Zhang Ba Hai noticed his opponent changing his trajectory, but he did not pause in his actions. He thought to himself:
"If he's not attacking anymore, it means he's wary of my strikes. The more afraid he is of something, the more I'll do that very thing."
His speed did not decrease; instead, he charged forward toward Lan Hao Tian. As he closed the distance, he leaped forward, raising his mace high.
Lan Hao Tian's pupils contracted. He immediately gathered all the water he could control, forming a massive sphere, and began channeling his power.
"You little brat, just die already!"
The shout echoed at the same time as Zhang Ba Hai swung his mace down.
Bang!
Lan Hao Tian seized the perfect moment, launching a powerful column of water to collide with his opponent's attack.
Zhang Ba Hai's muscles tensed, his veins bulging as the force of the mace gradually overpowered the column of water…
The water column tore apart, and the mace struck directly at Lan Hao Tian.
Lan Hao Tian quickly extended both his arms to block the blow, positioning his hands where there were no sharp spikes to avoid his hands being pierced.
"Ah!"
He was sent flying backward, and he could clearly hear the sound of his bones breaking. Though his arm wasn't severely injured, his hand was in terrible condition.
Naturally, Zhang Ba Hai didn't give him a chance to rest and recover. He immediately appeared beside Lan Hao Tian and delivered a powerful kick to his face.
Lan Hao Tian's face contorted momentarily when Zhang Ba Hai's foot made contact. He was kicked into the air, flipping several times before crashing to the ground.
"Cough cough…"
Blood spurted from Lan Hao Tian's mouth with each cough. His condition was dire at this point.
Wu Xian, who had been watching from the sidelines, thought to himself:
"Should I save the captain? Nah, it's fine for now. He's not dead yet, so no need for me to step in. Let's wait a bit and see. How can someone like him, who can't even beat a small pirate, think about becoming the greatest pirate?
Captain still has a long way to go. But the opponent this time is no weakling. Even I'm not confident I could defeat him in a one-on-one fight. If I sneak attack, though, I could probably hurt him quickly."
Lan Hao Tian struggled to stand up, his gaze fixed on Zhang Ba Hai. There was no fear in his eyes, only a hint of unwillingness. He thought:
"Damn it, why am I so weak? I need to be stronger! Stronger… stronger still."
His desire to grow stronger continued to surge. This determination stirred the pendant around his neck.
"I will definitely defeat you!" he yelled.
Zhang Ba Hai sneered in disdain at the words.
"Hmph, you don't have a future like that."
With that, he once again tightened his grip on the mace. His steps were slow and measured, yet filled with arrogance, as he slowly approached his opponent.
Once close enough, he raised his mace high into the air and smirked.
"Goodbye."
At that moment, Wu Xian also sprang into action. He kicked a nearby pirate's sword aside and leaped into the air. Using the blade, he quickly sliced through the ropes binding him. Grabbing the sword, he shot off like an arrow.
Swish!
A deep gash appeared across Zhang Ba Hai's chest, blood gushing out.
"Damn it, get away from me!" he roared, swinging his mace at Wu Xian.
Wu Xian immediately leaned back to dodge, then swiftly slid toward Lan Hao Tian and asked:
"Are you alright?"
But Lan Hao Tian, to Wu Xian's surprise, looked at him with a displeased expression. He turned to Zhang Ba Hai and said:
"Sorry, it was my first mate's fault for interfering in a man's battle. Quickly bandage your wounds, and we'll continue this unfinished fight."
Zhang Ba Hai was stunned. He hadn't expected his opponent to remain so composed in the face of death.
At that moment, he no longer thought about killing Lan Hao Tian. Instead, he laughed loudly:
"Ha ha ha, this little wound won't stop our battle. What's more, fighting you is actually quite enjoyable. I no longer intend to kill you."
But how could Lan Hao Tian accept this so easily? He glared at Wu Xian and said:
"Cut me once, just like that."
"But…" Wu Xian was at a loss for words. He clearly wanted to save him, but somehow, he was the one being scolded.
"No 'buts'. Cut me now."
Seeing the captain's determined attitude, Wu Xian reluctantly nodded, but in his heart, he couldn't help but appreciate this captain even more.
Though, to an ordinary person, such behavior seemed foolish, for true warriors, it represented the spirit of fair combat.
Blood sprayed from Lan Hao Tian's body where the slash had struck, but he quickly managed to control it.
His gaze appeared slightly unfocused, yet he still tried his best to stand tall.
Zhang Ba Hai, witnessing this, couldn't help but raise his estimation of Lan Hao Tian. He laughed loudly:
"Ha ha ha, no matter the outcome of this fight, we'll be brothers."
"Alright, let's continue."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lan Hao Tian felt the pendant he wore connect with him. Time seemed to freeze, and he was pulled into an alternate space.
Before his eyes, there was only an ocean of water, with a single crystalline tear floating in the air, radiating rainbow-colored light.
Lan Hao Tian stood frozen for a few seconds, but upon noticing the similarities between the tear and the pendant, he asked:
"Are you the pendant?"
"Yes, and I'm not just any pendant. I am the Tear of the Water God. I am one of the strongest holy waters in this world. I was placed into the pendant you now wear."
Lan Hao Tian's eyes lit up like stars. He said:
"Amazing! I didn't know my pendant was so powerful. But why have you brought me here?"
"I saw that you were about to lose the fight, so I wanted to ask if you'd like to inherit the Water God's legacy."
"What will I get if I inherit it?"
"You'll become stronger."
The simple answer from the Tear of the Water God was clearly enough to ignite Lan Hao Tian's spirit. Without hesitation, he replied:
"Alright, let's start right away."
Seeing the serious expression on Lan Hao Tian's face, as if preparing for a battle, the Tear of the Water God spoke again:
"You've misunderstood. It's not a fight. All you need to do is watch a film about the great love story of the Water God."
Lan Hao Tian was taken aback by this, not expecting it to be so simple. However, he didn't mind and replied:
"Alright, show me."