From Angel's perspective as she fell into the water, she could see the stern section of the Black Tulip, which had yet to enter the Bronze Gate, rapidly collapsing: rotten planks, masts, a white sail that had become riddled with holes, followed by the zombies and skeletons that had been pursuing Azik's copper whistle, all scattering into the sea like tossed beans and raising an unbroken succession of splashes.
Bang—
The Bronze Gate slowly closed. Half of the Black Tulip, along with the figure of its master, Hell Admiral Ludwell, gradually vanished into the darkness.
Those two pale flames stared blankly at Angel beyond the gap in the gate. There was no anger over their losses, no hatred or fighting spirit—only indifference toward death.
The sea, reflecting the golden radiance of the Blazing Sun, temporarily returned to calm.
Angel violently choked on two mouthfuls of salty seawater before she could barely transform into a Siren and gain the ability to move freely underwater. Her spirituality was nearly exhausted, and her vision had begun to blur. She could only swim desperately toward the outskirts, avoiding the undead creatures that had lost control and begun attacking the nearest living beings on their own.
Klein, whose Fishman's Cufflink had been lost in the battle and who could only use a charm to breathe underwater, and Anderson, who had jumped into the water first but lacked mobility, both swam in this direction.
Fortunately, the Future had already turned broadside, exposing rows of cannons along its flank. The pirates each took aim, firing shell after shell into the boiling waters stirred up by the undead. Zombies were turned into true corpses, while skeletons capable of floating on the surface were blasted into the depths.
Specks of starlight drifted down and gathered into a transparent bridge