritize Delro's safety.
"...Young Master Dwayne. You grasp the gravity of those words, right?"
"I'm chief of staff, Lady Rampang. To see the big picture... we must know when to abandon the small things."
She recalled Dwayne biting his lip, blood trickling as he called them "small things."
"...Tch! Stupid priest. So many bleeding because of you. Stop making things hard and wake up already."
Rampang's eyes toward the flagship cabin brimmed with urgency, anxiety, and helpless frustration—feelings Delro couldn't miss.
"Hahaha! Worry not, Lady Rampang! This old man will protect Olivia come hell or high water!"
Flutter!
"Even without the baron, I have no intention of yielding my neck so easily."
Delro's hands danced, swapping harpoon for flag.
At the signal, those waiting in the canyon's nooks began moving slowly.
Thud! Thud!
Omari veered back to the Iron Maiden Pirates' main fleet faster than she'd charged the flagship.
"Can't touch the flagship."
She stated firmly to vice-captain Grace.
Her speech was clumsy, her strategic mind lacking, but her battle instincts surpassed any commander.
Thus, she sensed it instinctively: the woman beside the old man was stronger. Far stronger.
"Maybe... like the king."
She had no choice but to change tactics.
Omari silently turned, curling up in a chair on deck.
Grace bowed slightly to her.
This meant she deferred judgment. In command, Grace far outshone the captain.
"As you command."
Grace's eyes swept the Corantos Canyon in an instant.
Vessels stirred from islets dotting the area, including the central fleet that repelled the captain.
Corantos Canyon suits ambushes with its scattered isles. Then...
With such mighty forces entrenched centrally—forcing the vanguard in would feed them to the center and ambushes.
Her decision was clear.
"Split the fleet—hit left and right flanks!"
Normally, vanguards break enemy momentum, but with all power centralized, it changed everything.
Their midguard had East Commander Drake, rearguard the visiting king.
First, aid the flanks, crush the easier left and right ambushes, neutralize encirclement, then encircle and squeeze the center.
That was Grace's call. Though tinged with personal ambition.
Praise a rural navy for mustering such force, but flanks would be empty.
She could wipe them solo with Iron Maidens, no need for flank aid.
We'll claim all visible merits.
South, North Commanders. Suck your thumbs in the rear.
But Grace should have thought deeper.
No rural domain could amass such central force without the captain yielding—regardless of concentration.