Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Aeridar's eyes; he was immediately intrigued. For a guy like Judge to personally lead a pursuit, this self-proclaimed scientist, Vade, must truly possess some significant ability.
Judge's face, however, changed dramatically. He mentally cursed, knowing full well Vade's value—that's why he'd personally led his elite troops in pursuit. If the other party learned Vade's true worth, it wouldn't be so easy for him to take Vade back.
Before Judge could speak, Aeridar, having grasped Vade's underlying meaning, burst into laughter. "Hahaha~ Well then, welcome, Vade, was it? My Clifford Kingdom is very welcoming to capable individuals who wish to join us."
In truth, for Vade, joining the Clifford Kingdom was no big deal. People in the New World knew that the captain of the Chris Pirates, who had conquered a nation, possessed monstrous strength and immense wealth. The power they had developed over the years was also vast.
Defecting to them meant he wouldn't have to worry about safety or research funds, at the very least. Moreover, the SS agents sold by the Chris Pirates must have come from a highly skilled scientist. With such an impressive scientist helping them, he believed the treatment he'd receive wouldn't be bad either.
"Go investigate this Mechanic Vade's exact identity." After saying this aloud, Aeridar quietly instructed Mosa a moment later.
"Understood." Mosa nodded and turned to leave. On one hand, while Aeridar trusted his own conjecture that Vade, being worth Judge's personal pursuit, was undoubtedly capable, it was still necessary to verify his identity as a precaution. On the other hand, it would also serve to spite Judge.
"Aeridar! That's my target!"
Hearing the conversation between Aeridar and Vade, Judge's face flushed crimson with rage. He couldn't help but roar, infuriated that the person almost in his grasp was snatched away by an unexpected highwayman. This was absolutely infuriating!
"Hahaha... No, he's my target now."
Aeridar cackled, implying that Vade was now his property, and dismissively added, "If you turn back now, I might just overlook your unauthorized intrusion into my territory."
"F**k!" Judge swore loudly, practically exploding with anger. He had always been the one to steal from others; when had he ever had something stolen from him?
On Germa 66's Third Ship, a young man with eyebrows spiraling leftward and spiky hair stood at the bow. He wore headphones, sunglasses, a white scarf, a black cape with a '4' symbol, a combat suit with the Germa '66' logo, special white gloves, and a belt.
"This guy... he's really arrogant. What's Father doing? He should sink this bastard!" As Judge's fourth son, Yonji glared at Aeridar from a distance, visibly annoyed. "Disgusting bastard, daring to have a bigger ship than mine."
On the First Ship.
"Commander, what do we do?" The burly man beside Judge asked gravely.
In this situation, unless a conflict erupted between the two sides, the other party likely wouldn't release the person so easily. But if a conflict did break out, setting aside the issue of the opponent calling for reinforcements, the question of whether three small ships could defeat one large ship in a short amount of time was a huge problem in itself.
Just one Warlord of the Sea-level combatant was difficult enough to deal with, and who knew if there were other high-ranking executives of the Chris Pirates on board? It was too thorny a situation.
"Fight!"
Judge hardened his heart and roared, "All ships, open fire! Get the target back!"
Vade's value was too crucial; he was directly tied to Judge's dream of conquering the North Blue, and he absolutely couldn't give up so easily.
"Yes, Commander!"
The burly man's face turned serious, and he immediately turned to relay the order.
"All ships, prepare! Target, the pirate ship ahead! Sink it!"
As the command was relayed, the three Germa 66 warships sprang into action. The soldiers, already prepared for battle, immediately opened fire.
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
A cloud of smoke rose, and amidst the flashing flames, nine scorching black cannonballs shot out of the gun barrels, rapidly flying towards the Chris.
"Oh? A fight then!"
A lazy voice sounded. Several flashes of sword light appeared, and the nine black cannonballs suspended in mid-air seemed to freeze in place.
Splat!
All nine cannonballs, whether vertical or horizontal, were split perfectly in two from the middle, then exploded, sending turbulent air currents and churning water everywhere.
"The cannonballs were... cut?!" Yonji's eyes widened on the Third Ship.
"A swordsman, huh..." Niji frowned slightly on the Second Ship.
"A swordsman of this caliber, could it be..." Judge's brows furrowed deeply on the First Ship. The Chris Pirates seemed to have only one powerful swordsman.
"Hey, hey, hey! You bastard, causing trouble like this in my territory? You really don't put me in your eyes, do you?" From the moment they fired to the cannonballs being sliced, only a few breaths had passed. Aeridar shouted, clearly annoyed.
"Captain, then how many pieces would you like them in?" Oliver stood beside Aeridar on the railing, holding Nagamitsu.
On the opposite side, on the First Ship, Judge ignored Aeridar's words, his gaze fixed on Oliver. He murmured, "The Chris Pirates' Head of Combat, First Platoon Captain, Clifford Kingdom's Great General, Slayer Oliver. I didn't expect to encounter two of the Chris Pirates' three titans at once, and two renowned for their combat prowess at that."
"Trouble!"
Judge felt a faint regret, regretting engaging without a full reconnaissance.
Slayer Oliver's name had become extremely famous recently, and the moniker 'Slayer' was well-earned. Within eight months, he had challenged fourteen well-known sword masters, with eleven victories, three draws, and all losers dead. He also boasted terrifying feats like single-handedly annihilating two pirate crews with bounties over 100 million and slaughtering his way through an entire nation.
That nation had its rivers run red with blood from Oliver's rampage, and from the king and nobles down to the soldiers and common folk, everyone was terrified out of their wits, with dozens dying on the spot from sheer fright.
"That's up to you," Aeridar raised an eyebrow, then turned to Mosa. "Open fire. Sink them."
"Yes, sir."
Mosa's face also hardened, and he turned to give the orders.
"Understood!"
Oliver nodded, drawing Yubashiri from his waist. "I'll handle the appetizer."
Boom, boom, boom, boom...
The enemy once again opened fire, and the loud roar of cannons immediately spread across the sea.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Nearly ten large-caliber cannonballs flew through the air, making a distinct rushing sound.
"Get out of the way!" Aeridar roared, unleashing a punch.
Whoosh!
The surging air currents, like a hurricane, stirred the sea violently, blowing all the cannonballs away.
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