On a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean, in the center of the Zaurian fleet, two combatants were locked in a heated duel. The first was Caldoon, who made up his mind to take out this woman before heading back in to destroy more ships. The second was a fierce barbarian who was simultaneously a Zaurian guild leader and a third-stage sovereign.

  The three guild leaders were the only people who posed a threat to Caldoon and Triton. This woman was responsible for almost landing a blow on Caldoon, and she would prove to be even more trouble if he didn’t get rid of her. He had also received a [Whisper] that Triton was engaging in battle with another guild leader on the opposite side of the fleet.

  That left the one on the flagship unattended, but this didn’t worry Caldoon. Zaurians were savages, but they didn’t steal each other’s kills. So long as their guild leaders were engaged in combat, the one standing on the flagship wouldn’t intervene. This was also true for the barbarians that stood around the remnants of the deck watching the fight, though they were too weak to do anything anyway.

  Caldoon decided to make the first move; he crouched slightly and coiled his muscles with the help of his [Erupting Stance], a modified version of [Fisherman’s Stance]. His body exploded into a burst of speed as he lunged toward the barbarian woman wreathed in magma. Caldoon thrust his spear towards the woman at the last moment, aiming right for her heart.

  The masked woman’s eyes narrowed; she turned her body to the side, avoiding the spear and letting it fly past her body. As Caldoon passed her, she raised her axe in preparation for a strike. Meanwhile, Caldoon turned as he slammed into the ship's cabin wall shoulder first. He only just managed to recover from the missed attack before having to witness an axe coming for his head.

  Caldoon quickly used [Erupting Stance] and slammed both arms against the wall. He utilized the force of the impact to throw himself forward and below the axe. After a moment of being airborne, Caldoon hit the ground in a roll and pointed his spear towards the masked woman again.

  I hate this. Give me a monster a thousand times my size, and I can kill it with sheer force. A mean lady with an axe, though? That’s going to be a mite tougher.

  The one thing Caldoon wasn’t good at was controlling his strength. This was because he simply never had to; abyssal creatures were all absurdly large, only being susceptible to overwhelming power and speed. This was what Caldoon excelled at and how he managed to protect the island for so long after his father passed.

  There were only a few rare cases where Caldoon was forced to fight in a duel. In all those situations, the sheer superiority of his attributes made up for his lack of finesse or skill. Here, however, was someone who knew how to fight against a person of equal stature. Caldoon was forced to approach the situation a bit more carefully, so this time he took a defensive stance and waited for her to make a move.

  It seems she took the bait, as in the next moment she accelerated toward him with the butt of her axe. Caldoon lacked the finesse to dodge like she did, so he merely braced for the attack. The butt of the axe slammed into his chest, and Caldoon immediately felt a shockwave running through his mountainous body. She must have used some kind of art, because Caldoon felt his body get pushed back.

  This, however, was not enough to push back the emperor. He stood his ground and watched as the masked woman started swinging the axe towards his neck. Caldoon’s body was stiff but not immobile, so he quickly raised the shaft of his fishing spear with both hands and shoved it underneath the blade.

  The axe stopped in its path, and the woman glared at Caldoon in frustration. She didn’t say anything, but he guessed she thought he was an easy target since he didn’t know how to fight with weapons. That may have been true, but he was tough enough to ride out most attacks, and there was no way he would let someone a stage lower than him get the upper hand. That would just be embarrassing.

  Caldoon once again adopted [Erupting Stance] and shoved the shaft forward. The sheer force he exerted pushed back not only the axe but also the woman as well by a good couple feet. He could’ve pushed the advantage, but he opted to wait and watch her next move instead. Caldoon didn’t want to be caught off guard again, and if it was a competition for stamina, he would be victorious.

  The woman began to grit her teeth in frustration. This time she raised one leg, charging it with an art, and slammed it down on the ground. Caldoon felt the rumbling all around him as the deck of the ship was upturned beneath him. It was as if the shockwave was sent from her leg, through the wooden floorboards, right to Caldoon’s location. In the next moment, he felt a force shoot upwards from beneath him, trying to throw him off his feet. The deck below Caldoon erupted with force, but Caldoon stood stalwart. The art was impressive, especially if used against an opponent of equal strength, but against Caldoon it was useless.

  This enraged the barbarian even more. Every attempt she made to create an opening thus far was met with indifference. Her stoic persona was slowly coming apart, and Caldoon believed this could make her more susceptible to attacks. The only question was how to break her. Withstanding her attacks was working, but it was a slow process. Perhaps he could hasten things a bit.

  “Is that it? If this is the best the Conquerors have to offer, then I fear for the future of your guild.”

  With that comment, the masked women exploded with rage.

  “What does someone like you know about our guild? The might of the Conquerors is built on the strength of the strongest men and women in the world! Who do you think you are to believe you can get away with attacking us?!”

  Caldoon let out a chuckle and then responded. “I’m glad you asked! I am Emperor Caldoon, ruler of Leviathan’s Rest and Guild Master of Ocean’s Bounty! As for why I’m attacking your fleet, I believe that’s self-explanatory.”

  The masked woman’s face froze for a moment, then she erupted into laughter. She wasn’t the only one either, as Caldoon could see the other barbarians behind her joining in on the hilarity. Caldoon thought he was quite threatening, but it seems that the barbarians didn’t see it the same way.

  “Hahaha… Who are you fooling? What kind of fool calls themselves an emperor with a weapon like that! Emperors are men and women who command fear and respect with their very presence! You're nothing but a backwater lancer!

  Caldoon was feeling increasingly annoyed by the second, but he felt the need to correct them regardless. He quietly cleared his throat and spoke up.

  “Actually, I’m a fisherman. I don’t have a lancer class.”

  All the barbarians froze, then laughed even harder.

  “A FISHERMAN! HAHAHAHAHA! What are you going to do, cast a net at me? That’s even more pathetic!”

  Caldoon felt a vein in his forehead throb as he quietly watched the barbarians laugh at him. He was used to being laughed at behind his back, but this was too much even for him. These people needed to learn respect; he thought about unleashing one of his more powerful arts but quickly pushed down the thought.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  I planned on baiting this woman into attacking all out, yet here I am being baited into using a move I really shouldn’t be showing off. What’s the matter with me today?

  The frustrations that were built up over the events of the day were building up in Caldoon’s mind, tempting him to unleash his wrath on these fools that dared attack his island. That was exactly what they wanted, though; their expedition was led by veterans of the barbarian’s guild, this woman included. They knew what they were doing when they laughed at him despite annihilating their ships. They wanted him to slip up and do something worth exploiting.

  The woman noticed his calmer demeanor and immediately stopped the forced laughter. The barbarian behind her didn’t understand the mind games she was trying to employ and simply continued laughing. The two combatants were forced to listen to it for a good minute before the masked woman lost her temper.

  “SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!”

  The group of surely barbarians immediately clammed up and saluted the woman.

  “Yes, Guild Leader Donna!”

  With the wrecked ship quiet once more, Caldoon focused once more on his opponent.

  So, her name is Donna. It doesn’t look like I can goad her into a trap. Cheap tricks won’t work; I’ll have to figure out something else, and after this I still have to deal with the fleet…

  Caldoon had too much to worry about right now, and he could really use some good news. With this brief lull in the fight, he chose to contact Triton via [Whisper].

  “Triton, how are you holding up?”

  “Not bad at all. I’m just wrapping up a fight with this young man. He was full of bluster a while ago, but now I think he’s spent. What about you?”

  “Having a bit of a hold-up.”

  Trion was about to be free, which meant he was clear to either attack the fleet or secure those cargo ships. Honestly, neither option sounded appealing now, considering the fleet still had one more guild leader who Caldoon strongly suspected was stronger than Triton. There was no way he would risk the man who served his father for so long, not out here.

  Caldoon needed a distraction, but what…

  If only there were some sea monsters around, the barbarians would be busy, and we could make off with the cargo ships. Wait… That’s it!

  “Triton, do you think you can swim down and lure some monsters here? There should be some nests not too far down.”

  “It will take some time to get there and back, but I’ll be quick. Try to keep them distracted.”

  “Can do.”

  Caldoon wouldn’t risk using [Megajaws], but perhaps there was a far more elegant solution. Instead of wasting his energy fighting them himself, he would get something else to do it. Monsters could attack the ships, eat the survivors, and leave Caldoon and Triton to make off like bandits. Now all he needed was to create a distraction, and Caldoon had already thought of how he was going to pull it off.

  Caldoon sucked in his breath, then let his voice boom out for the entire fleet to hear.

  “What about the emperor of the dominion? How weak is he that he needs to send an entire fleet just to capture one little island? If he weren’t such a coward, he’d do it himself!”

  The ship Caldoon stood on went dead silent, and it wasn’t the only one. All around, barbarians were staring out over the railings of their respective vessels. Each and every one of them was dead silent, staring at Caldoon with eyes wide with both fear and fury. Caldoon had unknowingly hit a nerve with these people, and he considered that quite an accomplishment considering their complete lack of empathy or honor.

  “Good work! I’ve already begun diving down. Just hold out for as long as you can.”

  Caldoon barely managed to register Triton’s confirmation before he witnessed an axe trying to cleave vertically through his body. He managed to sidestep it just in time to watch Donna cleave through the ground where he once stood in fury. He didn’t get a moment to breathe either, as the second he got his bearings, she reversed her grip and swung the axe horizontally.

  This time Caldoon didn’t come out unscathed. The axe managed to cleave a long, crimson streak across his shirt and chest. Caldoon grimaced from the sting, but he had no time to breathe as Donna attacked with redoubled fury. The axe streaked through the air with an earthly yellow power as the masked woman let out a flurry of swings aimed at Caldoon’s body.

  Caldoon, in turn, was forced to back away as he looked for an opening to strike; some of the axe swings managed to leave cuts across his body, but they could hardly be considered deadly when faced with his superior vitality. He didn’t let them break his concentration as he focused on his opening.

  Donna used both hands and raised her axe above her head. Her body was wide open as she prepared to cleave Caldoon right down the middle. The emperor took his chance and quickly thrust his spear towards the guild leader’s neck; he didn’t want to use a stance at the risk of overcommitting his attack. Whether this was the right or wrong choice, he couldn’t say, but his strike failed regardless.

  Instead of leaning into the strike, Donna quickly leaned back and to the side, adjusting the trajectory of the axe as she moved. Instead of going for Caldoon’s body, the axe now went for his spear, striking it down the middle and cleaving it in two.

  Caldoon’s eyes widened at the results of the duel. He was glad he didn’t overcommit, or he would have been cleaved instead, but this wasn’t much better. He could only stare in disbelief as he looked down at the useless stick he held in his hands.

  Then…he laughed.

  “HAHAHA! Amazing! Brilliant move! You’re certainly something compared to the mindless apes I’m used to dealing with.”

  The woman stayed silent for a moment but responded after pulling her axe out of the ground and readying herself for another strike.

  “Thank you, but I think you should maybe think about your own situation first. This battle is over, and for the crime of insulting our emperor, the only end you’ll meet is death.”

  “Over? Oh, don’t be so sure. There’s still one more thing I can try, and I’m anxious to use it.”

  Caldoon was sick of having to fight people in head-to-head duels and losing in matches of skill. Fishermen simply weren’t apt at fighting in long, drawn-out duels; this was something even he, a fourth-stage sovereign, couldn’t avoid. Fishermen specialize in quick bursts of speed to catch enemies off guard, killing them before they have the chance to react. Once you’ve lost the element of surprise, however, it becomes far more difficult to do that.

  However, Caldoon has spent a lot of his life prowling around the ocean floor, observing how creatures live, survive, and most importantly, hunt. Sea creatures were all fishermen in their own way, and each developed their own method for hunting. Specifically, it was the vicious Abyssal Wyrms who almost ate the emperor alive that taught him this next art.

  Caldoon began heating up his body, building up pressure in his muscles. Then, he raised one leg and slammed it forward on the deck, creating a loud smack that rang out to the nearby ships. Finally, he opened his arms wide and raised his empty palms beside his head.

  “Let’s end things with a bang. Give me your most powerful attack, the kind you use to destroy ships with.”

  Donna’s eyes widened with cruel delight, and Caldoon could see a grin creep up on her face as she raised her axe.

  “With pleasure! Let’s make your execution a messy one.”

  The guild leader then began drawing aether into her axe. Caldoon patiently waited with his arms open as he watched the axe begin to glow a faint yellow, then a bright orange, until finally it was deep red. The axe looked like it was about to burst with power; even the barbarians on the deck looked like they wanted to get away from here as fast as possible.

  However, Caldoon stood resolute. He needed to time this perfectly, as even the slightest misstep could be fatal. One second passed, then two, then three, before Donna finally decided to unleash the axe’s power.

  Clang

  However, the power was made out of the axe.

  Donna blinked; Caldoon, who was standing a few feet away just a moment ago, was now standing directly in front of her, holding the blade of her axe with both hands. She tried to throw it down towards his face, but the axe refused to make a move against the emperor’s grip.

  “LET GO, YOU MORONIC APE! HANDS OFF!”

  Donna did her best, but the axe refused to budge no matter what she did. She pushed it, pulled it, and even tried assaulting Caldoon with punches and kicks, but nothing made him budge.

  “Like it? I call it [Castrating Jaws]. The name’s a bit strange, but I think it’s quite fitting.

  Caldoon moved his grip on the axe to the handle, then inspected the weapon in his hands. Now that he got a better look, it was clear that this was the weapon of a veteran, with a blade and shaft made entirely of black steel.

  “This is pretty good; I think I’ll keep it.”

  This enraged Donna, who charged and assaulted Caldoon with a punch.

  “KEEP IT?! OVER MY DEAD…”

  Caldoon threw a punch of his own in response, square in her face. His strength ended up launching her straight back and upwards. As she flew, the lower half of her body managed to hit the front wall of the navigation room, forcing her to spin out of control as she continued into the water below.

  “That went better than I expected. Now, where is Triton with…”

  Just as he spoke, something shot out of the floorboards near his feet. It flew straight up, then fell back to earth as a mushy pile of tentacles that did their best to grab the emperor.

  Speak of the devil…