Chapter 77

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Roar!!

Aqua's unique way of thinking, so eccentric that even the Deep Sea King couldn't stand it, opened its massive jaws and let out a piercing roar, engulfing Zyhark and his companions in a stench reminiscent of rotten fish.

"No choice but to engage it!"

"King, I'll hold off this behemoth. You go push out the big cannon from the storeroom and give it a blast!"

After quickly delegating their battle plan, Zyhark exerted force in his legs, turning into a shadow to avoid the Deep Sea King tearing the Endless Dream apart.

In the next moment, he appeared right beside the Deep Sea King's head!

Compared to the enormous sea beast, the human figure seemed minuscule.

Buzz!

Facing such a thick-skinned opponent, Zyhark didn't hold back, applying all his available Armament Haki to his right fist.

After accumulating his strength to its peak and with the addition of speed, he launched a faintly black punch, hitting the Deep Sea King's bone structure on its side face hard!

Bang!

A dull sound echoed from the impact.

"This guy's so hard..."

The force rebounding from the creature's hard bones numbed Zyhark's entire arm.

Although his physical defense and speed had been enhanced, it was evidently still a stretch to expect a single punch to take down the Deep Sea King, a creature adapted to high-pressure deep-sea environments.

The Deep Sea King's crimson eyes fixed on the "tiny insect" on its face.

The slight pain in its bone provoked its ferocity, and it immediately swung its strong tail at Zyhark.

Bang!

The force, like being run over by a high-speed truck, instantly spread through Zyhark's body, knocking him into the sea with a splash.

Splashing water, Zyhark, who quickly stabilized his tumbling body, emerged from the sea surface.

Fortunately, his body was tough enough. Had it been an ordinary person, or even a pirate of superior constitution, that blow would have shattered their bones, killing them instantly.

Hmm?

Noticing the "little insect" seemingly unharmed, the Deep Sea King's deep red pupils dilated slightly.

After its initial surprise, anger filled its eyes: As the proud Deep Sea King, was it unable to kill a mere human?

Just as the Deep Sea King opened its fang-filled mouth, deciding to tear its opponent apart with its strongest weapon, a dazzling blue magic circle suddenly lit up above it.

"Answer the call of the Goddess of Water, creation of holy water!"

On the deck, Aqua, surrounded by water, unleashed her most powerful move in an attempt to drown the Deep Sea King...

Drown?

Whoosh!

Water from above poured down on the Deep Sea King, giving the sovereign of the deep-sea domain a refreshing cold shower.

"Right, water doesn't affect this big guy..."

Realizing her mistake too late, Aqua watched the unharmed giant sea beast shake its head and finally understood.

Meanwhile, King, who had managed to push the heavy cannon out of the storeroom, faced an unprecedented challenge.

Though the cannon's wheels made it easy to move, he stumbled upon a problem when loading it: he suddenly found he couldn't lift the cannonballs, weighing dozens of pounds...

"Using water to drown a sea beast, is your brain filled with bubbles, you idiot goddess?!"

Zyhark, utterly exasperated on the sea surface, shouted at Aqua, "Instead of wasting time with your antics, why not give me a blessing that boosts strength, the pure kind!!"

"Got it, got it!"

Aqua, still somewhat sensible and aware of the urgency, didn't dwell on the derogatory title of "idiot goddess." Waving her staff, she summoned a sacred glow.

Bathed in this glow, Zyhark felt an endless surge of power emanating from within.

Roar!

In that split second, as the Deep Sea King's gaping maw approached, occupying his entire field of vision, Zyhark's eyes flashed red. With beginner-level Observation Haki fully activated, he leaped out of the water just before being bitten.

"Damn it, try this punch!"

Suspended in mid-air, he raised his fist enveloped in a black glow again.

The Deep Sea King noticed the human's intent but arrogantly chose not to evade.

It had already taken a hit before. Though somewhat painful, it wasn't life-threatening.

As the king of the deep sea, it had its pride.

Retreating because of a tiny human would be a laughing stock among its peers.

Come on, insignificant human, let your weak punches be a massage for me~

Then, a "thud" of a heavy object colliding echoed.

The proud creature, its head raised, was penetrated by Zyhark's punch, shattering its facial bones!

The boost from Armament Haki significantly enhanced the attack, but Zyhark's strength, slightly above average, made it hard to fully utilize this power.

More often, he focused on the "intangible armor" aspect, using it to strengthen his defense.

Aqua's faith and divine power had significantly increased after several blessings.

Using the Goddess's Blessing under such circumstances perfectly compensated for Zyhark's lack of strength.

Thus, the unleashed destructive power was extraordinary!

Roar!!

Continuous sharp, agonized roars as the Deep Sea King writhed in pain, its eyes turning even more bloodshot and ferocious.

It opened its mouth to its fullest, looking truly enraged!

At that moment...

Whoosh~

A black cannonball, tracing a beautiful arc, flew precisely into its mouth.

The Deep Sea King blinked, instinctively closing its mouth.

Boom!!!

A muffled explosion sounded, with flames bursting from between its fangs, enveloped in smoke.

The internal blast left the Deep Sea King rolling its eyes in pain, moaning miserably.

On the Endless Dream's deck, King, who had successfully fired the cannon, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Perhaps it was Aqua's inadvertent act in a moment of tension; bathed in the same glow, he also received the Goddess's power boost, which allowed him to lift and load the heavy cannonball.

Hitting the target accurately on his first attempt showed that he had a natural talent for operating such complex weaponry.

However, the success of hitting a target, especially with the ship bobbing in the water, introducing numerous uncertainties, also required a bit of luck.

Fortunately, King had that luck, and plenty of it!

The Deep Sea King, grievously injured and filled with unwillingness, wanted to tear apart the humans who had humiliated it so.

But the instinct to survive urged it to flee for its life.

After hesitating, it chose to follow its instincts, turning around to dive back into the deep sea. In the blink of an eye, its massive form vanished from sight.

(End of Chapter)