Pirate Kingship

Those puppets and clowns were still in midair when they began to bare their fangs and claws, emitting shrill laughter that sent a chill down even the bravest spine. Among them were likely blood-and-flesh avatars split from the Bone-Eating Clown, capable of temporarily replacing the original to unleash the combat power of a Third Order clown. Byron had no intention of letting these sinister things land on his ship.

"Musketeers, line up on deck and fire!"

Aside from the cannon crews who continued their barrage, all surviving crew members formed up according to the new tactics, raising their muskets and pulling the triggers.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM...

Bright orange flames burst forth as a swath of scorching iron pellets sprayed towards the puppets and clown crew members in the air.

Violet might not have been able to solve the problem of overly sensitive primers in a short time, but crafting a batch of exquisite muskets for the elite Musketeers in her armory was well within her capabilities. The Guardsmen directly under Byron's command were armed with the company's finest flintlock muskets—the Torrentfort 1472 model. It had a total length of 104 centimeters, with a barrel of 61 centimeters and a caliber of 25.4 millimeters. It could fire large lead bullets or buckshot composed of hundreds of pellets, and was also known as the "Deck Cleaner"!

The steel pellets fired from dozens of muskets formed a dense barrage in an instant, raining down like iron showers on the enemies approaching from mid-air. There was nowhere for them to hide in the sky; they were perforated and rent asunder, falling into the sea. Only a handful, in the single digits, made it to the deck, where they were promptly beheaded by the Marines led by the Bayfolk Berserker, Eight Fingers.

However, the ability of the Bone-Eating Clown to enlarge himself and the celebratory cannons wasn't a one-time power. While the Golden Deer was busy transitioning to a defensive posture, he continued to launch airborne raiders one after another.

That wasn't all. Koraskin pulled out countless pieces of colorful paper from his pocket and, with a flick of his hand, turned them into giant paper airplanes. To others, these crafts might be called paper swallows or paper cranes. With a puff from his mouth, each paper airplane astonishingly carried a clown crew member into the air, attacking the Golden Deer from all sides. Even though they weren't flying high, with several plunging straight into the sea, they had indeed taken flight.

Among the five amazing abilities of Clown's Trickery—Disappearance, Transformation, Prediction, Levitation, and X-ray Vision—Koraskin's "Transformation" ability had reached the pinnacle, comparable to legendary Shapeshifting. Whether Illusion Technique or stage magic, this ability was considered fantastical in the Supernatural World.

"Summon the storm!" Byron called forth gusts of wind to blow away the paper planes, but still struggled to stop more of them from flying toward him. The Musketeer Corps was also hard-pressed to cover every direction, and soon enough, they were clashing in close quarters.

"Fix bayonets, kill!"

It was only when facing these tainted clowns in person that the pirates could comprehend the horror of these Fallen Ones. Possessing immense strength, oblivious to pain, crying out in feigned agony yet clearly finding the prospect of death a fascinating experience, they fought without fear. Minor injuries had no effect on their combat ability. Only reaching their physiological limits, such as a punctured heart, neck, head, or kidneys, would truly stop them.

Luckily, the bayonets equipped by the Musketeer Corps were essentially tri-edged bayonets at their peak development. They could easily penetrate an enemy's protection, and once thrust into the body, would leave behind a ghastly triangular cavity in the organs. One thrust was enough to create a wound that couldn't close naturally and was difficult to stitch. They were far more vicious than Swift Swords, which, despite their incredible power, relied primarily on thrusting attacks.

Even if the tainted clowns, fighting without fear of death, broke through their original formation, the Guardsmen could quickly form groups of three to hunt down the nearest enemy. They desperately held off these Fallen Ones who were furiously attacking Byron.

"For the Captain, kill!"

"Kill!" "Kill!"

Perhaps elite mortal soldiers couldn't match the Fallen Ones in individual strength, but with weapons and tactics ahead of their time, they successfully repelled their assault. The Transcendent pirate officers aboard also intervened, acting as a mobile force to target and decapitate key invading enemies.

Violet, a Third Order Grand Artificer, also caught up with one puppet in particular, possessed by an ear of the Bone-Eating Clown. The "Black and White Keys" pistols roared, performing a Mourning Sonata for it.

Byron, commanding steadily, drew his "Thorned Rose" and fired bullets as needed to intervene, a single shot enough to blast a tainted clown into pulp.

Pirates believe in survival of the fittest. After months of grueling training and being "tempered" on the battlefield, those who survive one or two fierce battles are the prime candidates for the Guardsmen. Only then can I confidently entrust my back to them, forging a true "Wings of Death."

Upon reaching the Fourth Order in any Sequence, one typically forms their own unique legion, recruiting special troop types in preparation for the Fifth Order "King's Left Hand." In Byron's understanding, these are "Path Troops"!

Every general in the world also needs to establish their own guard unit to survive on the unpredictable battlefield. This is especially true for Military Nobles who must take to the battlefield; they require fiercely loyal personal soldiers willing to die protecting them. Otherwise, who would dare entrust their back to strangers?

The "children" in the saying "love your soldiers as your own children" are indeed like sons in peacetime, but in wartime... they are pawns. In a real battle, if pieces are exchanged, so be it. The next batch of pawns is simply placed on the board. As long as the "old general"—the king—doesn't fall, it's a victory.

Byron was grateful for his own origins, sparing him from being one of those "sacrificed pieces," a nameless statistic in the annals of history. It's ruthless, perhaps, but such things happen constantly. War has always been this way.

Only when human weaponry evolves to the point where it can bypass those "pawns" and directly eliminate the "players" moving them can a balance of deterrence be achieved, ushering in a true, prolonged peace.

Just then—

WHOOSH—!

A northeast wind picked up once again. Half an hour had finally passed, and the wind on the sea was restored. The World's Fastest Three-Master, the Golden Deer, was also able to regain its rightful splendor. Byron took hold of the wheel himself, steering the Golden Deer through a graceful arc on the sea, effortlessly leaving the Circus behind.

"ARGH, STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Despite Koraskin's frantic pursuit from behind, he could only swallow the wake stirred by the Golden Deer, his speed plummeting sharply.

Just as he was about to counterattack, Byron suddenly heard a rhythmic buzzing sound from his waist pouch. Reaching into the Snake Skin Bag that now served as his pouch, he pulled out the Number 12 Crystal Skull, "Polaris God" Shaman Ek, which Alfred had just had a shark deliver. By then, Byron had already acquired three Crystal Skulls. They were: the Number 3 Crystal Skull, the Corn God, which bolstered agricultural development with its "Land of Plenty" ability; and the Number 8 Crystal Skull, the Feathered Serpent God Kukulkan, which propelled industrial progress with "Morning Star · Light of Knowledge." This third skull was no trifle, either.

[Second-Class Relic: The Thirteen Crystal Skulls, Number 12]

"It is the guide for all travelers and the living map for the entire Taino Group. Contained within is all the geographic and astronomical knowledge of the Taya civilization, including constellations, minerals, hydrology, cities, and ruins.

Its ability is called [Instantaneous Map]. By reciting its deeds and offering geographical knowledge from other parts of the world unknown to it as a sacrifice, one can utilize its map capability.

Large-Scale Effect: It can observe the stars to precisely determine the holder's location, ensuring they never get lost (limited to use in the Northern Hemisphere, as Polaris does not affect the Southern Hemisphere).

Small-Scale Effect: It can communicate with the spirits of the earth to create an exact real-time map of the terrain and personnel distribution within a few kilometers, transmitting it to the holder's consciousness. The closer it is to the Taino homeland, the larger the scouting range and the more detailed the information. Conversely, the farther from Yucatan Island, the smaller the scouting range and the coarser the information. In completely unfamiliar terrain, the map coverage might shrink to just a few hundred meters.

Despite these limitations, in many adventures, it is considered a Divine Artifact."

The Crystal Skull, Polaris God, had just given a clear warning about a hidden reef ahead. Byron cradled the skull; an intangible wave spread out and retracted in an instant, revealing to him an anomaly in the waters ahead. But he did not change course; instead, he continued to steer the Golden Deer at full speed towards that aberrant region of the sea.

The Golden Deer and the Cavalryman's Ship passed through without issue. But when the Circus, in its relentless pursuit, reached this spot—

CREAK—!

A teeth-grindingly jarring crash resounded across the battlefield. The Circus reared high and spun on the spot, nearly capsizing. Koraskin, the Bone-Eating Clown unparalleled in balancing acts, didn't fall, but his face instantly paled.

"Damn it, we hit a reef!"

The Circus, a nominal Battleship with a deeper draft, was mercilessly caught where a Level Five Cruiser and a mixed-sail vessel could pass.

"Curse it, curse it!" He was so furious he almost exploded on the spot, but there was nothing he could do.

Koraskin wondered if he was hallucinating, as the joker card on the celebratory cannon seemed to smile even more brilliantly. It was as if the Capricious Joker, who most loved to play with fate, was gleefully watching everything unfold here.

"Turn the helm! Take the 'T'! Blast it to pieces!"

Just as the two ships, under Byron's command, prepared to bombard the beached Circus into fragments from a hundred meters away—

The nearby water began to boil and churn violently. Then, the Circus, already stuck, began to rise bit by bit, pushed above the water's surface by the reef.

Watching the scene before them, Byron and his crew of pirates slowly opened their mouths in awe.

"Could this be... Silvergold Island?!"

A small island was inching its way out of the sea before their eyes. No, it seemed to be squeezing out from another dimension. Before its true form was revealed, rings of gold, silver, and emerald Supernatural Aura shot towards the heavens, spreading far and wide. Pirate ships and exploration vessels nearby, searching for Silvergold Island, immediately turned like sharks smelling blood and charged furiously towards it.

However, the first thing they encountered wasn't endless treasure, but a tsunami—created as the island suddenly displaced the seawater!