"Just as I thought, if the blessing doesn't come from an Orthodox God, reversing it doesn't consume much Mana at all."
This situation arose because Loren had just activated another effect of the High Priestess card: Blessing Reversal.
The pirate's blessing had originally allowed him to move through the sea like a fish, breathe underwater, and conceal his form. After being reversed, he could no longer swim. Even if his head broke the surface, he couldn't breathe. On top of that, he had become conspicuously visible.
Loren watched coldly as the man floundered in the water, eventually sinking beneath the surface and falling still.
Reversing that blessing had cost Loren a hundred points of Mana. That amount meant nothing to him, but if he had used that same Mana to cast a direct offensive spell, it would have been enough to annihilate the entire group instantly.
From that perspective, the High Priestess's other effect was still somewhat lackluster. But Loren didn't dwell on it too much. The main purpose of the High Priestess card was to reverse his own curse anyway. And who knew? Maybe that other effect would come in handy in some unexpected way someday.
To be safe, Loren released the damage stored in the Justice Card. In an instant, a patch of crimson bloomed across the sea.
"Let's go. Call the others. We're heading to the island to check it out."
Having just killed that pirate, Loren felt no ripple of emotion in his heart. He silently walked back into the cabin.
Paqina was still pondering what Loren had just done. When she noticed him leaving, she quickly fell into step behind him.
Truth be told, Loren wasn't particularly motivated. This trip would likely yield little benefit. The Evil God's true body probably wasn't even here.
"Anyone want to come ashore with me?"
Pirates were, for the most part, a rabble. Even if Loren stayed behind, the Witches had no reason to fear them. And even if the Sea God itself were here, it would only be crushed under Loren's heel. So he didn't take them seriously at all. Going ashore was just a sightseeing trip.
"Me, me, me! I want to go! Are we going to kill people?"
Anna was the first to speak up. If killing was involved, she was happier than she would be at mealtime.
"You can. Kill the pirates freely. Just don't hurt the sacrificial offerings they've captured."
"Yay!"
Not just Anna. Everyone else chose to follow Loren. Well, everyone except Scarlett.
"Do I have to go?"
"You can. You'll stay and watch the ship alone."
"Then... I'll come after all..."
After spending this much time together, Scarlett had come to understand that staying by Loren's side might be terrifying, but it was always safe. Anywhere else was a gamble. She had already reached a point where not seeing Loren made her anxious.
"Alright. Let's move out."
Loren led the group up to the deck, and they all donned their black robes.
This kind of attire was somewhat rare among pirates. Pirates were desperate outlaws who didn't care if their faces were seen. Whether they were seen or not, it didn't change the fact that they could die at any moment. So they might as well just let loose.
Numerous pirate ships were anchored around the island. They had definitely come to the right place.
Once they reached the shore, Loren and the others jumped off onto the land one by one. Then, the Raging Tide silently sank beneath the water and vanished, making it abundantly clear that it was a ghost ship.
This action drew the attention of many pirates. They might be greedy, but they weren't stupid. Anyone who could flaunt a ghost ship like that was either strong enough to back it up or had a powerful backing. Either way, they weren't people to mess with.
But just because they didn't dare to start a direct fight didn't mean they wouldn't try to stab them in the back.
Anna, clad in her black robe, carried a massive scythe over her shoulder. She swaggered down the road like a reaper.
"I just saw a group of pirates staring at us. Looked like they wanted to make a move. Can I kill them?"
Loren followed Anna's pointed finger. There was indeed a crew of pirates huddled together, talking. They kept glancing at Loren, and he could feel the malice radiating from them.
"Kill them."
It was just what Loren needed—a chance to establish dominance. Once he made an example of them, everything else would go much more smoothly.
"Yay!"
Without a second word, Anna charged straight at them. Before the group of pirates even realized what was happening, their captain was sliced in half at the waist.
Once it was stained with blood, the flowers on the Scythe of Harvest grew even more vibrant.
"You—!"
The surrounding pirates tried to say something, but Anna's scythe swung around in an arc. In an instant, everyone within a circle around her was cut clean in two. Blood and entrails flew everywhere, but not a single drop landed on Anna.
"Anna... she..."
The sight of Anna in that moment terrified Paqina. She couldn't imagine why this little girl, who only ever seemed to act cute, had such a terrifying side.
"Anna has always been bloodthirsty. I discovered that a long time ago... But suppressing it is worse than guiding it. I chose to teach her to only kill bad people. After all, if the wicked aren't removed, they'll only harm the good."
At that moment, Anna was chasing down fleeing pirates one by one, killing them all. They couldn't outrun her.
"That's enough killing. Come back."
Loren shot a pirate who had run too far away, then called out to her.
"Oh."
Anna obediently replied, shook the blood from her blade, and carried her scythe back to Loren's side.
This display completely cowed the other pirates. Those who had been coveting the ghost ship moments ago now scattered like they had encountered a plague, running as far and as fast as they could.
"Judging by their reaction, it looks like Anna just wiped out a fairly notorious pirate crew."
In this world, pirates were similar to those in "One Piece." There was no navy, no official bounties, but there were still many famous pirate crews. Some had even built up something resembling "Emperors of the Sea."
But to Loren, all of this was just child's play. Even if all the so-called Emperors joined forces, they still wouldn't be enough for him to break a sweat against.
"Anna... you..."
Paqina still hadn't recovered from what had just happened. She felt a deep sense of dissonance. When Anna said on the ship that she wanted to kill people, Paqina had thought she was joking.
"I only killed a few pirates. If I hadn't killed them, they might have captured many innocent victims to sacrifice tomorrow."
Anna spoke with utter indifference, as if she had just mowed down a patch of chives.
Paqina glanced at the others and saw that they, too, were completely calm. In the end, she fell silent.
She was a smart person. She knew very well that Loren was right. It was just that the method was a bit brutal. She had seen many corpses before, but this was the first time someone close to her had done the killing.
"I need a moment..."
Still, Paqina could tell right from wrong. She wouldn't hold a grudge against Anna over this. She just needed some time to process it.
"Then let's find a clean place to rest for a while. The sacrificial ritual shouldn't start that quickly."
Loren didn't say much more. At this point, all Paqina needed was to see for herself the kinds of things these pirates did. Then she would fully understand.
Words can teach a person, but things can't. Seeing it with your own eyes is far more effective than any amount of talk.
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