Chapter 396: Swift Victory
In an instant, the entire world fell into absolute stillness.
Within the connected veil of mist, Zhou Ning silently hovered in midair. The Platinum Star's hands moved rapidly, repeating its earlier trick—binding the remaining two Lavides together. Then, testing its strength, it wrapped both arms around their tails and, with brute force, lifted the two Lavides—each weighing over two hundred tons—straight up into the air.
Using them like a pair of massive rollers, he slammed them down toward the "King of Lavides," Saroyan, who was still frozen in time.
A terrifying dent appeared on the Silent's uppermost deck, but as the flagship of the Pirate King, the ship possessed special properties—its deck did not collapse completely. Instead, it bent downward into a deep concave shape, creaking ominously.
All across the ship, countless northern sailors were frozen as well, transformed into lifelike statues, each locked in their last expressions.
Through the faint, ethereal fog, Zhou Ning and the Platinum Star walked through the silent world, their figures flickering in and out as if conducting a routine inspection.
Then Zhou Ning landed on the backs of the two Lavides with a soft thud. Clenching his fist, he coated it with black-and-red Armament Haki and punched downward!
Behind him, the platinum-colored Stand mirrored his movements, its fists rising and falling in rapid succession—strike after strike after strike, each blow dealing immense cumulative damage.
"Ora ora ora ora ora!"
The moment time resumed, the Silent's top deck finally reached its limit. The massive indentation collapsed with a thunderous crack, sending splinters of wood flying like snow. The two Lavides had no chance to resist—together with the King of Lavides beneath them, they crashed through the third deck, then the second, then the first—smashing through one layer after another until the entire Silent snapped in half, breaking into a V shape before sinking into the sea.
The force of the punch even churned the seawater, creating a distinct downward vortex.
The Platinum Star, instinctively wary of seawater, floated silently above the ocean. Zhou Ning's serrated cape unfurled into vast bat wings, keeping him aloft as he watched the Silent disappear beneath the waves, the surface gradually returning to calm.
His interface soon flashed with a string of messages:
[You have slain Pureblood Lavides Rob (Lv. 84). You gained 248,500 EXP.]
[Defeat 3 Oceanic Advanced-Class Beasts: Progress (2/3)]
[You have slain Pureblood Lavides Gil (Lv. 83). You gained 234,300 EXP.]
[Defeat 3 Oceanic Advanced-Class Beasts: Progress (3/3)]
[Defeat 3 Terrestrial Advanced-Class Beasts: Progress (3/3)]
[Your class advancement quest is complete. You gained 1,480,000 EXP.]
[Your reputation among Northern Pirates has slightly decreased. You have obtained the Milestone Achievement: Pirate Nemesis.]
[Pirate Nemesis: Increases attack power against pirates by 15%, and boosts intimidation effect against pirates by 15%.]
As expected, after slaying the two Lavides, his long-stalled class advancement quest was finally complete. Tonight's hunt was essentially over.
However, even after some time passed, no message appeared indicating the death of the King of Lavides, Saroyan. Even his Observation Haki failed to detect any trace of the pirate's aura.
"Did Saroyan already escape?"
Zhou Ning paused, then realized it must be true. As expected of a northern pirate who knew when to bow and when to fight—just like Richie Burke, who would flee at the first sign of danger.
A pity, though—he had just missed out on a full 200,000 Vecktas for no good reason… Zhou Ning sighed quietly, folding away his bat wings as he landed smoothly back on the Black Pearl.
By now, Saroyan's pirate fleet had begun retreating as well, but having just lost such a hefty sum, Zhou Ning had no intention of letting the rest of the fleet go. He'd heard far too many accounts of Saroyan's massacres to feel any sympathy.
In the fog-shrouded Misty Sea, the Platinum Star's attack range was greatly extended. Within just ten minutes, ship after ship was sunk by Zhou Ning, reduced to drifting wreckage on the waves. Even the remaining two Lavides were not spared—each becoming valuable experience and materials.
"Gulp…"
On a pirate ship several nautical miles away, a middle-aged pirate holding a telescope stood frozen, a chill running down his spine.
He had just witnessed a one-man massacre—a lone figure annihilating an entire fleet. The man barely moved; each time he threw a punch, another ship vanished beneath the waves.
Moments earlier, he had nearly let his temper get the better of him, almost challenging that terrifying monster head-on. Thank the gods he hadn't.
To be honest, he still couldn't make sense of what had just happened—it felt as if he'd blinked and missed everything. In that single instant, the Silent, feared across the seas, had been torn in half and sunk; the fleet was completely destroyed, and even Saroyan's fate seemed sealed.
And the one responsible for all of it was the bat-like man aboard the ghostly ship.
Once word of this spread, it would shake the seas to their core.
Even if Saroyan survived, with his fleet and four Lavides gone, his power would plummet to second-rate—expelled from the ranks of the Three Kings. Perhaps his former rivals would even seize the chance to kick him while he was down.
Such was the ruthless world of the northern pirates, the middle-aged pirate thought grimly.
Moments later, through the telescope, he saw that bat-clad monster turn his gaze directly toward him. Panic surged through his chest, and he shouted, "Everyone listen up! Full speed—get us out of here!"
Zhou Ning withdrew his gaze, losing interest in chasing the man. After all, it hadn't been "Wayne Sturwell" who destroyed the fleet—it was Batman.
Just then, the duration of the White Emperor Possession card expired. The Platinum Star vanished silently from sight.
Feeling the sudden loss of immense power, Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel a touch of regret. The invincible Platinum Star had crushed its opponents with overwhelming might; before its time-stopping power, even a fleet led by demigods had been completely helpless.
But now, his last trump card was gone, leaving him to rely solely on his own strength for a while.
Still, he could be grateful for one thing—he had ultimately triumphed against a demigod and even overachieved his advancement requirements. His current voyage had achieved its purpose, and his third-class profession was finally taking shape.
As for the few remaining skills he lacked, he could synthesize and study them once he returned. If necessary, he could always travel through worlds again. Now that the hardest step was behind him, completing his advancement was only a matter of method.
Zhou Ning took out his pocket watch and checked the time. There was still a little over an hour before the Supernatural Gathering began. Though the Misty Sea's exit was still distant, the Black Pearl could reach it in time.
Half an hour later, the Black Pearl arrived at the entrance of the Misty Sea. Within sight lay about twenty anchored ships—most of them pirate vessels. Nearly everyone was waiting on small boats in the center of the sea, wearing masks or hoods to conceal their identities.
The arrival of the ghostly Black Pearl, with its skeletal sailors and ominous design, immediately caused a stir. Every gaze turned toward Zhou Ning—among them, a familiar presence: the same middle-aged pirate who had witnessed the earlier massacre.
The man's eyes were now filled with fear and awe, a far cry from his arrogant attitude back in the tavern.
Zhou Ning stood calmly at the prow of the Black Pearl, ignoring their stares. From his deduction, the entrance to the gathering should lie in the center of the sea.
Before long, the hands of his pocket watch reached two o'clock—and a soft, dawn-like radiance began to bloom upon the sea's surface.
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