Upon hearing that feeble cry for help, Byron shut off the Spirit Vision he had been using to intently monitor the developing battle.
He looked down at Salman the Bloody Eye, who lay on the ground, struggling with all his might.
His skeletal structure was hunched and deformed, exuding a stench of decay. The pale skin stretched tight over his bulky frame, and his hair resembled disheveled, withered grass.
Moreover, the Gout Stones, which Byron had been continuously feeding him over time, had grown several sizes larger than before, making him appear even more ferocious.
Looking at Salman now, it seemed he could never change back into human form again.
"Captain, don't worry, I'm here to help you."
However, Byron was only slightly taken aback before he unhesitatingly stepped forward to help his captain off the ground and helped him sit back down on the bed.
He seemed completely unfazed by his captain's pitiful and terrifying appearance.
This display touched Salman deeply.
This young man, always considering the bigger picture, is indeed as reliable as ever. Despite my hardened heart, I can't help but wish for such a loyal confidant. But after being inexplicably attacked, the repercussions of breaking the Iron Laws of Sovereignty have completely erupted, and my current state is terribly weak. Only you, the finest chef I have ever seen, can save me. I'm truly sorry, but I must eat you, filled with regret... Turning someone into Blood of Transformation before use was certainly the most valuable method. Yet, I no longer have the luxury of time to wait. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Seizing the chance to consume Byron now, while he's unguarded, to replenish my blood and save my life is paramount. If you have such a great sense of the bigger picture, then sacrificing yourself to save your captain must surely be something you're willing to do, right?
But what he said aloud was:
"Byron, I know you're the most loyal to me on this ship.
"Rest assured, you've saved my life today by timely driving off the assailant. I will surely not let you down in the future.
"From now on, we shall be as close as brothers, what's mine is yours..."
While saying this, a hook-like claw quietly reached out in the darkness towards Byron, who was helping him at his side.
If I eat him, wouldn't that mean we're as close as can be?
However, a muffled thud of a blade piercing flesh abruptly interrupted Salman's movement.
He slowly lowered his head, looking in utter disbelief at the shining sword tip that had emerged from his chest!
Huh? Whose sword is this? Why is it here? How could my Ghoul body be so easily harmed by a mere weapon?
For several breaths, his mind still couldn't grasp where the sword had come from.
Finally, after a moment of disbelief, he swung his claw ferociously, his crimson eyes filled with uncontrollable rage after being fooled.
"Byron Tudor—!!!"
Byron, however, was well-prepared and dodged with ease, Salman's claw merely gouging four deep gashes into the wall behind him.
Clearly, even after being badly injured in the fight against the Mirror Demon, the strength of a Second Order Gourmet was not to be underestimated.
Unfazed, Byron stopped three steps away, flourished his sword, and flicked the stench-ridden Ghoul blood from the blade.
The respectful expression on his face was gone, leaving only an undisguised intent to kill:
"Captain, the pies you've promised are too large and too numerous for me to swallow.
"After much thought, I have finally decided that what you hesitate to give, I shall take myself!
"Please consider the greater good for the future of the Cannibal Shark Pirates, won't you?"
In fact, Byron hadn't done as he said; he hadn't gone next door to supervise the shipyard.
That night, he had poured himself cup after cup of coffee and tea, never once falling asleep.
After gathering those elite pirates with a lavish feast, he had been using Spirit Vision from another yard to keep an eye on the movement here.
He had even resolved to wait three days and nights if the malicious person attempting to take blood surreptitiously didn't act immediately.
In reality, Magic Mirror West paid no heed to a mere mortal and, unable to wait, had acted directly that very night.
And so, West inevitably clashed with Salman and his pirates—Salman having been positioned to 'righteously' take the fall for Byron. Both sides were battered and bloodied.
Only when Byron, using his extensive knowledge of the supernatural, confirmed that both parties were indeed grievously wounded, did he rush out to pick the spoils.
Facing the severely injured Salman, he immediately seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
His eyes shimmered with Spirituality, and the Storm Sigil Ring reappeared on his hand.
The storm dragon, wreathed in red roses on the ring's face, glowed with a blue-green light as he pressed the ring to his left chest, directly over his heart.
SIZZLE—!
As the smell of charred flesh permeated the air, a dragon's head emblem, the mark of all Storm Knights, emerged on Byron's skin.
Enduring the agonizing pain, he bellowed:
"ROAR! The Blood Duel Ceremony begins!"
The Promotion Ceremony for a Storm Knight of the Lighthouse Sequence:
One, survive a storm-level Calamity;
Two, choose a maxim and realize a spiritual sublimation by persistently embodying it;
Three, brand the ring's emblem on the body and achieve sublimation in a blood duel centered around 'plunder.'
Moreover, there's a certain probability of inheriting some abilities from the opponent in the blood duel.
And Byron's chosen 'plunder' target was none other than Captain Bloody Eye Salman, who had been extremely kind to him and often enticed him with false promises.
"You deserve to die!"
Salman was just about to muster his last strength to kill Byron.
But a sudden wave of unprecedented weakness surged over him, almost causing him to stumble and fall.
Each breath he gasped for was interspersed with spatters of blood from his mouth and nose.
It was as if the blade that had pierced his heart and lungs was not an ordinary sword, but a weapon imbued with Extraordinary Power.
His second acquired trait: Heartfelt Trouble.
The closer the betrayer is to the victim, the stronger the power bonus they receive when launching a backstab attack on their superior.
Moreover, such an action goes unpunished by laws within the system!
The Pirate's Ten Commandments, the Iron Laws of Sovereignty, and the Silver Law – all deemed it legitimate.
Even without a backstab, the superior will 'loyally' and unwittingly shield their confidant from disasters, gradually becoming entangled in bad luck and frequent accidents.
In the eyes of every Cannibal Shark Pirates member, who could be considered more of a trusted confidant than Byron?
Without a doubt, he triggered this trait's power augmentation during his backstab.
Seeing Salman's miserable fall, Byron didn't approach to continue the attack.
Instead, he sheathed his bastard sword and retreated exactly seven paces away.
"Hah! Taste my Drawing Slash!"
As he spoke, he drew from the weapon belt on his chest... two flintlock pistols.
These were the spoils of war he had snatched from a Navy Captain with chili powder.
When Salman first heard 'Taste my Drawing Slash,' he thought he had the upper hand.
But upon seeing this, his blood-red pupils suddenly contracted, and he exerted force in his limbs to pounce at Byron like a beast.
"Stop!"
Clearly, despite his grave injuries, he still retained the last-ditch strength of a Professional Level Gourmet.
If Byron dared to get close for melee combat, he could instantly turn the tide and swallow him whole again.
Unfortunately for Salman, within seven paces, the guns were fast and accurate.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
After firing the first pair of pistols, he swiftly drew another pair and fired again. A total of four scorching lines of fire fiercely burrowed into Salman's head and chest.
With the 'Heartfelt Trouble' trait's augmentation, these ordinary firearms struck with an effect surpassing that of Magic-Enhanced Weapons.
THUMP!
Salman fell heavily to the ground. In the haze between life and death as his spirit began to leave his body, he dimly saw the 'chef' before him transform, taking on a different appearance. He exhaled his last breath:
"Liar! This isn't swordsmanship! And you... are not that chef!"
As Salman died, a wisp of bloody light was drawn from his body, instantly vanishing into the dragon crest on Byron's chest.
WHOOSH—!
A strong Spiritual Wind gusted, causing Byron's clothes to flutter noisily.
Above his head, the vast net of the Silver Law reemerged. The Blood Duel Ceremony was a victory; his extraordinary inauguration had officially begun!