Gell's face still wore that eternally unchanging, rock-like calm expression, but the way he repeatedly looked back at the Silver Wing exposed his true feelings.
He feared that the next time he looked back, he would see the pirates on the Silver Wing cheering in victory. He feared that the sailors who had followed him for years would be wiped out. He feared that General Snyder's family, who had entrusted their safety to him, had already met with disaster. More than anything, he feared that Evan, who had smashed through into the cabin, had been found and killed by the pirates!
Gell had not experienced such a profound sense of helplessness in many years.
Though he could still keep Skuk occupied for the moment, there was nowhere to run on the vast sea. As he continued racing across the waves, even with a Peak Knight's formidable stamina, his physical condition inevitably kept declining.
"Skuk, what exactly are you trying to do? Attacking the Kingdom Navy—even if you hide in the New Continent, you won't escape the kingdom's judgment!"
Gell rolled across the spray beneath his feet, dodging Skuk's attack from below, and shouted.
Though he knew it would yield no results, he still made one final attempt. No matter how dire the situation, surrendering without a fight was not in Gell's nature.
Splash—
Sure enough, after his strike missed, Skuk ignored Gell completely and sank back beneath the water to prepare his next attack.
Gell's expression turned grave. Skuk was clearly determined to slaughter everyone aboard the Silver Wing and could not even be bothered to waste a single word.
His heart sank to the bottom, and a plan to perish together began taking shape in his heart...
Flap, flap—
At that moment, Gell suddenly caught sight of several enormous