The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 152 - 151. First Encounter with the Silver Eye Pirates

Chapter 152: 151. First Encounter with the Silver Eye Pirates

The Silver Eye Pirates’ ship sliced through the dense mist of the Rosefall Sea, its presence almost ghostly in the thick fog. Two pirates on the deck noticed a small boat drifting towards them, its outline barely visible through the haze.

"Hey, look at that?" one of the pirates called out, narrowing his eyes to get a better look.

"Huh, there’s no one in the boat?" the other responded, his voice tinged with confusion.

Before they could react, a shadowy figure materialized behind them. With swift, silent movements, the first pirate was knocked out cold, his body crumpling to the deck. The second pirate turned around in panic, only to find himself face-to-face with a seductive, tanned-skinned girl. Her eyes gleamed dangerously as she locked onto his gaze.

"Follow my command, my little birdie. Go to sleep," Isadora Nightkiss purred, her voice dripping with enchantment. The pirate’s resistance crumbled instantly as his eyes glazed over. With a gentle tap, she sent him overboard, his unconscious body slipping into the water without a sound.

Tyler, observing from the shadows, nodded in approval. Isadora’s skills were as impressive as they were dangerous. "Let’s go," he whispered, signaling their next move.

As they stepped forward, a commanding voice cut through the fog. "Where do you think you’re going?" The sound was followed by the emergence of two imposing figures onto the deck. One was a tall man with piercing silver pupils; the other, a massive, hulking figure that could only be described as a giant. It was Captain Silver Eye and his Vice-Captain, Giant Burgess.

Tyler didn’t break stride. He glanced at the two, his expression calm and composed. "Alright. You guys take care of them," he said, his voice laced with confidence. He then turned and headed towards the ship’s interior, where the cells were located, leaving the battle to Lily and Isadora.

Lily stepped forward, her whip coiled and ready in her hand. With a sharp crack, she lashed out, the whip striking the deck with such force that it left a deep imprint. Her eyes were fixed on Captain Silver Eye, who stood unmoved, a cigar perched casually in his mouth. He took a long drag, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke that seemed to carry with it a terrifying pressure.

Lily didn’t flinch. With a swift motion, she flicked her wrist, and the whip coiled around Captain Silver Eye’s neck like a serpent. She yanked hard, aiming to pull him toward her for a powerful kick. But to her surprise, he didn’t budge an inch. His silver eyes glowed ominously, and sensing danger, Lily instinctively dodged just as a flash of silver light erupted from his pupils. Where she had been standing, silver flames now licked the deck, burning not like fire but like a corrosive poison that rapidly ate away at the wood.

"Silver Serpent," Lily muttered under her breath, recognizing the deadly ability. "What a pain in the neck..."

Meanwhile, Isadora faced off against Giant Burgess, who towered over her like a mountain. She twirled her extended rod, striking at him with precision and force. But no matter how many blows she landed, Burgess didn’t even flinch. He stood there, unmoved, his massive form seemingly impervious to her attacks.

Frustration mounting, Isadora attempted to use her hypnotic powers. She locked eyes with him, her voice soft and commanding, "Sleep, my giant..." But Burgess merely blinked, his mind unyielding to her charm. It was as if her powers had no effect on him.

"Damn it," Isadora cursed under her breath. She had hoped to at least incapacitate him, but nothing seemed to work.

Back in the ship’s interior, Tyler had reached the cells. He moved quickly, his eyes scanning each one for Astrid. But when he reached the last cell, he found it empty. His heart sank. Where could she be?

Outside, the battle continued to rage. Lily dodged another blast of silver flames, her mind racing as she tried to figure out a way to counter Captain Silver Eye’s relentless attacks. The flames weren’t just burning; they were eroding everything they touched, leaving nothing but ash in their wake.

Captain Silver Eye grinned, his cigar glowing brightly. "You can’t win, little girl," he taunted, his voice low and menacing.

Lily clicked her tongue in irritation. "We’ll see about that," she muttered. She needed to be smart, to find a weakness in his seemingly impenetrable defenses.

Isadora, meanwhile, continued to dodge Burgess’s massive fists, each one powerful enough to crush her in a single blow. She was fast, but she knew she couldn’t keep this up forever. She needed to find a way to either incapacitate him or escape.

Isadora Nightkiss dodged the attack with a swift, graceful movement, her lithe form twisting just out of reach. However, her eyes widened in shock as Giant Burgess suddenly shrank, his massive frame collapsing into that of a smaller, yet shockingly swift, dwarf. Before she could react, he appeared right in front of her, moving faster than she could follow.

"Eh?" Isadora gasped, caught off-guard by his sudden transformation and speed.

*Boom!*

With a thunderous sound, Burgess’s hand expanded back into its giant form, delivering a powerful punch that sent Isadora flying through the air. She crashed into the deck, her body skidding to a halt as she tried to regain her bearings.

Lily, who had been locked in her own battle with Captain Silver Eye, glanced over at Isadora’s predicament. "Looks like I’ll have to use my elemental power," she muttered, gripping her whip tightly. But before she could act, something shot toward her—Isadora, hurtling through the air.

"Catch me, Temptress!" Isadora shouted as she flew uncontrollably toward Lily.

Lily quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the impact as Isadora crashed into the deck with a groan.

"Tsk... Cruel," Isadora sighed, dusting herself off as she stood up. Despite her casual tone, her eyes were sharp, analyzing the situation with newfound caution.

Captain Silver Eye exuded a menacing pressure, his eyes shining brightly with an eerie light. He took a slow drag from his cigar, the smoke curling ominously around his head. "Alright. Time’s up," Lily suddenly declared, her voice cutting through the tension. Without hesitation, she grabbed Isadora by the arm and soared into the air on a flying sword.

"Do you think you can escape?" Giant Burgess roared, preparing to give chase. But Captain Silver Eye raised a hand to stop him.

"Wait... look around," the captain said, his tone dangerously calm.

Giant Burgess glanced around the deck and nearly stumbled in shock. Surrounding them was a small heap of exploding charms, stacked higher than his giant form. Perched atop this pile was Phantom Blackwood himself, Tyler, casually sitting and watching them with a calm expression.

"What are you doing? You madman! What do you want?" Vice Captain Burgess shouted, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.

Tyler smiled faintly, plucking an exploding charm from the heap and tossing it into the sea. The resulting explosion sent a massive wave crashing against the ship, causing the vice captain to fall silent, his bravado deflated.

"Captain Phantom Blackwood. Nice to meet you," Captain Silver Eye said, his voice steady and unphased. "I am Captain Silver Eye. The Half-Angel and her lackey have already been delivered. If you go now, you might still be able to catch her."

Tyler nodded in acknowledgment. "Thanks," he said simply, waving his hand as he made the pile of exploding charms vanish into thin air. In the next moment, he disappeared like a ghost, leaving the deck eerily silent.

"Prepare for docking," Captain Silver Eye ordered, his voice cold with simmering anger. "He dared to infiltrate my ship and threaten me. I will definitely pay him back."

The vice captain nodded, turning to relay the orders, but no one responded. A sense of unease crept over him as he moved through the ship, checking on the crew. To his shock, every crew member lay unconscious, each knocked out without even raising an alarm.

Captain Silver Eye watched as the vice captain’s expression turned grim. "We’ve been played," he muttered, clenching his fists. The ship drifted quietly in the mist.

---

Inside the small boat, tension simmered between Lily and Isadora, the two women exchanging sharp words like daggers.

"You clearly lost to the vice captain," Lily mocked, a smirk playing on her lips as she glanced at Isadora.

"So what? You didn’t stand a chance against the captain either," Isadora shot back, her tone equally biting.

Before Lily could respond, Tyler appeared beside them, his sudden presence quieting their argument. His expression was calm but carried a weight of concern.

"What happened?" Lily asked, noticing the seriousness in his eyes.

"She’s not there. Looks like they delivered her to whoever hired them," Tyler replied, his voice low.

"Then what are we going to do?" Lily asked.

Tyler didn’t hesitate. "We’ll go to Rosefall Kingdom," he said.

Isadora, who had been brooding quietly, finally voiced the question that had been bothering her since their encounter with the Silver Eye Pirates. "Where is your ship, by the way?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "I didn’t see any sign of it. Are you really even pirates?"

Tyler paused, caught off guard by the question. He couldn’t exactly tell her the truth—that he didn’t have a pirate ship, a proper crew, or even a Jolly Roger to call his own. He was far from the image of a typical pirate captain.

"They’re... busy with something else," Tyler replied, his voice taking on a mysterious tone.