"Taloy... impossible!"
Within the Black Sail Fleet.
Mary I tried to contact Taloy again in disbelief.
There was no response.
She finally knew for certain that something had happened to Taloy.
"So soon..."
Mary I understood that Taloy's defeat would leave her in an even worse position.
More and more giant marine creatures gathered around her fleet, launching suicidal attacks.
Her fleet had over a hundred ships, but the frenzied marine creatures numbered far beyond the thousands.
Previously, Taloy had helped share the pressure.
Knowing she had reached the most critical moment, she hesitated.
Looking at the faint red glow emanating from her mothership's hull, she finally made her decision.
"This is an opportunity for me, too. The Mary has been stuck at this bottleneck for far too long. I have to seize this chance."
She then took a small bottle from inside her clothes.
Golden runes flickered across its surface from time to time, signifying sealing and suppression.
Inside the bottle was a short tentacle, like that of an octopus.
It writhed slowly.
Mary I's gaze held both wariness and greed.
She strode onto the deck.
The ship rocked, and walls of white mist obscured the view around her.
The sounds of battle rang out everywhere.
A giant shark beneath the water suddenly accelerated and leaped out, appearing above the ship.
But a Death Ray fired from the Mary's tower killed it instantly.
The giant shark burst apart in midair, scattering blackish-red blood across the deck.
A moment later, however, the deck absorbed all that blood.
This was the special ability of Mary I's core mothership.
It was also an ability she had acquired after joining the Land of Blood.
By absorbing the blood of living creatures, the ship could replenish its reserves and slowly improve the mothership's quality.