In stark contrast to the intense battle between the two captains, Wu Xian had been lying motionless on the deck the entire time. His hands rested behind his head as if he were waiting for someone to come and capture him effortlessly.
At that moment, a pirate approached with a rope in hand and said:
"You surrender, right? Then stand up so I can tie you up."
Wu Xian lifted his head to look at him and asked:
"No more fighting?"
"Of course not. Enough chaos for one day. Besides, you're not a monster like that brat over there."
Seeing that the other party had no intention of attacking, Wu Xian cooperated. He obediently allowed himself to be tied up and stood quietly in a corner of the ship.
"Hmm, this position is actually much more comfortable than lying face down." he mused before turning his attention back to the battle.
Dozens of water arrows shot out like a machine gun toward Zhang Ba Hai.
Despite his large frame, Zhang Ba Hai was remarkably agile. He swiftly moved to evade most of the attacks, while blocking the remaining arrows with his massive mace.
As the barrage of water arrows thinned, Lan Hao Tian immediately charged forward.
He controlled a few water arrows to attack Zhang Ba Hai from behind while launching his own strike from the front.
Zhang Ba Hai's eyes flickered as he swiftly analyzed the situation. He had already seen through his opponent's intentions and needed to make a decision within a split second.
In an instant, he changed his movement. Shifting from a defensive and evasive stance, he surged forward at full speed, heading straight for his enemy.
Lan Hao Tian was momentarily startled. He realized that Zhang Ba Hai intended to trade injury for injury.
However, the difference in their attack power was significant. If they clashed head-on, he would undoubtedly lose.
Without hesitation, he adjusted his trajectory and gathered water around his body once more.
Zhang Ba Hai did not stop. Instead, he thought to himself:
"If he's avoiding a direct confrontation, that means he's wary of my attacks. The more he fears something, the more I should do it."
His speed did not falter as he charged straight toward Lan Hao Tian. Once he was close enough, he leaped forward, raising his massive mace high above his head.
Lan Hao Tian's pupils shrank. He immediately gathered every bit of water he could control, forming a large sphere before beginning to concentrate his energy.
"Brat, die already!"
Zhang Ba Hai's roar echoed as he swung his mace down.
Bang!
Lan Hao Tian seized the perfect moment and unleashed a powerful water pillar to collide with the incoming attack.
Zhang Ba Hai's muscles tensed, and the veins across his body bulged. His raw strength began to overwhelm the water pillar, and then—
Rip!
The pillar was torn apart, and the mace smashed directly toward Lan Hao Tian.
He hastily raised both hands to block, positioning them precisely where the mace had no spikes to avoid being pierced.
"Argh!"
He was sent flying backward. The sound of his own bones cracking rang in his ears. Though his arms were mostly intact, his hands were in terrible condition.
But Zhang Ba Hai had no intention of giving him time to recover. In an instant, he appeared at Lan Hao Tian's side and delivered a brutal kick to his face.
The moment Zhang Ba Hai's foot made contact, Lan Hao Tian's face momentarily twisted from the impact. His body flipped several times in midair before crashing to the ground.
"Cough… cough…"
Bright red blood spilled from his lips as he coughed. His current state was nothing short of miserable.
Wu Xian had been watching everything from the sidelines, deep in thought:
"Should I save the captain? Nah, he's not dead yet, so there's no need. This kid can't even beat a small-time pirate, yet he thought he could take down a Nine King the moment he set sail? Ridiculous."
Lan Hao Tian struggled to his feet. He looked toward Zhang Ba Hai, not with fear, but with a deep sense of unwillingness. He declared:
"I lost… but in the future, I will definitely defeat you."
Hearing this, Zhang Ba Hai scoffed in disdain.
"Hmph, you don't have a future."
With that, he tightened his grip on his mace. His steps were slow and unhurried, yet every movement carried an overwhelming arrogance as he steadily approached his battered opponent.
Seeing his life on the verge of ending, his heartbeat suddenly surged, and his gaze seemed to stare blankly into nothingness.
At that moment, what Lan Hao Tian saw changed completely. He found himself in a mysterious space.
Before him floated a single, crystal-clear teardrop, shimmering like pure glass, surrounded by a radiant halo of rainbow light.
Looking at the teardrop, he spoke:
"Tear of the Water God, I know I am incredibly weak right now, unworthy of wielding your power. But if you don't lend me your strength, I'll die. And if I die, you'll have to find another master."
He wasn't particularly afraid of death, he had accepted the possibility the moment he set sail. But that didn't mean he wanted to die so easily.
The teardrop remained motionless for a brief moment before its radiant glow burst forth, pulling Lan Hao Tian back to reality.
At that instant, he felt an immense surge of power coursing through him. Though his broken hands had yet to heal, his ability to control water had reached a whole new level.
A vast amount of water now swirled around his body. Strangely, despite being drawn from the sea, this water was as transparent as crystal and carried a brilliant rainbow glow.
Raising his hand, he gathered the water into the sky, forming a massive arrow. The arrow spun rapidly in midair, creating a vortex around it.
Zhang Ba Hai's eyes widened in utter disbelief. His voice trembled as he spoke:
"What the hell is this? You're really only able to control water?!"
"Ha, today is not the day I die!"
The moment his words fell, Lan Hao Tian swung his arm. The spinning arrow shot forward at incredible speed.
Zhang Ba Hai instinctively tried to dodge, but it was far too late. The speed of the arrow far exceeded his limits.
With unstoppable force, it struck him, sending him flying through the ship's side and crashing into the ocean below. Fortunately, the impact hole was high up, otherwise, the ship might have sunk.
Even as consciousness faded, his eyes remained filled with shock and terror at Lan Hao Tian's newfound power.
The last thought that echoed in his mind was:
"Impossible!"
Meanwhile, Wu Xian lightly flicked his hand. He had no intention of letting Zhang Ba Hai die so easily. His expression darkened slightly, as if recalling something from the past.