Meanwhile, over there.
The fight between the Shimada brothers and Isaac was at its fierce peak.
The three of them had clearly all lost their tempers, each fighting more ferociously than the last. Dragons, bells, arrows, darts, and scimitars clashed, making for a lively scene.
"You lunatic! This ship is about to blow apart, and you're still biting at us!" Hanzou, already bearing several new wounds, was furious.
Isaac continued to laugh heartily: "What can I do? I just love meddling and doing things that harm others without benefiting myself!"
"If you're not happy about it, prove it to me with your fists!"
As they spoke, with the sound of hurried footsteps, another group arrived.
"Isaac? Hanzou? Gen?" Arthur was stunned. He never expected to encounter these three who had left earlier. The most bizarre part was that they were fighting. Even more bizarre was that Gen, who had been so dejected earlier, was now bouncing around.
Caesar directly drew his scepter and, with a wave of his hand, shielded Julia behind him: "Gentlemen, what's going on?" Caesar clearly didn't understand what was happening either, so he decided to probe their intentions first. It would be best to avoid getting involved if possible. After all, his ultimate goal was to ensure Julia's safety, and everything else was unimportant at the moment.
Isaac let out a cold snort: "It has nothing to do with you. Go back where you came from... do whatever you want."
"In any case, all I want right now is to kill these two beasts with my own hands!"
Hanzou laughed in rage: "Kill us?"
"Come on! Let's fight!"
"I'd like to see who laughs last!"
Damn it! They were at death's door, and these people were still thinking about fighting? They looked so menacing; weren't they afraid of staying here to be buried together? What deep hatred could this be?
However, Caesar and Arthur were not in the mood to comment on this. Upon hearing that it didn't concern them, they turned to leave.
Rumble!
Just then, with a violent roar, the Tail Beast Bomb of the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale arrived, piercing through the Amakusa Tarou Maru entirely. Instantly, the Amakusa Tarou Maru disintegrated into a pile of debris, which rained down from the sky.
The moment Caesar felt a loss of balance, he disregarded everything else. He stepped into the air, grabbed Julia's hand, and, using planks to propel himself, fled into the distance. No matter what, he had to get away from this dangerous place quickly, especially with Julia.
Caesar moved swiftly, even faster when he was desperate. Before long, he had reached the original stern of the ship. However, as he tried to take another step forward, he suddenly found his path blocked by a faint, almost imperceptible barrier. And judging by its density, he knew it was not something they could break at their current level. They would have to wait for a weakness to appear, which would likely only happen after the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale's magic power had been depleted.
What in the world? What did this Sea-Submerging Demon Whale want?
When he looked back, he saw countless others with the same thought trapped by his side. The Sea-Submerging Demon Whale had created a vast domain centered around itself, trapping everyone inside! What was it trying to do? Was it planning to eliminate them all? Many awakened ones who had quick reflexes and had reached the edges were already cursing. Damn Sea-Submerging Demon Whale, this was too much!
"Don't panic! Everyone, don't panic!"
"Such a massive domain, even if it's an eighth-tier Lord-level ferocious beast, it can't maintain it indefinitely!"
"As long as we hold on, there will be a moment when the barrier breaks!"
"And its domain is so vast, we have enough room to maneuver!" someone shouted in the air.
Of course, no one present was foolish enough not to understand this logic. But facing a Sea-Submerging Demon Whale with such murderous intent, could mere maneuvering truly be enough? Especially for those with dependents they couldn't abandon, the difficulty was unimaginable.
Before they could fully ponder this, the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale erupted again.
"Roar!"
With the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale's cry, a boundless, dim core of darkness spontaneously appeared, spinning and expanding its power and range. The Sea-Submerging Demon Whale's next action was to use a chilling blood sacrifice power, calling out twelve water dragon souls with mournful cries! Each water dragon soul contained a wisp of blood from the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale... It could be said that the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale was truly doing its utmost to take their lives.
"This guy has gone mad! Using its vital blood to perform a forbidden spell?!"
"We pose no threat to it, so why is it so bloodthirsty and intent on a quick slaughter?"
"Could it be that those people from the Cherry Blossom country chopped off its... its... before we arrived?" Arthur's face turned green at the sight.
Caesar, his heart heavy with concern for Julia, was also getting agitated: "Who knows what they did..."
"But the conclusion we can draw now is that this Sea-Submerging Demon Whale has been thoroughly provoked."
"Its objective in attacking us is no longer simple self-defense or territorial protection, but to kill us all!"
"Or at least kill as many as possible, preferably without letting anyone go!" Caesar's expression was grim, but he was truly helpless.
Arthur cursed inwardly and then said, "Then let's not worry about the others. Holding on until the time runs out is the best strategy..."
"How many of them survive is up to fate, but we need to play it safe." As he spoke, Arthur couldn't help but glance at Julia.
Caesar thought the same, and he snorted: "Let's wait... the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale will eventually run out of power, and we have plenty of cannon fodder to expend."
"When these weaklings are mostly dead, time will pass, and the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale's fury will likely subside..."
"By then, even if its barrier doesn't lift, we might have a chance to break through!"
Of course, it wasn't just Caesar, Arthur, or certain captains who thought this way. Almost everyone present had a similar idea. The strong believed that the weak were their natural cover, making them safer. The weak, on the other hand, saw the strong as shining like pearls in the sea, likely targets for the Sea-Submerging Demon Whale's primary attacks, making them safer instead.
Thus, with everyone harboring the same intention to stall, they waited for two hours.