["Hawk-Eye Aguru Missaya has completed preliminary conquest"]
[Player gains first-stage reward: 2,800 points]
[Romantic relationship not yet established—keep pushing toward the final conquest for second-tier rewards]
Sometimes, determining whether a skill you just activated worked is really easy — just check your status screen.
Nao quickly scanned the update, then glanced around. The torrential barrage of arrows had suddenly stopped. Buma and her captains stood confused, unsure what the Hawkeye Pirates were playing at.
Pressure had been mounting… so why did the attacks suddenly halt?
"Silent but deadly, huh…" Nao murmured, shutting the status panel.
"Stay on alert! Full speed ahead!"
Rear Admiral Buma, a seasoned marine veteran snapped back to command, voice sharp.
"Gunners to stations! Once we're in range, fire everything — understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
On the pirate ship:
Missaya remained frozen mid-draw.
"Cap—Captain?" murmured a female officer.
Silence stretched on, until Missaya blinked, shaking her senses back.
What's wrong with me?
She looked down at the waves reflected in the water—her cheeks flushed with heat, her heart pounding strangely fast.
She pressed a hand to her chest, stunned by her own racing pulse.
Finally clear-headed, she closed her eyes, drew back her bowstring once more, and aimed at Nao.
That's all I need to do. Then this weird feeling will go away.
At that moment:
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The deafening roar of cannons exploded across the sea. Buma's warship unleashed dozens of dark cannonballs, aimed straight at Missaya's ship. The sudden assault stunned the pirate in mid-draw.
Meanwhile, on deck:
"Now we're in range! Keep firing, don't stop—suppress with full force!"
Buma barked, teeth clenched with fury. The relentless arrow assault had been humiliating. Now that the distance had closed, it was time for payback.
Dozens of cannons swiveled in unison and opened fire — the sight was undeniably spectacular.
"Nice shot!"
Kawakawa Shuma cheered like a monkey, throwing his arms in triumph.
"That's how we do it! Take those pirates down! Ha-ha!"
He yelled so loudly he even asked a nearby middle-aged gunner:
"Hey, Uncle, mind giving me your station? I wanna try a shot too!"
The gunner scowled and ignored him—too focused reloading to care.
"No thrill."
Shuma flopped his palm on the rail, eyes glued to the action.
The pirates fired limited return via cannons, but their range was too short—they only made splashes. Some pirates loosed arrows, but only Missaya and a few officers managed to intercept cannon fire midair.
Most cannonballs struck home—sparking fires at the mast, flipping decks, and sending pirates stumbling.
"Awesome!"
Shuma was so engrossed he didn't notice Nao approaching from behind until Nao climbed the railing, vaulted into the sky with Moonwalk, and headed straight for the pirate ship, leaving Shuma staring dumbfounded at his shrinking figure.
"Eh?" Shuma gasped. "Boss Nao, what are you doing?"
Nao glanced over, smiled calmly.
"The distance is close enough now. It's time I made my move."
He said no more—stepping onto the railing again, then soaring upward into the sky. Shuma stood frozen, confused:
Shuma's thought:
"Wh… what does that mean?"
In that moment, Shuma suddenly noticed: Nao, now much closer to the pirate ship, had quietly placed his right hand on the hilt at his waist.
Meanwhile…
Buma noticed Nao launching skyward. Her expression shifted from surprise to alarm.
"Hey! Kid, what are you doing?! That's too dangerous — get back here!"
What is this kid thinking?
Buma had just started to trust him — he was a dependable elite recruit, loyal and capable.
Soon the boarding battle would begin. Perhaps he'd help shift the tide against Missaya.
But now… suddenly he's gone solo? He's leaping off our ship, heading alone into a thousand pirates?