Gun of Ashes

Handing over the silvery revolver, Hebdo told himself to stop thinking about those messy things.

Thinking too much only brings pain. Hebdo is a warrior; he just needs to follow orders, and then kill the enemy. Let others worry about the rest.

”Is that so? The situation is really dire.”

Lorenzo received the Funeral Bell, heavy and filled with bullets.

Bola, as an individual, is not strong. But he is one of the few who can maneuver Armor of Original Sin. If Bola falls, then the Weapon Master will have no one to pilot it. The previously carried Third Generation Armor also suffered heavy blows in the naval battle, leaving Blue Jade injured and unable to participate in the upcoming battle.

All the pressure seemed to fall on Lorenzo’s shoulders, and this is only the beginning. He’s uncertain if he can survive this storm, or if there are more unknown dangers after it.

Thinking this, Lorenzo raised the Folding Blade, pointing toward the storm.

”Here it comes, prepare for battle.”

Hebdo looked at the turbulent sea surface, the black storm rolling with Thunder Group.

”Face the storm?” Hebdo thought Lorenzo was crazy.

”No, don’t you see it? Aren’t those two Iron Armor ships approaching?”

Lorenzo focused under the storm, amid the swirling waves, the Sea Serpent was nowhere to be found. Yet Lorenzo could see a familiar Iron Armor ship speeding away from the storm, chased by a large dark ship.

”Plague Doctor, you’re truly unlucky!”

Lorenzo couldn’t help but laugh, though the laughter was somewhat bitter. They were fleeing towards here.

It’s the Blood Shark, a member of Plague Doctor’s fleet. But now it was alone in the field of vision, implying the fate of other Iron Armor ships.

[Prepare to fire.]

Lorenzo’s voice echoed in people’s minds. There’s no need to hide now. With communications corroded and interrupted, Lorenzo became the communication hub, relaying commands to everyone.

Some followed Lorenzo’s voice, while others screamed for him to get out of their minds, with various responses. In an instant, Lorenzo felt like his skull was about to explode.

This made him recall Lawrence. Did Lawrence experience the same when creating his ”legion”?

The Blood Shark advanced. As it neared, the large ship and storm behind approached too. When they fully appeared before the Morning Glow Advance’s view, Lorenzo observed the eerie large ship carefully for the first time.

”It’s fortunate Bola isn’t here; no telling how he’d react seeing this.”

With clearer view, Lorenzo’s expression grew grim.

Lightning flashed over the storm, the stark white light illuminating the unmanned ship and its markings.

”Horned Whale...”

Hebdo murmured. The ship only existed in Bola’s memories, now riding out from recall onto an assault course towards them.

[Fire!]

The sound rang in everyone’s ears, fixed guns opening fire, weaving a dense barrage, piercing through splashed waves, heavy flames splashing on the Horned Whale, rusty steel breaking. It appeared so fragile, easily wounded, yet even so, the Horned Whale stood firm amid the raging waves.

The Blood Shark turned its ship, under Plague Doctor’s command, ceased escape, began counterattacking the Horned Whale.

The roar of artillery echoed. Though Plague Doctor was greedy, he wasn’t stupid. As long as they remain in Silent Sea momentarily, they can’t escape these odd pursuits. He had only one path from the start.

Destroy them.

”Fire! Fire!”

Zeus shouted, standing up from his wheelchair, still draped in concealment fabric.

Gusts of wind slightly lifted the fabric, exposing blood-stained ankles and concave legs. But Zeus acted unaware of these, commanding Blood Shark’s crew to fire at the Horned Whale.

He was once the leader of the Black Tooth Pirates; naval battles were second nature to Zeus.

Zeus stared at the large ship under the storm, biting his teeth excitedly, suppressing his fear, facing these oddities.

”This will be my accolade stepping into Heroic Spirit Hall!”

He shouted, witnessing heavy flames attack the Horned Whale.

Plague Doctor stood nearby, his attire unchanged as usual, but this time holding a safe. Plague Doctor gripped the heavy iron box tightly.

He could care less about anything else, but the contents inside this box are crucial to him, second only to Truth.

”What kind of accolade is this...”

Plague Doctor mumbled to himself, unlike Zeus motivated by faith, knowing well what he’s facing, knowing what hides beneath this sea.

He could feel it; Plague Doctor’s every nerve warned him, muscles tense, hard as rock.

Beneath the boiling ocean lies something far scarier than storm and ship; it’s the true formidable enemy, now silently lurking, waiting for the moment to strike.

”What do you know, Plague Doctor? If you don’t talk now, we might die here.”

Amid howling wind, suddenly an unfamiliar voice enters the ear. Plague Doctor turned sharply, seeing a soldier beside him, looking forward at Horned Whale under the storm.

”Holmes, sir? Your way of showing up sure isn’t pleasant.”

Plague Doctor spoke slowly, glancing at Morning Glow Advance’s direction—still quite far between the two ships, not expecting Lorenzo’s [Gap] to cover such range.

”Enough chatter, Plague Doctor. This is better than appearing directly in your mind, right?”

Lorenzo coldly threatened; in Ice Bay, he almost invaded Plague Doctor’s [Gap]. If Lorenzo didn’t need Plague Doctor now, he might have resolved Plague Doctor here.

Hearing Lorenzo say that, Plague Doctor prudently acknowledged. Under Authority Gabriel’s threat, one-on-one against Lorenzo, Plague Doctor had no chance, might even be invaded in [Gap].

His mind still had lingering pain, a wound Lorenzo left in Ice Bay.

Lorenzo ripped Plague Doctor’s consciousness apart.

”What’s beneath the sea?”

Plague Doctor asked, no need for unnecessary words. In such deadly circumstances, they could only set aside past grievances and handle immediate danger.

Besides alliance, there’s no other choice.

”A serpent—a colossal Sea Serpent.”

Lorenzo answered, not surprised Plague Doctor sensed the Sea Serpent’s presence.

”Sounds quite intriguing.”

”Indeed, it’s larger than you imagine, the Iron Armor ships beneath it like toys,” Lorenzo said, pointing at Horned Whale, ”See those wounds? They’re left by it.”

”Does such creature really exist? According to what you say, it would instantly suffer bone fractures from its immense weight, severe body heat, core temperature over a hundred degrees, walking toward death from the moment of existence.”

Plague Doctor couldn’t believe it; having dissected countless bodies, claiming deep knowledge of biology, the creature Lorenzo described simply couldn’t exist.

”Yet reality’s here; it truly exists. Maybe it’ll even pop its head out later to greet us.”

Lorenzo’s gaze drifted across the sea. Based on erosion intensity changes, he vaguely sensed the Sea Serpent’s location, lurking beneath the ocean, as if selecting prey.

”Moreover, did I ever say it was a biological being?”

Lorenzo’s words sent shivers down Plague Doctor’s spine; he looked at the soldier’s eyes, wherein white flames drift.

”We always do this: after seeing an unknown thing, we seek understandable words in our cognition to attribute to the unknown.

It was never a biological entity, merely having a Sea Serpent shape by coincidence.”

Lorenzo extended an invitation to Plague Doctor.

”Interested in dissecting a ’God,’ Plague Doctor?”