Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Alvin put away his firearm that had run out of ammo and drew his sword. He then dashed forward and aimed at Kruger’s neck. His sword slashed down with a silver flash.

Clang!

Kruger blocked the attack with his machete in the nick of time. The impact sent him flying backward, hitting the sidewall of the ship.

Bamp!

Although Kruger was well trained, the impact stunned him a little and his leg started bleeding again.

He stood up slowly with red eyes and gritted teeth. Kruger’s dream of becoming the captain of a pirate ship had shattered.

Alvin walked toward him slowly. Kruger spat out a mouthful of bloody spit and said viciously, “What a despicable man!”

However, he could not do anything else. Footwork was very important during an on-boat battle. Losing the ability to even stand up and fight meant death.

Alvin raised his sword in the air.

White Sail Sword Technique!

Clang… clang…

After a few moments of struggle, the ambitious first mate was killed on the Yellow Bird, which he had once dreamed to own.

Everything happened in less than two minutes. What a joke.

The members of the Yellow Bird and the Blood Anchor were still having a chaotic fight. However, both parties saw Kruger collapse to his death.

Captain Joseph was more than happy with the outcome. He only had high hopes of this noble-looking boy because of Viscount Andrea. He had not expected the boy to be so courageous and strong.

With the death of a powerful enemy, hopes for the Yellow Bird to win rekindled.

Blood Anchor Zack had mixed feelings now. He was happy that the man who had been eying the captain position for a long time was dead. However, it was not the right time. Blood Anchor was in deep trouble. His face darkened and his veins started popping out on his forehead.

He shouted angrily, “Damn it! Where did this bastard come from?”

Seeing that the opponents had high morale now, Zack decided to change his strategy. He was not rushing hot-headedly like just now. Instead, he made use of the masts and fought his opponents with his machete.

They were outnumbered from the start and had lost an important fighter. The cost of winning this raid was unthinkable.

Although Zack was a cruel pirate, he did not blame the gods for not watching over them.

Faced with the absolute disadvantage, Blood Anchor became fiercer and his footwork grew swifter. Now his attacks were more brutal.

“Ah!! Die!”

Alvin did not care about what others thought of him. He made use of the short time frame he had to reload his firearm. He was so powerful that no pirates dared to challenge him.

During this short time, Blood Anchor Zack had already killed several men with the advantage of the complex terrain.

Then he rushed toward Captain Joseph with his machete. As long as he managed to kill the captain, the rest of the sailors would be no threat to him at all.

“Captain Joseph, hang in there. I’m coming to help you!”

Zack’s attention was drawn by Alvin’s shouting, but Alvin did not come at him straight.

Instead, he started killing the pirates near him so that more sailors from the Yellow Bird could be freed from the battle and follow him to the bow of the ship.

As expected of the captain of the Blood Anchor pirates, Zack was much more skillful than the first mate. Alvin knew that the pirates were at a disadvantage now, thus he was not rushing. He needed to remain calm in order to avoid making deadly mistakes.

Seeing that the group of sailors following Alvin had increased, Zack knew that his initial strategy before the attack was losing its effect. The pirates that were better at fighting solo had been defeated and their force had been weakened exponentially.

Zack could not get near the captain of the merchant ship, as he was well protected by sailors with firearms.

Zack knew that he had to make a swift decision, or he would not even have enough people to operate the Blood Anchor, let alone take control of this merchant ship.

Then one of the pirates shouted, “It’s him! That was the pretty noble boy that stopped our sailing master!”

“Yes! That’s him! I recognize him too.”

The remaining pirates on the ship gathered around Zack, and those who had fought alongside Black Bear Billy in the city spotted Alvin immediately.

“That’s him?!”

Zack’s blood rushed to his head and his veins felt like they were going to explode.

Ever since he had escaped to the Leopold region, Zack’s constant bad luck had finally become his nightmare after the siege. The fall of Black Bear Billy was like the straw that broke the camel’s back. Now Zack’s life was at risk at all times and he had to deal with both internal and external trouble, not to mention all the losses he had suffered in the process.

How could he not be angry when he saw the man behind all his suffering?!

He could give up on the merchant ship, but this boy had to die!

Alvin did not know that he was so eye-catching and was not aware that Zack was staring at him with a burning hatred. He felt the look from Blood Anchor and met his furious eyes.

Before Alvin could react, Blood Anchor Zack broke away from the rest of the pirates and attacked Alvin like a mad lion.

“Go to hell!”

Clang!

Both of them exchanged blows, and the result was shocking.

Alvin stood still at the same spot, but Blood Anchor Zack was forced back three steps!

Even Alvin felt surprised too.

“I thought you were the boss of these pirates. Shouldn’t you be the strongest among them? Why do I feel like you are weaker than your first mate?!”

It was only at this time that Alvin had a chance to look at his opponent properly. He was wearing a pair of boots, tight pants, a naval reefer jacket, and a blood-red cape. Clearly, he was mimicking what a noble would wear. His pale face and overly thin body really did not give him the appearance of a strong opponent.

“Is that a trap?” Alvin was still new to fighting against pirates. His brief hesitation gave Blood Anchor Zack the opportunity to attack.

Zack took out a small, metallic bottle from his pocket. He opened it and downed the scarlet red liquid inside it. His action sparked a round of cheering among the pirates behind him.

“It’s God’s Blood!”

“All hail to our captain! That poor boy is dead! Haha…”

The pirates obviously knew what Zack was drinking. They quickly backed off while cheering for him.

The aura around Zack changed instantly. His thin body was suddenly buffed up like a strong ox. His pale skin reddened and the air he breathed out was red in color. It was very unnatural.

“Haha, embrace the divine power!”

Zack ran up to Alvin before he even finished his sentence and struck his first blow. His speed had increased by almost half!

Clang!

Holding the sword with both hands, Alvin blocked the attack just in time. However, he was still forced back half a step from the impact. He was shocked. A strange medicine had made Zack reach the pinnacle of an apprentice knight.

“So, this was his trump card to suppress that first mate…”

Alvin tried to retreat immediately to wait for his Data Vision to gather enough information about his opponent before fighting again. However, his pride refused to do so.

Ever since getting the Data Vision, Alvin had gotten very used to gathering data first and strategizing before hunting or training.

That was not exactly bad. Alvin had managed to kill Black Bear Billy and Kruger with ease when he had gathered enough data.

However, a knight could not pretend to be a hunter forever. In a complex battlefield, it was not possible for him to have control of the situation at all times, and his opponent would not always be weaker than him.

Therefore, as a knight, other than taking advantage of the opponent, he had to have the strong will to never give up and face strong opponents with courage and determination!

Alvin did not want to back off.

He changed his breathing technique a little. Suddenly, strength surged through his body. He lowered his longsword slightly and unlocked a new state of mind.

White Sail Sword Technique [Arcane]:

“Sword Art, Pontoon!”

His footwork became much quicker and more unpredictable, like a boat floating on water. He aimed at Zack’s head, chest, and stomach with three strikes in the blink of an eye.

This was the true power of sword techniques after the White Sail Sword Technique had reached Proficient. Different teachings had different names: Sword Art, Hidden Sword Technique, or Arcane.

“Pontoon” was the foundation of the extended skills of the White Sail Sword Technique. It was about keeping calm even when one was in great danger, just like how a boat could sail in a storm and not capsize.

It was what Alvin understood from his two years of training after reaching Proficient!