A ship and a raft were rapidly closing in on each other. Seeing the small raft approaching without slowing down, Zhang Ba Hai smiled and muttered:
"It seems the ones coming aren't ordinary. Good, fighting weaklings isn't fun at all."
He deduced this because the other party's vessel was far too crude for a proper sea voyage. Moreover, they were already close enough to recognize him as a pirate yet still dared to approach.
On the other side, Lan Hao Tian couldn't hide the excitement on his face.
This was the thrill of adventure, something he had never truly felt while staying on the island.
Seeing his expression, Wu Xian thought to himself:
"How should I fight later? Should I win or intentionally lose? Either way, I can't outshine the captain. Alright, I'll decide based on the outcome of the battle between the two captains."
He resolved to amuse himself for a while as he waited for the duel between Lan Hao Tian and the unknown pirate captain.
By now, the two sides had drawn near. Suddenly, a ladder was thrown down from the ship toward them.
Wu Xian, intrigued, turned to ask:
"Captain, do you think we should accept their invitation?"
Lan Hao Tian walked up to the ladder, grinned widely, and turned to Wu Xian before answering:
"Of course. The people on this ship must be interesting. I want to see what kind of captain they have."
Without hesitation, he climbed the ladder provided by the enemy. Seeing this, Wu Xian happily followed right behind him.
The one who had lowered the ladder was none other than Zhang Ba Hai. Watching the two bold young men climb aboard, his curiosity grew even stronger.
"Haha, looks like I'm about to meet a decent opponent for once." he thought.
Since setting sail, he had encountered nothing but weaklings, mere amateurs who crumbled before him.
But living like this had become far too dull. He craved something more challenging. He wanted to experience the true thrill of battle.
At that moment, Lan Hao Tian peeked over the edge of the ship, surveying the scene above. The first thing he saw was a towering man wielding an enormous spiked mace, flanked by a group of underlings. His eyes immediately lit up like stars.
Without hesitation, he exclaimed:
"That's so cool!"
Zhang Ba Hai was momentarily stunned. He had expected hostility from the newcomer, yet the first thing the boy did was compliment him. But he quickly recovered, grinning arrogantly.
"Hahaha, what do you think? This is my pirate crew. I am Zhang Ba Hai, a pirate with a bounty of 100,000 credits. Do you want to join my crew?"
Upon hearing that the man had a bounty, Lan Hao Tian's eyes sparkled once more. He rushed forward, eagerly examining Zhang Ba Hai from head to toe as if admiring a rare creature.
Zhang Ba Hai's face darkened. This was the first time he had encountered such a bizarre situation. Normally, people either trembled in fear or immediately attacked him. No one had ever reacted this casually before.
Even though his expression soured, he refused to let his pride waver. Maintaining his usual arrogance, he demanded:
"You still haven't answered me."
At that, Lan Hao Tian stopped bouncing around. He clenched his fist against his palm and grinned.
"I came here to defeat you… and steal a ship."
The moment he finished speaking, his gaze shifted. Anyone perceptive enough would notice the fiery battle spirit blazing in his eyes.
A vein bulged on Zhang Ba Hai's forehead, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Goddamn it! Are you looking down on me? I am Zhang Ba Hai!" he roared.
Without another word, he charged at Lan Hao Tian, swinging his massive spiked mace with full force.
Lan Hao Tian watched as the weapon, covered in countless sharp spikes, came hurtling toward his ribs at terrifying speed. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
Although he often fought wild beasts, battling humans was an entirely different experience.
Whoosh!
The mace struck only air as Lan Hao Tian swiftly retreated a step, narrowly dodging the attack.
He let out a sigh of relief:
"That was close. I almost got seriously injured."
Although his words sounded serious, the grin on his face didn't fade in the slightest. In fact, he looked even more excited.
Looking at his opponent, he laughed:
"Come on! I'm serious now."
Seeing this, Zhang Ba Hai felt utterly insulted. That statement basically meant that his opponent had just been playing with him all this time! His face twisted with fury as he roared:
"You damn brat! I'll smash you into pulp!"
With that, the two of them clashed.
Wu Shui had climbed onto the ship right after Lan Hao Tian, but he had simply stood still, watching the spectacle unfold.
By now, the rest of the pirates had finally noticed his presence. It wasn't that he was too unremarkable, it was just that his captain had stolen all the attention, leaving no one to spare him a glance.
Now that Zhang Ba Hai was enraged, his crew dared not interfere in his fight. They needed to find something else to do.
As luck would have it, Wu Shui seemed like a perfect target.
A scar-faced pirate with a vicious expression approached him and sneered:
"If you surrender quietly, I'll go easy on you."
Wu Shui blinked in surprise:
"What? Shouldn't you be saying that if I surrender, you'll let me go? Why is it just 'go easy on me'?"
The pirates burst into laughter. The scar-faced man chuckled and replied:
"Hahaha! We're pirates, kid! Isn't it natural for pirates to love beating people up? So, what's your choice?"
Wu Shui's lips twitched slightly. He raised a hand to his forehead and sighed:
"Haiz… I was just planning to enjoy the show, but it looks like that's no longer an option."
The scar-faced man's grin widened into something more menacing. He cracked his knuckles and said:
"Oh? So you're going to resist?"
His crewmates tightened their grips on their weapons, preparing to strike.
"I surrender!"
Wu Shui threw his hands up in the air.
The pirates, who had been ready to pounce, stumbled forward, nearly losing their balance.
The scar-faced man felt like his brain was short-circuited. He cursed:
"Son of a... are you messing with me?"
Wu Shui kept his hands raised, his face the very picture of innocence as he shook his head.
"Not at all. You guys have the numbers. If I don't surrender, what else can I do? I know my limits."