"I may be asking your opinion, but it hardly matters whether you agree or not." The prince stood up, narrowing his eyes as he surveyed the scene. "Just leave the ship, sir. As for where you go, that's your own concern."

  "Go to hell, you bastard." The commander's first mate drew his straight sword, aiming a slash at Prince Wally's exposed flank. Henris Weber Ian severed his right arm with a speed nearly too swift for the eye to follow. The commander didn't even glance at his fallen deputy; he merely swallowed hard.

  More men fell into the sea, wounded or trying to escape. "Gruesome," Wally said, wrinkling his nose. The fog was finally lifting, revealing the pirate fleet in its entirety—barely a dozen warships, some merely transport longboats. "You don't mind swimming back to Godma with your men, do you?" He gestured toward the churning waves with his eyes. "Though you may need to swim rather vigorously."

  The waters of battle had darkened to a deep crimson; the heavy stench of blood hung over the ships like early spring mist. Schools of sharks cut through the surface with their fins, leaving trailing wounds in the blood-sea. "Dusky sharks, blacktip sharks, pelagic whitetips... and a great white." He glanced at the commander. "How fast do you think you'll have to swim to escape with your life?"

  "I have the blessing of the Triad of Destiny." The commander sprang up, snatching the straight sword from the deck. The prince stepped back—and Henris had already separated the little man's head from his shoulders.

  "Disgusting," Wally said, looking at the blood on his clothes. "Sorry, Your Highness. He was trying to make a last stand."

  "Foolish." Wally stripped off his bloodied leather armor. The remaining Godmans either leapt overboard or surrendered with hands raised. "Have our men transfer anything valuable to our ship," Wally ordered, "and find someone to captain this vessel. Add it to our fleet."

  Battles aboard the other ships were drawing to a close as well. The Godma fleet, disguised as pirates, had few genuine regulars among them. They had never imagined anyone would dare strike a ship flying the Godma Three Sacred Swords—let alone face the Shahani main fleet head-on. The Shahani began to pick through the spoils: jewels, gold, spices, women. A few pirates were kept as hostages or labor, but the remaining Godma soldiers faced only two choices: leap into the sea or be executed where they stood.

  Suddenly, the sharks vanished without a trace. "Let them jump," Wally said with disgust. "The sharks just need time to digest... And," he said to Henris, "hang their commander's head from the mast, and feed the rest to the sea."

  A chorus of horrified screams echoed across the water. "See, Henris? The Godmans insist on dying in waters already stained with blood..."

  Even the sailors and soldiers aboard the Narwhal gasped in collective shock. "What is it?" Wally turned his head.

  He saw only massive waves and explosive spray. A shark, more than sixty feet long, erupted from the depths, tearing greedily at the men flailing in the sea. "Gods above—that's a Megalodon." Wally Laren Ctiton rushed to the rail, marveling at the rare oceanic titan. "It's nearly two-thirds the size of the Narwhal." His voice carried a note of awe. "But something has entangled it."

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  The Megalodon's fins and tail were wrapped in what appeared to be black cords, now clearly visible to all. Larodo Colossal Octopus tentacles burst from the sea's surface, lashing out at nearby warships. The octopus, its skin a dark moss green and its globular eyes a sulfurous yellow, matched or exceeded the shark in sheer mass, and the two titans were locked in mortal combat. The Megalodon devoured hapless soldiers even as it tore at the giant octopus's limbs, while the octopus attempted to strangle the shark with its powerful tentacles. Colossal bodies thrashed, tentacles whipped through air and water, ships capsized, and towering waves crashed in all directions. Every vessel near the battlefield was dragged inexorably down to the abyss. "The Larodo Colossal Octopus typically dwells in the deep ocean, almost never surfacing," Henris Weber Ian pulled the entranced prince away from the rail. "This encounter is exceedingly rare, and extraordinarily dangerous. Did you notice those marks and wounds on the Megalodon? That kind of damage isn't inflicted in a day or two. Those monsters have been locked in combat for days, and neither can finish the other." The old man shook his head gravely. "The Megalodon hunts now to replenish its strength before attempting again to vanquish the octopus. This place is death, Your Highness. We must leave immediately."

  "Our ship is safe," Prince Wally had no intention of retreating. "Neither beast can damage the Narwhal."

  "Perhaps not," Henris conceded, "but our other vessels are another matter entirely. Only the Narwhal is a 'Sea God Class' warship—the rest are 'Sea King Class' or smaller. They stand no chance against a Megalodon or a Larodo Colossal Octopus. Without spiral narwhal bone reinforcement, a single swipe of that monstrous tail could rip through their hulls like parchment."

  (We can't afford to lose more warships...) Wally understood the grim reality. "Order a retreat. Salvage whatever can be carried—ships, treasure, anything of value."

  The Megalodon, driven to frenzy by hunger and prevented from feeding by the octopus's relentless grip, whipped around with explosive force. Its jaws, wide enough to crush a whale's ribcage, lunged toward its adversary. The Larodo Colossal Octopus instantly stretched its limbs to full extension, hauling the shark away to prevent it from reaching its vulnerable central mass. The shark bit and tore with mindless savagery, while the octopus's tentacles lashed mercilessly at its flanks and face, leaving dark, bruised welts.

  "It's absolute chaos—we can't dispatch boats to warn the other ships," Henris analyzed with practiced calm. "We need to raise the mainsail and our colors immediately, so the others can discern our intentions... By all the gods!" He rushed back to the rail. "What in the name of the seven seas is happening?!"

  Several warships were hoisted aloft by the octopus's massive tentacles and hurled down upon the Megalodon with terrifying speed. Broken timbers and shattered masts pierced the shark's armored back, instantly draping the beast in a fresh crimson coat. "It's using our warships as weapons!" Henris bodily blocked Wally, who had rushed forward for a better view. "We're leaving—now! Kidolian protect us all!"

  The enraged shark broke free from several constricting tentacles, its dagger-like teeth sinking deep into the Larodo Colossal Octopus's flesh. "Hoist the mainsail!" the old man bellowed. "Row for your lives, you dogs!"

  The wounded octopus thrashed wildly in pain, reducing smaller ships to splinters in mere seconds. "Get belowdecks—now! Your Highness!"

  A massive tentacle slammed onto the Narwhal's deck with the force of a battering ram, instantly pulverizing several fleeing sailors. "Don't look, Wally!" Henris yanked the stumbling prince away. "We must reach safety!"

  The tentacle reared up again, causing every nearby sailor to instinctively scramble backward. "Damn it all!" Henris tried desperately to avert catastrophe. "Cut that cursed tentacle off—don't let it destroy the mast!"