“Move! Push through together!” Levi shouted as he charged forward first, with Graves hurrying after him while carrying Twisted Fate on his back.
Graves hurled out a Smoke Screen, and the three of them used the thick cloud as cover to advance quickly.
Some of the pirates who had been left dazed by the explosion had only just recovered their senses when Graves’ bullets tore into them.
Fortunately, only a small squad of pirates had arrived to block their path.
Most of the ship’s crew had yet to fully assemble.
Levi and Graves fought as they advanced, finally managing to force open a path through the enemy.
“Cut out their kidneys!”
A cold voice rang out.
Levi followed the sound and finally got his first proper look at Gangplank.
At Gangplank’s command, a group of pirates let out savage cries and charged toward the three of them, their heavy footsteps pounding against the deck as they raised their cutlasses.
“Piercing Light!”
Holy light flashed from Levi’s hand.
The pirates charging straight at him were instantly scorched black across their faces, collapsing to the floor while coughing out trails of black smoke.
The pirates behind them showed no fear and continued rushing forward without regard for their lives.
Graves fired a single blast, sending another group tumbling over one another.
More and more pirates kept pouring in, making it increasingly difficult for Levi and Graves to hold them back.
Graves was in even worse shape.
With Twisted Fate still on his back, he was already drenched in sweat.
They continued fighting while retreating toward the side of the ship.
Right now, their only option was to get off the vessel first.
“Twisted Fate, can you still use your teleportation magic?” Graves asked anxiously as he blasted another crewman who got too close.
“I can, but I need my cards. I’ve only got one on me right now.”
Twisted Fate pulled a golden card from inside his clothes.
“Can you use this one?”
Levi handed him the golden card he’d picked up earlier.
“But I can only teleport two people. That’s already my limit,” Twisted Fate said urgently.
“You can take two? Perfect. Then you two get out of here.”
Levi kicked a pirate away as he spoke, genuinely excited.
He hadn’t expected Twisted Fate to be capable of teleporting another person with him.
That definitely wasn’t how it worked in the game.
“No way, partner. We’re not leaving you behind,” Graves said firmly.
“Listen to me. I’ve got a way out. You two go.”
Levi clenched his right hand, and a wall formed from spectral undead, trapping a group of pirates behind it.
“Go!”
Levi grabbed Twisted Fate and threw him straight over the side of the ship.
“You too. Go with him. We’ll meet at Ol’ Lars’ place.”
Levi looked at Graves.
“Watch yourself.”
Seeing the resolve in Levi’s eyes and realizing he wasn’t joking, Graves nodded and jumped overboard.
In the water below, Graves grabbed hold of Twisted Fate.
Twisted Fate held two cards between his fingers and muttered something under his breath.
A flash of white light appeared, and the two of them vanished from the sea in an instant.
“Demon Shade.”
Levi immediately activated Evelynn’s passive.
His entire body melted into the darkness of the night while his exhausted stamina slowly began to recover.
He quickly found a corner and remained completely still, doing everything he could to avoid making even the slightest sound.
The pirates hacked and slashed until they finally broke through the Dark Procession, but when they emerged on the other side, all they found were their fallen companions scattered across the floor.
The three intruders were nowhere to be seen.
Several pirates leaned over the side of the ship and looked down, but they couldn’t spot anyone in the water either.
“Captain, they’re gone,” the first mate reported to Gangplank.
Gangplank narrowed his eyes, the fingers of his right hand tightening until his knuckles cracked.
“Those two little bastards and their cheap tricks. Sooner or later, I’ll feed them both to the sharks.”
Gangplank waved a hand.
At this point, there was nothing else he could do, so he ordered his men to clean up the mess and restore order aboard the ship.
Levi silently followed as Gangplank turned and walked away.
Twisted Fate had been poisoned by Gangplank.
As unbelievable as it sounded, Twisted Fate had claimed the antidote was Black Pearl Rum.
Keeping a short distance behind Gangplank, Levi followed him through several passages until they reached the captain’s quarters.
The moment Gangplank closed the door, Levi quietly slipped through the narrowing gap without attracting his attention.
Gangplank slammed his fist onto the table.
The impact sent a cup rolling off the edge, where it shattered across the floor.
“Damn it. Now every worthless bastard thinks he can come after me. All because of that damned little redheaded bitch.”
Gangplank grabbed a bottle and took several heavy swigs.
“Why the hell can I still smell that whore in my own quarters?”
Gangplank frowned and sniffed the air, his eyes slowly shifting toward Levi’s position.
His iron left hand suddenly moved.
A fruit knife shot off the table like a spinning throwing blade, flying straight toward Levi.
Gangplank’s instincts were far sharper than Levi had expected.
He hadn’t imagined the man could detect him even like this.
Levi threw himself into an awkward roll and barely avoided the attack.
The knife buried itself deep into the wooden door behind him.
Levi glanced at it and swallowed.
“You. You little bastard. I’m in a very bad mood right now, and I’m going to carve the flesh off your bones and feed it to the sharks.”
Gangplank roared and drew his cutlass, charging forward in an instant.
He was incredibly fast.
His blade sliced through the air with an audible whistle.
Levi ripped the fruit knife out of the door and barely managed to block Gangplank’s strike.
One hit was enough to leave a deep notch in the small blade.
The sheer force of the impact numbed Levi’s entire hand.
Before he could even catch his breath, Gangplank swung his iron fist directly at Levi’s face.
Levi desperately ducked aside.
The door behind him exploded into splinters beneath Gangplank’s punch.
Gangplank shook the broken wood from his iron hand and bared a mouthful of teeth blackened by years of smoking, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
“I’m going to slice you apart piece by piece, then carve my favorite little designs into your thighbone.”
Gangplank grinned viciously and charged again.
Levi blocked another slash with the fruit knife, but this time the blade couldn’t withstand the impact and snapped cleanly in half.
“Sorry, Captain Gangplank, but I don’t think that’s happening.”
Levi shook out his numb right hand and tossed the broken half of the knife onto the floor.
Gangplank spat to the side and was just about to move when dark crimson energy suddenly wrapped around his body.
His movements immediately became sluggish, and much of his strength seemed to drain away.
“What filthy trick is this now?”
Gangplank roared and immediately drew his pistol, aiming it at Levi.
Levi swept out a hand.
Five spectral cavalrymen appeared with eerie neighs and charged straight toward Gangplank.
Levi snatched the bottle of rum from the table and moved close to the wall.
A burst of golden light flashed.
He vanished from the room.
“Damn brat!”
Gangplank finally broke free from the spectral riders and looked around, but Levi was already gone.
Enraged, Gangplank smashed his fist down onto the table.
With a loud creak, the entire thing collapsed into a heap of broken planks.