In the south-western zone of the First Ocean, a navy ship had slowly begun to approach a pirate ship.

This navy ship was white with gold edges and flew the flag of the Halo Empire, which had a white background and a golden ring at its centre. The ship was designed to hold roughly twenty navy sailors and had two cannons on either side. They outnumbered the pirates, but that was necessary. Pirates, on average, spent more time out on sea than the average navy sailor, so often times, they had stronger systems and treasures.

Still, the navy ship didn’t use their cannons, which was one of the main advantages they had over the pirates, as the Executive Officer of the ship had requested that the Lieutenant not destroy the pirate vessel.

Instead, they were to board the ship and capture the pirates on board. Each of the pirates would carry the standard bounty of 500 Halos, which was the bounty placed on any man or woman who illegally set out to sea.

A few of them would have even higher bounties due to their lineage or histories.

As the navy ship approached, using its steam-powered engines to chase after the slightly smaller vessel, it became clear that the Redflower Pirates were making their last attempt at escaping.

Rather than travelling in a straight line, they attempted to sail in circles in order to position themselves beside the navy ship, with the cannons facing toward them.

The pirates seemed to be aware that the navy ship would not fire, so this tactic allowed them to remain safe for a while.

However, steam ships were better at turning, and it did not take long for them to finally catch the pirate ship.

The two ships floated side by side, drifting along the ocean.

A handful of navy sailors positioned themselves at the railing of their ship, aiming down at the lesser vessel of the pirates. They were prepared to give backup to those who were about to board. However, they could not use their firearms wildly, as they might accidentally kill one of these pirates.

Those trying to board flung grappling hooks overboard, latching onto the railings of the pirate ship and pulling the two vessels closer together.

However, during this process, they noticed something strange.

They knew that it was about to rain from the grey clouds above, but this should have affected the pirates more than the navy.

However, as the rain slowly started to fall, it did not behave normally.

It was only a light rain, but it was clear that its colour was purple.

---

Back on the Redflower Pirates’ ship...

Roseus stood on the quarterdeck with his cutlass in hand, a revolver on one side of his waist, and his father’s hat tied to the other. He looked up at the navy ship that had hooked itself onto theirs.

There were a bunch of men in white and gold suits preparing to launch bridges between the ships and begin boarding. However, as the purple rain splattered onto their deck, they began to hesitate.

"It worked!" Dawn, who was on the other side of the ship, called out. "The navy are afraid!"

Cheers spread throughout the deck, especially from those who had seemed more frightened.

Roseus wished he could join them, but he couldn’t. He was currently fighting against a powerful urge to charge at the enemy immediately.

Luckily, Kruger and Petyr stood beside him, making sure that he didn’t make any rash decisions due to the Ring Of Unfavourability.

"Calm down, Captain," Kruger said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Wait until the time is right."

Roseus gritted his teeth and watched the navy carefully.

Then, a figure appeared from over the enemy ship’s railing.

He was immediately recognised as the Lieutenant due to his navy cap. The shoulder pads of his suit were also more prominent, making him look larger than both he truly was and those around him.

He stood tall with his hands clasped behind his back. His hair was black, as was his beard. He had a smug, arrogant look on his face as he stared down at the pirates.

Even from there, Roseus could sense that the man was not normal. Being a Lieutenant, which was the lowest-ranked commanding figure in the navy, he most certainly possessed strong skills and treasures. There was even a chance that he had formed a pact with one of the orthodox gods of the Empire.

Captain Roseus was tempted to draw his weapon and fire at the man. However, that thought process stopped when another figure stepped up beside the Lieutenant.

This was a figure that Roseus easily recognised.

His hair was red and styled back with gel, revealing his handsome face, which sported a goatee beard and slight mustache. His features were sharp and his eyes slanted, giving him a serious look. As for his navy uniform, he wore it differently from the rest. His white coat was draped over his shoulders like a cape, giving him a unique aura.

As the man stepped forward with his arms folded in front of him, he scanned the pirate ship below.

Roseus and the man’s eyes met, and at that moment, the Captain felt such a strong desire to charge the ship that he felt he would be sick if he didn’t.

Grasping his weapons tightly, Roseus roared.

"AEROSSSSS!"

His voice rang through the seas, reaching the ears of all the navy and pirate members present.

Aeros, Executive Officer serving under Lieutenant Bushwight and oldest son of Captain Redeye, stared down at his brother with an unchanging look on his face.

No emotions were sparked at the sight of his sibling. If anything, only disappointment could be found.

Then Lieutenant Bushwight shouted a command at his hesitating men.

"If you’re so weak that a bit of rain can stop you, then fuck right off! Those who still have their balls, launch the bridges and board. They’re weaker than us! Capture them all alive!"

All sorts of movement could be heard as at least half the navy soldiers managed to move, whilst the others still wrestled with their unwavering hesitation.

The navy sailors lifted and dropped two bridges, creating pathways for the members of the two ships to cross over to one another.

The purple rain hadn’t stopped them all, but half was more than enough.

It was time for battle, and Roseus was glad for it. He was having trouble fighting against his urges.

As he watched the navy soldiers leap onto the bridges and begin heading toward them, he turned and roared to his crew.

"Let’s go, Redflower Pirates! Stick to the plan!"