Chapter Summaries

Elizabeth recovered from her shock over a comrade’s death, reached Rank Seven, and led Black Pearl into boarding combat against Silent Mary. Caroso used his Buddha Rider deck to stall an eighth-rank pirate long enough for Saya and Will to kill him.

• Elizabeth overcame her grief, drew strength from the battle, and broke through to Rank Seven.
• Elizabeth steered Black Pearl alongside Silent Mary, and the crews connected the ships with grappling hooks.
• Caroso summoned Mysterious Guardian and used Noble Sacrifice, Auto Defense Matrix, and Redemption to delay an eighth-rank pirate.
• Saya beheaded the pirate while Caroso’s summoned Defender held him off, and Will kicked the head into the sea.
• Saya praised Caroso for affecting an eighth-rank opponent despite his Rank Six, leaving Caroso awkwardly embarrassed.

The Black Pearl outmaneuvered Salazar’s Silent Mary in the vortex, and Tig defeated Salazar as his ship sank. The surviving pirates celebrated their victory and declared they could now challenge the gods.

• Caroso collapsed after hearing a strange voice call out to Surtur while the pirates fought to cut the ships’ chains.
• After the chains were severed, the enemy helmsman fired on the Black Pearl, but Elizabeth ordered ropes attached to exposed reefs.
• Elizabeth used a powerful upward sea wind to turn the Black Pearl above the Silent Mary and ordered a cannon barrage.
• Tig wounded Salazar’s soul and sent him onto the sinking Silent Mary, where the vortex swallowed him and his ship.
• The Silent Mary’s crew and sea monsters turned to ashes or corpses, and Tig celebrated the Black Pearl’s victory with the surviving pirates.

After Salazar’s defeat, the Black Pearl’s crew celebrated while Elizabeth mourned the Bald Pirate and embraced life as a pirate. Tig made Elizabeth the ship’s helmsman and acting captain, but the ship suddenly rocked under a godlike pressure rising from the sea.

• The pirates celebrated their victory as the Black Pearl repaired itself, while Tig and the injured mates returned aboard.
• Elizabeth asked Caroso and Will about the Bald Pirate, learned his name was Wetherby, and poured out liquor in his memory.
• Elizabeth promised to preserve Wetherby’s story, then drank rum and joined the pirates’ singing and dancing.
• Tig appointed Elizabeth the Black Pearl’s helmsman and acting captain when he was away.
• The Black Pearl rocked, and Tig sensed a terrifying pressure from the ocean depths that belonged to a god.

The dead god “Hunger” appeared above the Black Pearl and transformed the seventh-rank pirates into monsters while its power overwhelmed the crew. Tig rallied the pirates to fight, but “Hunger” ignored him and fixed its gaze on Caroso.

• A giant batfish bearing the dead god’s body rose from the sea and appeared above the Black Pearl.
• Will and the other seventh-rank pirates aboard the ship transformed into skeletal, tentacled monsters, while Caroso and Elizabeth remained unaffected.
• Caroso resisted “Hunger” and stared back at it, despite its roar shattering his Mystery and guardian.
• Tig urged the crew to fight, then leaped toward “Hunger” with his blade, but an unseen barrier stopped him several meters away.
• The pirates fought the transformed crew as fish turned into armed fishmen and boarded the Black Pearl.
• “Hunger” ignored Tig and fixed its gaze on Caroso.

Tig struggled against the strengthened Hunger while trying to protect Caroso, and Salazar’s undead crew pressed Celica’s group in the real world. As Caroso faced a god’s attack, Nimel drew on Sophia’s divine power and opened a path through space and time, leaving Caroso transformed and able to knock Hunger’s fish-bone projectile aside.

• Tig’s blood harmed Rank Eight pirates and creatures, but it slid harmlessly off Caroso, leading Tig to suspect Caroso was his descendant.
• Tig threw Saya into Caroso’s path to save him from Hunger’s pull, but Saya exploded into bone ash as Hunger fired a fish bone at Caroso.
• Celica, Merlin, Russell, and Minette fought Salazar and his undead while Alita worked on a card designed to counter undead.
• Merlin found Nimel sensing Caroso’s danger, and Nimel drew Sophia’s divine power to tear open a view of Caroso facing Hunger.
• Caroso’s eyes and hair turned blue, and he struck Hunger’s fish bone away with Illuminating Gall.

Nimel sent divine power across time and space to Caroso, allowing him to join Tig in fighting Hunger. Hunger revealed a more dangerous form after badly injuring Tig, leaving Caroso and Tig facing its full strength.

• Nimel lent Caroso divine power, and he joined Tig in attacking Hunger.
• Caroso and Tig wounded Hunger, while the pirates gained ground against the fishmen.
• Hunger trapped Caroso and Tig with bloody water, but Caroso’s slash opened a path for Tig to strike it.
• Hunger exploded the wounded flesh, severely burning Tig and piercing his body and soul.
• Tig decided to risk his life, and Hunger shrank to a three-meter form with a real eye on its abdomen.

Tig and the pirates fought desperately against the god’s corpse, 'Hunger,' but it killed the officers and mortally wounded Tig. As Caroso considered using Nimel’s godhead, a mysterious woman appeared and urged him to claim a heart that slays gods.

• 'Hunger' struck Tig onto the Black Pearl, and the ship’s damage caused Elizabeth to bleed through her seven apertures.
• Tig rallied the pirates to keep fighting as he and the officers battled 'Hunger' while the fishmen killed many of the crew.
• 'Hunger' killed the third and second officers, then broke Tig’s ninth-rank sword and disemboweled him.
• Caroso struggled to use his divine power and feared that he and Tig would die, while Nimel offered him her godhead.
• A mature woman’s phantom appeared behind Caroso, stopped him from taking Nimel’s godhead, and told him he needed a heart that slays gods.

Caroso overcame his fear and, with Surtur’s guidance and the First Mate’s help, defeated Hunger. He and Elizabeth left the dying Tig and the Black Pearl behind, while the surviving pirates sang as their ship sank into the Sea of Taboo.

• Surtur urged Caroso to stop fearing Hunger and taught him to combine his God’s Chosen power with the God of Wisdom’s power.
• Caroso charged Hunger and fought alongside the First Mate, who created an opening for Caroso to strike Hunger’s old wound and break his body apart.
• Surtur and Nimel disappeared after Hunger fell, and Caroso landed safely on the Black Pearl as only nine pirates remained alive.
• Tig told Caroso to become a god, then ordered him and Elizabeth to leave the Black Pearl before it sank.
• Caroso and Elizabeth departed in a small boat as Tig and the pirates sang, and Elizabeth called them the most vicious pirates.

Elizabeth and Caroso returned to the present aboard the Black Pearl as Minette and the others struggled against Salazar. With the battle still going badly, Elizabeth faced Salazar and declared she would sink him again.

• Elizabeth and Caroso reappeared aboard the Johanna Smith while Minette and the others fought Salazar, and Caroso explained that the Sea of Taboo had healed him.
• Merlin confirmed Nimel had reached the fifth tier, while the exhausted fighters struggled to hold off Salazar's forces.
• Alita created two seventh-tier Golden Legendary Sacred Domain cards, but the spell only weakened the sea monsters and improved her allies' recovery.
• Salazar wounded Minette and drove her back as the battle remained against the defenders.
• The Black Pearl rose from the Sea of Taboo with Elizabeth and Caroso aboard, and Elizabeth confronted Salazar, promising to sink him again.

Caroso summoned the Black Pearl, and Elizabeth became its captain as the ship joined the fight against Salazar. Salazar tried to absorb the Silent Mary’s power, but a badly injured figure appeared behind him and stabbed him in the neck.

• Caroso brought the Black Pearl and Elizabeth back to join the battle against Salazar.
• The Black Pearl’s former first mate gave Elizabeth the captain’s hat and broken Dragon Bone Saber, and she accepted command of the ship.
• Elizabeth ordered the Black Pearl’s cannons to fire on the Silent Mary as the ghost pirates, Caroso, Alita, Celica, and Russell attacked Salazar and the sea monsters.
• Elizabeth declared herself the Pirate King and joined Celica and Russell in wounding Salazar.
• Salazar stabbed the Silent Mary to draw in its magic power, but a badly injured figure appeared behind him and stabbed him in the neck.

After defeating Salazar and taking the Silent Mary, the group heard Caroso and Elizabeth explain their adventure in a hidden section of history. Minette revealed that they had been sent back to complete the world's blank history, while Celica decided not to condemn the Black Pearl without evidence.

• Minette killed Salazar as he turned to ash, and she scolded Celica for failing to stop him sooner.
• Elizabeth boarded the masterless Silent Mary, and its first mate surrendered to her and joined the Black Pearl's crew under its curse.
• Caroso and Elizabeth recounted their adventure, leaving out Caroso's battle against the deity and saying Tig had fought alone.
• Minette explained that a break in history had caused the fate line to teleport them back to complete a section unknown even to the world.
• Celica suspected an unknown being had tried to possess Nimel or Sophia, and the group noted that Captain Tig had slain 'Hunger'.
• Celica said they would not issue a warrant for the Black Pearl unless its crew committed evil deeds.

Elizabeth embraced Russell as her father and committed to becoming Pirate King after surviving a dangerous adventure. Caroso visited Nimel, who woke with her golden eyes restored but could not remember how she had saved him.

• The group decided to sell the Silent Mary through the Goddess of Dawn Church and divide the money among those who fought for it.
• Elizabeth told Russell she still wanted to become Pirate King, and Russell accepted that he could no longer keep her from sailing.
• Elizabeth called Russell Dad, and he joyfully embraced her.
• Caroso congratulated Alita on reaching eighth rank and decided to visit Nimel.
• Merlin and Celica discussed Nimel's role in opening the time tunnel and weakening Sophia's divine power.
• Nimel woke when Caroso visited and said she had sensed his danger, but she could not remember what she had done.

After the ship’s crisis, Caroso and Nimel reunited and privately shared what had happened, while Caroso concealed his encounter with Elizabeth. Caroso later ran into Saya, who learned he was alive, and their rivalry resumed as Saya vowed that only he could kill his younger brother.

• Celica left Caroso and Nimel alone, and they exchanged accounts of what had happened while Caroso urged Nimel to claim she had been dazed.
• Karei comforted the frightened Elena, who thought about Saya and the Empire’s Second Prince.
• Saya drank alone, upset that Caroso had become a ghost before Saya could kill him himself.
• Caroso appeared on the deck, and Saya struck him after mistaking him for a hallucination and realized he was alive.
• Saya threatened to make Caroso lose everything and insisted that only he could kill him, then considered targeting the women close to Caroso.

After surviving the Sea of Taboo, Caroso and the others arrived in Laria City, where reporters swarmed them with questions. Elizabeth set sail aboard the Black Pearl to rob the merchant families that had once mistreated her, while Celica and Minette parted as rivals who had both grown stronger.

• Russell said goodbye to Caroso in Laria City and explained that Elizabeth could not dock there with the Black Pearl.
• Elizabeth received the Wish Compass, then ordered the Black Pearl to set sail so she could rob the families of merchants who had bullied her.
• Celica and Minette acknowledged that they were still enemies and promised to face each other again after gaining new insights from the battle at sea.
• Caroso and Celica disembarked together and were surrounded by reporters asking about the Church, the fallen god, and Celica's personal life.

Caroso reunited with Bai, Alita, Rayne, Elena, and Karei after returning from his voyage, while Bai warned him to strengthen his foundation before attempting another breakthrough. Caroso left with Celica and the others to investigate what had happened, leaving Elena increasingly fascinated by how far he had surpassed her.

• Bai praised Caroso's growth but warned him not to attempt seventh rank for two years, and Alita revealed that she had reached eighth rank.
• Elena and Rayne encountered Caroso, who greeted them politely, while Elena felt hurt by his distant manner and Karei stayed silent.
• Caroso told Rayne that he had brought the Emperor Gufu cards from Azure Wolf Province, explaining why Saya had avoided discussing them.
• Celica called Caroso over, and he invited Bai to join their group as they went to investigate what had happened.
• Rayne recognized Archbishop Celica and Principal Merlin among Caroso's companions, while Elena admitted her growing admiration for Caroso.

Caroso accompanied Celica and the others to Laria, where the church planned to assess Sophia and Nimel’s divine power. President Drandos arrived to protect Nimel from the church’s scrutiny, leaving Cardinal Riccardo facing a powerful obstacle.

• Caroso and Krumen traveled through Laria, where firearms and machinery were forbidden, and Caroso noticed Saya heading to the library.
• Celica and her companions met Cardinal Riccardo at Laria Cathedral, where he proposed using Laria’s magic array to examine the two girls.
• Riccardo said he and Celica would oversee the assessment, while privately considering how the church would handle the girls if their divine power posed a problem.
• President Drandos arrived and explained that Nimel had helped him translate an important ancient document, then asked to spend time with her.
• Riccardo refused Drandos’s request until the church had assessed Nimel, and Drandos challenged his claim that she might be possessed by an evil god.

Norma, the Nature Mage Association’s ninth-tier powerhouse, confirmed that Nimel possessed divine power and intervened as the Goddess of Dawn Church prepared to examine her. Her presence forced Riccardo to agree to follow the proper procedures, while Caroso hoped to stall until the Church of the God of Wisdom became an Orthodox Church.

• Drandos detected resistance in Nimel’s body and confirmed that she possessed divine power.
• Norma arrived and independently verified Nimel’s divine power, astonishing the gathered mages and reporters.
• Norma explained that she had come to hear Caroso’s account of the pirates and the events at sea, then praised Nimel.
• Norma challenged Riccardo to follow the rules for identifying an evil god and warned him not to harm Nimel.
• Norma offered to observe the ceremony and advise Nimel’s cultivation, leaving Riccardo unable to manipulate the proceedings.
• Caroso reflected that they needed to stall until the Church of the God of Wisdom became an Orthodox Church.

Bai learned that Caroso planned to enter the Knight Tournament by exploiting a rule that allowed anyone with a knightly title and a knight deck to compete. Caroso hoped winning would earn him an audience with the Pander Empire's Emperor to discuss selling his family's cards, and he revealed that Alita had already helped prepare his deck.

• Bai visited Caroso at the church and learned he planned to stay there and study with Alita while preparing for the tournament.
• Bai objected to Caroso entering the Knight Tournament because he was a cardmaker, but Caroso explained that his knightly title and deck made him eligible under the rules.
• Bai warned Caroso that the tournament's rank limits and experienced opponents would expose his shallow foundation and lack of combat experience.
• Caroso explained that he wanted to meet the Pander Empire's Emperor to discuss his family's card business, not to pursue the princess.
• Caroso told Bai that Alita had already helped him prepare his deck, leaving Bai frustrated.

Caroso faced questions from Drandos about Azure Wolf Province’s powerful new cards, while Emperor Orsay and the Second Prince debated whether the empire was behind them. Elsewhere, Celica clashed with a church inspector over the Black Pearl and her decision to let Minette escape, insisting she would capture Minette if they met again.

• Norma summoned Caroso, and Drandos questioned him about the draw cards, zero-star cards, and Emperor Gufu, suspecting an empire supported Azure Wolf Province.
• Caroso said no association or church stood behind them and told Drandos that Nimel’s identification would reveal the truth.
• The Second Prince asked Emperor Orsay whether the empire had created Emperor Gufu, and Orsay told him to think more carefully before investigating Azure Wolf Province.
• Celica argued with a headquarters inspector who wanted the church to recover the Black Pearl, insisting the ship had an owner and had broken no laws.
• The inspector criticized Celica for failing to capture Minette, and Celica said she would catch her if they met again.

Riccardo, the Inspector, and Celica argued over how to handle Nimel and Sophia’s evaluation, while the Church’s leaders considered a plan to stop Nimel from becoming a god. Caroso later spoke with Norma and Drandos about the Sea of Taboo and the Church’s threat, leaving the conflict unresolved as they prepared for the Church to make its move.

• Riccardo redirected the argument between Celica and the Inspector toward Nimel and Sophia, but Celica left after challenging their double standards.
• After Celica departed, Riccardo and the Inspector discussed their inability to secretly evaluate Nimel and resolved to act against her, declaring that she was destined to be possessed by an evil god.
• Caroso finished discussing three cards with Chairman Drandos, then talked with Norma about the Sea of Taboo and the gods of the past.
• Norma promised to care for Caroso’s sister, while Drandos warned that the Goddess of Dawn Church remained powerful and should not be underestimated.