The fastest updates and the most comprehensive collection of novels are found on novel websites. Blackbeard sat beneath that oil painting, his back ramrod straight. If not for his aquiline nose betraying a certain ferocity, he might have been mistaken for a commander in the British Royal Navy. Davy Jones, meanwhile, reclined lazily on a nearby chair, yet his presence still radiated an overwhelming aura of power and dominance. He turned his gaze toward the entrance as someone walked in. Fang Senyan was quick-witted, instantly shifting his demeanor, bowing slightly as he greeted them:

"Chief."

Davy Jones nodded, squinting his eyes. "The weapon you gifted me—did you truly wrest it from Armand?"

Fang Senyan shrugged with an air of innocence. "Chief, more people know this weapon than there are sharks in the Caribbean!"

Davy Jones burst into hearty laughter, turning to Blackbeard, whose face was set like cold iron. "I think my third mate was absolutely right."

As Davy Jones laughed, Fang Senyan felt the oppressive pressure around him ease slightly. He looked up and his heart lurched suddenly. The sword held by the famous Blackbeard was strikingly familiar; it looked exactly like the silver plot weapon he had presented to Davy Jones: Armand’s silver rapier! It had been drawn from its scabbard, but Fang Senyan's observation skills were exceptionally sharp. After a few more glances, he noticed a difference. The guard of this sword was fashioned with an exaggerated upward curve, bending distinctly to the right. Armand's sword, however, curved to the left.

Blackbeard then produced another rapier. This second one was the genuine Armand’s silver rapier. The two drawn swords lay side-by-side on the table. Apart from the opposite direction of the curve in their guards, the external appearance, the design, and even the faint silver sheen of both rapiers were identical, as if reflected in a mirror. Blackbeard shot Fang Senyan a cold, hard look before refocusing on the two weapons resting on the table.

By now, Fang Senyan had largely deduced the chain of events. Davy Jones must have known that Blackbeard had been secretly and desperately searching for this type of weapon even before this meeting. Thus, upon receiving the weapon Fang Senyan offered, he immediately summoned Blackbeard. Blackbeard, having obtained this sword but unable to discern its secret, likely suspected it was a fake and therefore demanded Fang Senyan’s presence for confrontation.

Of course, one detail remained puzzling: why didn't Blackbeard simply steal the weapon directly from Armand? The first possibility was that he couldn't—Armand was powerful and highly vigilant. However, based on Fang Senyan’s estimation, the greater possibility was that he simply didn't know!

In this era, anyone of standing would carry a Western rapier, such as the protagonist Jack Sparrow in the film, who was a master of the sword. Rapiers were standard issue equipment for flirting and self-defense in the British Royal Navy. While this world didn't adhere to the extreme philosophy of "live by the sword, die by the sword," personal weapons were held in extremely high regard. Even a figure as formidable as the captain of the three legendary pirate ships, Blackbeard, could not simply go around demanding to inspect everyone's weapons without inviting ridicule.

Blackbeard stared intently at the two swords for a long time, repeatedly attempting to fit them together, even bringing Armand’s silver rapier close to his eyes to examine it closely, as if trying to dissect it visually. Finally, his face fell, and he shook his head with a heavy sigh, preparing to rise and leave. Just then, Fang Senyan suddenly spoke up:

"Pardon my presumption, sir, but I have noticed some peculiar phenomena. Might I inquire as to the nature of your confusion?"

Blackbeard glanced back at Fang Senyan, his eyes clearly laced with mockery and disdain, and started walking toward the exit without speaking. But the moment his hand touched the cabin door, Fang Senyan added:

"If you tell me, there might still be a glimmer of hope in solving the problem. If you leave now, however, there will be none whatsoever."

Perhaps his patience had been completely worn thin by his long search, or perhaps Fang Senyan's confidence had convinced him. Blackbeard's body stiffened for a moment, then he wheeled around abruptly, his voice raspy like grinding steel:

"If you dare betray my secret! I will turn you into a revenant and force you into eternal, low-grade servitude aboard my ship!"

With a loud BANG, Davy Jones slammed his wooden tankard onto the table, sloshing rum across a large portion of the surface. The Scotsman’s face turned grim. "Mr. Teach (Blackbeard's real name, Edward Teach), this is not the Queen Anne's Revenge. The fate of my third mate is mine to decide!"

Blackbeard showed no fear, fixing Davy Jones with a cold stare. Caught between the auras of the two titans, Fang Senyan immediately felt unsteady on his feet, his entire body weak and pliant. He stumbled back several steps. But at that critical moment, Blackbeard suddenly spoke:

"I acquired this sword ten years ago. That time… you don't need the specifics, but the rumor was that whoever obtained this sword would be invincible in boarding actions. However, it is incomplete. Legend says one must find its other half to unleash its full power."

Hearing this, Fang Senyan understood instantly, a realization dawning on him. "So Armand’s sword, in every respect, fits the standard for the other half of the sword you hold, yet it shows none of the distinctive traits."

Blackbeard remained silent, but his eyes confirmed Fang Senyan’s deduction was correct. Fang Senyan smiled faintly: "As you can see, I am seated here, near the entrance."

Blackbeard's brow furrowed, clearly ready to flare up—what business was it of his where a mere pirate sat? But Davy Jones watched Fang Senyan with an expression of keen interest. For pirates, Fang Senyan’s seating position, with his back directly to the cabin door, was highly inauspicious, likely tied to their precarious lives. Sitting there meant an approaching stranger could immediately threaten his vulnerable back; if the newcomer meant harm, he would die without ever knowing how. Fang Senyan continued:

"Because I sit in this position, I can see things that neither of you can."

Blackbeard’s heart stirred; an inexpressible feeling began to pulse within him. He was only missing that final, unspoken confirmation. Fang Senyan then continued:

"Conveniently, the scabbard for the sword I presented to the Chief was placed right beside your stool, sir. As you grasped your weapon, I saw that scabbard emit a light!"

Although the two silver rapiers were nearly identical in design, the scabbard belonging to Armand's sword was extremely old, looking ragged and unimpressive, seemingly wrapped in a layer of dark, worn cloth. It was no wonder Blackbeard had casually leaned it next to his stool. At this point, Fang Senyan spoke slowly, articulating every word:

"I believe the other half of a sword is not necessarily another sword of identical appearance—that would be as rare as two men successfully forming a family! The true meaning of that legendary 'other half' likely refers only to... its sheath!!"

Before Fang Senyan could finish speaking, Blackbeard’s eyes ignited with a scorching light, as if his very soul were burning. He opened his hand, and the silver rapier he brought flew automatically into his palm. With his foot, he hooked toward the spot where the scabbard rested beside the stool—and hooked empty air! He looked up to discover that Davy Jones, by some means unknown, had already grasped the scabbard firmly in his own hand. A look of cruel excitement appeared in the Scotsman’s eyes, his enormous, bulbous nose flushing red. Davy Jones flashed a strange smile, then spoke in a surprisingly even tone:

"My dear Teach, I suddenly regret our previous transaction. I am prepared to pay the penalty to the God of Contracts to reclaim ownership of this item!"

As Davy Jones spoke, the floor next to him suddenly burst open with a thump, as forceful as the loud noise upon entry, shaking dust down from the cabin walls. Immediately, the lid of a large oak chest resting beneath the floor sprang open automatically. Golden coins within clinked and tumbled out, flying upwards into the void and vanishing, as if a small tornado were sucking the wealth away. Davy Jones roared with laughter, then clapped Fang Senyan heavily on the shoulder.

"Splendidly done!"

Blackbeard's face remained set, but the white knuckles gripping his sword hilt betrayed that his mood was anything but pleasant. Any subordinate familiar with Blackbeard’s venomous disposition would have recognized this as the outward sign of extreme fury. But sitting before him now was Davy Jones! A man whose influence and personal strength could match his own! Furthermore, they were currently aboard the Flying Dutchman!

"Name your price," Blackbeard said, reseating himself on his stool. His eyes narrowed slightly, unnervingly reminiscent of an upright cobra preparing to strike, full of menace and aggression. Davy Jones sat down boldly, considered for a moment, then extended his right hand, curling his thumb, middle, and little fingers inward, arrogantly flicking the remaining two fingers in the air.

Blackbeard's facial muscles twitched violently. He glanced again at Davy Jones, then pulled two items from the leather belt at his waist. The first item was bizarre: a flat pouch, palm-sized, woven from old cloth and red thread. The opening of the pouch was uniquely shaped like female genitalia. Fang Senyan did not understand the object then, only learning after returning to the real world that it was a famous item from the Voodoo practices of the Caribbean world, called a Dakini Mòmo—