Chapter 167

The pirates’ greatest foes, in the end, are the navies that specialize in countering them.

In that regard, the woman before me.

A being that can be called the strongest navy in the world, known by the title of Queen of the Sea.

Nelson has always been my greatest enemy.

From the days of nameless piracy to my rapid ascent to this level.

And now, as I gaze upon her once more on the battlefield, I grinned coldly and said.

“Has it been about two years? Your face looks a lot worn; it seems even time can’t be avoided, huh?”

“That’s what I want to say. It doesn’t look like just two years have passed; it feels like twenty! Have you really been through so much hardship?”

“Thanks to whom? By the way… since we’re facing each other one-on-one, I’ll ask.”

With those words, my smile began to fade slowly.

Having finished the basic pleasantries, I no longer had the patience to chat lightly with this woman in front of me.

The anger boiling within me.

The main cause that dragged me to this point, where I tried to avoid war as much as possible…

About that,

I spoke to the woman in front of me, infused with deep murderous intent.

“What happened to our Vice-Captain… Lemain?”

“…”

“Answer me! What did you do to her?”

“… Shall I respond with ‘I killed her’?”

Nelson replied nonchalantly, a light smile fitting her lips.

“Why ask something so obvious? You know my character well; evil must be eliminated without delay. Whether it’s pirates or smugglers, they all deserve to be burned to ashes for this world to be clean. And this applies to you no matter what.”

– Crackle!!!

With that final statement, Nelson began to emit golden lightning from her entire body.

Simultaneously, I too, wrapped in magical power, clenched my fists.

The target was singular.

To snap the neck of that vile woman before my eyes.

Consumed by pure hatred, I launched a powerful strike toward her.

– Bam!!!

With a heavy shock, our clenched fists collided.

Nelson, who had much smaller hands than mine, yet her strength was not to be underestimated.

I felt electrifying jolts coursing through my body.

Despite exerting this much power, her attack managed to hit me.

And it was the same for her side as well.

“Ugh!”

“Tch…”

Nelson grimaced as she withdrew her fist, but her assaults had only just begun.

“Haah!!”

– Crackle!!!

Elevating into the air, Nelson delivered a swift kick.

The blow came crashing down like a bolt of lightning, fierce and unstoppable, but I was already prepared.

– Bam!!!

Once again, her leg collided with my fist.

The power behind our attacks, capable of devouring everything that existed, offset each other, causing the surrounding sea to churn violently.

In that chaos,

I felt a tingling pain in my fingertips as I grabbed her leg with my other hand.

And.

“Smile!”

“Haah!!!”

– Bam!!!

I swung her captured leg down onto a rocky outcrop.

The fragments of the shattered rock flew everywhere, the tumult of seawater and stone creating a loud noise that struck my ears.

At that moment.

– Crackle, crackle…

“Uh!”

A sudden chill coursed through me.

Feeling my hairs stand on end, I anticipated the next move and swiftly raised my guard.

Then…

– Crackle!!!

A beam of light shot toward me.

It resembled a laser rather than lightning, aimed directly at my head, but it was blocked midway by a barrier I had already set up.

And then.

“Haah!!!”

– Bam!!!

I launched a shockwave of my own toward where the laser had come from.

The shimmering wave of golden power struck, sending seawater soaring dozens of meters into the air.

Despite the starlit sky, it felt as if it was raining down due to the multitude of droplets cascading down.

Amongst this, I coldly stared at the now-revealed form of that woman.

“Tsk… It seems this method no longer works…”

“Enough playing. I won’t fall for the same tricks endlessly.”

“Isn’t it the same for both of us…?”

With a voice laced with dissatisfaction, Nelson floated gracefully in the air.

Having fought before, I had mostly figured out her tricks.

The issue was that she also knew our fighting style inside and out.

Confirming that fact anew, I frowned deeply.

‘It looks like it’ll take quite a bit of time…’

*

– Bam!!!

With an enormous roar, the collision of magical powers began.

The strikes crashing against each other unleashed tremors as if an earthquake had struck the waters in front of Gibraltar.

Waves rolled and the wind howled.

Though the sky remained frighteningly calm, this place was erupting in a scene resembling something from the end of the world.

At the pinnacle of the world.

The battle between two top-tier fighters, each at Grade 12.

Their clash radiated immense shockwaves, creating a massive struggle, while simultaneously, the ongoing conflicts between the pirates and navy around them persisted without pause.

Countless ships sank, and even more lives were lost.

Those who sought to oust and those who aimed to defend.

The bloody conflict between them grew thicker on the battlefield, the stench of blood growing stronger.

However, at this moment, a common question loomed in the minds of everyone present.

How on earth would this battle conclude?

Overall, the situation favored the pirates.

They had gained an advantage since the very first move, and in terms of sheer numbers, they were overwhelming.

Most notably, unlike the Brittania Empire Army, they were using the captured warships to rapidly expand their territory.

Two of the latest warships had already fallen to the enemy, and nearly ten others were captured in a truly alarming situation.

Yet, despite this, the Brittania Empire Army worked tirelessly to minimize losses and maintain some semblance of balance.

Employing precise bombardment techniques, they were steadily racking up damage against the pirates while, under the leadership of their generals, they reorganized amidst the chaos to drive the pirates back.

However… the soldiers of the Empire Army were aware of the truth.

While they could hold on for now, if this situation continued, defeat was inevitable.

Yet, despite this, the Brittania Empire Army allowed no thoughts of defeat to creep into their minds.

With their current strength, they couldn’t overturn the unfavorable situation.

But what if another power joined them…

If those they had been waiting for arrived…

The tide of battle would surely turn in an instant.

Their role was to hold on as best as they could until then.

Believing that everything was progressing well according to their victory plan, the Brittania Empire Army desperately fought to fend off the pirate advances.

Yet they were oblivious.

At that moment, the enemies before them were thinking along similar lines…

However, the outcomes of those thoughts were starkly different.

*

On a beach a little distance from Gibraltar, Magellan and Elkana watched the horizon from a small warship that was docked.

Even from this distance, the sounds of battle reached them.

Listening to the cannon fire and explosions echoing like an army of echoes, they felt that it was more right for them to be over there.

“Is Ambasha… alright?”

“That weasel girl is with her. In fact, it’s probably safer there than here.”

“Hmm… that could be true but…”

As Elkana felt her throat dry, she lifted the telescope.

Staring at the dark waters beyond, she worked hard to search for something once more.

“The time is approaching… when the heck are they coming? Can’t you use the Circle of Magical Power, Magellan?”

“You know it’s faster to look with your eyes than to use that. Just keep searching hard. This is more important than even a battle at the moment.”

“Hmm… true, but it’s still frustrating just sitting here while everyone else is fighting…!”

At that moment, Elkana suddenly assumed a stiff, rigid expression.

Then she lowered the telescope and began looking ahead with her naked eyes.

A full moon hung brilliantly in the sky.

Something began to emerge in the light it cast.

In a flash, Elkana raised her hand toward the sky.

Waving a golden thread that wrapped around her finger.