Esoteric Truth

After putting away his empty musket, Evan raised his longsword and charged forward in an instant. The reversed blade turned into a streak of silver lightning, chopping toward Krulu's neck.

Clang!

Still rolling across the deck, Krulu raised his scimitar and blocked the fatal strike at the last possible moment. Yet the immense force sent him flying, and he rolled all the way until he slammed into the bulwark and finally stopped.

Bang—

Even with his exceptional physique, the impact left him dizzy and bloodied his wounded leg even further.

His eyes red, Krulu gritted his teeth and slowly rose to his feet. Just moments ago, he had been planning the wonderful life he would lead after becoming Pirate Captain, only to be cast into hell in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Evan walk toward him at an unhurried pace, he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"Despicable!"

But he no longer had a chance to seek justice for himself. On a ship, Combat Footwork accounted for at least half of one's fighting ability. Losing mobility was the same as losing one's life.

What faced him was the fang-like longsword Evan raised with both hands: White Sail Swordsmanship, Sail Raising Stance.

Clang... Clang...

There was no longer any suspense. After merely three exchanges, the ambitious first mate fell onto the Yellow Swan, the vessel he had envisioned as his own. Blood spread beneath him, and his ambitions came to an end.

Less than two minutes had passed from start to finish. It was truly ironic.

Though the forces of the Yellow Swan and the Blood Anchor were still locked in a chaotic melee, both sides noticed Krulu's fall immediately.

Captain Joseph was overjoyed. He had initially thought highly of this youth, who seemed to be one of the Noble Children, only because of Viscount Andrea. He had never expected Evan to possess such courage and martial strength.

With an unstoppable foe dealt with, the Yellow Swan's hopes of victory had increased severalfold.

Blood Anchor Zack, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by mixed emotions. His expression seemed caught between laughter and tears before quickly darkening completely. It was indeed worth celebrating that a confidant who coveted his position as Pirate Captain had been eliminated, but not now. This was going to cut off the Blood Anchor's roots—

The veins on his forehead throbbed as he forced out a sentence through clenched teeth.

"Damn it, where did this meddler come from?!"

Seeing the sailors' Morale Boosted, Zack no longer charged about recklessly as before. He changed tactics, moving nimbly between the deck and masts as he swung his scimitar to fend off the combined assault of several skilled crewmen.

They had already been at a disadvantage in numbers, and now they had lost another major fighting force. Even if they managed to take this merchant ship, no one knew how many casualties they would have to pay.

But even a vicious pirate like him did not dare blame the gods for failing to bless him.

Faced with an absolute disadvantage, his ferocity instead flared even more fiercely. His footwork became swift and agile, while his attacks grew increasingly brutal and domineering.

"Ah—kill!!!"

Evan paid no attention to what they thought. Taking advantage of the brief lull in battle, he reloaded his musket. With the intimidation of having slain a powerful enemy, no pirate dared test his edge for the moment.

Yet in the brief time Evan spent loading ammunition, the several skilled fighters besieging Blood Anchor Zack had already been separated by the complicated terrain and killed one by one.

Then Zack flicked his scimitar and charged at Captain Joseph. His intentions were obvious: as long as he beheaded the leader, the sailors across the ship could only wait to be harvested one by one.

"Captain Joseph, hold on! I'm coming to help!"

Although Evan shouted, drawing Zack's attention, he did not charge at him directly.

Instead, he began slaughtering nearby pirates, freeing more and more Yellow Swan crewmen. They followed behind him and formed a surging tide, steadily advancing toward the bow.

Even from their respective status, it was clear that the Blood Anchor's captain was more capable than his first mate. The more critical the moment, the less he could afford to underestimate his enemy. A single misstep could overturn everything. The situation was now on their side; Blood Anchor should be the one panicking!

Zack watched as more and more crewmen gathered behind Evan. The strategy of dividing the enemy that he had established upon boarding was gradually falling apart. His pirates, who were more skilled at fighting alone, were being forced back step by step, and their numbers were dwindling at an unprecedented rate.

Yet he had been unable to break through to the merchant captain, who was surrounded by a large group of crewmen armed with muskets.

Zack knew that if he did not make a decision soon, not only would he fail to seize this ship, but there might not even be enough crew left aboard the Blood Anchor to sail her.

Just then, one of the pirates suddenly shouted, "I know him! He's that Noble Pretty Boy who stopped the boatswain that night!"

"That's right, it's him! I recognize him too."

The surviving pirates aboard gradually gathered around Zack. Those who had joined Black Bear Billy in scaling the city wall during the siege immediately recognized Evan.

"It was you?!!"

Zack felt his Blood Reversal surge straight into his head, as though the veins in his forehead were about to burst.

Ever since he had begun operating in the waters near Leopold, his already poor luck had started collapsing from the night of the siege. Black Bear Billy's downfall had been like the last straw that broke the camel's back, forcing him to run himself ragged. Beset by troubles from within and without, his losses had only grown more severe!

Now that he had encountered the culprit, how could he not be furious?

He could forgo this merchant ship today, but this brat had to die!

Evan had no idea that his bearing amidst the crowd had been so outstanding that he had firmly drawn Blood Anchor Zack's hatred. The moment Blood Anchor looked his way, Evan sensed something and met Zack's furious eyes, which seemed ready to devour a man.

Before Evan could return the look, Blood Anchor Zack had already broken away from the main pirate force and pounced like an enraged lion.

"Die for me!!!"

Clang!

Blades collided, but the outcome greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.

Evan did not budge an inch, while Blood Anchor Zack, the attacker, staggered back three steps in a row!

Both sides were stunned, and even Evan was baffled. Wasn't a pirate Boss supposed to be the strongest? Why did Zack feel weaker than the first mate Evan had just killed?

Only now did Evan get a clear look at his opponent. Boots, tight trousers, a double-breasted coat, and a Blood-Red cape—he was clearly imitating noble attire on purpose. But his Pale White face and excessively gaunt body made him seem nothing like a strong fighter.

"Could this be... a trick?" Evan, still inexperienced in fighting pirates, hesitated slightly, giving Blood Anchor Zack an opportunity.

Amid the shocked cries of the pirates behind him, Zack pulled a small metal bottle from his waist, removed its cork, and drained the Blood-Red liquid inside in one gulp.

"It's God Blood!"

"Long live the Captain! Brat, you're dead for sure, haha..."

The pirates of the Blood Anchor clearly knew what it was. Even as they cheered, they slowly backed away, keeping their distance from their own captain.

It was visible to the naked eye.

Zack's aura underwent a heaven-shaking transformation in an instant. His gaunt body swelled as though inflated, becoming as strong as a bull. His Pale White skin turned blood-red, and most horrifying of all, wisps of Blood-Red vapor continuously writhed and coiled from his mouth and nose like tiny snakes, radiating an eerie evil.

"Gahaha, feel the power of the gods!"

Before his words had even faded, Zack stepped forward and rushed in front of Evan. He swept his scimitar sideways, nearly half again as fast as before.

Clang!

Holding his sword with both hands, Evan used its sturdy blade to block the incoming edge, but he was still shaken half a step back. He was astonished. A single bottle of some inexplicable potion had granted Zack the strength of a peak Apprentice Knight in an instant.

So this was the trump card that allowed him to suppress the first mate?

Evan instinctively wanted to retreat and fight again once Data Vision had gathered enough information on his opponent. But a surge of fierce courage within him forcefully stopped him!

Ever since Data Vision had awakened, whether during training or hunting, he had become accustomed to gathering detailed intelligence on his opponent and making thorough plans before acting.

There had been nothing wrong with that. Whether it was Black Bear Billy or First Mate Krulu, Evan had easily killed them after obtaining precise information.

But as a knight, he could never place himself in the position of a hunter forever. On a complex battlefield, one could never expect the situation to remain under one's control, nor could one count on the enemy always being weaker.

A knight needed not only to foresee the enemy's moves, but also an unyielding will that refused defeat and the courage to press forward against powerful foes!

Therefore, Evan did not want to retreat.

The rhythm of his breathing quietly changed. It was as though a breeze-like force rose from every part of his body. His longsword dipped slightly, and Evan silently entered a new state.

White Sail Swordsmanship Secret Esoteric Truth:

Sword Form Drifting Skiff!!!

With a step, it was as though he stood upon a small boat floating on the water. His figure shifted like flowing clouds and running water, and in an instant he launched three strikes. Snow-bright sword shadows let out piercing cries as they targeted Zack's head, chest, and abdomen.

This was the true essence of swordsmanship Evan had comprehended after White Sail Swordsmanship reached the proficient level. Different schools called it by different names: Sword Form, Secret Swordsmanship, or Esoteric Truth.

Drifting Skiff emphasized that a person should be like a boat and the enemy like raging waves—drifting at will, maintaining balance, never capsizing. It was also the foundation of White Sail Swordsmanship's series of extended techniques.

This was the essence Evan had comprehended after spending two years training his swordsmanship to the proficient level!