Chapter 221

Chapter 221

Evan clearly saw the cannonball land on the wooden houses by the shore, instantly triggering a violent explosion. Wood chips and stones flew everywhere, flames shot into the sky, and the once peaceful Moon Island was suddenly engulfed in smoke and fire. Screams rose and fell from the shore; civilians who hadn't had time to flee scattered in all directions under the bombardment, like frightened ants, their desperate cries piercing through the wind and waves, reaching Evan's ears clearly.

The sea had already turned into chaos.

Countless overturned wooden boats floated on the water, their planks shattered by the huge waves and scattered everywhere. Many people who had fallen into the sea struggled desperately in the water, waving their arms and issuing piercing cries for help, only to be swallowed by the merciless waves time and again. Some of the stronger Supernaturals tried to resist, channeling their Supernatural Factor to launch attacks at the pirate ship—some shot sharp wind blades, others manipulated water currents to form water arrows—but all were blocked by the black mist surrounding the pirate ship. The mist was like an iron wall, neutralizing every attack.

Occasionally, a few attacks broke through the mist and landed on the pirate ship's deck, leaving only shallow marks, unable to cause substantial damage to the hull. Evan's gaze swept across the sea and soon spotted several familiar figures—the two burly Supernaturals who had passed him in the water earlier.

They were now piloting a relatively sturdy wooden boat, struggling through the waves, but instead of fleeing toward the shore, they were approaching the pirate ship.

There was no fear on their faces, only a near-fanatical excitement. One clutched a parchment map tightly to his chest, while the other swung a short blade to cut through the waves blocking their path. They were clearly trying to take advantage of the chaos to find the entrance to the pirate treasure. Just then, Evan felt a sharp spiritual pulse from the butterfly doll at his waist.

Following the perspective transmitted by the butterfly doll, he saw several warships flying the imperial flag of the Sala Empire appearing on the distant horizon, speeding toward them.

The warships had sturdy hulls and rows of cannons—clearly, the imperial patrol had arrived. But even so, Evan didn't relax—the patrol was still a considerable distance away, while the pirate ship's assault was in full swing. Moon Island's defenses were on the verge of collapse; it seemed unlikely that the patrol would arrive before this peaceful island was completely ransacked by the pirates.

The wind grew fiercer, and huge waves slammed into Evan, making him shiver involuntarily. He looked around; everywhere he saw scenes of death and destruction: burning wooden houses, floating corpses, frenzied pirates, desperate screams... all of it pierced his nerves like knives.

He hugged the rat doll tightly, feeling the slight vibration of the propeller, and had only one thought: he must get away from this battlefield as quickly as possible and find a safe place to hide.

The violent wind and huge waves battered Evan's back, and the salty seawater dripped from his hair, soaking his clothes and bringing a biting cold.

The roar of cannon fire and cries were a chaotic symphony on the sea. Moon Island's flames flickered in the smoke, like the last breath of a dying person. Evan held the rat doll tightly, his fingertips white from the strain. He was about to activate the propeller to escape this hell when a chill, far colder than the seawater, surged up from beneath the surface, making him shiver involuntarily.

This chill wasn't from the cold of the sea; it carried an icy aura from the abyss of the dead, as if countless vengeful spirits were wandering around, exuding a sense of despair and death.

Evan looked up sharply to see the already dim sky suddenly darken even more. A thick fog, like a tide driven by an invisible hand, surged from the horizon at an astonishing speed, sweeping across the entire sea in an instant.

The fog was gray-white, as thick as undiluted ink or solidified milk. Visibility dropped to less than three meters. The wind carried the fog, along with fine ice particles that cut into his face like knives, making Evan frown. The surrounding scenery became blurry in the fog; Moon Island's flames were swallowed by the fog, leaving only a faint halo like a dying candle. The outline of the Black Tooth Pirates' Ghost Ship became hazy too, only the tattered black skull flag still faintly visible. The huge waves on the sea seemed somewhat subdued by the fog, becoming relatively calm, but the icy aura grew stronger, making it hard to breathe, as if even the air had frozen.

"What... what kind of fog is this?" a Pearl Diver struggling in the water nearby shouted in terror, his voice hoarse and muffled in the fog, filled with undisguised despair.

Before his words faded, they were drowned by a strange song, which pierced through the thick fog, as if from a distant time and space, with a hoarse, ethereal quality, echoing across the entire sea.

"Yo ho ho—set sail, sail to the sea of death, drink up the rum, plunder all the gold, the skull flag waves in the wind..."

The Pirate's Song! Evan's pupils contracted sharply, his heart sinking heavily. He knew this melody all too well—it was the same song he had heard from the ghost ship "Lost Soul" during his journey to the colony!

That ship, like the Black Tooth Pirates' Ghost Ship before him, was a terrifying vessel controlled by the undead.

The song grew clearer and more intense, as if countless hoarse voices were singing in unison, carrying a terrifying power that shook the soul.

Surrounding pearl divers and fishermen were terrified by the song. They struggled with all their might, swimming toward Moon Island, only wanting to escape this sea shrouded by the aura of the dead.

Some cowardly ones even fainted on the spot, their bodies drifting in the water like broken kites, soon swallowed by the fog.

Just as the song reached its peak, a huge black silhouette suddenly emerged from the depths of the fog. The silhouette was even larger and more eerie than the Black Tooth Pirates' Ghost Ship. As it slowly emerged from the fog, Evan finally saw its true form—it was the very "Lost Soul" ghost ship he remembered vividly!

The "Lost Soul"'s hull was made entirely of black ebony wood, covered in dark green seaweed and white shell remnants, and tangled with rotting ropes. On the ropes hung dried skeletons, swaying with the wind, making a "creak creak" sound. Around the ship swirled a faint black mist of death, with white soul fires flickering within—the manifestation of countless vengeful spirits, exuding a suffocating evil aura.

On the mast hung a tattered black flag, even more worn than that of the Black Tooth Pirates. On the flag was a skull wielding a cutlass, with green soul fire burning in its eye sockets, looking especially sinister against the fog.

The deck was packed with skeletal sailors. Their bones were gray-white; some still had rotting flesh and tattered pirate clothes, while others were nothing but bare skeletons.

These skeletons wielded rusted swords, spears, and even some crude cannons, the weapons still stained with dried blood, as if they had just crawled out of a mountain of corpses. They made no sound, only mechanically waving their weapons, the soul fires in their sockets flickering with a lust for slaughter.

Some skeletons even stood by the gunwale, reaching out their bony hands toward the sea, as if trying to drag drowning people into the depths to join their ranks.

At the helm, a tall skeletal figure held the wheel steadily. He wore a tattered black captain's coat, with a belt adorned with skulls around his waist, and a faded captain's hat on his head. Under the brim, two green soul fires burned in his eye sockets—he was the captain of the "Lost Soul"—Hill Bird!

Hill Bird's bones were thicker than those of the other skeletons, and he exuded a powerful aura far beyond ordinary undead, a pressure so tangible it made the surrounding air thick. His left hand firmly gripped the wheel, while his right hand held a huge cutlass with eerie death runes engraved on the blade, gleaming coldly in the light of the soul fires. He tilted his head slightly, his hollow mouth moving, letting out a hoarse, crazed laugh: "Hahahaha! The remnants of Black Tooth dare to act tough on my turf! Back then, your boss got his head chopped off by the Imperial Navy, and didn't even have time to take the treasure. Today, I'll make you worthless pieces utterly vanish!"

His laughter echoed like thunder through the fog, carrying a suffocating pressure. The fog around seemed to churn even more violently under the influence of his laughter, and the melody of the Pirate's Song grew even more intense, as if preluding an impending battle.

The seawater swirled violently under this powerful aura, forming small eddies.

The Black Tooth Pirates' Ghost Ship, which had been furiously attacking Moon Island, now ceased its assault. The pirate skeletons on deck turned to face the direction of the "Lost Soul," their soul fires flickering intensely with vigilance and hostility. Clearly, they too felt the threat of Hill Bird and the "Lost Soul," recognizing it as a far more dangerous opponent than the imperial patrol.

The captain of the Black Tooth Pirates' Ghost Ship, a stooped skeleton with red soul fire burning in his eye sockets, slowly walked to the bow. He wore a ragged red cloak and held a huge iron axe, covered in nicks and bloodstains, reeking of blood.

He roared in a hoarse voice: "Hill Bird! You traitor! If you hadn't betrayed Lord Black Tooth and leaked our route to the Imperial Navy back then, Lord Black Tooth wouldn't have been executed, and the treasure wouldn't have been lost! Today, I will avenge Lord Black Tooth! Make you pay for your betrayal!"

"Avenge?" Hill Bird sneered dismissively, a trace of madness flashing in his green soul fire. "You useless pieces? That fool Black Tooth, back then, tried to hog the treasure and even wanted to use me as cannon fodder. He deserved to die! In these waters, only I, Hill Bird, am the true master! Anyone who dares to make trouble here dies!"

With that, Hill Bird spun the wheel sharply and shouted, "Bone boys! Show these trash what real piracy is! Hoist full sails, charge them, sink their ship! Grind their bones to powder!"