The grey clouds above the naval battle became heavy once again.

This time, however, it was as though the storms themselves were enraged. Those participating in the battle suspected that this was due to the strange creature who had suddenly appeared, heading towards the Onoes ship.

Bonnflammé, who was currently hanging from his mast, looked back towards Onoes. He wanted to give aid to the man, as he could sense that the approaching golden worm was incredibly powerful. However, the Destroyer still couldn’t be forgotten about.

This was because Bonnflammé had already blasted the horns, calling to board the Destroyer. If he retreated now, Lionheart would be left to board the Destroyer alone with that Redflower ship, who surely couldn’t provide much aid.

That left Bonnflammé with a decision. Either give aid to Onoes, who was being approached by a potential sea god and a Warship, or aid Lionheart in taking out the Destroyer and its commander.

It was an easy decision to make.

He gave the order to continue heading towards the Destroyer.

...

On Onoes’ ship...

Onoes, who was a tall young templar with short brown hair and a mature, cool look to him, looked out at the approaching golden worm.

It didn’t travel in a straight line. Instead, it slithered through the water, as though trying to find the best method of attack.

From behind Onoes, a templar pirate called out.

"Captain, Bonnflammé is charging towards the Destroyer! If we stay here, we will—"

Onoes raised a hand and bit down on his lip painfully, so as to prepare himself for what he was about to say.

The other pirate went silent and waited for the man to speak.

Eventually, he did.

"There is no if... We will be staying here."

These words drew the attention of many of the ship’s crew. They momentarily stopped what they were doing and looked at their captain with wide eyes.

Onoes put on a brave front and addressed his men.

"Do none of you understand? With our ship here, we are blocking that monster and the Warship from giving aid to the Destroyer. If we stay here, they will have no choice but to go around the two whirlpools or charge right through us. What should we do then, just move aside and let them pass? What would Captain Lionheart think of us then? What would Captain Lionheart do in this situation?!"

The crew members felt the words hit them in their chests like bullets. They felt the weight behind the words and realised the implications behind them.

"If we die, then so be it! Did we not live a life of constantly pursuing knowledge?" Onoes shouted, with spittle flying from his mouth. He reached for his neck and grabbed hold of a pendant of the brain. "Will the God of Knowledge not reward us with eternal peace and salvation if we die for his cause?!"

The members of the crew suddenly became riled up by the words. Those who wore pendants of their own gripped them and venerated them vehemently. Those who didn’t tapped their temples until their heads hurt.

Afterwards, a roar so loud that it drowned out the sound of the whirlpool around them spread throughout the seas.

The crew members wasted no time manning the guns and cannons and began blasting at the approaching golden worm.

Captain Onoes himself pulled out two revolvers and dual-wielded them. As he fired shots towards the oncoming monster, each bullet scattered into fifteen different shots.

The sound of extreme gunfire could be heard, as well as metal bullets crashing against the tough shell of the golden worm.

The ship fought ferociously, releasing everything it had into the golden worm and producing dents in its body. The worm never stopped its pursuit, as it continued charging forwards.

It only recoiled slightly, as a faint crack formed in its head, causing golden liquid to bleed out into the ocean.

As he fired his last round, Captain Onoes found himself smiling.

The golden worm was not defeated, but he felt certain about one thing.

Once it reached Captain Lionheart, it would be more than weakened enough for the man and his crew to finish off.

This was the faith that he had in his best friend.

...

On the Crow’s Nest of Armageddon...

As Roseus controlled the storms with his arms outstretched, he heard violent sounds carrying across the Translucent Seas.

Momentarily looking away from the clouds, he looked ahead towards where Nammon should be.

There, he saw that Bonnflammé had abandoned his ally and was sailing for the Destroyer to join the Redflowers and Lionheart Templars.

As for the ship that was left behind... It had fallen victim to the Sea God of Avarice.

Roseus watched as the Golden Worm leapt from the water with its mouth as wide as a cave. In a single bite, it devoured half of the ship belonging to Captain Onoes.

He felt a pit form in his stomach and suddenly felt sick. He had not known this man well, but at the end of the day, he was a fellow captain. He was a part of the crew who had helped guide the Redflowers to Highstorm Island.

Just like that, his life had been taken from him by a god that, in one way or another, was here because of him.

Roseus clenched his fists tight until his nails dug deep into his palms. This time, his rage became truly uncontainable.

As he looked out at the sea and watched as Treasure-Eater continued devouring the ship, he let out a roar that could be heard even by the creatures of the deep Translucent Sea.

"NAMMON!"

A bolt of thunder struck down on a spot of water in the distance, and at that same moment, Roseus found himself submerged in the water.

Then another bolt struck again, closer to the Destroyer. Roseus appeared where it struck.

Then another bolt landed directly in the centre of the Destroyer. Roseus found himself standing on its deck, surrounded by Navy soldiers. They all looked at him with eyes so wide that they might have fallen from their sockets. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

By the time they blinked, thunder struck again, and the red-haired man had vanished.