Chapter 529

Chapter 394: Thief

Conquer Sea, Shining White Pearl.

Under a dark sky, a massive cruise ship cut through the vast ocean, where countless passengers gathered on the expansive foredeck, crowding together in preparation to witness the crucial moment of this voyage—the unveiling of the Deep Blue Heart.

As all the passengers focused their gaze on the angel statue draped in white cloth at the bow of the ship, eagerly anticipating the first public appearance of the Deep Blue Heart, the jeweler Massimo finally yanked off the covering cloth.

When the passengers beheld the scenery upon the angel’s hand, the expected gasps of wonder and admiration did not emerge. In the eyes of most viewers in the back rows, while the sapphire in the angel’s hand was indeed large, it appeared rather ordinary and lacked the brilliance they had anticipated, seeming less impressive than some gems displayed during the day. Disappointment crept into the expressions of some, and whispers began to arise among the audience.

In stark contrast to the rear spectators, a few in the front row exhibited clear astonishment upon seeing the gem. They noticed the note affixed to the gem, which bore a message from Thief K. According to the note, the gem currently in the angel’s hand was fake! The real gem had been swapped out by that Thief K!

Thief K was no prankster! Those invitation notes were not a joke! This was the collective inner voice of everyone who had seen the note.

“What the hell is going on!? Where’s the gem!?”

From afar in the upper structure, Costa, using his extraordinary vision, read the note on the gem at the bow and couldn’t help but exclaim in frustration, simultaneously crushing the iron railing before him. He could sense that the spiritual trace that had been intact at the bow was suddenly gone! The Deep Blue Heart had been stolen right before everyone’s eyes!

How did Thief K pull this off!? Since the Deep Blue Heart was placed on the angel statue, the entire bow had been under strict guard, and no one had approached! The statue covered in white cloth always had someone watching it, and there had been no suspicious figures nearby, let alone any unusual sounds! How could the Deep Blue Heart have been inexplicably swapped out!? Was this some unknown extraordinary ability?!

Costa thought in shock, while standing before the angel statue, Massimo was equally stunned. Just a moment ago, he had been mocking Thief K to everyone, and now the gem had been swapped out!? The spiritual trace he had sensed moments earlier had vanished, and even the radiant spiritual glow that should have been emanating was gone.

Looking at the dim, unremarkable gem with the note attached, Massimo felt a level of shock even greater than Costa’s. After all, he was responsible for the security measures surrounding the Deep Blue Heart, and the current situation was far beyond his expectations.

“d*mn it… what on earth happened!? What did that guy do?! How did he get close to the statue? How did he disable my mechanisms?!”

Grinding his teeth, Massimo, anxious and agitated, spoke up, then immediately pulled a key from his pocket. Grabbing hold of the angel statue with his hands, he climbed up without any protective measures, intending to personally investigate what had occurred.

With a sense of urgency, Massimo climbed up to the angel statue before everyone’s eyes, then used the key to unlock the mechanism at the statue’s hand. After a series of careful rotations, he released the mechanism that held the Deep Blue Heart captive, reaching out to grasp the dull gem.

In that instant, Massimo’s hand was about to make contact with the hidden zombie puppet lying below the gem, and among the crowd, Dorothy seized the opportunity, channeling spiritual energy to the zombie puppet, amplifying its electrical charge beyond what it had been before!

“Crack!!”

Accompanied by a flash of white light from the statue’s hand, a loud sound erupted unexpectedly. Just as Massimo made contact with the Deep Blue Heart, he suddenly felt an unprecedented shock in his hand—a tingling pain, causing his muscles to involuntarily contract. Caught off guard, Massimo was jolted by the electric shock, losing control and dropping the Deep Blue Heart, sending it tumbling toward the ocean below.

“What…?”

Witnessing the scene unfold, Massimo and the crowd widened their eyes, fixating on the falling fake gem. Just a moment before, a dark shadow leaped from the audience.

The black shadow sprang from the crowd to the ship’s railing, and with remarkable grace and speed, danced along the narrow edge and reached the angel statue’s side, grabbing the falling gem securely in hand. At that moment, Massimo, still reeling from the surprise electric shock, lost his balance and fell onto the deck at the bow.

Under the gaze of countless spectators, the dark shadow finally halted, revealing a woman with unparalleled balance standing on the railing.

She wore an intricate black gown with a fitted waist and a wide skirt, adorned with a decorative hat, resembling the outfits of many refined women present, making it hard to imagine how she performed the swift and steady movements in such elaborate attire.

Beneath her wide-brimmed hat was a butterfly-shaped mask covering the upper half of her face, while her exposed lower face showcased porcelain skin and vibrant red lips. Her elegant figure was perfectly accentuated by the form-fitting dress, and she grasped the blue gem with her silk-gloved hand.

Facing the stunned gaze of the crowd, the woman’s red lips curled into a faint smile as she tore the note from the blue gem and raised it high. At the same time, the previously dull gem radiated a profound blue glow, illuminating the sea and sky, the brilliance of the Deep Blue Heart first revealed to the spectators in her hands.

“According to our agreement, I have accepted the Deep Blue Heart,” she declared elegantly in Iwig language, as the audience collectively gasped in astonishment, their eyes widening at the bow, filled with double shock.

They were astonished both by the gem’s genuine and stunning beauty and by the revelation of the note’s content being true! Thief K truly existed! And she appeared to be a stunning woman!

“Thief K… capture her immediately!”

Massimo, his right hand still tingling from the electric shock and sprawled on the ground, realized he had been outsmarted upon seeing the glimmering Deep Blue Heart again in Thief K’s grasp. He swiftly ordered his subordinates, and the guarding sailors quickly extended their hands, attempting to catch the woman who was the focus of everyone’s attention.

Though she was balancing on the narrow railing, this did not hinder the thief’s remarkable agility; she danced nimbly on the few slender points, moving with the grace of a cat, easily evading the fast-approaching sailors, who missed their targets, nearly tumbling into the sea.