Episode 95
BOOM!
As the colossal Kraken slammed its tentacles down, a tidal wave surged forward.
The wave threatened to swallow the ship whole.
Standing on Nahuel’s back, Zeke raised his sword, aiming it at the oncoming wave.
VROOOOM!
The sword vibrated with intense energy.
Zeke held the sword horizontally and unleashed the secret technique of the Dragon Sword Art.
Dragon Sword Art Secret Technique
Triple Slash
Great Roc Emerges from Water
The same technique that had once cleaved through Helen’s sword strike now surged toward the tidal wave.
CRASH!
Zeke’s sword sliced the massive wave horizontally.
The towering wave, which had risen like a mountain, shattered into pieces.
The smugglers watching from the deck were left speechless by Zeke’s feat of battling the giant Kraken and breaking the wave.
“My God! He’s the sea god incarnate!”
Though most of the southern people followed the Sun Church from the central continent, many sailors still worshipped the ancient sea god.
Riding a sea dragon and defeating a giant monster, Zeke looked every bit the legendary sea god.
The giant Kraken, bewildered by Zeke’s ability to cut through its wave, flailed its thick tentacles wildly.
This created a massive whirlpool in the sea.
Nahuel, carrying Zeke, tried to navigate out of the swirling waters.
ROAR!
Nahuel let out a cry, and the turbulent sea began to calm.
It seemed Nahuel, as a spirit beast, was using its unique ability to control the ocean’s flow.
Then, a massive water bubble formed around Nahuel.
WHOOSH!
The bubble, seemingly created by Nahuel, flew toward the giant Kraken and attached itself.
The bubble grew larger, immobilizing the Kraken’s tentacles.
Zeke called out to Nahuel.
“Well done, Nahuel! Keep it steady!”
ROAR!
Nahuel responded with a cry, lifting its head.
Zeke used the power of the wind to lift himself and dashed across the sea.
SWOOSH!
At the same time, he concentrated the power of the wind into his sword.
VROOOOM!
The storm’s power swirled at the tip of Zeke’s sword.
The compressed wind, capable of creating a massive gale, was condensed into a solid sphere.
The giant Kraken remained trapped by Nahuel’s water bubble.
Zeke aimed his sword at the Kraken and shouted.
Elemental Sword
Wind Force Field
Storm Ring
The storm sphere at the sword’s tip shot toward the Kraken.
BOOM!
The storm ring created a massive spray of water as it hurtled toward the Kraken’s head.
Upon contact, the compressed power exploded.
BOOM!
A colossal gust enveloped the Kraken’s entire body, tearing it apart.
The giant Kraken’s body was shredded, half of it blown away by the storm ring’s explosion.
ROAR!
Realizing it couldn’t defeat Zeke, the Kraken let out a monstrous cry and attempted to retreat back into the ocean.
But Zeke wasn’t about to let it escape. He assumed the stance for the Dragon Slayer Technique.
Dragon Slayer Technique Dragon Sword Art
Chapter 4, Verse 2
Full Moon Slash
Zeke’s sword traced a massive full moon in the air.
The aura-formed full moon hovered above the sea, slicing through the Kraken’s body and tentacles.
BOOM!
The Kraken’s severed tentacles floated limply on the water.
At that moment, a message appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[You have defeated a threatening ancient sea creature.]
[You gain 300 Karma Points.]
[Experience points are automatically distributed to the summoned beast, Nahuel.]
[Once a certain amount of points is accumulated, the spirit beast Nahuel will evolve into a divine beast.]
“So Nahuel can evolve if it receives points? I didn’t know summoned beasts could gain points.”
This was an unexpected revelation.
Zeke had assumed Karma Points were solely for his use.
“If Nahuel can benefit, maybe other summoned beasts can too. Perhaps even Bahamut, the growth-type weapon…”
Bahamut, a growth-type weapon, was currently mostly sealed.
Zeke hadn’t known how to enhance it, but if Karma Points could be used to unlock its power, it might not take as long as he thought.
“That’s good to know.”
After sending Nahuel back to its original lake, Zeke climbed back onto the ship.
To his surprise, the smugglers began bowing to him.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
Boris, emerging from the cabin, answered for them.
“They see you as the sea god incarnate for defeating the Kraken.”
Zeke chuckled at that.
“If I were truly a sea god, creatures like that wouldn’t even appear.”
Regardless of what Zeke thought, the smugglers treated him like a deity.
Since it didn’t bother him, Zeke decided to let them be.
As they prepared to sail across the now-calm sea, Zeke noticed the smugglers tying one of the Kraken’s tentacles to the ship with a rope.
“Why are you taking that?”
The smugglers, looking excited, replied.
“The meat of such a large creature sells for a high price and is quite a trophy. It’s also delicious.”
Since the giant Kraken wasn’t a demon-corrupted beast, it was safe to eat.
When the smugglers cooked some Kraken, Zeke found it much more tender and flavorful than regular squid.
Out of curiosity, he tried devouring another tentacle, but unlike other ancient creatures, he didn’t gain any special abilities.
“I’ll just have to be satisfied with the taste.”
With the Kraken tentacle in tow, the smuggling ship sailed into the heart of the Death Sea.
The smuggler captain approached Zeke.
“We should stay on the island tonight, replenish our water and supplies, and set off tomorrow.”
Zeke nodded, and the captain steered the ship toward the island.
They reached the island by evening, and Zeke’s group finally set foot on land after several days at sea.
The smugglers skillfully docked the ship and unloaded water barrels and supply crates.
Zeke asked the captain.
“This looks like an uninhabited island. Are there resources to replenish here?”
“Yes. Ships passing through the Death Sea commonly stop here. Even pirates respect this place, only exchanging water and supplies quietly.”
It seemed there was an unspoken rule among sailors.
After explaining, the captain took a few smugglers to gather supplies.
Zeke began setting up camp for the night, retrieving camping gear from his inventory.
Just then, the smugglers left on the ship shouted.
“Pirates! Pirates are coming!”
In the distance, a dozen pirate ships appeared.
Zeke, who had been pondering how to apply Karma Points to Bahamut, stood up at the smugglers’ cries.
Boris approached Zeke.
“Boss, we’ve got a problem.”
“Pirates, you mean? The captain said this island was a neutral zone without conflicts.”
“Normally, yes… but those pirates are notorious for their brutality. The ship in the middle is the flagship.”
“The leader of the pirate fleet?”
“Yes. The captain leading them is Hook, known as the man closest to becoming the Pirate King.”
The mention of a Pirate King made Zeke’s expression harden.
“A Pirate King, huh.”
Hook’s pirate ship soon reached the shore.
Dozens of pirates transferred to smaller boats and approached the beach.
The pirates, with their menacing appearances, were covered in scars and tattoos.
Among them, one man stood out.
“Feels damn good to be on land again.”
A towering figure, nearly two meters tall, with a distinctive hook-shaped beard.
This was Captain Hook, the infamous pirate of the Death Sea.
Hook and his pirates spotted the smuggling ship and Zeke’s group on the shore.
Hook stroked his beard and grinned.
“Who are these wretched folks? Smugglers, some brats, and a land outlaw mixed in?”
Hook’s threatening voice prompted Boris to step forward.
“Captain Hook. We’ve heard of your reputation. We’re on a mission for the Syndicate. We’d prefer if we all quietly went about our business.”
At Boris’s words, Hook and the other pirates burst into laughter.
“Ha! Quietly go about our business, he says. Speaking southern with that fancy central continent accent. Syndicate or not, did you think we’d just let you be?”
Hook’s words made Boris’s expression harden.
It seemed these rough pirates had no intention of letting things go quietly.
At that moment, Zeke stepped forward.
He spoke in a low voice.
“We don’t wish for bloodshed.”
Hook’s expression changed at Zeke’s sharp tone.
He had assumed Zeke was just a young upstart, but now he sensed an unusual aura emanating from him.
One of the pirates standing next to Hook stepped forward, brandishing his weapon.
“You cheeky little brat. Who do you think you are, acting all high and mighty? Did you get some knight training or something?”
With that, he swung his massive axe at Zeke.
Zeke didn’t dodge. Instead, he caught the descending axe with his bare hands.
Crack!
Not only did he catch it, but he also crushed the iron blade with ease.
“What the…?”
The pirate who had swung the axe stumbled back in shock.
Seeing this, the other pirates drew their weapons, ready for a fight.
But Captain Hook raised a hand to stop them.
He turned to Zeke and spoke.
“You’re no ordinary knight. Are you really with the Syndicate?”
“If you want, I can show you my membership card.”
“Like hell we’d know what a Syndicate card looks like. So, little brother, what if I say I don’t want any bloodshed?”
Zeke looked at Hook and replied, “Then I’d have the honor of treating the famous Captain Hook to some fine liquor.”
Hook’s expression turned blank for a moment before he burst into hearty laughter.
“Well, damn it all! Lower your weapons, lads. Tonight, I’m sharing a drink with this audacious young man!”
At Hook’s command, the pirates lowered their weapons, and the tension in the air dissipated instantly.
Hook approached Zeke.
“Little brother, let’s do this properly. The name’s James Hook, though most just call me Hook.”
“Pleasure to meet you, James. I’m Zeke Murray.”
“Murray, huh? Never heard of it, but I have a feeling you’ll be making waves soon enough.”
“Thanks for the compliment. How about a drink over here? It’s modest, but we’ve got some Kraken roast and hidden whiskey.”
Hook laughed heartily and joined Zeke’s camp without hesitation.
Boris lit a fire to roast the Kraken legs, while Zeke brought out the whiskey the smugglers had stashed away and offered it to Hook.
“Whew! This is some good whiskey. Those folks from the central continent sure know how to make it.”
Zeke poured more whiskey into Hook’s glass and asked, “What brings a legendary pirate like you to these parts? I heard this area is mostly used by smugglers.”
Hook downed his whiskey in one gulp and replied, “It’s those damned merfolk.”
“Merfolk?”
“Yeah. They’ve started banding together and playing pirate. Their numbers have grown surprisingly large. I was curious why those shell-gathering islanders suddenly turned to piracy, and it turns out some guy’s been stirring them up.”
“You’re saying someone has united the merfolk as pirates?”
Hook nodded, taking another swig of whiskey.
“Yeah. Hey, little brother, have you ever heard of Treasure Island?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“It’s a famous tale among us pirates. They say Captain Kidd, the legendary pirate, hid all his treasure on an island somewhere in the Sea of Death.”
“I didn’t know there was such a legend.”
“That’s not all, little brother. The one who finds Captain Kidd’s Treasure Island is said to become the Pirate King.”
At the mention of the Pirate King, Zeke’s eyebrows twitched.
‘The Pirate King, huh. If I remember correctly, the one who drove Sister Kali to her death wasn’t named Hook. It was…’
Hook, chewing on a roasted Kraken leg, shouted loudly, “That damned Peter Pan is after that treasure island! And he’s doing it right under the nose of the great pirate Captain Hook!”