Five meters, three meters, two meters! The Jamaican counted down the distance between them in his mind, his breathing suddenly ragged, his eyes threaded with a few strands of crimson. Based on Gett's previous experience, this fellow from the East was explosively powerful; if he could just successfully dodge the first few blows and adapt to his fighting style, his chances of winning would undoubtedly multiply!

Yet Fang Senyan charged forward, elbows bent to guard his face, thundering over like a massive semi-truck, showing absolutely no intention of attacking. In that instant, Valivarika felt the rushing wind pressing against him was suffocating!

In that moment, he could only retreat, and only retreat!

But even as he retreated, Valivarika was prepared to counterattack. He dared to step up and avenge his good brother Gett not because he was a saintly soul; at that instant, at least seven methods for neutralizing the ensuing continuous attacks flashed through his mind.

But Fang Senyan still didn't strike! It seemed he believed himself to be a wild bull with sharp horns, capable of dispatching the enemy through sheer impact alone!

Valivarika let out a strange cry. With a snap, he shifted the short-axe in his hand to his left, and with a whoosh, a flash of cold light descended as he brought the axe down squarely over Fang Senyan's head. But Fang Senyan coldly raised his left hand to intercept! A gasp went up from the surrounding pirates. Valivarika was one of the strongest among them in terms of sheer arm strength; in one sea engagement, he had even cleaved through the iron helmet of a British lieutenant with his short-axe! In their eyes, Fang Senyan’s fate was sealed: his left hand would be severed in two, and the majority of his torso would likely be split open along with it!

But a flash of light erupted in the air!

The very instant the weapons met, Fang Senyan’s left hand suddenly erupted with a blinding sheen, revealing a large and grotesque silver steel claw! It was the weapon acquired from the Terminator world: the Cobalt Steel Alloy Exoskeleton (Left Hand)!

The razor-sharp edge of the short-axe slammed into it, spitting out a long string of dazzling sparks, yet it failed to cause even the slightest damage. Having deflected that certain-kill strike, Fang Senyan pressed forward even more fiercely, closing the distance against Valivarika, looking as though he intended to deliver a fatal blow with that bizarre, newly revealed weapon!

Valivarika used the shockwave from the axe rebound to propel himself backward, but after a few steps, he realized he had been forced right up against the ship's railing! Because he had to remain vigilant against an attack from the opponent in front of him, he had been flustered into a blind spot on the ship! To escape his current predicament, he would have to shift laterally a couple of steps. At this moment, Fang Senyan was less than two meters away from Valivarika. With both hands guarding his head and face, his vulnerable ribs were exposed. A vicious glint flashed in Valivarika’s eyes; he dug his left foot back slightly, and his right foot whipped out in a graceful arc through the air.

Blood flows 6,894 kilometers inside the human body every day, and after taking a deep breath, the speed of Valivarika’s blood flow in that instant accelerated by more than ten times. While this kick appeared to be delivered with all his might, it actually contained a potent yielding force. Should the enemy attempt to block it with that strange steel claw, the move would instantly transform from a sweep into a full kick, using the rebound force to spring away and escape the current tight spot!

And the human rib cage is exceedingly fragile; a solid blow there directly threatens vital organs like the liver and lungs, which is why the common saying refers to a weak spot as a “soft rib.” Valivarika’s kick perfectly embodied the principle of attacking where the enemy is forced to defend: if you block, he uses the leverage to flee; if you don't block, you risk a severe injury to a vital area—a maneuver echoing the military tactic of "Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao."

With a dull thud, Valivarika involuntarily widened his eyes in shock! This fellow hadn't blocked; he had actually taken his full-force kick on the fragile soft ribs of his body! But instantly, a terrifying pain shot up through the bridge of his foot—his kick felt as though it had struck a steel plate! Was that really his opponent's ribcage he had struck? The expected massive counter-force never materialized, meaning there was no opportunity to use the rebound force to escape, thus exposing a massive flaw!

And in the context of the current battle, a flaw meant death.

Five seconds.

With his eyes blazing a fierce crimson, Fang Senyan took only five seconds to turn the Jamaican executioner before him into a dead man. Utilizing that utterly bizarre silver steel claw, his first punch snapped Valivarika’s neck into a grotesquely distorted, elongated angle. The terrifying sound of cracking bone, amplified across the entire area, elicited gasps of "hiss" from over ninety percent of the watching pirates, as if they felt the impact themselves.

This was immediately followed by Fang Senyan’s vicious knee strike, rammed hard into Valivarika’s groin, almost certainly reducing his lower body to ruin in that instant.

Before Valivarika’s stunned and heavy body could even fall, Fang Senyan had circled behind him, turning the ordinary Viking dagger dropped by Gett in his hand, and resting it lightly against the man's throat. A slight twist and push, and amidst a spatter of blood, the Jamaican's lean yet sturdy frame slumped forward limply toward the sea beneath the railing, tracing a dull arc in the setting sun's afterglow before splashing into the water with a whala and sinking straight down, plumes of smoke-like ochre rising from his throat.

Only then did Fang Senyan cough dryly a few times, dipping his middle finger into the blood welling at the corner of his mouth. He deliberately smeared a stroke across his brow, further burnishing his image as someone from the mysterious East, before surveying the crowd and coldly continuing:

“Next.”

The entire area was deathly silent. Fang Senyan knew his brutality had achieved the desired effect, and he used the moment to catch his breath. He simultaneously checked the notification provided by the Nightmare Mark upon killing Valivarika:

“Your Throat Slit dealt 33 damage to Valivarika, enemy is in critical condition. You have slain your opponent.” “The Voodoo Curse inflicted upon you (Black Snake Bite LV1) has been eliminated. Your base Spirit attribute returns to normal.” “You have acquired one Black Pin (Gray).” “Black Pin (Gray): This item functions similarly to a key and is usually dropped by enemies capable of casting various forms of black magic/witchcraft. Use grants a 50% chance of yielding a lowest-tier Black Magic/Witchcraft scroll, and a 50% chance of yielding nothing. Do you wish to open this item? Yes/No?”

Fang Senyan understood. If the newly dropped "Black Pin" yielded a scroll, it would most likely be the Voodoo Curse the dead man Valivarika had cast: Black Snake Bite. Seeing his meager 5 Spirit points, he decisively chose No.

Fang Senyan had now accepted two challenges! Two victories, two deaths! The fights typically ended in under a minute. Beyond that, his terrifying durability, ferocious demeanor, and mystery from the East had left a deep impression on every pirate present. Logically, someone else should have appeared for a third trial, but there was a lull. Of course, this didn't mean there was no one on this pirate vessel capable of dealing with Fang Senyan; ultimately, it came down to two words: not worth it.

For these pirates, the reward for killing Fang Senyan was barely two or three pounds sterling—hardly enough money to justify risking their lives against this mysterious and savage Easterner.

The awkward silence was broken by a rhythmic and distinct applause, coming from the upper deck, accompanied by a voice that was remarkably steady and cool—a voice that instinctively brought to mind the ticking of a grandfather clock: precise, methodical, and constant.

“The third trial is canceled. Welcome aboard the Bell and Glass, sailor Yan from the mysterious East.”

Fang Senyan turned his head and immediately saw the man stepping out of the captain’s cabin—Armand, the future Pirate King of the Black Sea. His high cheekbones and hooked nose gave an initial impression that could be summed up in four words: eyes like an eagle, bearing like a wolf! Clearly, Armand recognized that the uproar caused by his first mate was beginning to harm the interests of the entire ship, and he personally stepped in to mitigate the negative effects of the situation.

The moment Armand uttered those words, Fang Senyan received the relevant system prompts:

“Main Quest: The Busy Man – Completed.” “You have gained 100 Universal Points.” “You have acquired Main Quest: Making a Name.” “Quest Synopsis: Raise your reputation among the Caribbean Pirates to at least Friendly status.” “Quest Description: The Caribbean Pirates are a group who respect strength. Whether you show them goodwill or malice, any action that leaves a deep impression on them will increase your standing among them.” “Quest Hint: Upon accepting this quest, your Reputation Bar for the Caribbean Pirates is unlocked. Current status: Indifferent 24/1000.” “Quest Hint: Pirates are impatient creatures; you have one week to fully establish your presence.” “Quest Hint: The higher your final reputation among the pirates, the better your rewards.” “You have successfully become a crew member of the Bell and Glass.” “The Bell and Glass is classified as a large pirate vessel.” “You have triggered Side Quest: Approaching Legend.” “Quest Synopsis: Set foot on the deck of any of the following ships: The Black Pearl, The Flying Dutchman, The Revenge, or The Victorious, and become one of their crew members.” “Quest Hint: Although these famous legendary pirate ships/British flagships are currently short-handed, they adhere to a principle of quality over quantity and will not easily recruit individuals without any reputation whatsoever. Please focus on increasing your notoriety among the pirates.” “Quest Hint: All four of these vessels will remain docked here temporarily after the Rum Festival, but they will only stay for about a week.” (Note: The Victorious is the only ship capable of temporarily matching the speed of the Black Pearl; it is extremely fast, with a sharp bow and flat stern, belonging to the British Royal Navy fleet. Its captain in the first film was Elizabeth’s intended fiancé, and in the second film, he cleverly obtained Davy Jones' heart. Its firepower is terrifying.) (To be continued. Please visit for the latest chapters.)