Blood Crystals
Anderson is killing people.
Amidst the pirate horde, he gracefully raised his hands, and a dozen small, blazing white fireballs appeared around him. Though small, the fireballs emitted intense heat, their destructive power not to be underestimated.
Kill him!
"Attack us all at once! He can't handle all of us at once!"
The pirates roared and brandished their weapons wildly and frantically. Their ferocity was fully unleashed, for they knew that now was the time to fight to the death; if their second mate was killed, they would all be doomed!
Led by several extraordinary pirates, they simultaneously pounced on Anderson. Huge swords, sharp daggers, and Spirituality Revolver —all weapons were aimed at Anderson!
Anderson also made his move at the same time.
"Brush!"
As if conducting a symphony, he swung his arms, crossing them inwards. This gesture served as a signal, causing the fireballs around him to shoot out in all directions.
Flames are the forte of music, blood is the interlude, and death is the final movement!
"Puff puff puff!"
The fireballs struck each pirate's fatal weakness with pinpoint accuracy. Their faces were frozen in a frenzy, their bodies stiffened, blood gushing from their fatal wounds.
This applies to everyone from ordinary pirates to extraordinary ones!
"Thump, thump."
Moments later, with Anderson at the center, the corpses crashed backward, falling like dominoes and covering the entire deck in an instant.
"That felt so good!"
Anderson sighed with satisfaction, suppressing the surging Spirituality within him. To end the battle quickly, he used the Hunter Sequence 5's "Weakness Detection" and "Harvest" abilities, instantly ending the lives of all the pirates.
No matter what, I'm the Strongest Hunter below Demigod in the Fog Sea; clearing out the area is a piece of cake for me. These past few days, constantly battling that Monster Gascoigne has made me a little shaky.
Yes, how's the battle going over there?
Anderson immediately looked towards the bow of the ship.
To his surprise, Luther was nowhere to be seen at the bow of the ship. Only the Devil stood there, gripping Magma Longsword. Its body was enormous and ferocious, filled with an intense, maddening desire, as if a few more glances would engulf one's extreme emotions.
Where did Gascoigne go? Am I going to have to deal with a Sequence 5 "Desire Apostle" all by myself?
Anderson felt a surge of panic.
He had no confidence that he could deal with this Monster!
"Brush!"
But at that moment, the Devil suddenly grabbed the greatsword with both hands and pressed it against his own neck!
What the hell?
Anderson stared in disbelief. He then realized that the Devil's terrifying face was now showing fear and helplessness, and his arms were trembling uncontrollably. He tried to lower his sword, but his body was completely out of his control, and instead, he slowly brought the blade closer to his neck.
"Stop."
Kircheis squeezed out a sound through clenched teeth, watching the blade graze his skin, the gushing blood instantly evaporating with a hissing sound.
He tried to resist, but a chilling aura filled his body, taking control. Furthermore, crazed, Degeneration voices echoed in his ears, affecting his mind!
Finally, his mental defenses completely collapsed.
"No!"
Anderson heard the Devil's desperate cry, then with a burst of strength, he chopped off his own head!
"Thump, thump"
The ram-horned head fell off and rolled all the way to Anderson's feet before stopping. But the headless body continued to move, sheathing its sword and stepping off the bow of the ship. As it walked, blood gushed from the severed neck.
"!"
Anderson's eyelids twitched violently, and he quickly stepped back. He watched as the other man picked up his head and "reattached" it to his neck. The wound healed slightly, and blood stopped spurting out.
A moment later, Luther's figure appeared beside the corpse, slowly transforming from illusory to solid.
Why are you looking at me?
Luther felt Anderson's gaze and asked.
"It's nothing, it's pretty impressive, haha."
Anderson gave a dry laugh.
He just felt that his newly risen confidence seemed to have quietly sunk again.
Baffling
Luther thought to himself, ignoring Anderson and turning his attention to the corpse in front of him.
The body is worth £9,500, so it can't be thrown away. But I'm currently here and can't leave anytime soon, so preserving the body is difficult. And even if it were preserved, retrieving it would be a hassle.
Just then, a thought suddenly popped into Luther's mind.
Or maybe I should just transfer it to the Hanged Man and have him collect it for me?
Moreover, searching this ship should yield some valuable information, which can be packaged up and resold.
"Huh? What's this?"
As Luther was pondering, he suddenly heard Anderson's surprised voice. He looked down and saw that Kircheis had undergone a strange change—a thin crystal composed entirely of blood had oozed from his wound, emitting a sulfurous smell.
There are many here too!
Anderson continued shouting, and then he saw similar crystals precipitated from the bodies of the pirates who had died on the deck, shimmering in the pool of blood.
What the hell?
Could it be that all the pirates under the King of Immortality's command have this inside them?
Luther was puzzled and confused, unable to understand the origin of this thing. But then he thought for a moment and turned his gaze to Kircheis's corpse.
Why not just ask this guy about his soul?
Thinking this, he opened his palm and aimed it at the corpse. Instantly, a phantom mouth with gleaming white teeth grew from his palm.
"Call--"
With its mouth agape, a bone-chilling wind howled, generating a powerful suction that forcibly pulled Kircheis's soul, along with its Beyonder Characteristic, from the corpse.
Tell me, what is this crystal?
Luther used his illusory mouth to bite the soul, his teeth exerting force.
"Aaaaaah!"
Kircheis cried out in anguish, "It's the Death Announcer! We swore our loyalty to the Death Announcer!"
Death Announcer?
Isn't that Agalito's Flagship, the "King of Immortality"?
Are you kidding me?
Luther gritted his teeth even harder, making a grinding sound as he clenched them.
"Aaaaaah—I didn't lie to you!" the latter cried out in extreme agony, "All the crew members are Corrosion the 'Death Announcer' and become its servants the moment they board! It and Agalito are in cahoots!"
Regardless of Luther's reaction, Anderson was already taken aback by the news.
The so-called "King of Immortality," yet his crew doesn't obey his orders?
This is truly unprecedented news!