Chapter 434: Weakening Fishing Line
The Heroism Pirates officially joined forces with the Powerless Pirates and Lady Sea Snake.
Beneath the mainmast of the Heroism Pirates' flagship, Ba Qi still sat sprawled casually, leaning against the mast.
As the leader of the Heroism Pirates, the gold level fighter Ba Qi disliked confining himself to the captain's quarters.
His bloodline stemmed from the air element, making him naturally drawn to open environments. Constantly interacting with the various energies of the outside world brought him comfort and contentment.
Bloodlines were the essence of life, determining distinct life forms. Different life forms often exhibited different biological habits.
Generally speaking, a transcendent’s bloodline profoundly influenced their personality and behavioral patterns.
For instance, those with vampire bloodlines typically shun daylight, preferring nocturnal activity.
Ba Qi leaned against the sturdy mast behind him, tilting his head slightly to gaze at the sky.
The sea breeze swept across his face. The sky was as clear as washed blue, save for a single white cloud suspended high above.
Ba Qi knew well that this was the Fluffy Cloud's disguise.
When the sky was filled with clouds, the vessel's camouflage was nearly flawless. But under such clear skies, a solitary drifting cloud stood out conspicuously, easily arousing suspicion.
Under Ba Qi's watchful gaze, two figures descended from the cloud.
One was male, the other female.
The man was none other than the captain of the Fluffy Cloud, a silver level fighter - Ruan Tang Ren. He possessed a long, flat face like a pancake, an ordinary appearance, and sparse yet large black freckles that resembled chocolate chips.
The woman wore a form-fitting leather outfit, her curvaceous figure drawing male attention effortlessly. She was none other than the leader of the Petal Snake Pirates, a silver level water magician - Lady Sea Snake.
The gold level Ba Qi was the most crucial figure in their current operation. Facing such a gold level expert, the two silver level individuals dared not be overconfident and immediately flew down to greet him.
There were significant differences even among gold level fighters.
In fact, the higher the level, the greater the disparity in combat strength between peers.
Ba Qi was no ordinary gold level.
His legendary background was unparalleled. Rumors suggested Ba Qi's bloodline potential transcended mere gold level. Regrettably, his prolonged confinement within the Abyssal Hanging Tower had exposed him to the abyss's corrupting influence, leaving his injuries unhealed. Were it not for these debilitating wounds, he might well have ascended to the saint level!
“Lord Ba Qi, it is my profound honor to receive your support this time!” declared Lady Sea Snake as she landed on the deck.
Though not a gold level, her ability to fly was natural for a magician.
What was unusual was Ruan Tang Ren.
Merely a silver level fighter, he had descended without relying on Lady Sea Snake—he had actually “flown” down.
"Lord Ba Qi, we welcome you. I have prepared a welcoming banquet for you." Ruan Tang Ren bowed in greeting.
As a magic chef, he had indeed meticulously prepared a feast to honor Ba Qi.
Ba Qi glanced at the two, then fixed his gaze above Ruan Tang Ren's head.
There, he detected a thread.
The thread was so fine it was nearly invisible. It was this thread that had suspended Ruan Tang Ren as he descended before Ba Qi, creating the illusion of “flight.”
Ba Qi saw through Ruan Tang Ren's trickery at a glance, causing the latter's heart to tighten slightly.
Ba Qi waved his hand dismissively at the two. "A welcome banquet? Not necessary! What is your plan? When can we begin?"
On Flower Skirt Island, Ba Qi received treatment from Physician Shuang Tu and now felt much better.
Yet, burdened by chronic injuries, he understood his days were numbered, his condition incurable. Thus, he always treasured time, acting with decisive urgency.
Lady Sea Snake and Ruan Tang Ren exchanged a swift glance. They had long heard of Ba Qi's style and prepared accordingly.
The former was naturally delighted by Ba Qi's decisive nature.
She had already chosen her target and was inclined to act sooner rather than later.
In truth, she had grown impatient waiting for Ba Qi's arrival, spending entire days cooped up aboard the Fluffy Cloud.
On this point, however, Ruan Tang Ren felt quite the opposite.
What Ruan Tang Ren cherished most was crafting dishes.
Originally a restaurant chef, he'd been thrust into leadership by a series of misfortunes, unexpectedly becoming captain of the Powerless Pirates.
Ruan Tang Ren wasn't an ambitious pirate. Though he'd led the Powerless Pirates for years, his fleet had always consisted solely of the Fluffy Cloud.
He rarely bothered with raiding in everyday life, even now, amidst a golden age where piracy ran rampant and plundering carried minimal risk.
Often, he disguised the Fluffy Cloud as a white cloud drifting in the sky, hovering over a stretch of ocean, biding his time.
Due to the steady currents, vast shipping routes crisscrossed the open seas.
Thus, even though the Fluffy Cloud employed a wait-and-see approach, it still managed to regularly raid merchant ships, sustaining itself through plunder.
Ruan Tang Ren didn't fall for Lady Sea Snake at first sight either. Of course, any man would likely develop feelings for a beauty like her.
Lady Sea Snake wasn't just a simple water magician. Beyond her gold level magic pet, the sea serpent, she excelled at socializing. In these interactions, she fully leveraged her striking beauty.
Through a series of subtle maneuvers and suggestive hints from Lady Sea Snake, Ruan Tang Ren gradually became one of her admirers.
The days spent awaiting Ba Qi's arrival were the happiest for Ruan Tang Ren.
Each day, he could exchange good mornings and good nights with Lady Sea Snake, share the same vessel with the goddess he admired, and meticulously prepare delicacies for her. He even developed exquisite dishes tailored specifically to her palate.
Ba Qi's decisive and swift approach left Ruan Tang Ren deeply regretful. For the sooner this matter was resolved, the less time he would have with Lady Sea Snake.
Lady Sea Snake, reading his expressions, quickly confirmed that Ba Qi spoke with genuine sincerity.
She immediately adopted a serious expression and declared, “Lord Ba Qi, our target has already been selected.”
“My plan is as follows.”
“Step 1: I will command a fishman clan, secretly under my control, to attack and drive away our target.”
“Step 2: Once the sea serpent enters our ambush zone, Captain Ruan Tang Ren will personally intervene, using his fishing line to entangle it.”
“Step 3: Captain Ba Qi, you will then engage the sea serpent, aiming to weaken its combat strength and subdue it.”
“Step 4: I will then use the contract to forcibly bind it as my magic pet.”
The plan was straightforward and clear.
Ba Qi also knew about Lady Sea Snake and Ruan Tang Ren.
He understood that Lady Sea Snake possessed unique methods to forcibly contract a gold level serpentine magic beast.
He also knew that Ruan Tang Ren possessed a Weakening Fishing Line. This fishing line was a gold level artifact, an equipment created by the legendary magic chef Bu Kong Jun. Paired with his specially made dried earthworm spicy strips, it had once reeled in many powerful sea beasts.
Ba Qi nodded in approval of the plan: “Excellent. We can begin immediately!”