Chapter 561 - 222: Grave Digger

’That... What is that?!’

A bolt of lightning tore through the thick, dark clouds, illuminating the heart of the storm in the distance. It also lit up the Leonard’s silvery-white hull, which was covered in golden patterns, and the pirates on deck, who stood as motionless as if time had stopped.

Ronan fought to suppress the terror in his heart. His narrow, triangular eyes were wide open, staring intently at the center of the storm—a place shrouded in darkness, savaged by gales, thrashed by monstrous waves, and wildly "cheered" by countless Deep Sea abominations.

As the core of the storm drew closer to the Leonard, a blurry silhouette gradually reflected in Ronan’s eyes, and his heart sank completely.

On the Cordo Sea, legends of maritime taboos had always circulated. They were calamities that countless seafarers desperately avoided, and every ship’s chart marked the known taboo zones. Steering far clear was the best choice.

But compared to the fixed maritime taboos, there was something else that circulated in the special notations of major Pirate Gangs and merchant guilds: the so-called "taboo of taboos"—a mobile taboo.

It was said that anyone who encountered it would be devoured and submerged, becoming a Vengeful Spirit within the mobile maritime taboo.

As he dwelled on these legends, the cold sweat on Ronan’s forehead was dried by the sea breeze. His face grew even paler, making his subtle ugliness much more pronounced.

"A ma-maritime taboo?"

’Dammit, no, we can’t be this unlucky!?’

’If this really is a maritime taboo, he and everyone else on this ship will probably be trapped here forever.’

’As he recalled, the only ones capable of escaping a maritime taboo were the great "Sea Emperor" Isabella Christers, whom his boss Dis had spoken of, and the "Praise Singer" Suyade Elmano, who controlled that taboo item.’

’But their level of power... Our captain, he can’t be at that level, can he?’

DING-A-LING... DING-A-LING...

A few pleasant chimes of a wind bell rang out. Ronan strained his eyes even harder, trying to see the shadowy silhouette shrouded in darkness.

’Bells?’

As the silhouette grew clearer, Ronan dismissed his own theory. Even though it didn’t seem to be the legendary mobile maritime taboo, just a horse-drawn carriage, he felt not an ounce of joy.

He was certain he wasn’t mistaken. At the center of the swirling clouds and crashing waves was just a carriage—a black carriage pulled by four tall, magnificent horses!

’But what the fuck kind of carriage can ride on the sea?’

The fine horses’ heads were bowed, their gait slow as they moved forward, as if pulling a ten-thousand-ton weight, making their forms look slightly weary.

On the driver’s seat behind them sat a figure completely shrouded in a black robe, holding the reins. Like a statue, they betrayed no breath, no movement.

The black carriage behind him faintly shimmered with a metallic luster. Streaks of blood-red marks densely covered its surface, forming eerie patterns that enveloped the entire cabin.

The most eye-catching feature was the roof that extended from the top of the carriage. Hanging around its edges were several Pyramid-shaped objects. Lightning flashed against their silvery-white bodies, reflecting a dazzling light, and as the carriage moved, they knocked against each other, producing the crisp, ringing sound of wind chimes.

The eerie silence and suffocating fear made Ronan’s body tremble involuntarily.

It was hard to imagine, even harder to believe—what kind of carriage could travel on the Cordo Sea as if it were solid ground, while simultaneously creating such a massive Storm?

BOOM, BOOM!

Just then, the rumbling thunder and the crashing of waves against the hull snapped the stunned pirates on the Leonard back to their senses, but their eyes still held an undisguised horror.

"Th-There..."

"What... is that?!"

"Is it a maritime taboo?"

"Great Lady Storm, please don’t let me encounter a mobile maritime taboo!!"

"Lord of Dawn..."

Ronan snapped out of it too. Now was not the time to be terrified or discuss what the hell that thing was. He knew that when encountering such a bizarre scene at sea, the most important thing was to stay calm.

’Stay composed, stay calm, stay calm... Calm my ass!’

"Knight, hurry and get the First Officer! Have her bring the captain!"

"Mudja, check the Rune Array! Try to activate it—no, you *must* activate it!"

"Renado, dammit, raise the sails..."

At this point, Ronan could only grit his teeth and persevere, racking his brain for a proper response while turning the helm hard, hoping to steer clear of the bizarre carriage.

He knew that raising the sails in a storm was foolish, but he was past caring about that now!

Hearing the Second Officer’s voice, the panicked and terrified pirates on deck seemed to find their backbone. Gritting their teeth, they dragged their stiff bodies to carry out his orders.

These men were all veterans of the sea. They knew their own abilities were insufficient to handle such dangers. The more perilous the situation, the more crucial it was to obey orders; otherwise, a gruesome death was likely.

This wasn’t some long-standing decree, but a simple necessity: a captain and his officers must possess the ability to lead their ship and crew through any voyage.

Just then, the black-robed figure in the carriage turned his eyes—the only part of him exposed—toward the Leonard. His cold, dead gaze fell upon the ship’s figurehead. "Dawn? Merely a false god from the Illusion World."

Nothing else was reflected even in his peripheral vision, as if the pirates on deck were not even worthy of his direct gaze.

’Dawn... is a false god?’

Ronan’s expression suddenly turned even uglier. A being who could utter such blasphemy against a True God was clearly an existence beyond his comprehension.