On the other side, in the Starlight Sea, it was clearly daytime, yet the sky above was filled with countless shimmering stars. The endless starlight cascaded onto the sea’s surface, making it impossible to distinguish the sky from the ocean.
At this moment, the Starlight Ship sailed through this strange sea.
Inside the luxurious suite on the top floor, Gruen knelt on the floor, trembling as he reported, “Boss, Luca from Seaway City said… he said that if we want money, we’ll have to go there ourselves to collect it.”
Zoa, sitting behind the desk, showed no visible reaction to her subordinate’s words, as though she had already expected this.
“Is that so? Then I’ll go there personally,” she said, her gaze slightly lowering, her calm words making Gruen’s body tremble.
It was well-known that the boy she referred to wasn’t just anyone—he was a deadly figure who had killed two Pirate Kings, the current ruler of the Western Sea. Explore more at empire
As Gruen hesitated, trying to figure out how to persuade Zoa, she spoke indifferently, “Don’t worry. If the information is correct, that guy should already be gone from Seaway City.”
“Go have someone prepare. We’ll head to Seaway City to raid the place.”
As she spoke, a wicked smile tugged at the corners of her crimson lips. She sneered, “Isn’t everyone saying this guy is the new King of the Western Sea, the next ruler of the Five Seas?”
“I want to see… if he can still hold onto that title after losing his own territory!”
Zoa’s tone left no room for doubt, and Gruen swallowed the words he had intended to say.
“Understood,” he said, sighing inwardly.
Even now, he felt that offending a top-tier powerhouse so recklessly wouldn’t lead to anything good.
But Gruen didn’t dare question Zoa’s decision. He could only respectfully take his leave from the room.
The room fell silent again, and Zoa stood by the window, overlooking the bustling gambling houses and black markets below.
Her gaze flickered, and it was unclear what thoughts occupied her mind.
After an unknown amount of time passed.
She suddenly spoke up. “The little girl from the Barnes family… did she really go to the Sea of Mist on her own?”
There was no response, until a ripple spread across the water in her cup.
A white mist slowly began to rise, transforming into a blurry face in mid-air.
“Just received word… she’s with that boy named Luca now,” the mist said, its voice slow and stiff, with an awkward tone.
Zoa had long grown accustomed to this, and she snorted coldly. “That little brat has no idea what she’s gotten herself into. I let her slip away last time, but this time, she’s walked right into my trap. Let’s see if that boy can still protect her after she enters the Sea of Mist!”
The face formed by the mist constantly shifted, and it slowly continued, “The last incident made Lord Mirage very angry. I hope you’ll send someone more reliable this time, not like Evans.”
“Don’t worry,” Zoa’s gaze narrowed as she replied. “That last time was an accident. This time, I’ll personally deliver that woman to you.”
She turned to face the mist, her tone turning more chilling. “And remember the deal we made. No matter what means you use, make sure you bring me Evelyn’s head. A person like her doesn’t deserve to live.”
As the mist was about to respond, the ship suddenly jolted.
At first, neither of them paid much attention to it, but then, a powerful Superclass aura suddenly enveloped the entire Starlight Ship!
Both of them were instantly taken aback, their faces changing as disbelief flashed in their eyes. Almost simultaneously, a languid and alluring voice echoed from outside.
The voice said lightly, “It’s been so long, and I thought you’d be missing me terribly. But I didn’t expect that you actually want to kill me. You’re really my good little sister, Zoa.”
The moment the words left her mouth, a deafening roar erupted outside. Zoa and the mist immediately turned toward the window, only to see a shadow that blotted out the sky, covering the entire Starlight Ship.
The turquoise sea surged up to the heavens, as if the ocean itself had opened its massive jaws, intending to swallow the entire sky!
And in front of this sky-covering tsunami, a woman in a red gown, her graceful figure and features almost identical to Zoa’s, hovered in mid-air.
Surrounded by swirling green water, her Sky-level pressure enveloped the entire area, causing all those aboard to change color in fear. It was Evelyn, who had rushed here as soon as she received the letter!
“For years, I’ve let you run wild in the Western Sea, continuously indulging you, but you’ve kept challenging me and the empire’s bottom line,” Evelyn said, her gaze cold as she looked down at her long-lost twin sister. As the water swirled around her, a glowing staff, resembling seaweed, emerged in her hand. “Eva, do you really think I won’t kill you?”
Looking at the woman in the sky, Zoa’s face turned pale with anger, her teeth gritting as she spat, “You speak so sanctimoniously. You’re no better, Evelyn. You killed our parents—what kind of person does that make you?!”
Evelyn lowered her eyes, her voice calm. “Do you not remember, that back then, they were willing to send you and me off to those noblemen as playthings just to please them? Have you forgotten that, or have you become just like them now?”
“What right do you have to question me?!” Zoa shot into the air, her eyes burning red with rage as she glared at Evelyn. “Back then, you didn’t want to go to those noblemen, so you escaped, but why did you have to kill them?”
“After you killed them, you left without a second thought, and that was your relief. But do you know how much suffering I’ve endured these years because of your reckless selfishness?!”
Before Evelyn could respond, Zoa sneered, “Of course you don’t know, because you’ve been living the high life as the Duchess of Dawn City, enjoying all the luxury and leisure!”
Evelyn furrowed her brow, about to explain, but at that moment, the water beneath her feet suddenly exploded. A bright red, blood-colored octopus tentacle shot out of the water, charging toward her with ferocious speed.
“Looking for death!” Evelyn’s eyes turned cold, and the staff in her hand suddenly blazed with a green light. In the wake of the tsunami behind her, a massive hand made of condensed green water suddenly emerged, gripping the tentacle with terrifying force.
Before the tentacle could even struggle, the enormous green hand tightened its grip!
Boom! The surface of the sea exploded! Amidst the cries of countless onlookers, a massive, decaying red octopus, reeking of foul stench, was forcibly yanked out of the water, its entire form heaving and thrashing.
Evelyn’s expression was as cold as ice as she spoke in a frosty voice, “A monstrous thing that’s neither human nor ghost, refusing to stay in the Sea of Mist and daring to cause trouble in the Western Sea… truly courting death!”
“Attack together! Kill her!” A raspy voice emerged from the octopus, and simultaneously, other tentacles launched toward Evelyn.
Zoa showed no hesitation. Her eyes sparkled with starlight as her red lips parted slightly.
“Die!” Her voice, filled with murderous intent, burst forth as a wave of sonic energy rapidly expanded. Her words seemed to contain a terrifying force.
The very space around her shattered the moment the sonic wave swept through, and the ordinary people aboard the Starlight Ship, who merely heard Zoa’s voice, were instantly turned into a pile of mangled flesh.
It was the Soul Singer Superclass skill—Sound Curse!
Anyone who heard her voice would suffer massive damage, ignoring any defenses—a truly terrifying ability!
At the same time, not far from Starlight Sea, a magnificent and luxurious golden airship hovered silently in the sky.
On the top deck, Orf and the others were watching the situation unfold from afar. When they saw Evelyn being surrounded, Winston furrowed his brow and asked, “Your Majesty, do you need me to assist?”
From behind the misty curtains, Fratis’ calm voice rang out. She ordered, “All of you, go! Deal with them quickly.”
“Understood!” The powerful individuals responded in unison. Moments later, a dozen or so streaks of light shot up from the grand airship, flying directly toward the Starlight Ship.
Zoa and her companions, who had just gained a slight advantage, were now stunned by the sudden turn of events.
They never expected that there would be more than just Evelyn in the Western Sea this time.
It was Clinton’s top-tier experts—almost all of them had come!
The battlefield’s dynamics shifted abruptly! What was once a v2 battle instantly turned into a 0v2!
…
Meanwhile, on a fleet sailing along the Sea of Mist, Luca, the trigger of all this chaos, stood before Sophia’s door, hesitating whether to knock, just as Ellie had hesitated the night before.
Since Sophia left yesterday, she hadn’t said a word to him, and her gaze had turned as cold as if she were looking at a beast. Luca felt it was necessary to explain to Sophia that he and Ellie were innocent.
“No, that’s wrong.” Luca suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, so why did he feel guilty? He was a man of good character, and his relationship with Ellie was completely innocent. Even if there had been something between them, it didn’t seem like it would be such a big deal.
With this thought, Luca straightened his chest.
At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Sophia, dressed in a blue gown, appeared at the entrance.
“What are you doing out here?” She looked at Luca, whose expression was frozen on his face, a look of confusion in her eyes.
The air seemed to freeze for a couple of seconds. Luca, feeling helpless, spoke up, “Senior, the whole thing before was a misunderstanding. Ellie and I really have nothing going on.”
The confidence he had just a moment ago had completely evaporated. Now, all he felt was a mix of embarrassment and awkwardness, as though his teenage melodrama had been exposed. But since he was already here, he might as well clear things up.
Sophia glanced at him before responding, her face emotionless. “I don’t care about what kind of relationship you have with Miss Ellie, and you don’t need to explain anything to me.”
With that, she turned to close the door, but Luca, quick on his feet, stopped it just in time, ensuring he wasn’t shut out.
He then pushed his way inside with a thick face, his back slamming against the door, blocking it from closing. Finally, he let out a long sigh of relief. For some reason, this whole scene felt strangely familiar.
