Chapter 413: Demigod
The point where that Silver Light Falling Blade struck was right beside the Wind General, Gallagher—but the man didn't dodge. Instead, he drew the longsword hanging at his waist and blocked. The blade gleamed brightly—it was clearly another unknown artifact.
Clang!
Zhou Ning's downward slash landed squarely against Gallagher's sword, sending out a sharp metallic shock that numbed his wrists. At the same time, he felt his movements slow down noticeably.
The sluggishness, however, lasted only for an instant before he recovered—because while in his Vengeance state, he was immune to all forms of control.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew through, tearing loose the Headwind's sails and sending them crashing straight toward him.
The sails, made from the special fabric Brythes, were extremely heavy and nearly indestructible. Of all times, his Lucky Clover had to turn on him again, bringing bad luck at the worst possible moment.
To make matters worse, his stomach let out an audible growl.
No, I have to hold it in! If the AI catches that on camera, I'll have to move to another planet to live it down!
Fortunately, Zhou Ning had both mental preparation and ample combat experience. Fighting through the stomach pain, he didn't panic. Using the rebound from the clash, he forced himself upward by a few inches, braced the falling sail with his unaffected left hand, and switched his right to the revolver Retribution, pulling the trigger toward his side.
He hadn't aimed deliberately—but his spiritual sense had already locked onto Gallagher below.
The silver bullet wrapped in firelight arced beautifully through the air, curving toward the Wind General's head. Gallagher was forced to pull back his sword and dodge sideways.
Zhou Ning seized the opening, holstered Retribution, braced both hands against the sail, and glided forward like a hang glider. The moment he touched down, he sprang back up, darting toward the port side of the deck, then used Moon Step to launch himself into the air—tracing a perfect V-shape in motion.
The spot where he had just landed was instantly slashed open by a dozen deep wind scars. Gallagher calmly lowered his hand.
The wind blades had come without warning; if not for Zhou Ning's Observation Haki sensing danger in advance, he would've been severely injured—or worse, out of the fight entirely.
Another scene flashed through Zhou Ning's mind—Gallagher summoning four cyclones that fused in pairs into two tornadoes, raging straight toward him.
This time, however, the summoning speed was noticeably slower.
In that instant, as the four cyclones merged, Zhou Ning didn't hesitate. Channeling his spirit into Cortés' Sword, he forcibly altered the wind's direction and velocity, riding the current straight toward Gallagher.
At the same time, he activated the Silent Pendant. Gallagher had just opened his mouth to cast when the pendant's anti-magic effect interrupted him mid-chant, leaving him frozen in place.
With a crisp click, the black revolver reappeared in Zhou Ning's right hand. He raised it, eyes unwavering, and fired at point-blank range.
The hammer struck the primer, the bullet ignited—and this particular shot carried the full charge of five stacked Flashes of Insight, dealing 100% extra skill damage.
A massive damage number—-8697—flared above the Wind General's head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Silver bullets flew in rapid succession, slamming into Gallagher and leaving gaping wounds. But by the fourth shot, his body abruptly shrank and twisted into a small, black doll covered in viscous slime.
A Shaman's skill—Voodoo Doll. When HP drops below 30% within a short time, all damage is redirected to the doll. Cooldown: 12 hours.
Less than ten meters away, Gallagher reappeared, his expression now wary and seething with rage.
Moments later, his body began to swell, transforming into a roughly four-meter-tall monster that still retained a vaguely human shape—complete with limbs and features—but now entirely pitch black, sinister, and crawling with countless shifting eyes. Strange markings glowed faintly across his skin, and his once-distinct facial features had fused into something grotesque and incomprehensible—an abominable blend of mystery and evil.
Zhou Ning's gaze flickered—he could tell that Gallagher's power had reached a level nearly equivalent to a Demigod.
If not for his Godslayer milestone, which allowed him to partially ignore higher-tier beings, even a glance at Gallagher now would've left his eyes burning and his mind reeling.
And now he finally understood the source of Gallagher's abilities—the Authority of Wind and traces of spider-like transformation. Eight or nine times out of ten, this Wind General Gallagher was a follower of the Dark Spider Mother, Matalita, and a senior member of the Cult.
If that was true, then perhaps Gallagher's raids and plundering had been under the cult's orders all along.
A fresh barrage of wind blades suddenly swept toward him—silent, invisible. Guided by Observation Haki, Zhou Ning dodged fluidly, weaving around Gallagher, firing bursts from his revolver to steadily chip away at his HP.
Gallagher, having tasted the devastating burst that triggered his Voodoo Doll, no longer dared to attack recklessly. The fight reached a tense deadlock.
Then Gallagher suddenly halted and unleashed a shrill scream. With a burst of wind, countless white threads spewed from his body, forming webs and dark tendrils that spread rapidly across the deck.
Perhaps due to his near-Demigod control over wind, these gusts didn't blow outward but coiled inward—binding everything in their path. Ropes, masts, even a few Northlander pirates on deck were instantly ensnared and immobilized.
Moments later, the webbing contracted, wrapping the trapped targets into tight cocoons.
While his Vengeance state granted him immunity to control effects, Zhou Ning's foot suddenly sank into a small dent in the deck—stalling him for a split second. It was pure misfortune, courtesy of that damned Lucky Clover. The artifact seemed determined to sabotage him with one small mishap after another—something even his Observation Haki hadn't foreseen.
Then he saw it—countless silk threads shooting toward him from all directions, sealing off every avenue of escape.
But at that precise moment, Zhou Ning activated the Traveler's Ring. Space twisted violently, and he teleported to Gallagher's flank—locking eyes for an instant with one of the monster's twitching compound eyes.
Gallagher turned sharply, trying to open his mouth again for another shriek.
The Silent Pendant was still on cooldown—but Zhou Ning's control tools weren't limited to that. Without hesitation, he pressed in close and unleashed his Conqueror's Haki with full force!
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