In a part of the East Sea...
BOOM!
An explosion capable of destroying cities arose, causing the water in the surroundings to move toward the fragments spreading violently in the area.
A depression several tens of meters deep appeared below the point of the explosion, while waves more than 30 meters high formed.
Simultaneously several beings floated in the surroundings, fighting each other, while some of the few nearby ships fired cannons in that direction.
BOOM!
Another cannonball, as large in diameter as an adult human, was fired from one of those ships, going at the large beings fighting in that place.
Some were humans and were in the form of their soul projection, while others were beasts and were in their bestial forms, meaning they were big enough to become targets of these attacks.
"Fire! Fire!"
Voices were coming from the ships in the surrounding area, while the crew members of these ships were supporting their strongest warriors fighting against their opponents.
Amid this, a single yacht was standing still without attacking either side, while some kind of strange barrier prevented the attacks from both sides fighting there from reaching it.
Looking closer, one would see only two people on that yacht. One was a human, and the other was a beast, a large gray-feathered bird.
Those were Minos and Starclaw!
After days since they had passed near the island that proved the separation of the continents of the Spiritual World, they had advanced another few thousand kilometers toward their goal.
However, they were still in the most central part of the East Sea and had been embroiled in a conflict in this place filled with powerful and dangerous travelers.
When they were sailing quietly minutes ago, suddenly, ships from under the sea appeared in their vicinity, while sea beasts seemed to be chasing them.
Immediately upon emerging from the water, these beings began to fight, not giving a damn if there were innocents in the vicinity.
Because of this, Starclaw was already in his bestial form while Minos was standing at the bow of his ship, controlling the surroundings to protect this vessel.
The enemies fightings were high-level Sages and low-level Demigods, so he wanted to avoid as much as possible getting involved in this fight that had nothing to do with him.
But as he saw the constant attacks from one side against the other coming towards him, he was getting increasingly irritated by this whole situation.
"Minos, we'd better just continue on our way. They won't stop us from moving forward." Starclaw said, noticing the expression on Minos' face.
After months of traveling by his side, this bird had learned many things about its master.
One of them was that he was a spiteful person who tasted revenge.
Minos listened to his mount and clenched his fists, looking in the direction of where sea and land beasts, as well as humans, were battling.
"Damned humans, return our treasure!" One of the sea beasts said this as columns of water broke from the churning sea toward the sky, heading toward the land-based opponents.
"We already said we didn't take anything, you fucking dumb fish!" A land beast, a type of monkey, shouted in a highly agitated tone, feeling offended at being accused of such a thing.
One of the humans in the pirate group that the land beasts there belonged to then shouted. "Tsk! There's no point in dialoguing with them. Fish naturally have no brains. They're assholes who only know how to swim with their mouths open and eat!
"You bastard! You dare to insult us?" A sea serpent shouted as it manipulated the space in the surroundings, causing several tips of cauls to depart from the skies like spears.
Ocean Avatar!
One of the leaders of the pirate group then circulated as much of his energy as possible through his avatar, causing a large amount of water to leave the sea and join his soul projection.
Simultaneously, a giant body with a trident in its hands formed, showing these creatures the Soul Avatar most compatible with the seas in this world!
"Damn it! The fucking human has such a technique?" One of the Demigods from the group of sea beasts shouted, surprised to find a human with such a technique.
The sea was a territory where marine beings had advantages over land beings. However, some human techniques based on the water element existed and could be greatly strengthened in places like this!
That level 92 pirate laughed as he activated his avatar, showing these beasts his great asset as a pirate.
"If you want to take this to the ultimate consequences, prepare to die!" He shouted as he picked up his trident with both hands.
After he did this, the water in the area moved quickly, forming what looked like a spherical water barrier, covering the entire area where they were.
"So that's how it was! That's how the damned ones stole us!" One of the sea beasts shouted.
"Quick, send out an alert to our people in the tribe!"
But that man would never allow that. "Too late, filthy fish. Within this barrier, nothing can leave it without my permission!
You have chased me, so there is no need for any of you to return. Die here!" He shouted, spinning his weapon to begin his onslaught on his opponents.
Meanwhile, the ships in the surrounding area were all within this water barrier-covered space, including Minos' and Starclaw's.
One of the men on one of the pirate ships looked at those two and asked his commander. "What shall we do with them?"
"Sink that yacht!" A level 89 man said. "We don't need any living witnesses!"
"Lend me your strength, Starclaw," Minos said to her as he floated above his ship.
When he reached level 82, Minos activated his 8th technique, transforming into a spiritual giant. Then several black holes appeared in his ship's surroundings, opening and closing as if he could not merge his techniques.
BOOM!
One of the cannonballs shot out of one of the surrounding ships, heading for the bow of Minos' yacht.
When it was about to destroy part of this ship, darkness arose in the vicinity of where this ball would fall, sucking it up and putting an end to any disturbance it might generate.
Those who saw this didn't quite understand what it was. Still, not only was the spiritual energy of that cannonball gone, but its mass and the sound generated by its movement disappeared.
Meanwhile, a black mass between Minos' hands grew as the cannonballs tried to hit his ship and disappeared.
After it absorbed the 15th cannonball, this black ball between Minos' hands suddenly began to draw the surroundings more and more significantly.
Both sides fighting in the skies looked in its direction, losing focus on what they were doing.
At that moment, they all felt their bodies being drawn to that thing while the ships in the surroundings and the water sphere distorted and were being drawn in.
The strongest human in the area looked at Minos strangely and felt danger.
He then immediately acted. "Attack! He's going to..."
But Minos folded the space over that black hole before such a man could finish speaking.
Crack!
...
