Chapter 15 Secret Technique

After putting away the firearms with empty ammunition, Aiven lifted his longsword and charged forward in an instant, the longsword transforming into a silver streak of lightning slashing towards Kururu's neck.

"Clang!"

Still in the posture of rolling on the ground, Kururu propped up his curved blade and blocked the lethal strike at the last critical moment, but the immense force sent him flying, tumbling until he crashed into the ship's side before coming to a halt.

Bang——

Even with his superior constitution, the collision left him dizzy and bleeding profusely from his leg.

His eyes red with anger, and teeth gritted, Kururu slowly stood up. He hadn't imagined that moments ago he was plotting a wonderful life as a Pirate Captain, only to be cast into hell in an instant.

Seeing Aiven approaching him slowly, he fiercely spat out a bloody mouthful of saliva:

"Despicable!"

But he had no chance to reclaim his honor. On a ship, the importance of combat footwork is paramount; losing mobility is equivalent to losing one's life.

Before him was Aiven, raising his longsword like fangs, with the "White Sail Swordsmanship" casting up the sails.

Clang... Clang...

Without suspense, after just three moves, this ambitious First Mate fell onto the deck of his intended chariot, the "Yellow Crane," as his bloodied ambitions dissipated.

In just about two minutes, it was truly ironic.

Though both the Yellow Crane and Blood Anchor forces were in chaos, they immediately noticed the moment Kururu fell.

Captain Joseph was overjoyed. Previously, he had only held this young man, suspected to be a noble, in high regard due to Viscount Andrea. He hadn't expected Aiven to possess such courage and strength!

Eliminating an unstoppable foe greatly increased the Yellow Crane's hope for victory.

Blood Anchor Zack, however, felt a mix of emotions, his face shifting between laugh and cry then quickly turning dark. It was indeed beneficial that a major threat to his captain's throne was removed, but it shouldn't have happened now. This would cut off the roots of the Blood Anchor—

The veins on his forehead throbbed as he squeezed out a sentence through his teeth:

"Damn it, where did this meddler spring from?!"

Seeing the sailors' morale surge, Zack abandoned reckless attacks, changed his tactics, moved nimbly among the deck and mast, and wielded the curved blade to fend off "experts" among the crew's assault.

Already at a numerical disadvantage, his side now lost a significant force, uncertain of the casualties they would need to seize the merchant ship.

Yet even a pirate as ruthless as he dared not blame the gods for not protecting him.

Facing an absolute disadvantage, his ferocity intensified, moving with rapid footwork, his moves becoming more ruthless and domineering.

"Ah—kill!!!"

Aiven, however, did not concern himself with their thoughts, using a brief respite to reload the firearms. With the intimidation of slaying a formidable enemy, no pirate dared to test their courage against him for now.

In the short time it took Aiven to reload ammunition, Zack had used the complex terrain to split and kill the "experts" who surrounded him one by one.

Then, with a flicker of his curved blade, he charged towards Captain Joseph, his motive clear: just by taking down the leader, the entire ship's crew would be at his mercy.

"Captain Joseph, hold on, I'm coming to help you!"

Though Aiven shouted, drawing Zack's attention, he did not charge directly at him.

Instead, he began to slaughter nearby pirates, freeing more and more Yellow Crane crew to follow behind him, forming a torrent, steadily moving toward the bow.

Judging from the hierarchy, it was clear that the Blood Anchor Captain surpassed the First Mate. The more crucial the moment, the less one could be careless to prevent a turnover. The prevailing trend favored them; the one who should be worried was Blood Anchor!

Zack saw more and more sailors gathering behind Aiven. The initial boarding strategy of segmentation was gradually slipping out of control. His subordinates, better suited to solo fights, were retreating with unprecedented losses.

Yet he was unable to break through to Captain Joseph, who was surrounded by a large group of gun-holding crew.

Zack knew if he didn't make a decision soon, not only would he fail to seize the ship, but perhaps he might not have enough crew left on the Blood Anchor to sail it.

At that moment, suddenly someone among the pirates shouted, "I recognize him, he's the noble pretty boy who blocked the Boatswain that night!"

"That's right, it's him! I recognize him too."

The remaining pirates on board gathered around Zack, and (those who) had stormed the fortress walls with Black Bear Billy during the siege recognized Aiven.

"It's you?!!"

Zack only felt his blood rushing backward, pounding in his head, his veins seemingly ready to explode.

Since lurking around the seas near Leopold, his consistently poor luck started to crumble from the night of the city assault. Black Bear Billy's downfall was like the last straw breaking the camel's back, forcing him to incessantly rush about; caught between internal and external troubles, yet suffering even more severe losses!

How could he not be angry seeing the culprit now?

Today, the merchant ship can be spared, but this kid must die!

Aiven, unaware of how outstanding his demeanor was among the crowd, had already firmly drawn Blood Anchor Zack's hatred. At the moment Blood Anchor's gaze turned, he sensed it and met Zack's furious eyes, as if they could devour him.

Before Aiven could respond with a look, Blood Anchor Zack had already broken away from the main pirate group, charging forward like an enraged lion.

"Die for me!!!"

"Clang!"

Blades clashed, but the outcome was far beyond everyone's expectations.

Aiven's body didn't move an inch, while Blood Anchor Zack, the attacker, staggered back three steps!

Both sides were astonished, and even Aiven couldn't make sense of it. As the pirate leader, shouldn't you be the strongest? Why does it seem you are even weaker than the First Mate I just defeated?

Now, Aiven had the chance to closely observe his opponent: wearing long boots and tight pants, a double-breasted coat paired with a blood-red cloak, clearly imitating noble attire. But his ghastly pale face and excessively thin body left him without a hint of strength.

"Could it be... a trap?" Aiven, inexperienced in fighting pirates, hesitated slightly, giving Blood Anchor Zack an opportunity.

Amidst exclamations from the pirates behind him, Zack took a small metal vial from his waist, pulled out the cork, and drained the blood-red liquid inside in one gulp.

"It's Divine Blood!"

"Long live the Captain. Kid, you're done for, hahaha..."

The pirates from the Blood Anchor clearly recognized what this was. While cheering, they were also slowly retreating, distancing themselves from their captain.

Visible to the naked eye.

The aura around Zack underwent a dramatic change instantly. His frail body swelled like being inflated, becoming as robust as a bull. The ghastly pale skin turned blood red, and the most horrifying was the blood-red breath writhing and flickering like tiny snakes around his mouth and nose, extraordinarily sinister.

"Feel the power of the God!"

Before the words fell, Zack had already stepped up to Aiven, swinging his blade horizontally, his speed almost twice as fast as before.

"Clang!"

Aiven, holding the sword with both hands, blocked the incoming blade with a Strong Sword Body, yet he was slightly pushed back half a step. Astonished, he realized that such a bizarre potion could instantly boost Zack to the strength of the Peak of Apprentice Knight.

Indeed, is this the trump card he used to suppress the First Mate?

Instinctively, Aiven wanted to retreat, waiting for the Data Visualization to collect the opponent's data before engaging again. But a surge of fierce courage in his heart stopped him!

Since activating Data Visualization, whether in training or hunting, he was used to getting detailed intelligence on his opponent, planning meticulously before taking action.

This wasn't a problem; previously, whether it was Black Bear Billy or First Mate Kururu, they were easily slain once Aiven had precise information.

But as a knight, you can never place yourself as the hunter like that, because on the complex battlefield, you can never expect the situation to always be under your control, nor can you count on the enemy always being weaker than you.

Besides anticipating the enemy's moves, a knight must also have an indomitable will to never surrender and the courage to advance bravely in the face of strong foes!

Therefore, Aiven did not want to retreat.

The breathing technique in his mouth silently shifted, as if a force like a gentle breeze surged from every part of his body, making the longsword in his hand slightly lower, Aiven had already quietly entered a new state.

White Sail Swordsmanship Secret Technique [Secret Technique]:

"Sword Style: Floating Boat!!!"

With a movement underfoot, as if stepping on a small boat floating on the water, his body seemed to flow like the clouds and water, and in an instant, he launched three attacks, with the glaring sword shadows ringing out sharply, targeting Zack's head, chest, and abdomen.

This is the essence of swordsmanship understood after achieving master-level White Sail Swordsmanship. In different schools, it is called by different names, "Sword Style," "Secret Swordsmanship," and "Secret Technique" are all of this kind.

"Floating Boat" emphasizes people being like boats, enemies like raging waves, moving freely, balanced and unyielding, which is also the foundation of a series of extended techniques of White Sail Swordsmanship.

This is the essence Aiven comprehended after two years of mastering-level training in swordsmanship!