Captain – Chapter 729 – Breaking Through Sea and Entering Fog

Hundreds of warships moved in unison, cannon fire and gunpowder flames illuminating the dark sea along with scattered lightning.

The present world’s fleet and the ghostly blue of the old era were like two surging tides that crashed violently together, then silently and stubbornly engaged in a fight to the death.

When tides collide, countless water droplets naturally splash—fragments of ships and corpses of men.

Under the deafening thunder and increasingly deep rain that seemed to vent a thousand years of fury, this scene truly resembled the final battle described in holy scriptures.

However, not everyone had entered the arena.

Just like that isolated island hidden deep in the fog that remained calm to this day, a giant ship still quietly remained before the boundary between storm and clear sky, as if it had merely come to take a look.

It was naturally the Victoria.

Whether during the pre-war conference, when Caine’s words fell and the present world’s fleet began advancing, or at this moment when both sides met, it had never moved from beginning to end.

Because this was merely an old ship, without powerful cannons or sufficient combat personnel.

Only two transcendent beings who remained silent throughout, and a young man as quiet as an attendant.

And just as the distant battle began, that young man found a bottle of wine to the old man’s taste from the wine cellar hidden within the giant ship, bringing it back with two wine glasses.

“Click.”

Accompanied by a light sound, two crystal glasses were simultaneously placed on the wide left armrest of the throne, because that lady was standing to the man’s left.

Standing before the throne, Victor slightly lowered his body, pouring wine with the fastest speed and most standard etiquette, then consciously retreated to the side and rear.

Although the person on the throne kept his eyes closed throughout—whether from disinterest in that war for the world or truly resting—and that legendary divine being also kept gazing into the distance, observing the battlefield, the young man still felt great pressure.

With his judgment, he naturally knew these two couldn’t possibly have really come just to take a look.

But rather they were waiting, waiting for the most critical moment.

However, this speculation brought Victor not the impression of a lion standing silently, quietly waiting for opportunity, but more like a setting sun holding fast.

Never willing to fall until the very end.

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Desolate yet magnificent.

But… exactly when would that be? And what did these two want to do?

Withdrawing his gaze from the man who seemed to have fallen asleep since delivering his words, and the lady who had remained quietly by his side in silence until now, the young man thought silently.

But even he, who had received so much teaching from that Guardian of Law, couldn’t understand.

After all, in the past story, Captain Edward had already taken away all the lady’s divine power, and the “Emperor” on the throne… was also approaching his end.

Since they weren’t entering the fog now, what could they do?

Divine intentions were inscrutable and would provide no answers, so Victor could only continue gazing into the distance.

Looking toward the increasingly brutal battlefield.

Goddess Hestia, deck.

“Fire!”

In the pirates’ roars, the giant ship’s bow and both sides suddenly blazed with fire. The ancient cannonballs that had survived from the battles against spirits and ships of the dead now poured out completely, illuminating the nearby sea silver-white.

In the holy firelight, whether it was the broken Tyrant, the ghost ships coming to aid, or the mindless ghosts that only knew how to fire and surge forward, all dissolved.

The surroundings instantly cleared, refreshingly empty.

Under Caine’s commands and the ship spirit’s intentions, the Goddess Hestia continued forward. The Empire’s six giant ships and dozens of warships including the Nightmare King followed closely, while more ships formed fortifications along curved lines.

Like overlapping layers of a great wall at sea with countless gun ports.

After those warships took position, the cannon fire never ceased for a moment, riddling the ghost ships surging out like tides from the water mist, leaving only fragments.

It looked somewhat like musket formations positioned on plains to block cavalry.

And similar to rows of musketeers, ships that had reached position first and expended their ammunition would orderly withdraw for resupply, while ships from behind would fill in.

Everything appeared methodical.

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Before the present world’s leap-like advances in heavy artillery, especially before the Empire warships’ terrifyingly powerful firing networks, those ghostly blue phantom ships that were either ancient or hastily materialized seemed truly fragile, collapsing and scattering one after another.

But the one-sided situation didn’t last long.

Because those old ships and broken vessels… were simply too numerous, unimaginably vast in number, as if they could never be completely destroyed. What was even more chilling was that ghostly blue also appeared and disappeared in the mist beyond the fleet’s fire coverage range.

Thus the situation gradually deteriorated.

Among the present world’s fleet, ships occasionally had problems during suppression and repositioning, and among those phantom ships, some extremely fast or extremely sturdy ghost ships began appearing—even when broken into several sections, they could still charge against cannon fire.

There were also more terrifying “people,” or monsters resembling water ghosts and merfolk entering the fray.

“Crack.”

After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by harsh splitting sounds and waves of screams and splashing, the first capsized warship finally appeared in the present world’s fleet.

Then came the second, the third…

Battle losses gradually increased, no longer stable.

Positioned in the first echelon of the charge, overseeing the entire situation, Caine naturally “saw” clearly, but aside from adjusting formations to minimize casualties as much as possible, he couldn’t do much more, because those phantom ships and ghosts simply knew no fear.

Naturally there was no possibility of retreat or rout.

Then this war for the world, in the end, would inevitably become only cold exchange—just with different numbers and ratios, only seeing who could hold out longer.

How long could the present world’s fleet maintain order without chaos, without being dragged into melee combat.

But true victory didn’t rest in this vast, cruel war.

But rather on the Goddess Hestia stabbing forward like a blade, on that silent young woman.

Just like those two in the far rear who hadn’t acted, she too was waiting for the opportunity.

Waiting for this curved blade to stab to its utmost depth.

Between thunder and cannon fire, the blade tip had already stabbed very deep.

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That charging force led by the strongest and most magnificent giant ships of the old calendar and present world gradually separated from the main fleet, penetrating deep into the ghostly blue everywhere like a lone boat.

Although enemies were on all sides, under the protection of Gerard’s great power with eyes like fire on the flagship, with mutual coordination between the ship and the most elite soldiers, fierce water ghosts, and steadfast skeletons, there were temporarily no major problems.

But as they advanced, resistance also increased at a terrifying speed. Not to mention the warships pressing from all sides, just the attacking “monsters” already exceeded five.

All were past legends, great ones of the old era—even with only souls remaining, they posed enormous threats.

If not for the Siren singing several war songs and the blood cravers, water ghosts, and powerful skeletons fighting desperately to the death, this vanguard force would have scattered long ago.

But even so, they were already near their limit.

The Siren’s voice grew increasingly hoarse, Vivian was severely wounded, nearly two hundred water ghosts and skeletons were completely annihilated, and the losses among pirates and soldiers were even more devastating.

Blood and gunpowder smoke were everywhere, like hell itself.

But throughout this process, neither Roy nor the giant dragon beside her moved.

Just watching and waiting.

It was only at this moment that Roy fully understood why her father insisted on waiting for reinforcements. If they had faced this alone, she would have had to act by now.

That would mean consumption, possibly injury, making the battle with the devil even more uncertain. Even if she and her father could both reach the island, their chances of victory would be slim.

But exactly how much longer must they wait?

How many more people must die?

Glancing at that towering figure who had stood silently at the bow since the battle began, withstanding the devil’s pressure and countless phantom ships, the young woman slightly lowered her head, silently clenching her fists.

She had stopped wanting to wait long ago.

But her father’s and Caine’s signal hadn’t come, so she could only continue waiting.

Continue waiting until the time was ripe.

Gradually, the thunder-like cannon fire from behind grew distant, becoming barely audible, which naturally meant they had penetrated deep into the storm sea and were far from the main fleet.

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After some more time, under Caine’s calm commands, dozens of warships from the charging force separated, temporarily staying behind to wait for support or retreat.

Soon after, the remaining escort fleet including the Empire’s six giant ships also stopped.

The Nightmare King was the same.

Whether they would hold fast or break through, in the end only the Goddess Hestia continued forward, with only the first mate’s commands and the ship spirit’s intentions arriving from time to time.

And at this point, ahead beyond the tedious ghostly blue, one could also see static picture-like thin mist. What made one’s heart heavy was that the thin mist was rapidly retreating northward!

Though not as fast as the warship’s speed, it was already visible to the naked eye.

What this meant was all too clear.

Finally, after paying no small price—even the curtain shrouding the giant ship had dimmed and was about to extinguish—the Goddess Hestia finally reached before the thin mist.

And just as the goddess figurehead at its bow was shrouded by the mist…

The signal Roy had long awaited finally came.

It was Captain Gerard and Caine calling out successively, yet almost simultaneously.

“Now, child!”

“Captain!”

Hearing this, Roy’s spirits lifted as she leaped onto the dragon’s back.

After that, the giant dragon roared as it took flight, carrying wind and rain as it crashed headfirst into the thin mist.

Moments later, both human and dragon shadows vanished, while the giant ship fell into brief silence.

Not the end, but representing that the divine battle…

Had thus begun.