After the two pirate ships passed by.

Aiven estimated the distance between the two parties and ordered:

"Full sails! We're catching up!"

From a bird's-eye view, two ships were frantically fleeing ahead, while another two subtly followed behind, each harboring their own thoughts, as the four vessels traversed through the morning mist on the sea.

However, as the sun rose, the mist over the sea gradually thinned, making it possible that soon Aiven and his group might not be able to hide naturally like this anymore.

But.

Before that, the "Iron Bone" had already reacted...

"Gentlemen! My reinforcements have arrived! Gunners take your positions, send those creatures who should have stayed in the grave back to their graves!" William ascended the aft deck, loudly issuing commands to his crew.

The mysterious figure behind the White Seagull had a very clear intention, which was to have his "Iron Bone" take the lead and clash head-on with the powerful "Skeleton Tomb".

However, this was an outright open scheme, no matter how you calculated it, this was indeed the best chance of survival for the "Iron Bone". As a pirate, William didn't mind being used. If the other party truly showed immense compassion without ulterior motives, he would have to worry about leaping from the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger's lair.

Although the crew didn't know when or how their captain contacted the reinforcements, having long shared a boat, they greatly trusted their captain's "candor", barely regaining their morale, and assumed battle stances, each taking up their roles!

"Lower the sails!"

With a command given, the "Iron Bone" suddenly decelerated.

Already not far from the "Skeleton Tomb", this move allowed the deep-draft, not-so-nimble battleship to catch up.

As they passed by each other, the straight-line distance between the two ships was a mere fifty meters.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

The gunners, long prepared and lined up on the starboard side near the battleship, fired suddenly.

In the orange-red glow of the flames, even though the crew of the "Skeleton Tomb" had become "corpse monsters", they couldn't withstand the violent kinetic energy of the cannonballs.

However, the battleship's hull was thicker and higher, and even using the highest angle to aim at the ship targets, the damage done by a mere dozen chain shots wasn't as significant as the pirates on the "Iron Bone" imagined.

In reality, hoping to engage in a gunfight with a battleship, which was like a sea fortress, using the "Iron Bone" was just unrealistic. William's purpose in ordering cannon fire was merely to create conditions for the next boarding combat.

Well, maybe there was a glimmer of hope to hit the main mast by sheer luck.

The "Skeleton Tomb" reacted with equal swiftness; countless "corpse monsters" seemed to be using the same neural system, making the entire battleship come to life.

As they lowered the sails and decelerated, the small cannon ports on the aft deck opened, and grape bombs fired from above swept across the "Iron Bone's" deck, creating a large mist of blood.

It was unclear whether it was due to absolute confidence or shooting angles, but even at this point, the most powerful 24-pound guns on the battleship had not been fired.

No matter what Basem was thinking, William decisively issued the next order.

"Get close, boarding combat!"

"Uha—!!!"

Having been chased like dogs for half the night and inexplicably losing a large number of comrades, the crew of the "Iron Bone" had been harboring anger.

At this point, driven by the scent of blood on the ship, they fully regained the fierceness and disregard for death that belonged to pirates, roaring as they charged toward the battleship.

Even if comrades beside them were torn into a mist of blood, nothing could halt the pirates' advance.

Due to the size difference between the two pirate ships, this "boarding combat" nearly turned into a siege; the crew of the "Iron Bone" had to rely on hooks and ropes to climb onto the "Skeleton Tomb".

The "corpse monster" crew, retaining part of their intelligence from their previous lives, stood holding scimitars in formation to meet the enemy.

Bam! Bam! Bam!...

After an exchange of firearm shots, the flow of blades clashed fiercely together.

Clang—

On the battleship, Basem stood unmoved at his command post, looking delightedly at "Iron Bone William", who single-handedly charged aboard, and praised:

"Chosen one!

Summon the courage to face the final enemy in your life, deplete all your bravery and blood as you fall on the path of charge, bringing a conclusion to your life, and at the same time elevating destiny to perfect sublimation!

You haven't disappointed me, Iron Bone William! I admire your courage! Ha kaka kak...

Having no idea what this bizarrely dressed, strangely behaving individual was babbling about, William's twin blades were already drawn, feet moving swiftly as he became a shadow rushing toward the aft deck, shouting angrily:

"You're crazy, come and get me!"

The Master-level "Sessi Scimitar Technique" turned the dual blades in his hands into the fangs of a bloodthirsty beast. Though William had always adhered to a principle of non-killing, it didn't mean he couldn't take a life!

Szzz—

With a sharp hum, the two scimitars slashed down with his unyielding desire for slaughter!

Clang!

William's dual blades were firmly caught by a pair of suddenly extended steel claws.

"You're... 'Leopard Cat' Luunk? Didn't you disappear?"

Standing before him as Basem's henchman was a slender, short-haired middle-aged man with steel claws on his hands and dull eyes. He was also a pirate powerhouse who had mysteriously disappeared in the past year.

Boom—

The deafening roar of a powerful force shattering the air suddenly came from behind. William, too startled to ponder why the missing Great Pirate would "live and breathing" appear on Basem's ship, hurriedly withdrew his blades and dodged.

Step!

A nimble backward flip brought him back to the deck, where he looked up to the stern and caught sight of another very familiar figure. Even in his usual composure, he couldn't help but exclaim: "Bone Breaker Tampas..."

The one who had just launched the "sneak attack" against him was a bald, large man with blue-black skin and a bare upper body. His fists were the size of clay pots, clad in steel gauntlets, and it was evident that he was a rare master of martial arts.

"Ha... kaka... it's a shame that once made into a 'Corpse Monster,' it can only remain active for a year before slowly decaying. Otherwise, you'd have more future companions to meet."

Hearing Basem's seemingly kind explanation, William felt a chill in his heart.

Although he had heard some rumors about this guy before, witnessing firsthand strong figures, once renowned across the seas, being turned into such unrecognizably grotesque forms controlled by others, filled him with both terror and a fleeting sense of sorrow.

However, before he could gather more emotions.

The cabin door under the battleship's deck was suddenly flung open, and several streams of blue-black stench surged out. They were hundreds of filthy "Corpse Monsters," their bodies completely blackened and rotten.

Compared to those working on the deck, who, although silent, still exhibited some intelligence, these more corrupted ones were clearly closer to being "monsters"!

The crew of the "Iron Bone" immediately found themselves in a grueling fight.

"Ah—"

"Roar..."

"Chop off their heads!"

Though decapitating them would indeed kill these "monsters," they were unmistakably harder to deal with than an equivalent number of humans wielding cold weapons. Without feeling pain or fear, they'd gnaw off a piece of the enemy even if it meant mutual destruction.

As the crew faced imminent annihilation, it was clear William himself was also about to become mere human material, his fate seemingly sealed.

"Captain, are we really going to save 'Iron Bone William'? Regardless of his reputation being good, he is, after all, a pirate. Wouldn't it be better for us if we let both sides wear each other down, or at least weaken Basem a little?"

Through the fog, the officers of the "Conch" watched the battle of the two pirate ships in the distance, with First Mate Borg unable to contain his inquiry first.

Actually, this tempting thought had initially crossed Aiven's mind as well. If only the Alchemy Bombs brought aboard by Milan hadn't run out, Aiven wouldn't have minded doing an impromptu bomber drop on them entangled together, settling the matter once and for all.

Unfortunately, since the Alchemy Bombs had been exhausted on the Mirage Sea Star, the "Conch," due to its rank, did not have the privilege to replenish such weapons at other Navy bases.

Moreover, after Milan's analysis of the "Mist + Cannon + Thorned Gold Rose" tactic.

Utilizing the sun's weakening effect on these "Corpse Monsters" afforded their side a greater advantage than any benefit achieved by obscuring their vision.

Most importantly, with the heavy fog, in places without light, the "Skeleton Tomb" could still use a Secret Treasure of the Ocean named "Ghost Cloak" to hide its body, canceling out the capability of the "Mist Silver Lamp," turning what would have been a very effective "War Fog" into a blind man's battle.

Therefore, Aiven's tactic for today was also boarding!

Leveraging "Iron Bone William," the Senior Knight's power to join in besieging Basem, letting him perish beforehand would truly reduce them to a piecemeal strategy.

However, a gift awaited him before the real boarding.

Bang—

A wooden crate was pulled from the "Magic Pocket" by Aiven and dropped onto the ground. At the sign upon it, it was clear this was military supplies from the Saint Martin Island Naval Base.

White Seagulls swooped down from the sky, clutching items from the crate, and like a swarm of miniature bombers, they dived fiercely towards the chaotic melee of combat aboard the two tangled pirate ships.

Thus, the long-awaited reinforcements of William finally arrived.

Flap flap—

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