"We are the Federation Navy! Transport ship ahead, stop your ship for inspection!"

The order to stop came through the radio, using the Federation military channel. In this airspace near Jade Empire, it couldn't be clearer what it meant. The ship giving the order was an old Federation cruiser, with a 180-meter-long hull and six sets of thrusters. It had sixteen 155mm naval guns in its eight turrets, with plenty of firepower but no capacity for carriers. Ahead of the cruiser, the Explorer accelerated to a speed of 65 knots, gradually widening the distance between itself and the cruiser.

"Enemy ship, commence firing!"

The voice of the lookout rang through the brass speaking tube. Before the words had even finished, two shells landed on the left side of the ship's hull. Though they missed their target, the propellant in the shells detonated due to the Promethean effect generated by the Sea of Emptiness dimension, causing two columns of white clouds to rise into the sky.

"Maintain course as ordered," the helmsman said loudly, "full speed ahead."

"Enemy ship, fire again!"

Eight more shells flew towards them in a second salvo, the full firepower the cruiser could project forward. However, these eight shells were spread out over a large area, with the closest one to the Explorer being about 70 meters away. The distance between the two ships had already exceeded the maximum range of the 155mm naval guns, causing the cruiser's thrusters to begin overheating and its speed to gradually decrease.

It seemed like the race was won by the Explorer when, at that moment, the lookout spotted something taking off from the rear deck of the cruiser.

"Four Magic Armors approaching!"

"Damn it!" the first mate picked up his binoculars and confirmed the approaching Magic Armors. His dark face twitched slightly. "Captain, four Magic Armors are approaching."

"Very well, they've launched aircraft," a girl's voice, as clear as silver bells, came through the radio. "Maintain course, maintain speed, leave the Magic Armors to me."

"Understood, Captain." The first mate didn't doubt the girl's words at all. He wore a black collar around his neck, a symbol of slavery, and he unconditionally obeyed his master.

Four Federation Magic Armors, forming two double formations, quickly approached from behind. These four units were the older Griffon model, one step lower than the current Night Owl series in terms of speed and agility. These outdated secondary units were mainly equipped on old cruisers used for blockade operations, which had limited hangars and could generally only carry four Magic Armors. They were considered outdated and were thus deployed for assault operations.

As the leader, a non-commissioned officer flew in the front, followed by three shaky new recruits. These recruits had just completed training and were struggling even to form a formation. The intention of assigning the new recruits to less important combat positions was to let them accumulate flight experience, so as not to waste them during intense frontal combat. After all, people who could pilot Magic Armors were rare, and every new recruit was precious.

"Don't be nervous, everyone," the leader encouraged his subordinates. "We're just intercepting a merchant ship. Just follow what we were taught during training. Once we've seized the bridge, they won't resist..."

Before he could finish his sentence, machine gun fire from above turned the officer's unit into a sieve. The three new recruits were terrified, and a blue Night Owl command type dove down from the clouds above, creating turbulence that disrupted their formation.

"Captain... Captain!"

"Where did those Magic Armors come from?"

"Aren't those our units?"

The confused new recruits didn't know what to do. The deep blue Night Owl command type quickly dominated the high altitude. Uther, looking down on the enemy below through the observation slit on her helmet, saw their disoriented state.

"Listen up, you groundlings," she announced over the radio. "If you run away now, I won't kill you. But if any of you dare to advance, your captain will serve as an example."

Two of the recruits turned and fled, but the third recruit, whether out of fear or confusion, shouted and charged towards Uther in the sky, firing as he climbed.

"Fool, why aren't you running away?" Uther locked onto the slow-moving enemy aircraft with her targeting reticle. "To be honest, I don't want to kill a young person like you." Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, and the 12mm machine gun fired out a barrage of bullets in full automatic mode, tearing the Griffon piloted by the recruit apart in mid-air.A sense of guilt welled up in Uther's heart as he clenched his teeth and looked into the distance. The faint green particles were receding, and the two new recruits scurried back to the cruiser, whose course had also changed, ceasing the pursuit. It seemed that the captain was a very cautious person, as the commanders of these old warships were all aged officers with rich combat experience. Although the 155mm naval gun was still firing, the shots were far behind the Explorer.

That will do.

Uther piloted the Night Owl Commander back to the Explorer. This merchant ship was a high-speed smuggling vessel, but the cost of its high speed was its armor as thin as an aluminum can—or rather, the ship had no armor at all and was completely defenseless. It circled around the ship and finally landed on the temporary platform at the stern, where two Kunlun slaves in cold-resistant clothing immediately brought a ladder. Uther's body was light, even shorter than the average height of a twelve-year-old girl. A dark-skinned Kunlun slave reached out and grabbed her under the armpits, effortlessly carrying her out of the cockpit.

"Thank you," Uther nodded to them and walked briskly towards the bridge. But the slaves seemed at a loss, as no slave owner would ever thank their slaves.

Entering the bridge, the helmsman, navigator, and first mate had been waiting for a while. They were also dark-skinned Kunlun slaves with toned bodies that rivalled professional bodybuilders beneath their white cold-resistant uniforms.

"You've worked hard, everyone," Uther sat in the captain's seat. "First mate, report on the damage?"

"This ship is undamaged, Master," the first mate respectfully said.

By the way, the former captain of this ship was a slave trader who directly used the titles of the positions to name the slaves. For example, this first mate's name was First Mate, and similarly, the navigator and helmsman were named so as well. Uther initially found it strange, but over time, he got used to it.

"Sorry, it was my fault," Uther forced a smile. "I fell asleep on duty, and far-range perception is only effective when I'm awake. Thanks to the lookout, we were able to discover the Federation attack ship first."

"You flatter me, Master," the lookout's voice came through the brass speaking tube.

"Attention, everyone!" Uther opened the main speaking tube, and her voice could be heard throughout the ship. "To celebrate the successful escape of this ship, we'll add some meat to everyone's meal tonight!"

The slaves immediately erupted into cheers.

In addition to ammunition and weapons, there were plenty of meat cans produced by the Empire's military supply department in the cargo hold. After all, Lord Yang Jiye of Yujing needed one hundred mass-produced Magic Armors the most. Uther had never been to Yujing, but he had heard some rumors about the place. Yujing was a magical place where sorcery was highly developed, and it was said that they could still create magical living beings.

Uther was very much looking forward to meeting her fellow countrymen. They would probably be very adorable children.

Six days later, the Explorer arrived at the easternmost Floating Island of Yujing—Qingyang.

Guided by a Yujing Navy destroyer, the Explorer entered the harbor of Qingyang. Uther stood on the ear deck outside the bridge and carefully observed the destroyer. Just as expected, the hovercrafts made by Yujing were completely different from those made by the Empire or the Federation. Their ships were faster with streamlined hulls and commonly had a circular protective cover around their thrusters. Unlike the Empire or the Federation, the Yujing people didn't like to install large or small turrets on their hovercrafts. The destroyer only had two turrets at the front and back, but there were four empty torpedo launch tubes at the lower part of the ship. These torpedoes, carrying makeshift Spirit Seed Furnaces, were loaded with 300 kilograms of high-explosive materials. A direct hit was enough to seriously damage a regular hovercraft.

Yujing's fleet primarily consisted of light and fast ships, which put them at a disadvantage in fleet confrontations. Therefore, the Yujing Navy adopted guerrilla tactics, entangling with the Federation fleet in the vast airspace. Even so, the tremendous power disparity between the two countries gradually became apparent, and the Yujing Navy suffered heavy losses, gradually losing the advantages they had at the beginning of the war.After sailing for a month on the Sea of Emptiness, the Explorer finally arrived in the port, cleverly navigating through the despairing blockade. Uther arranged for the chief engineer to lead a few technical slaves to repair the Spirit Seed Furnace and propulsion system, while the others continued with mooring operations. As far as the eye could see, the Qingyang Port was marked with the traces of bombardment, with a large number of warehouses and supplies destroyed, and the distant residential areas suffering heavy losses. The destroyed fortress cannons stood erect amidst the ruins of their shelters, with bent gun barrels, presenting a pitiful sight. The only thing standing steadfast was the Yujing Mountain Fortress towering high on the mountain.

"This is also a battlefield," Uther couldn't help but sigh. Just as she stood on the bridge issuing commands, a Yujing military officer walked up the gangway.

"Captain Uther Nornheim, I presume?" the officer asked.

The dark-skinned slave pointed to Uther, who was shouting excitedly, holding onto the bridge railing. Uther also noticed the unexpected visitor, and the officer immediately showed an expression of uncertainty, hastily double-checking the document in his hand. Uther leapt off the bridge, the five-meter drop seeming non-existent to her, thanks to the enhanced physical abilities bestowed upon her body.

"What's the matter?" she looked up at the officer, though he was only slightly taller than the average Yujing officer, he still towered over Uther.

Being a child-sized body is inconvenient, Uther thought to herself. Should I bring a box to stand on next time we meet? But the thought of constantly having a slave holding a box by her side made Uther instantly dismiss that idea.

"Apologies," the officer confirmed once again, "are you Captain Uther Nornheim?"

"That's correct, you've found the right person," Uther crossed her arms. "Are you under the command of Lord Yang Jiye? I've been tasked with delivering some special 'cargo' from the Empire to Lord Yang, and I hope you can confirm it."

"Oh... alright," the officer took out the document. "Please sign here."

Uther signed her name, although her crooked and twisted handwriting was rather ugly. She suddenly felt that she should practice writing, as there are certain skills in the world that require diligent practice.

"Deck Chief!" Uther called to a Kunlun slave. "Open the cargo hold and unload Lord Yang's goods."

"Yes, master," the deck chief ran towards the stern platform like a streak of smoke.

Accompanied by the noise of mechanical transmission, the Explorer's side opened a large ten-meter-wide and five-meter-tall cargo door, firmly placed on the pier, forming a gangway. A total of one hundred mass-produced Magic Armors were lined up inside the hold, along with a large number of boxed weapons and ammunition. This batch of military supplies could be considered a lifesaver for the Qingyang front line.

"This is truly spectacular!" a powerful voice came from the gangway. A military officer wearing dragon scale armor walked onto the deck. He stood at a height of at least 1.9 meters, with a very strong physique. His sharply defined face had a mutton chop beard, leaving an impression of a "capable warrior". His black hair was tied up in a bun on top of his head, which was the standard hairstyle for Yujing people.

"Lord Yang! Why are you here?" the officer was taken aback.

"Can't this general come take a look?" Yang Jiye patted the officer's back, causing him to stagger. "Young man, you're too thin, you need to exercise."

"Yes, sir," the officer looked pained, almost as if his spine was about to break.

Uther looked up at the massive figure, resembling a half-black tower gradually blocking out the sky, and couldn't help but wear an astonished expression. Yang Jiye overlooked Uther and suddenly grabbed her under the armpit, lifting her up.

"Whose child is this?" he rubbed his mutton chop beard against Uther's face. "Where are your mommy and daddy?"

"Sir," the officer exclaimed in shock, "that's Captain Uther Nornheim, the Empire's secret envoy."

Now, Yang Jiye showed an embarrassed expression, sheepishly placing Uther back on the ground.

"Apologies, apologies," he laughed candidly. "I have a little girl about your size in my family, so I really like little girls. I wasn't careful..."

The officer behind him shook his head. "The general's old habit has resurfaced."

"It's fine..." Uther rubbed her sore cheeks from the beard. "I'm not an official envoy, if anything, I'm just a delivery person. By the way, the military supplies entrusted by Princess Felicia have been delivered. Lord Yang, please take a look.""Are you in work mode already? How amusing," Yang Jiye said with an interested expression as he stroked his chin, "Lord Noyenheim, are you really just a child? Children should behave like children, not with the air of an adult."

Uther immediately decided to ignore the previous statement.

"The inventory list is here," she pressed the documents against Yang Jiye's belly, and through the armor and paper, she could feel the well-developed abdominal muscles, probably an eight-pack, "Please verify."

"The goods have indeed been received," Yang Jiye took the documents, and suddenly their huge height difference turned into a game of capturing a chick, "However, Captain Noyenheim, I have an unpleasant request."

"General, please speak," Uther raised her head vigorously, "If it's within my ability, I will definitely help."

"You are quite gallant, but also a lovely little girl," Yang Jiye said, stroking his chin, "Excuse me, but the front line of Qingyang has been under attack from the Federation fleet. Although the Yujing Navy and the coastal defense artillery worked together to repel them, the towns and ports have been destroyed. I would like to ask Lord Noyenheim to help evacuate a group of wounded and civilians and transport a shipload of supplies, which might be a bit dangerous on the way. What are your thoughts?"

"No problem," Uther said readily, "But you'll have to pay the shipping fee."

"Please make it cheaper for the shipping fee," Yang Jiye extended his hand, "This general's money pouch is almost empty."

"All right, I'll give you a twenty percent discount," Uther shook the rough hand, and the two happily reached an agreement. "By the way," Yang Jiye patted the officer who had been left on the side, "This guy is Ding Yi, one of my subordinates. He may be thin, but he is very clever. I'm temporarily handing him over to you. He will help you contact the supply materials in Cangyin."

"Pleasure to meet you," the officer named Ding Yi said with a pained expression, clutching his back.

"Hello," Uther nodded.

"Since I have military affairs to attend to, I'll take my leave!" Yang Jiye walked down the gangway in a carefree manner, "Goodbye, lovely little captain."

"I'm already twenty-six years old," Uther pouted angrily.

The nearby Ding Yi immediately showed a surprised expression because the girl in front of him looked no older than twelve. Her waist-length hair shone with a platinum luster, and her upright and beautiful appearance was even more dazzling. In less than five years, she would definitely grow into a stunning beauty, right? Her budding beauty was captivating, making it impossible to look directly at her, as if it would be tainted by the worldly gaze.

"Hey, I need fresh fruit for supplies," Uther poked the dazed Ding Yi, "The Explorer has been sailing for a month, and I don't want my crew to get sepsis."

"Ah, okay," Ding Yi said awkwardly, "I'll prepare it immediately."

Twenty minutes later, while the soldiers were loading military equipment and Magic Armor, a magical vehicle stopped at the gangway. Ding Yi jumped off the car, commanding two soldiers to unload several wooden barrels. Uther looked surprised at the two barrels. She snapped her fingers, and a slave came forward with a pry bar to open the barrel, and the fragrance of the fruit filled the air. The barrels were filled with ripe red apples, carefully selected and sealed to be preserved for a period of time.

"These are special products from Qingyang, apples," Ding Yi introduced, "Lord Noyenheim, please have a taste."

Uther picked up an apple and took a bite. The sour-sweet taste immediately melted in her mouth, a flavor she had never experienced before. The alchemists of Yujing were truly amazing.

"First Mate!" Uther ordered while chewing the apple, "Gather everyone, give each person two, it's so delicious!"

The slaves quickly assembled, smelling the fragrant apples, but none dared to take one. Uther tossed the apple core onto the dock and handed two apples to each slave. Tears welled up in the eyes of the Kunlun slaves with their dark skin.

"What's the matter with all of you?" Uther asked, perplexed.

"Thank you, Master," the First Mate wiped his tears, "We have never had fruit before."

"What did you eat before?" Uther asked in astonishment, widening her eyes.

"Our previous master only gave us vegetable roots..." the navigator said, "We are just slaves, but we get to taste such precious food today. We will have no regrets in this lifetime."

"For goodness sake... life shouldn't be so easily satisfied!" Uther stood on the barrel, took another bite of the apple, and continued, "Listen to me, from now on, you will be following me to accomplish great things. It's just an apple, why are you crying?" She bit into the apple with a growl, chewing and saying, "Your enemies are in your hands now, destroy them for me!"The slaves immediately began to eat hungrily, while Ding Yi chuckled beside them. After the supplies were finished, Uther ordered the apples to be put into the kitchen as food for all the slaves on the ship. The cargo was unloaded in the afternoon, and the injured and civilians occupied the cabins. Uther ordered the deck officer to handle the registration and went with Ding Yi to negotiate with the dock union. However, the dock union in Jade Capital was not called a union, but rather a cargo gang, which was led by a sub-cabin master named Li Wenjun. The sub-cabin master looked to be in his early forties, with a scar running through his left eye. Uther presented him with the Commercial Alliance's pass, and Li Wenjun examined Uther from head to toe.

"Welcome to Jade Capital, Captain Uther Nornheim," he read the spell on the pass with a crystal, "You're all set, miss. We in the cargo gang thank you for helping to evacuate the injured and civilians trapped in Qingyang. The people of Jade Capital owe your ship a debt of gratitude, and if you need anything, please contact us."

"Thank you, Sub-Cabin Master," Uther tipped his hat, and Li Wenjun responded with a smile.

"So polite." "So adorable." The female members of the gang began to stir.

"Be my daughter." A man took the opportunity to tease, but he was immediately reprimanded by the women in unison.

Such a vibrant group, Uther thought, but it seemed that the members of the gang didn't think highly of Ding Yi. There wasn't even anyone who greeted him. Before causing any trouble, Uther decided to leave quickly.

It was already evening when they returned to the Explorer. Although it was halfway through winter, the weather was still very cold. Jade Capital's latitude was slightly higher than Fort Hurricane's, making the winter even colder. Uther learned from Ding Yi that the heating system in Qingyang had been destroyed, which was the main reason for evacuating the civilians. Before the real ice storm arrived, it was necessary to move as many non-combatants and wounded as possible to the rear. Once the ice storm arrived, the temperature would drop to minus fifty degrees.

As night fell, the northern wind brought thick dark clouds. Uther decided to leave port at night because he was well aware of Federation military tactics. There must be Magic Armor responsible for reconnaissance secretly watching the harbor, and any ships leaving the port would be intercepted by fast destroyers ambushing nearby. However, this tactic wouldn't work at night. Both warships and Magic Armor lacked the ability to fight around the clock, although there were cases of night combat with searchlights, commanders would generally avoid night battles.

After closing the hatch, the Explorer started its thrusters and left Qingyang Port before it became completely dark. Uther sat in the captain's seat and expanded the range of her broad perception to the maximum. There were two destroyers forty kilometers north and a cruiser to the west, but they wouldn't be able to spot the Explorer in this dark night. Although the Spirit Seed Furnace emitted faint green particles of light, it was still difficult to detect from a certain distance.

The only thing that worried her, the Magic Armor, seemed to have returned due to the darkness. Everything was going smoothly.

"Turn to 230, Second Battle Speed," she commanded. "There are two destroyers forty kilometers north. As long as we don't come within fifteen kilometers, they won't notice us, and we have the advantage in terms of speed."

"Understood, Second Battle Speed, turning to 230."

The helmsman repeated Uther's orders, and the Explorer agilely began to turn. Ding Yi, who was standing next to her, looked at Uther with a puzzled expression. He still didn't understand how Uther had detected the enemy ships.

"My lord Nornheim," he asked, "Are you a sorcerer?"

"What's that?"

"Sorcerers are a group of people who are proficient in ancient arcane techniques," Ding Yi said. "I'm sorry for my intrusiveness."

"It's fine," Uther glanced at him, "I think you should go and check the cargo hold. It wasn't originally designed to transport personnel, so I'm a little worried about the people on board."

"Alright." Ding Yi nodded and left the bridge.

After hearing the hatch close, Uther heaved a sigh of relief. Was it really okay to just kick people out so blatantly? But she also criticized herself because she had become too complacent and had forgotten that there was still an outsider standing beside her.

"Maintain speed," Uther said to the helmsman. "Prepare the stopwatch. Turn to 190 after 322 seconds."

"Yes, Captain," the helmsman said, "Timing starts now.""I'm going out for some fresh air," Uther said to the first mate, "It's all up to you now."

"Understood, captain." The first mate bowed.

For some reason, Uther felt that these slaves seemed to be more loyal to her. At first, they only feared the power of the collar, but now it seemed that even if the collars were removed, they would still be devoted to her. Opening the cabin door, cold wind rushed in. Uther went to the starboard ear deck of the bridge. The cold wind blew her long hair, and in the pitch-black night, she couldn't see anything. The only thing on the deck was the coldness, nothing else.

"Lin," Uther silently muttered her friend's name, "Where did you go, you rascal?"

Just then, the dimensional layer of Sea of Emptiness boiled, and a ghostly ship with burning ghostfires burst out of the cloud sea. The skeletal crew members were burning with ghostly fire in their eye sockets, howling while wielding various weapons. And their captain stood on the command seat, his skull seemingly greased.

Uther hated it so much that her teeth itched. Of course, she knew that ghost ship.

Interlude: Captain's Diary

I've been in Jade Capital for a month now. There's a war going on, and there are so many prey. The core of the Barbalos is filled with human souls, emitting a delightful sound. War is really great; there are lots of undead wandering the Sea of Emptiness. Just by absorbing them, my ghost ship can be well-fed. But, I have to say, picking up the souls of dead people feels a bit too much. Aren't pirates supposed to plunder?

Just as I was thinking, a ship carrying a large number of living souls came from the east. The Barbalos was starving, and my men were all eager for blood. As the handsome captain, I quickly greased my skull to maintain my best appearance. Ah, I digress. I ordered all the pirates to prepare for battle. A bloody massacre would be the best feast tonight.

The Barbalos floated up to the dimensional layer just within reach of the merchant ship. I deliberately made a large commotion. I guess the people on that ship had discovered me, and they were all scared. Hahaha, fear is the best seasoning. Tonight's feast is especially delicious. What are you waiting for? Let the slaughter begin!

"All those who want to kill, gather on the fore and aft decks, ready to board!" I commanded, "Go and kill every person on that ship for me! The ghost ship thirsts for their blood and souls!"

The skeletal pirates raised their rusty weapons and made deafening cheers. I felt so cool.

Just then, something fell onto the fore deck, and the surrounding landing force of a dozen or so skeletal pirates shattered into pieces. The head of one guy even flew onto the bridge. Huh? What's going on? Which unlucky person dared to interrupt my coolness? Wait a minute, something is coming out! What's with that hovering lance of light in the air?

Oh no, those lances are coming at me! What? The entire landing force on the fore deck has been wiped out? Are you kidding me! Is it because I'm too cool and attracted something bad? Oh, sob, being attractive is a crime too. Ah, the smoke has cleared, and I can finally see clearly who the unwelcome guest is. Haha, let me blind your dog eyes with my cool pose!

Boom, where did that long lance come from? My clothes caught on fire!

Why is there a girl of about twelve standing on the A gun turret, surrounded by rotating Artes circles constantly appearing as lances of light? Her platinum-like long hair fluttered in the wind, and her budding beauty seemed familiar? Wait, I remember, isn't this the girl I met in Mr. Philip's tavern at Fort Hurricane? The world is so small!

"Since you are not humans, there's no need to show mercy," the girl sneered and raised her right hand, "Activate Technique 704, Holy Light Lance, Continuous Overwrite."

More lances of light appeared, and the flying enchantments behind her formed hundreds and thousands of lances of light, densely covering the night sky. The flowing light illuminated her smile, so charming. If my heart were still beating, it would surely thump uncontrollably. But wait...don't the dead have rights? Reinforcements have finally arrived; the skeletal pirates rushed from the aft deck. All the lances of light immediately turned towards them, and they were all wiped out in an instant. My fierce subordinates were completely powerless; the girl crushed them as if chopping vegetables. Isn't this too exaggerated? Where's that bastard, Tristan? I need his Magic Armor troops! With the roar of the Spirit Seed Furnace, Tristan and his men joined the battle...but it was of no use. Within seconds, they turned into hedgehogs.It was a complete massacre!

"Captain, we can't hold it anymore," moaned Tristin, the last one remaining with just his head. However, his skull was immediately crushed by the beautiful girl who seemed not of this world. She walked towards me, surrounded by astonishing magical fluctuations, with a thick spellbook floating beside her, releasing glowing spells from its flying pages.

"I will ask you one more time," she glared at me, "where is Fiona?"

All the spears of light suddenly pointed at me. If all those spears pierced through me... I would probably die, right? Stay calm! As a handsome man, I must stay calm. Since I am a living person, then...

"Dive!" I shouted loudly, "Emergency dive, Barbossa!"

That's right, as long as it's a living person, when in contact with the Sea of Emptiness dimensional layer, the Prometheus effect will occur, a huge energy burst that will instantly destroy her physical body. Barbossa lowered its bow, and my loyal ghost ship obeyed the command. Although it also longed for living souls, its core had already been nourished by the souls of the dead. White clouds surged towards the girl, containing a high concentration of Magic Element. But unexpectedly, she twisted off my skull, leapt and landed on the merchant ship that we had taken as prey.

I watched Barbossa sail away, carrying my headless body.

Wait a minute, my head is still in the girl's hands. You can't just leave me like this!

Uh... being too handsome is also a kind of sin.

Interlude (The End)

Back on the Explorer, Uther stared at the spoils in his hand. It was an oiled skeleton with ghostly fire burning in its eye sockets. She had been worried that once this skeleton left the ghost ship, it would turn into ordinary bones, but now it seemed that this worry was unnecessary. Luckily, there were not many people on the deck, and the only ones who saw her attacking the Barbossa were her loyal servants, the Kunlun slaves. However, those slaves were all dumbfounded, and a few even fell to their knees, worshipping at Uther's feet.

Perhaps they see me as a god or something?

"First Mate!" Uther commanded, "Check the damage, and report to me immediately."

"Yes, Master." The First Mate promptly carried out the order, and the dumbfounded slaves also resumed their work. Uther began a wide-ranging search and confirmed once again that there were no other people on the deck besides the slaves.

It was the right decision to send Ding Yi away. She breathed a sigh of relief.

So, what should I do with this thing next? Uther locked eyes with the skeleton for a while, and suddenly, the jawbone of the skeleton opened, emitting a man's voice.

"Miss, could you throw me into the Sea of Emptiness?"

"It can speak, how amazing." Uther held the skeleton and looked left and right, "Is there some kind of mechanism?"

"Please, stop playing around." If the skeleton had a face, it would probably be on the verge of tears, "I am Captain Alberde of the Barbossa. Please don't play with my handsome skull like this!"

"Barbossa, I've been searching for you for a long time." Uther's gaze turned icy-cold, "Since you're the captain, let me ask you, where is Fiona?"

"That lady went to Penglai," Alberde said, "with a man named Lin."

"Lin?" Uther was shocked, "Oh my God, how did they end up together? That guy, is Fiona being held hostage by him?"

"On the contrary," Alberde said, "that man is leading Fiona lady with a dog leash, like a slave. She wants to resist but can't. Her expression is just fantastic!"

Uther became even more confused.

"Little sister," Alberde pleaded, "can you throw me into the Sea of Emptiness?"

"Dream on," Uther chuckled, her smile cute yet intimidating, "my captain's cabin happens to need a decoration."

"A decoration? Although my skull is handsome, you can't just hang it on the wall!" Alberde changed his tone to a threat, "Girl, listen to me, if you don't throw my skull into the Sea of Emptiness, Barbossa and my undead crew will keep chasing you to the ends of the earth!"

"Alright," Uther smiled, that smile was cute but also terrifying, "the 'Hand of God' has just finished charging. How about giving your ghost ship a 100% blast? Last time, it only used 5% and you couldn't handle it. I always wanted to see if I can kill the dead again.""Please... Please, have mercy," Alberd cried, "Can't I willingly become your decoration?" He knew very well that if he destroyed the core of the ghost ship, both he and the crew would perish, never to be revived again. Moreover, the "Hand of God" deployed in the satellite orbit, as the ancient civilization's wide-range annihilation-type magical weapon, had enough firepower to destroy the Barba Rossa.

Meanwhile, on the Barba Rossa,

The skeletal pirates stared wide-eyed as Alberd's headless body danced and frolicked on the captain's seat. Without his skull, he looked extremely comical. Soon, all the pirates' attention shifted to Tristan, the newly regenerated undead, who also looked troubled.

"Anyway, let's save the captain first," he said, "Without a head, he can't possibly command us."

"How do we do that?" the skeletons asked.

"Um..." Tristan hesitated, "Fighting head-on is definitely not an option; we've already tried that."

Murmurs of agreement echoed among the skeletons.

"So, we need a plan," Tristan said, "At least we still have this; we still have a chance."

As he spoke, he turned the "Deceitful Life Bracelet" on Alberd's wrist, and in an instant, the power of the bracelet flowed into Tristan's body. Muscles and skin grew on his bones, transforming him to look like his former self. The skeletal pirates gasped in awe as Tristan, now fleshed out, tested his limbs.

"I can disguise myself as a living person and secretly infiltrate that ship," he said, "Then I'll rescue the captain."

"Great idea!" "The first mate is so cool!" the skeletons cheered.

Suddenly, a dazzling electric light enveloped Tristan, and he screamed, "Oh no, the Prometheus Effect!" In a magnificent explosion, the shockwave destroyed the bridge of the Barba Rossa, creating a stormy wave in the dimensional layer of the Sea of Emptiness.

Uther stood on the deck, gazing thoughtfully at the explosion behind the port side. The ghost ship was there, submerged beneath the dimensional layer of the Sea of Emptiness, closely followed by the Explorer.

"What a bunch of idiots!" Alberd's teeth gnashed, "Don't follow me!"

"Your crew is loyal," Uther held his skull, "But, I still can't release you. Unless you take me to Penglai, there's no discussion."

"Darn it! The ghost ship can't reach that altitude!" Alberd's agonized scream echoed through the dark night.