Necromancy!

As his words fell, the Cat-ear Pirate lunged forward with ferocious intensity.

Clearly, this was at odds with the contemptuous and relaxed expression on his face. Anyone who concluded from his demeanor that he was careless would be the most foolish of all. As a pirate who lived by the edge of the blade, he understood full well the principle of a lion using its full strength even against a rabbit. Even if his opponent was a one-armed, half-dead fellow pirate, he showed no trace of negligence.

But...

Some things simply couldn't be avoided by caution alone!

When an anomaly beyond common sense occurred, the tremor of the soul was beyond one's control.

His lips still quivering faintly, as the Cat-ear Pirate closed to within a meter of him, Lowett stopped his movements and murmured softly.

"Necromancy: Skeleton Revival!"

Thanks to the Cat-ear brother for sending a corpse!

As the easiest to learn yet hardest to master summoning spell among the five major branches of necromancy, this was a universal magic usable from apprentice level all the way to the Saint Ten stage. It targeted a corpse as the casting object for targeted summoning. From the simple Zombie Puppet that merely animated a corpse, to the Skeleton soldiers with bones refined to steel-like hardness, and even using it as a medium to awaken buried grudges from the earth or summon an Underworld Python—all required this spell as a prerequisite.

It was an exceptionally convenient basic spell.

Moreover, as the signature skill for necromancers building an Undead Army, the energy to move the bones came from the corpse itself. The necromancer only consumed a portion of control power. With enough knowledge and mastery of energy-saving casting techniques, basic summoning barely cost anything—not even half a star. This was a talent unique to necromancers!

It was the same principle as a Fire Element System mage using a small flame to light a pipe without any consumption—a case of "each excels in their own field"...

The only drawback was the prerequisite of needing a corpse.

In Lowett's current state, he couldn't even use a half-star spell. Fortunately, he had enough knowledge to know the tricks for energy-saving casting with this spell. However, to conserve Mental Power during casting, the incantation would become more cumbersome, leaving openings for enemies.

Fortunately... his enemy didn't understand this.

"Bullying natives is really amusing."

The Cat-ear Pirate's physical abilities were not lacking—sharp ears and keen eyes—so he immediately noticed the strange Sound of wind beside him. Turning his head, his powerful vision let him see the target clearly, but at that moment, he wished he hadn't... Instantly, an indescribable terror surged into his heart. Dopamine secreted uncontrollably, making his scalp tingle and his limbs turn cold.

"What the hell?!!"

What lunged at him was none other than the navy corpse he had confirmed had its heart pierced!

Its eyes were dull and lifeless, its mouth agape as it pounced toward him. Through the angle of its rising body, the Cat-ear Pirate could even see the shattered fragments of its heart inside its chest. This was undoubtedly a corpse that couldn't be deader.

But the corpse was alive!!

"Bastard!"

Faced with this bizarre scene, even though he had the strength to easily kill it, the Cat-ear Pirate chose to retreat. With a "thud," he stomped and shot out of the cell, dodging the attack, letting the corpse collapse at Lowett's feet.

"Ugh!"

The sudden movement caused his shoulder to accidentally hit the iron bars of the cell door. The Cat-ear Pirate winced in pain, then stared at the "corpse" slowly rising again, his Pupils dilating.

The corpse didn't attack Lowett, which gave the Cat-ear Pirate an ominous premonition.

"A Devil Fruit user!!"

Everything in this world that defied reason could be explained by Devil Fruits. Because they were the most mysterious things in this world. Even he, as a cadre under Kuro of the Hundred Schemes, one of the strongest pirates in the East Blue, had no idea about the truth behind Devil Fruits.

He had rarely even seen one!

"Devil... Fruit? So this really is that world."

Lowett murmured softly, half his body leaning on the revived corpse's shoulder as he stood up. His gaze didn't even look at the Cat-ear Pirate as he spoke to himself.

"I was right about the method, just the coordinates were a bit off."

Even the descendants of the Musk Family, his master from the previous world, didn't know that Lowett was a transmigrator. Just like this time, because his Soul Compatibility was high enough, he had supplanted someone's existence. His original name was Luoshui—an unlucky name, but one he cherished deeply as the name of his true lineage.

"Since the method is correct, I absolutely cannot die!"

Suddenly, he lifted his head to look at the Cat-ear Pirate. That unyielding conviction transformed into a Mental Power amplifier, giving him the fleeting illusion that he was the master of heaven and earth. Fortunately, the Cat-ear Pirate Sam was no great figure, and under this Mental Power pressure, he actually felt a trace of fear.

Blood dripped steadily from his severed limb. The gaunt young man's face was haggard, his whole body exuding the dangerous aura of a wounded beast. An invisible wave spread outward, and in an instant, his mind was left with only those eyes—bright as stars, hidden behind greasy, tangled hair—frozen in place.

Necromancy: Soul Shock!

Controlling the Undead Army was impossible without proficiency in the soul branch.

Seizing the opportunity, Lowett decisively clung to the corpse's back and ordered the reanimated undead to carry him as it trotted out of the cell.

"After them... chase them!"

The sudden turn of events stunned Buchi on the sidelines, and he only snapped out of it when Sam let out a somewhat hysterical scream.

Remembering their captain's order to clean up the remaining Navy soldiers below, Sam shuddered.

Dead men coming back to life wasn't the scary part—what truly terrified him was "Hundred Schemes" Kuro!

Compared to worrying about others' lives, his own survival was the real priority!

"Got it, big bro!"

Buchi charged straight down the corridor, knocking Sam off balance.

"Sam, Buchi, are they all dead? We're pulling out."

The layout of ships generally followed a few patterns. Carried by the undead to a spot just one door away from the deck, Lowett heard an unfamiliar voice.

"Trouble..."

Lowett frowned slightly.

Click!

At the same time, the cabin door swung open.

Backlit by the setting sun, the tall hat was strikingly conspicuous, especially the cylinder under its chin, which looked oddly amusing.

That was, assuming you ignored the fact that the wearer was a pirate.

The Undead Navy soldier abruptly halted. Zango, the vice-captain of the Black Cat Pirates, also stopped in shock, staring at the uninvited guest before him, his mind struggling to catch up.

Hadn't the captain said he'd killed every Navy soldier on the ship?

Even if some were hiding, the stragglers shouldn't have been a match for the Catman Brothers, right?

Wait... Navy?!

Noticing the uniform on the undead, Zango's eyes turned vicious.

"Damn Catman Brothers, how do they do their job?!"

With that, two ring-shaped thin blades slid out from his sleeves.

Whatever excuse the Catman Brothers had for letting an enemy reach this point, Zango wouldn't allow any accidents concerning their captain's "big plan."

But as decisive as he was, Lowett was even more so!

He stopped to steady his breathing and focus his mind, then the Undead Navy soldier opened its mouth in an unconscious roar and lunged forward.

"What the hell?!"

This attack method—was it like a wild beast?!

Startled, Zango instinctively dodged to the side to avoid the bite. But he wasn't simple either; the ring blades connected by threads spun and whipped out. In the split second they passed each other, they tore a gash across the undead's throat, blood spraying.

But...

"What?!"

Watching the undead soldier's body remain completely unfazed, Zango's pupils contracted.

He was certain his attack had landed—the flying blood was undeniable.

But why?

"I said... don't cause me trouble!"

Suddenly, an icy voice echoed in Zango's ears, sending a chill down his spine.

Before he could speak, a black shadow swept past him, the wide black coat rustling in the wind.

A sting appeared on his cheek, quickly beading into a bloody scratch.

But Zango dared not wipe it, frozen in place, submitting to the other's will.

It was "Hundred Schemes" Kuro, their captain, a Great Pirate with a bounty of 16 million Berries, a man of considerable weight in the East Blue!

"Lucky—this mission seems to have satisfied the captain."

Feeling the sting on his face, Zango instead breathed a sigh of relief.

Shiiink!!

Then, a tearing sound rang out. The charging Undead Navy soldier was ripped apart from the waist by several long steel claws. Against that terrifying slash, its bones offered no resistance at all.

The undead's upper half flew forward with momentum, tumbling over the railing with a thud and plunging into the sea.

Along with Lowett, who was hanging on its back, vanishing into the ocean.

Click... click...

Done with that, Kuro pushed up the glasses on his nose with the palm of his left hand. Through the lenses, his gaze was full of cunning.

"That guy on the Navy soldier's back should be the 'Triangle Spellbreaker' Lowett, who's been making waves lately... Hmph. The Navy actually protecting a pirate? How unfair!"

Then, Kuro turned to look at Zango. "The Catman Brothers are unreliable. From now on, the Black Cat Pirates will rely entirely on you, Zango."

Zango dared not show any delight on his face, nodding with fearful reverence. "Yes, Captain."

At the same time...

"Captain, bad news! The dead man came back to life!"

The plump Buchi burst out of the cabin, his eyes filled with terror. Clearly, he had let Sam down—like Sam, he was scared out of his wits.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Zango also recalled the earlier attack and instinctively looked toward the sea.

"Wait, that means..."