On the deck, observing all of this, Wang Zhifan immediately raised his eyebrows. He had originally thought that his covert intervention just now would be enough to help the passenger ship he was on to repel the enemy, but now it seemed his assistance was still somewhat insufficient.

"Do I really have to increase my power to completely freeze that ship? Doing so would be a bit of a loss, this level is just beginning..."

The reason the ship attacking the Sea Parrot couldn't fire its cannons was because he had secretly used ice magic from afar to freeze the enemy's cannons, preventing them from igniting. This level of operation didn't consume much of his energy currently, but freezing the entire ship from that distance is different. Although he could still do it, the power consumption would skyrocket, which wouldn't be conducive to his subsequent challenges.

"Let's see what this ship plans to do. If they plan to proceed, I can conclude one of my matters here."

Wang Zhifan quickly abandoned the idea of further enhancing the freezing force and instead chose to observe how things unfolded. No matter how the situation developed, he had further countermeasures.

And at the same moment, while Wang Zhifan was pondering, the people aboard the Sea Parrot also noticed something amiss with the enemy ship. They sensed the enemy was pressing on through their cannon fire and was closing in at an increasing speed.

"Captain! That ship is too sturdy! Our cannons can't sink it!"

"It's closing in on us! They must be planning to board us!"

...

Realizing the situation was off, the gunners and sailors on the deck hurriedly reported to their captain. Naturally, their captain had also noticed the situation that even they could see clearly. This middle-aged, fair-skinned man wearing a tricorn captain's hat contemplated for a moment and then loudly ordered:

"Cease fire! Retreat with all we've got! Don't let them catch us!"

This somewhat fiery-tempered man unexpectedly decided to retreat decisively, choosing to retreat at full speed even though they still held the upper hand in terms of attack. This indicated that his mind remained clear, not getting impulsive due to a momentary advantage, and he understood that continuing to engage the enemy under these circumstances would bring more harm than benefit.

Immediately, the crew aboard the Sea Parrot began to act frantically according to their leader's instructions. All cannons ceased loading and firing, the sails were quickly raised to the highest, forming a thirty to forty degree angle with the wind direction, and the helm was continuously turned, steering the passenger ship away from the enemy at maximum speed.

However, all this effort was not enough to shake off the enemy ship's savage charge. That enemy ship seemed to have additional power, sailing faster and faster across the sea, and suddenly a flag was raised on the mast.

It was a flag with a red background and blue patterns, featuring a gigantic shark with its mouth wide open, poised to bite forward, drawn with ocean blue lines against a blood-like backdrop. Atop the shark's head was a sharp, stout horn, akin to a knight's lance charging in battle!

"That's the flag of the Great Horned Shark Pirate Group! That ship is crewed by the Great Horned Shark Pirates!"

"My God! How can the Great Horned Shark Pirate Group appear in these waters!"

"We're doomed! It's said that the Great Horned Shark Pirate Group wields the mysterious power of the Sea God; we simply cannot defeat them with just our crew!"

...

In the blink of an eye, a flag that didn't seem particularly strange to Wang Zhifan caused quite a stir among the crew of the Sea Parrot. They reacted dramatically, more than just being scared out of their wits.

Even the usually composed and decisive captain of the Sea Parrot turned pale upon seeing that shark flag rising on the enemy vessel, beads of cold sweat appearing on his forehead. Clearly, he also understood the implications of this pirate flag.

"Full retreat! Throw all cargo overboard! Full speed ahead!"

The captain of the Sea Parrot gritted his teeth and began to issue harsh commands, decisively deciding to abandon all cargo on board, reducing the ship's weight to increase speed as much as possible.

The sailors on the deck immediately sprang into action upon hearing this, tossing heap after heap of wooden crates overboard, and one sailor, seeing Wang Zhifan standing on the deck, shouted to him for help, claiming that hesitating would doom everyone.

"It's too late. They're already upon us."

Wang Zhifan calmly responded to the invitation with a sentence, choosing not to partake in this futile effort, as his gaze remained fixed on the enemy ship. He had already noted the enemy ship's speed had accelerated to a terrifying degree, rapidly closing the distance between the two vessels!

"Captain! We can't escape! Their speed is terrifying! They truly possess the power of the Sea God!"

"What should we do now, Captain? I don't want to meet God yet!"

"Captain, we should... surrender... I heard the Great Horned Shark Pirate Group doesn't kill captives indiscriminately..."

"But surrendering means being sold as slaves! Do you want to be a slave!"

...

As the enemy ship approached with unstoppable speed, the crew of the Sea Parrot was almost in complete disarray. None of them even considered trying to defeat the enemy, all planning to embrace their end or simply surrender, showing just how immensely intimidating the pirate flag rising on the enemy ship was.

At this moment, the captain of the Sea Parrot was likely the most despairing person. This passenger ship was almost everything to him, and these crew members were essentially his most trusted people. Yet, under the current circumstances, it seemed as if doomsday had arrived. Their fate entirely depended on what the enemy would do next since they had no chance of defeating them, especially considering it was the notorious Great Horned Shark Pirate Group!

"Listen up, everyone! Whoever is willing to fight alongside me, let's stand and fight! Those unwilling, retreat to the cabin and wait for their fate!"

This captain ultimately decided to respect each crew member's choice. He personally didn't want to hand over his beloved ship and prepared to fight the formidable enemy, but he also wouldn't force those unwilling to fight to confront the enemy as long as they didn't cause trouble.

As he delivered this final declaration, the enemy ship, accelerating at a remarkable pace, was already within a thirty-meter range. They could entirely see the fierce pirates holding various weapons on the opposing deck, and hear one particularly loud character issuing threats.

"Listen up on the other side! We are the Great Horned Shark Pirate Group! Surrender your ship peacefully, and we'll spare your lives! Disobey, and you'll all be fed to the fish!"

Before these words were finished, several long planks were laid across the railings of the two approached ships, while multiple pirates, armed with firearms, raised their guns, preparing to fire bullets, providing cover for their boarding action. Meanwhile, the Sea Parrot's captain pulled out his gun and short sword, preparing with all the crew remaining on deck to fend off the enemy. They spread out and hid behind various cargo crates, clearly very apprehensive of the enemy's ranged firepower.

At this moment, Wang Zhifan behaved quite differently from the Sea Parrot crew, who were as if facing a formidable enemy. He not only didn't hide behind any cargo crates but even walked forward towards the planks already laid across the railings, facing the pirates on the opposing deck that had already raised their gun barrels and those fierce enemies wielding scimitars who were leaping onto the planks to charge over.

As he briskly walked towards the enemy, he gripped in his hand a 70-centimeter crescent-bladed black-handled machete and, with a light jump, stepped onto the plank. Meanwhile, his eyes swept across the hostile deck, thinking to himself:

"The number of enemies far exceeds 30, just the right number to fully stack my buffs."

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