After the sound of the bubble popping, Aiven found himself back on the deck, kneeling and breathing heavily. It took a while for him to recover from the sudden suffocation.
Shaking his head and standing up, he realized that only a moment had passed, and the sailors cleaning up the mess nearby hadn't noticed his odd state at all.
"Thud!"
Aiven sat down on the deck. Strange murmurs surged in his mind, information that inexplicably transmitted to him upon touching the statue.
"Extraordinary Path: Shipwreck Mourner (Cost: Never able to set foot on land).
"Level 1: Water Ghost. Ritual: 1. Personally drown at least one hundred representatives of the Order Side at sea..."
"Level 2: Ship-Bound Spirit. Ritual: 1. Personally command the sinking of at least three Order Side ships and sacrifice all the crew..."
"Level 3: Shipwreck Mourner. Ritual: ..."
"Ocean Treasure: Shipwreck Elegy. For each Order Side ship sunk, your own ship will gain enhancements, determined by the strength of the destroyed enemy ship."
A few minutes later, Aiven had processed the information in his head, understanding why One-Eyed Becky attacked navy ships so blatantly, without a care for provoking the navy's wrath.
If he were just an ordinary person with no exposure to Extraordinary Power, Aiven admitted he couldn't resist the allure of this Ocean Treasure.
After all, without any qualifications or effort needed, as long as one completed the required rituals, one could successfully transfer into a powerful Extraordinary being, like a pie falling from the sky!
But as someone already at the peak of an Apprentice Knight, with Uncle Gel in the navy ensuring great prospects ahead, Aiven couldn't fancy such a bizarre path likely to turn him into a monster.
Just a glance at One-Eyed Becky, already transitioned into a Level 2 "Ship-Bound Spirit" with his ghostly appearance, made Aiven shudder, let alone becoming that himself!
"Unless I'm insane....."
Perhaps gaining considerable strength at the cost of never being able to go ashore, but "power is temporary, while grace is lifelong!"
Aiven wholeheartedly agreed with this wise saying.
Most importantly, this path was incomplete, topping only at Level 3, paling in comparison to the Knight's path, capable of reaching Level 4.
Though puzzled why something belonging to One-Eyed Becky would be in the Witch Doctor's possession, Aiven didn't fret. Instead, he dared not touch the strange statue again, found a wooden box, packed it with straw, and stored it away.
Looking back, the sailors from both ships had already cleared the battlefield, leaving no pirate captives, as hardly any pirate would surrender at sea.
Since though the vigor of ocean expansion varied across continental countries, they all had a consistent stance towards pirates, at least publicly under the Church's pressure.
Once verified as a pirate or having engaged in pirate activities, they are hangings without trial (of course, those with legal privateering licenses are exempt).
To Aiven, it was no different than financial oligarchs occupying monopolistic positions, stifling competitors.
With nothing further needing his attention, Aiven simply sat back waiting for Gel's return.
Glug... glug...
From the moment he and One-Eyed Becky entered the water, the sea beneath seemed to boil, occasionally sending up a dull boom, splashing huge waves.
But Aiven had full confidence in Uncle Gel, especially after learning from the statue about the "Shipwreck Mourner" Extraordinary Path, which revealed it was a path that only truly worked in harmony with one's ship.
Silver Wings came at just the right time. Although One-Eyed Becky had met the unlocking condition, his pirate ship hadn't undergone the sacrificial modification yet. Relying solely on his strength, he would never be a match for Uncle Gel at the Knight Peak.
The battle ended even quicker than Aiven imagined!
It was only during the time Aiven handled the strange statue.
The rumbling sounds from beneath the water grew more urgent, intermingled with the shrieks and roars of various aquatic creatures. However, this phenomenon only lasted a short time before everything fell silent.
"Boom!"
A twisted, tattered humanoid creature burst out of the water, landing heavily on the deck beside Aiven, making a loud noise.
Immediately after, another figure followed, landing lightly.
Seeing Aiven and the wooden box beside him, Gel asked with great interest, "Little Aiven, is this your collected trophy?"
Gel's tone was very relaxed, indicating that the trouble One-Eyed Becky had caused him was not significant. As he spoke, white steam rose from his entire body, and his soaked military uniform quickly dried.
"Honorable Captain, you'd better take a look at this. I think it needs to be handled properly." Aiven didn't share Gel's ease, barely escaping from this eerie object, and was eager to discard this hot potato.
Of course, if the potato had cooled enough for another bite, it would be even better.
Luckily, he had backing! Completely qualified to take a bite.
Knowing Aiven wasn't the reckless type, Gel's expression also turned serious hearing this.
"After collecting the trophies, everyone reports to the First Mate for tallying, and then awaits further orders on site!"
"Yes, Sir!"
After guiding the gathered Silver Wings crew to scavenge trophies, Gel personally picked up the wooden box and headed into the lower deck of the pirate ship.
Something worthy of such care from Aiven obviously wasn't suited for study on the exposed deck.
Aiven closely followed.
...
Inside the cabin.
Watching Gel gently remove his hand from the stone statue, Aiven heaved a sigh of relief, once more realizing the vast gap between himself and a true Extraordinary level. The strange statue that nearly ensnared him was like a tame house dog under Gel's hands.
"Indeed an Ocean Treasure!" Even the typically stern Gel couldn't help but reveal joy.
Though severely flawed, an Ocean Treasure remains an Ocean Treasure, its value immeasurable. As for the Extraordinary Path, Aiven had deliberated over, Gel discarded it without a glance, like it was nothing.
"Uncle Gel, I also received the information transmitted by it earlier, but what exactly is an Ocean Treasure?" With no outsiders present, Aiven resumed his private term of address, asking without hesitation out of his curiosity.
Gel first glared at Aiven, only realizing the peculiarity of this thing after personal contact, and couldn't blame Aiven for previously warning him to be careful, feeling a bit relieved:
"In the future, don't touch such eerie things recklessly; wait for me to handle them. This isn't merely an Ocean Treasure; it's actually hosting an Evil Spirit.
If you hadn't escaped the Evil Spirit's illusion in time, you might have drowned. Good fortune smiled on you this time, but could it always be so fortunate?"
"Evil Spirit?"
Aiven finally realized the danger earlier. If not for the Data Visualization constantly monitoring his physical and mental state, he might have met a tragic end this time.
Understanding Gel's guidance was for his good, he repeatedly promised not to rashly touch bizarre things next time.
"Although it remained unexposed, its presence couldn't elude a true Extraordinary's perception."
Seeing Aiven's good attitude, Gel's expression softened and he began to recount the legend of the Ocean Treasure to him.
"Legend says....."