Wu Xian and Lan Hao Tian stood atop their makeshift raft, watching the large ship in the distance grow steadily bigger.
They soon realized the vessel was moving in the opposite direction to theirs—a small but crucial advantage in their pursuit.
After a moment of silence, Lan Hao Tian spoke up.
"We'll row toward them. But listen—keep the pace slow. We don't want to spook them into fleeing. If they take off, it'll cost us too much time chasing them down."
Just imagine it—a tattered little raft speeding across the open sea. Anyone would find that terrifying.
Wu Xian turned to look at the captain, surprised. For someone who didn't seem all that reliable, Lan Hao Tian was surprisingly sharp when it mattered.
With that, the two of them started paddling, inching closer to the larger ship. As the distance shortened, their view grew clearer.
Lan Hao Tian spotted a black flag waving on the ship's mast—a skull and crossbones with a spiked mace beneath it.
You didn't need to be a genius to recognize a pirate ship. Grinning, he said,
"Wu Xian, looks like luck's on our side. That's a pirate ship ahead."
Wu Xian frowned at the captain's excitement.
"Why are you so happy? Doesn't robbing pirates bother your conscience?"
Lan Hao Tian quickly shook his head and explained:
"Not at all. Robbing pirates isn't the same as robbing civilians. Their treasures are already stolen from innocent people. What excites me is the chance for a good fight. Hopefully, they'll put up some real resistance."
Wu Xian finally understood what drove his captain. He smiled and said,
"Is that so? Then I hope they're worthy opponents."
Both men had something in common—they lived for the thrill of battle.
...
Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, a lookout peered into the distance with a spyglass. His eyes widened as he spotted a small raft drifting across the vast ocean.
Startled, he scrambled down from the crow's nest.
Thud!
In his haste, he slipped and crashed to the deck below. Fortunately, most pirates were built tough—he groaned, but nothing was broken.
The loud thud on the deck didn't go unnoticed. It caught the attention of everyone nearby.
A towering man with rippling muscles and a spiked mace in hand stepped forward.
He was none other than their captain—Zhang Ba Hai.
Seeing the captain approach, the pirate who had just fallen scrambled to his feet, stammering nervously:
"C-Captain! I didn't mean to disturb you!"
Zhang Ba Hai ignored the man's flustered excuse. Instead, he asked calmly,
"Why the panic? You're not usually this clumsy."
The pirate quickly explained:
"Captain, I spotted a raft heading in our direction. It's just… I've never seen anything like that before. It caught me off guard."
Zhang Ba Hai's eyes lit up with a spark of interest.
"A raft, huh? Give me the spyglass."
He took the telescope from his crewmate and peered into the distance. The raft was now close enough for him to see the two figures aboard—young men.
A sudden thought crossed his mind, and a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Let them come closer. If they've got some skill, I might just take them in as little brothers. But if they don't know their place… hahahaha…"
His laughter sent chills down the spines of the surrounding pirates. Though Zhang Ba Hai treated his crew well, he was notoriously merciless to his enemies.
...
Meanwhile, on the raft, Wu Xian continued paddling while asking,
"You think they've noticed us yet?"
Lan Hao Tian glanced at the ship and thought for a moment before replying,
"I'd say so. A ship that size probably has some level of professionalism."
Back on the pirate ship, Zhang Ba Hai watched the approaching raft with an amused smile.
"They're not turning away… interesting. Not your average fools then. Good. There's no fun in crushing weaklings."
He could tell something was off. The vessel the two strangers used was far too crude for open sea travel. And yet, despite being close enough to recognize his ship as a pirate vessel, they still dared to approach.
Over on the raft, Lan Hao Tian couldn't hide the excitement on his face anymore.
This—this was the thrill of adventure. The kind of feeling he hadn't felt in ages, not since leaving the island.
Wu Xian watched him and couldn't help but think to himself:
"How should I fight later? Should I win, or pretend to lose? Either way, I can't outshine the captain. Alright then, I'll base my actions on the outcome of the duel between the two captains."
He decided he would hold back and have a little fun while waiting for the showdown between Lan Hao Tian and the pirate captain—whose name he still didn't know.
Though he couldn't control water as well as Lan Hao Tian, Wu Xian possessed formidable physical strength. He was also a martial arts expert who loved to brawl, but this time, he wanted to let his captain take the spotlight.
By now, the two vessels had drawn close to each other. Suddenly, a rope ladder was dropped down from the pirate ship, swaying toward them in invitation.
Seeing this, Wu Xian's curiosity was piqued. He turned and asked,
"Captain, what do you say? Do we accept their invitation?"
Lan Hao Tian approached the ladder, flashed a toothy grin, and looked back at Wu Xian.
"Of course! I bet the people on this ship are going to be a lot of fun. I'm dying to see what kind of pirate captain we're dealing with."
Without hesitation, he grabbed the rope ladder and began climbing. Wu Xian smiled and followed right behind him.
The one who had personally dropped the ladder was none other than Zhang Ba Hai himself. Watching the two young men climb up with such boldness only fueled his interest further.
"Hah… Looks like I've finally found myself a worthy opponent." he thought.
Ever since setting sail, he hadn't met anyone remotely challenging. Most of his encounters were with amateurs—easy prey he crushed without breaking a sweat.
But this… this was different. His blood stirred.
What he wanted wasn't more loot—it was the thrill of a real fight.
At that moment, Lan Hao Tian's head rose above the deck, and he caught sight of the scene before him: a massive man wielding a spiked mace, flanked by a crowd of loyal underlings on both sides.
His eyes lit up like stars. Without hesitation, he exclaimed:
"Damn, that's so cool!"