Debuff Master

Chapter 813

The arrival of the Nautilus and the ghost fleet turned the tide of the battle.

“H-How is that damned bastard here?!”

Captain Barbossa could only stare in shock at the sudden appearance of the warship he had fought countless times during his lifetime—the Nautilus.

Barbossa performed ancient necromantic rituals that turned his entire crew, including himself, into undead centuries ago, which was why he could be summoned into the living world through a contract with Captain Joshua.

However, even he was shocked by what he was seeing. The return of Pirate King Freydlief—after all these centuries—was something even he had not foreseen at all.

“Hey, Barbossa!”

Standing proudly at the bow of the Nautilus was Pirate King Freydlief.

“It’s been a while, old friend!”

“Y-You...!”

“How have you been? I bet you spent centuries buried in the ice depths, didn’t you? I hope it wasn’t too cold down there!”

“You wretched bastard! You're the reason I spent centuries rotting beneath the sea, you dog! Do you have any idea how many barnacles are stuck to this decrepit body of mine?!”

Barbossa tore open his tattered shirt to reveal his decayed chest covered all over in barnacles. Even a small crab peeked out from between his ribs before scuttling back inside.

He was the very image that one would imagine if a drowned corpse that had become home to marine life was discussed.

“Look at me! You damned scoundrel!” Barbossa roared.

“Oh! Impressive!”

Unlike the seething Barbossa, Freydlief’s reaction was completely different.

“What did you say?!”

“You were nothing special when you were alive, but now, you’ve got this fearsome charisma! You’re quite terrifying now, really!”

“Y-You...! You bastard...!”

“Clearly, this is all thanks to me. So let me treat you to some rum at a fine tavern later!”

“YOU DAMNED SON OF A SEA SCUM!”

Barbossa’s enraged scream echoed across the battlefield. It was so intense that foul seawater gushed forth from his mouth, contaminating his surroundings.

However, Freydlief remained completely unfazed. He was still grinning as he continued to mock his old rival, and it was clear that he found immense joy in tormenting Barbossa.

“Hey, owner punk...” Hamchi said, tugging at Siegfried’s pants.

“Hmm? What’s up?” Siegfried asked.

“Look at them, owner punk! That Pirate King and Barbossa... doesn’t it remind you of you and Chae Hyung-Seok? Kyu?”

“Eh?”

“Freydlief is obviously enjoying teasing Barbossa. Look! Kyu! This isn’t a rivalry! He’s just messing with him!”

“You think so?”

“I’m positive! Barbossa is nothing more than Freydlief’s toy! Kyuuu!”

“And how does that compare to me and Hyung-Seok?”

“It’s the same! Kyuuu!”

In truth, Freydlief and Barbossa’s relationship bore an uncanny resemblance to Siegfried’s relationship with Chae Hyung-Seok.

Those familiar with Freydlef’s life story would most likely agree with what the giant hamster had said just now. In his younger years, Freydlief had narrowly escaped death at Barbossa’s hands countless times.

By the time they reached middle age, however, the tables turned, and Barbossa repeatedly found himself outmaneuvered and mocked by Freydlief.

“Still...” Siegfried muttered, watching Barbossa from afar. Then, he said with longing in his voice, “I wonder what Hyung-Seok is up to these days...”

“Kyu?”

“Man, I miss him! Hey, Hyung-Seok! Are you listening? I miss you, man!” Siegfried cried out dramatically. He clearly seemed to be nostalgic for the times he spent "playing" with Chae Hyung-Seok.

For him, the thrill of messing with Chae Hyung-Seok gave him unmatched pleasure, and no other form of entertainment could give him the same blissful feeling.

‘Sigh... Owner punk is such a pervert. He’s a total weirdo! Kyu!’ Hamchi thought, shaking his head.

Meanwhile...

“Ha! So you’ve clawed your way back from hell, I see! Aye! Allow me to send you back!”

“You damned bastard! Who’s sending who to hell?! Why don’t you crawl back there instead?!”

Freydlief and Barbossa exchange "pleasantries" before plunging into battle just as they always did when they were alive.

“Kyuuu! What are we going to do now, owner punk?” Hamchi asked.

“What else?” Siegfried replied nonchalantly. Then, he grinned and added, “We should start making popcorn.”

“Kyu?! Popcorn?!”

“Yeah. Just sit back and enjoy the show.”

Siegfried decided to let Pirate King Freydlief and Captain Barbossa bring this intense naval battle to its grand finale.

It was something like a courtesy.

After all, these two had spent decades battling during their lifetime, and now, centuries later, fate had brought them together again as undead.

Perhaps this was their ultimate showdown, a final clash to settle things once and for all.

***

The battle was fiercer than expected.

The ghost fleet led by Pirate King Freydlief and the undead pirates under Captain Barbossa clashed violently, exchanging volleys after volleys of cannon fire.

However, as intense as the battle seemed, Barbossa was no match against Freydlief.

After all, he had suffered countless defeats against Freydlief while they were alive, so why would it be any different now that they were both undead?

It had been centuries since they last fought, but the outcome of their battle remained unchanged. Roughly thirty minutes into the chaotic battle, it became clear to everyone how the battle would eventually end.

“Is... Is this truly how it ends again...?” Captain Barbossa murmured as his flagship started to sink.

Freydlief’s ghost fleet obliterated the undead fleet, sinking every last ship. Now, Barbossa’s flagship was riddled with holes, turning into a pitiful wreck awaiting its descent back to the depths of the waters.

“Oi, Barbossa!” Freydlief called out from aboard the Nautilus with visible glee. Then, he grinned and exclaimed, “Farewell, my friend! I won’t bother escorting you all the way! Is that alright with you?”

“You wretched scum! What kind of grudge do you have against me that you’re tormenting me even in death?!”

“Torment? Nonsense! I like you a lot!”

“W-What did you say?”

“Fighting with you is the best thing that’s ever happened to me! Hahaha!”

“Y-You dare mock me?!”

“Well, I’d say the ocean floor suits you best! Don’t bother crawling out again, hear me? I personally sent you back, so you better remember it!”

“DAMN YOU! YOU WRETCHED SON OF A—!”

Barbossa’s anguished screams and curses reached their climax just as his ship succumbed to its fate.

Boom!

The Nautilus fired one last ethereal cannonball, sealing the Black Crown Pirates’ fate.

Barbossa’s flagship shattered into pieces upon impact, causing it to sink and vanish beneath the waves.

“Ha! That will teach him to come crawling back! Serves him right!” Freydlief exclaimed with joy while watching Barbossa meet his demise—at least for now.

Thus, the battle—one that spanned centuries—came to a decisive end with Pirate King, Freydlief emerging victorious once again.

And with that, the chaotic struggle for dominance over the Green Isles was resolved.

The spoils of war? None of the Pirate Lords managed to get it.

Instead, the winner was none other than Siegfried, an unexpected third party.

As ironic as it sounded, the Pirate Lords basically labored tirelessly only to see the prize handed to someone else.

Siegfried's voice was tinged with anguish as he suddenly exclaimed, “No! Wait!”

“Kyu? What’s wrong, owner punk?” Hamchi asked.

“The money’s sinking!” Siegfried shouted and bolted, diving headfirst into the ocean.

“Kyu? What do you mean by that?” Hamchi asked once again, tilting his head in confusion.

However, Siegfried was already overboard, and his last words before hitting the waters were—

“Wait for me, my moneyyyy!”

Splash!

Siegfried disappeared below the waves.

Two minutes later...

Splash!

He burst back to the surface, hauling an unconscious person who looked oddly familiar by the scruff of the latter's neck. Then, he climbed back aboard and dumped his cargo onto the deck.

The figure was none other than Captain Joshua, who was aboard Barbossa’s flagship and was seconds away from drowning together with it.

“This guy’s worth too much to let him sink,” Siegfried grumbled.

He intended to hand in the Captain of the Great White Shark Pirates, Captain Joshua, to the navy, so losing such a valuable asset was not something that would happen on his watch.

***

After the battle...

“I will now rest in peace, new Pirate King,” Freydlief said.

“May you find peace finally. Also, don’t worry about the maritime kingdom that you dreamt of,” Siegfried replied warmly.

“I trust you will. You are the successor I’ve been waiting for so long, so I believe that you will do well.”

“Of course, I will.”

“I wish you good fortunes on your voyages. Now, I must go to where I belong.”

“Take care.”

“Don’t forget to take your Vitamin C.”

Even in his final moments, Pirate King Freydlief left a word of caution against scurvy before fading away.

Sseuuuk...!

The Pirate King dissipated, and his presence grew fainter and fainter until he completely vanished from sight.

Of course, the Nautilus and the ghost fleet, along with the spectral crew manning it, remained.

“I’ll see to it that your unfulfilled dreams come true,” Siegfried bid farewell to the Pirate King of the previous era.

When Siegfried turned around, the survivors of the battle knelt one by one.

“Hail the Pirate King!”

“Hail the Pirate King!”

“Hail the Pirate King!”

The remaining pirates, overwhelmed by Siegfried’s victory and his possession of the legendary flagship, the Nautilus, acknowledged him as the new Pirate King.

Even Captain Bellatrix did the same.

“I greet Your Majesty, the Pirate King,” she knelt and said, showing her respect without any hesitation.

‘Tsk...’ Siegfried clicked his tongue inwardly in sheer disappointment.

Why?

It was all because, like the other Pirate Lords, Captain Bellatrix had a massive bounty on her head as well.

He had already missed out on one of the bounties, as Captain Oswald had already been defeated by the time he got to the Green Isles, so he was hoping to collect the bounties on the remaining three Pirate Lords.

Unfortunately, handing her over to the Allied Naval Command was out of the question, as Freydlief had entrusted her to him, and he couldn't go against that promise.

“Captain Bellatrix,” Siegfried called out.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” she replied with her head bowed.

“I hereby appoint you as the Lord of the Green Isles.”

“...Huh? B-But I am already a Pirate Lord...?” Bellatrix muttered, looking utterly baffled by the sudden appointment. Siegfried shook his head and replied, “Not as a Pirate Lord. You will now serve as the Lord of the Green Isles, a territory of the Proatine Kingdom.”

“H-Huh? W-What do you mean by that...?”

“Let’s discuss this further once things are settled. But for now, I hereby appoint you as that,” Siegfried said with a smile.

***

After consolidating the remaining pirate ships, Siegfried set sail for Kraken Harbor. At the head of the massive fleet was the legendary flagship, the Nautilus, and the ghost fleet following closely behind it.

Kraken Harbor was the largest city in the Green Isles, so it would serve as the perfect stage to announce the rise of the new Pirate King.

“Oh?!”

“The Nautilus has returned to the seas!”

“Could it be...?!”

“A new Pirate King has emerged!”

The residents of Kraken Harbor gathered at the docks, bowing deeply in reverence to the new Pirate King, Captain Francis de Drake.

In the Green Isles, the Pirate King was more than just a ruler. The one who possessed the title was practically a deity among pirates.

Upon reaching Kraken Harbor, Siegfried headed to a secluded chamber within the headquarters of the Pirate Confederation, which functioned as the city hall.

There, he sat down for a private discussion with Captain Bellatrix.

“Captain Bellatrix.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“As I mentioned earlier, you’re no longer a Pirate Lord.”

“I... I am afraid I still do not understand what you mean by that.”

“You’re no longer a Pirate Lord but rather the Lord of the Green Isles on my behalf. A royal overseer will be assigned to monitor you, but I’ll ensure that you're granted complete autonomy.”

“I still find your words hard to grasp, Your Maj—”

“Perhaps this will make things easier to understand.”

With those words, Siegfried removed the Metamorphosis Mask that was concealing his face and identity.

“...!”

The moment she saw Siegfried’s true face, Bellatrix jumped up in shock. She instantly recognized him, as there was no way she'd be unfamiliar with the face of the hero who had repelled the demonic invasion and saved the continent from it.

This young man in front of her was none other than the Hero King, Siegfried van Proa, the King of the Proatine Kingdom.