Chapter 327: The Deep Sea Giant
Although controlling the Hades through the Triton Sword required a massive expenditure of mental energy and focus, it turned out to be well within his limits.
He could feel the ship responding perfectly to his will—he could make it sail or fire its cannons at any moment, as easily as moving his own hand.
Zhou Ning himself found it hard to believe. That such a colossal vessel could be controlled entirely through a single mysterious artifact—it was absurd. Judging by the Hades' power in both the One Piece and Apocalypse worlds, a single shot could shatter the Gates of Justice, even injure an Evil God. Its firepower was undoubtedly overwhelming.
Truly, anything produced by the simulator was bound to be extraordinary.
And that wasn't even the end of it—right after he took control of the Hades, his system interface began to flood with notifications again.
[System: You have successfully used the Triton Sword to control the Hades.]
[You have met the hidden conditions for activating the unknown artifact: Triton Sword.]
[Title Requirement: Pirate Emperor – 1/1]
[Control of a large ship of scale 7 or higher: Myrny Rooster – 1/1]
[Control of the largest ship in the world: Hades – 1/1]
[The Triton Sword has awakened a new ability: Ghost Ship Command. The wielder's mental power +7. This ability can be further upgraded after discovering Atlantis.]
[Side Effect: While using this item, the wielder will occasionally hear the sound of waves and tides, which will gradually intensify.]
"Oh?" Zhou Ning raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected such luck—just one simple experiment had fully awakened the Triton Sword's hidden ability.
Immediately after, the second skill slot on the Sword's panel—previously marked with a question mark—flashed and revealed a new skill.
[Ghost Ship Command: As the Lord of the Seven Seas of the Pirates of the Caribbean world, you can temporarily summon one of three legendary ships—the Black Pearl, the Flying Dutchman, or the Queen Anne's Revenge—to fight for you. Duration: 6 hours. Cooldown: 18 hours.]
This skill was absolutely broken. Each of those ships was a powerhouse in its own right—and it could be used once per day. With such an ability, and his current reputation among pirates, even if things went south in Darkland, he'd still be the flashiest man alive on the open seas.
Besides, within Darkland City, both the Seton River and Vernon River were wide enough to accommodate large ships. If necessary, he could even summon one right inside the city.
He could already imagine the scene: a bright moon hanging high above, a tattered black-sailed ship gliding silently through the Seton River, while he stood at the bow in a black trench coat—mysterious, powerful, and strikingly cool.
Absolutely epic.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere—after Zhou Ning's unexpected actions once again threatened to derail the plot—the book Leoncavallo's Four-Act Opera was visibly enraged.
It had already broken free of Count Robbins' control. Its pages fluttered violently, whipping up gusts of wind that ruffled the count's beard. On the open pages, glowing words began to appear:
"Given Wayne Sturwell's excessive power and his potential impact on the final outcome, he will once again interfere with my arrangement—I've had enough of this man's existence! If I had hands, I would throw a white glove at him and demand a duel!"
"Therefore, death shall be his only ending. Karl Robbins will sacrifice a portion of his own life force to lure a Deep Sea Giant wandering in the astral ocean into losing its way. The creature will emerge through an astral wormhole—right into the naval port."
"No! You can't do that! This is madness!" Count Robbins' face turned ashen as he tried to shut the book, but the pages refused to close. Line after line of glowing script continued to form. It was the first time in years that this mysterious artifact had gone out of control—and the consequences were dire.
"It is a colossal monster, hundreds of meters tall, wielding a sunken ship at its waist as a weapon, brutally attacking foes far smaller than itself."
"It is cowardly against stronger foes and prone to fleeing in danger—but here, that will not matter. Upon its arrival at the naval port, it will seize the Hades and use it as a melee weapon, targeting Wayne Sturwell for a relentless, indiscriminate assault."
"This time, no matter how overpowered Wayne Sturwell's abilities are, he cannot possibly survive. His destined death approaches."
"Dialogue: Omitted."
"Ending: Awaiting performance."
In an instant, Count Robbins began to cough violently, his body shriveling and aging rapidly—as though he'd grown ten years older in mere seconds. Such was the eerie, horrifying nature of this unknown artifact.
...…
In the naval port.
Snowflakes had begun to drift silently from the sky. Through his enhanced vision, Zhou Ning could see crowds gathered at the docks, likely waiting to welcome a returning ship.
If his guess was right, it was the ship of Spark's father—Browne Lambert, leader of the Bryston Kingdom's Conservative Party.
Since that damned book kept manufacturing coincidences to stop him from letting Spark meet Browne Lambert, Zhou Ning decided to do the opposite. There's a saying: Give your enemy what they fear most; deny them what they desire.
And so, he would see this mission through no matter what.
But just then, Molly's voice echoed in his mind: "Be careful. I sense an incredibly powerful presence approaching."
"That little cursed book again?" Zhou Ning frowned, instantly feeling the same terrifying aura ahead.
Moments later, a massive wormhole tore open in the air—not far in front of him. From within, a gigantic head slowly emerged, scanning the surroundings. Soon, its enormous pupils locked onto Zhou Ning.
It had green hair, covered in barnacles and shells, with protruding tusks and a ferocious, monstrous visage. The head alone was nearly forty meters long, exuding an aura of overwhelming dread.
Many soldiers noticed it too, shouting in panic as they raised their flintlocks and fired from afar.
"That's… a Deep Sea Giant?"
Zhou Ning's scalp tingled. The sheer scale of it was horrifying. He hadn't expected that book to actually summon a Deep Sea Giant. There was no way he could withstand such an attack.
Run? That might be the best option—but the creature could move through the sea effortlessly, covering tens of meters with each step. Escaping might not even be possible.
Fight? Its attack power was close to that of a demigod-level boss. He might stand a chance by using the Hourglass of Advance to temporarily boost his stats—but it was risky. And there could be more enemies nearby.
As the Deep Sea Giant began to pull itself fully through the wormhole, Zhou Ning made a quick decision.
A thunderous roar of waves filled his ears as he commanded the Hades to swing its main cannon around. The massive gun locked onto the Deep Sea Giant's head, coordinates marked as ?6?3iδh?0?9.
Boom!
Zhou Ning snapped his fingers. With an earth-shaking blast, a huge black cannonball shot from the Hades' main gun, cutting through the air with a terrifying howl before slamming into the giant's skull—forcing its massive head upward.
The explosion shook the entire harbor. The Deep Sea Giant let out an ear-splitting roar, the soundwave blasting away nearby soldiers. Then, with a furious bellow, it withdrew its head back into the wormhole.
By then, the people at the docks had noticed the commotion but didn't dare approach. A large unit of marines rushed toward the Hades and the wormhole to assess the situation, while Zhou Ning carried Spark and slipped into hiding.
At this moment, Zhou Ning had already switched his Phantom Thief—the perfect role for stealth operations. Even carrying a "third wheel," he could move through the shadows without a trace.