Encounter with Pirates

The next few days were peaceful. Perhaps it was due to the protection of the Elf Goddess, but the temporary fleet of four—now five large ships—was sailing smoothly into the depths of the sea. Although there weren't signs at crossroads like on land indicating whether you were in Silent Forest or Raccoon Town, the magical navigation meant they didn't get lost at sea. This was quite fortunate.

Angela had been spending the last few days with the elves. Of course, she didn't have a particularly good reputation among them, especially among her victims, who trembled at the sight of Angela like mice before a cat. However, the little one still managed to gather a considerable amount of information from them using her special abilities. For Li Lin, Angela would stop at nothing, resorting to coercion, bribery, or hypnosis without any hesitation. To her, these elves were disposable gifts from the goddess to Li Lin, so as long as they didn't cause any major problems, she could do whatever she wanted with them.

Li Lin had naturally observed Angela's actions, but he didn't take them to heart. The fate of these elves had already been decided when the goddess entrusted them to him. Although it wasn't appropriate to openly interrogate or search them, Li Lin wouldn't hesitate to help if someone was willing.

In fact, although Li Lin didn't say anything about Angela's actions, he was privately very Angela. After all, unlike Li Lin, Angela couldn't act recklessly on this continent. If he were to act personally, it would cause trouble if discovered. Therefore, he had to refrain from doing so. Angela, however, was different. She was bold yet meticulous, intelligent yet never reckless, principled yet discreet. Although outwardly, Angela wouldn't give such an impression, only after spending a long time with her would one gradually discover the story behind the little one.

Speaking of adhering to principles, it seems there's someone here who does too.

"Alright, Nia."

Li Lin tapped the cover of the Eternal Library again.

"So much time has passed, you should have gotten over it by now."

"..."

Silence.

"What a pity."

This time, Li Lin didn't intend to wait any longer. He had already sensed that Nia's silence was definitely related to the little guy. Although Angela had indeed helped him a lot in many ways, there were also times when she did more harm than good. Moreover, Nia was a weapon he had created himself, and Li Lin didn't want the little guy to be in charge of her moral education someday.

"It seems I really didn't do a good job."

As he spoke, Li Lin maintained the shape of a book. Nia, who was lying silently on the table, said very "sincerely."

"I think you have indeed grown up. Perhaps in some ways, well... I don't understand you very well anymore. From now on, we'll keep our distance and won't be so abrupt anymore. That's true, after all, we haven't seen each other for a thousand years. I really shouldn't still treat you like... Well, then, that's it. I'll always wait for you, until you want to talk, then you'll naturally talk to me."

With that, Li Lin turned around, intending to open the door and leave.

Just then, a surge of Magic Power flashed by, and then a hand reached out from behind Li Lin and grabbed his robe.

"I shouldn't have listened to Miss Angela."

Nia's voice carried a hint of helplessness and amusement.

"This is so painful, Li Lin. You have no idea how difficult it is for me to keep quiet—especially when there are no books to read."

You should say it the other way around—it's not easy to stay silent when you have no books to read.

"So, you mean I'm noisy?"

Nia seemed quite dissatisfied with Li Lin's words and retorted with a question.

I think you understand what I mean better than I do.

Li Lin turned around and smiled at Nia, who was clearly a little embarrassed; such a scene was quite rare.

"But I'm curious, what did that little Angela say to you? What made you not talk to me for so long?"

"Um..."

Hearing this, Nia frowned slightly. She thought carefully for a moment before answering with some uncertainty.

"... Miss Angela thinks I deserve more of your attention, so she came up with this plan called... called... called... 'Tsundere'. She said that if I ignore you, Li Lin, you'll pay more attention to me. She even called it 'cute attribute,' saying that every man would like it..."

"Okay, I understand."

Therefore, in Li Lin's mind, catching Angela and spanking her tonight was immediately on the agenda.

Just as he was about to say a few more words to Nia to make sure she wouldn't be tempted by the little guy's whimsical ideas again, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Kalin appeared there.

"Oh, sir, is there a good show to watch?"

Led by Kalin, Li Lin and Nia quickly arrived at the bow of the ship. With the help of magic, they easily spotted the small black dots on the edge of the horizon.

Undoubtedly, this was a very "formal" pirate raid. Three merchant ships were intercepted by five powerful pirate ships. After a brief bombardment, the pirates clearly gave up on continuing the cannon fire contest. After all, they were there to rob, not to sabotage. If they let their priceless cargo and a wrecked ship sink to the bottom of the sea, then all their efforts would have been in vain.

The merchant ships, on the other hand, had none of these concerns. They bombarded the pirate ships relentlessly, trying to scare the pirates away. Unfortunately for them, being merchant ships, they couldn't be as heavily armed as pirate ships. So, like a girl trying to outmaneuver some thugs, after some futile struggles, they had to face their final nightmare and inescapable fate.

"Merchant ships also use this route?"

"This route is still considered a legitimate route."

Nia clearly had a great understanding of the terrain of the entire sea area, so she quickly answered Li Lin's question.

"Only by venturing further ahead will we enter the so-called 'Grand Line,' where there are many pirates. Judging from the pirates we've encountered so far, we shouldn't be far from our goal."

"So, what do you intend to do, Your Excellency?"

Kalin stood to the side, seemingly eager to stir up trouble, and asked, her slender fingers stroking the longbow slung across her shoulder.

Should we go up and help, or stay here and watch the show?

"What country's flag is flying up there?"

Instead of answering Kalin's question, Li Lin suddenly posed a question to Nia.

"... It's not the flag of the Five-Nation Alliance. It looks like a merchant ship from Sea-Encircled Country. They're an island nation, and not particularly powerful."

"Very good."

Li Lin nodded, then turned to face Kalin and extended his hand.

"Then let's get started, we've saved them."

Watching the cannonballs glide past the pirates' hulls and fall into the sea again, Captain Vincent felt a surge of anxiety. These pirates were a real nuisance. Although he had always known that going to sea involved risks, when faced with actual danger, he still wanted to escape. However, the situation was urgent, and there was no time to escape. If he obediently handed over the cargo, the pirates might release the crew, but for Captain Vincent and his men, the ship's "cargo" was not something they could easily give away.

"Keep going, damn it! Are your eyes on your toes? Aim, fire!!"

As the pirate ship drew ever closer, Captain Vincent grew increasingly anxious. He roared and brandished his rapier, kicking aside a clumsy, motionless rookie. But it was too late. The terrifying pirate ship, like a monstrous shark, pressed close from the side. Captain Vincent could even see the disgustingly dressed, ugly creatures on the opposite ship, laughing and joking, their bound crossbow bolts already prepared. With a helpless and desperate expression, Vincent watched as the pirates fired their crossbow bolts, embedding them in his ship, and then they rapidly closed the distance between them.

It seems that only one war remains.

Although he didn't know which group of pirates they were, Vincent, as a captain, clearly had no way out.

"Get ready, you little rascals."

With that thought in mind, the captain finally stopped hesitating, brandished his rapier, and shouted.

"Let these sea bugs know who the true masters of this ocean are!"

"Oh!!!"

Encouraged by the captain, the sailors became brave, raising their weapons high and roaring.

This did not change the status quo.

As the two ships drew closer, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Then, with a strange cry, the pirates leaped high into the air and pounced on the ship.

"Allow...!"

Captain Vincent hadn't finished speaking when suddenly several thin, white streaks of light flashed past his eyes. The pirates, who had leaped high into the air, froze. They raised their scimitars, but didn't strike. Instead, as if they had lost all their strength in an instant, they crashed heavily onto the deck, lying there in bizarre ways.

"..."

Almost everyone was bewildered. Just moments before, these pirates had been trying to board the ship and attack, but now they lay on the deck, their dark blood slowly seeping out, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. The sailors exchanged bewildered glances. The pirates, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed in astonishment. None of them knew what had happened, and a strange feeling crept into their hearts.

Unbeknownst to them, the same scene was unfolding on several other ships.

What exactly happened?

In the distance, Nia quietly observed everything through her Eagle Eye Spell. She withdrew her gaze and nodded to Li Lin.

"All hits, Li Lin, you're doing as well as before."

"It seems I haven't completely forgotten what I'm supposed to do."

Gripping the emerald longbow tightly in his hand, Li Lin stared intently ahead. The longbow was entirely emerald green, emitting a faint blue light, not the azure of the ocean, but a pale blue like the sky. The light burned like flames, swirling around the longbow, with mysterious magical characters flashing within it. Anyone who saw this bow would not believe it to be merely an ordinary weapon.

"Yes, it seems your standards haven't declined despite your lazy lifestyle, which puts my mind at ease."

The light of the longbow flickered on and off, and at the same time, Kalin's voice rang out.

"Then, let's do it one more time."

As Li Lin spoke, he drew his longbow again. Although the action seemed rather incongruous with his robes, it somehow felt strangely appropriate given Li Lin serious expression.

As the bowstring was drawn back, white specks of light gradually appeared in the air. As if drawn together by some force, they coalesced to form a bright and beautiful arrow of light. Li Lin focused his mind again, then raised the angle and fired the arrow of light.

A long, bright white line shot out, tracing a faint path across the sky. Just as it reached its apex, the arrow of light suddenly split into several thinner lines that shot towards their targets in different directions.

For these pirates, this was undoubtedly a nightmare. They had no idea who was attacking them or what they were using. Soon, with the rain of light falling and another wave of pirates falling, the sea bandits began to panic. They hurriedly tried to retreat, but the sailors, emboldened by the attack, clearly had no intention of letting the pirates go. Although they also didn't know what the rain of light was, it was obviously aimed at the pirates. So these sailors immediately attributed it to the protection of a great god or something similar. In short, they had an incredible ally on their side, and that was enough.

Thus, the positions of hunter and prey were immediately reversed. Although these sailors were not pirates and had not stolen a ship, since the other party attacked first, their actions should be considered self-defense—or perhaps excessive self-defense.

Under Li Lin's three rounds of support fire, the sailors quickly captured three of the pirate ships. However, they were, after all, just ordinary sailors. Although they wanted to fish in troubled waters and make some extra money (these ships would surely bring good profits to their captains and themselves), they were still amateurs and far inferior to professional pirates. In the end, under such attacks, one pirate ship managed to escape the battle range. Although the sailors also attacked it, it was clear that this pirate ship was far superior to ordinary pirates in both speed and power. Soon, the pirate ship had already sailed away into the distance, attempting to leave this hellish place.

"Damn it! We have to catch that ship and sink it!!"

Captain Vincent, furious, watched the pirate ship sail away, gritting his teeth as he shouted at the sailors who were setting up the cannons on the new ship. He knew, of course, that if all the pirates were wiped out, that would be fine. But if even one ship escaped, he would be in big trouble! Perhaps every time he set sail, pirates would be after him! These guys weren't so easy to deal with!!

Although several cannonballs were fired at Vincent's angry shout, it was clear that the pirate ship was prepared. It skillfully dodged the cannonballs and, with a gust of sea wind, finally moved out of the range of the last few cannons.

Damn it!

Vincent's heart sank to the bottom; he naturally understood what this meant.

Damn it! Even if we manage to capture those pirate ships, what good will it do? One escaped. Will I ever have a good life again? Damn it!

Just then, a piercing scream rang out.

Vincent stared in astonishment as a flawless white orb streaked across the sky and landed on the pirate ship, which had almost escaped to safety.

An explosion followed, and blinding light and a deafening roar enveloped everything.