We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 22 My stats are above yours!

"In that case, I accept your test!"

Faced with this sudden challenge to a duel, Shane was not flustered.

After the battle with the Blood Wolf Pirates, he gained a general understanding of his own strength.

Even on land, its true form possesses the combat power of a first-tier Mystic.

Although the armored man in front of us doesn't look easy to deal with, we'll only know who's stronger after we fight.

Being cowardly before the battle even begins is a major taboo on the battlefield!

【very good. 】

Seeing Xia En's quick agreement, a hint of satisfaction flashed in An's eyes beneath his helmet.

We're going to the arena in the tavern.

Sailors are known for their bad tempers, and after drinking, they become like powder kegs ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Fights and brawls over trivial matters are commonplace.

Knowing that this situation was unavoidable, Bisi simply set up a fighting arena in the tavern, where she could also make extra money by betting on it, killing two birds with one stone.

Anna's striking appearance had long attracted the attention of many sailors in the vicinity.

After seeing him adopt the etiquette of a duel invitation and walk towards the ring, everyone knew that there was going to be some fun to watch!

"Which blind captain is it this time?"

"After the captain of the Aryan was broken last time, no one has dared to mess with the Aryan for a long time, right?"

With such a high-quality crew member as Ann, it's no surprise that many captains have tried to recruit him.

But the "duel invitation" alone is enough to deter many people.

Some daring captains have tried it, but the results were mostly tragic. They either had broken bones or suffered internal injuries, and were bedridden for more than half a month before they recovered.

Even so, this was still the result of An stopping.

If he were to unleash his full power, countless more lives would be lost.

After seeing the challenger's appearance, the sailors watching all had strange expressions.

"Who is that pretty boy?"

"He's probably not even fully grown yet, how dare he duel with An? He's probably just here to die!"

In terms of appearance alone, Shane is at a complete disadvantage. His slender arms and body are a joke in front of Ann's steel body.

But some people recognized his identity.

"Captain of the Black Swan, Shane!"

"Is that the kid whose virginity was bought by the Duke? What's he doing here?"

“Old man, your intelligence is outdated! He seems to have brought back Blood Wolf Hansen’s head and paid off the debt.”

"Hiss... Blood Wolf Hansen!?"

Upon hearing this information, some sailors' opinions of Shane changed slightly.

However, the majority of people still do not have a high opinion of him.

After all, An's undefeated record speaks for itself and is clearly more impressive than Xia En's.

"Kind gentlemen, it's time to place your bets!"

Several brightly dressed young women, following Bisi's instructions, carried trays on their white, smooth breasts as they walked through the crowd.

The sailors could no longer resist and placed bets, while also taking the opportunity to grope the women's breasts.

As a result, the atmosphere at the scene became even more heated.

On the arena, neither Xia En nor An was affected by the noise around them.

As a knight, I will give my all in every duel.

[Mr. Shane, watch out!]

Ann wrote the two lines in large characters with charcoal and showed them to Shane.

"Just to my liking."

Xia En smiled and nodded, then went to either side of the arena with An.

Bess herself acted as referee: "Are you both ready?"

"Then, let the duel begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, An raised his long sword, took a step forward, and rushed towards Xia En.

Its towering size, coupled with its heavy armor, makes it resemble a charging heavy armored vehicle, exuding an unstoppable sense of oppression.

Even the arena beneath their feet trembled slightly, as if cracks were appearing. Xia En, holding the black stone short sword, assumed the starting stance of the [Nameless Sword Technique], his eyes fixed on An's movements.

Such a charge, while impressive in its momentum, also has its weaknesses.

That means if you miss your target, you'll experience a huge recovery time!
His powerful and heavy physique can sometimes be described as "slow and clumsy," and coincidentally, among the four attributes, Shane's highest is speed!

Before An Lin could reach him, Xia En nimbly sidestepped, dodging a sword that was within arm's reach.

The wind from the sword ruffled his pale golden hair, the sharpness almost brushing against his skin.

At that moment, Xia En's pupils contracted slightly.

Suddenly, An changed his thrust into a sweep, his longsword sweeping towards An's waist and abdomen.

The smoothness of his tactical change was as if Ann had anticipated Xia En's actions.

In the critical moment, Xia En raised his short sword and used it to block in front of his waist...

"ended."

This thought crossed the minds of many sailors.

An Yijian's sweeping force was immense. Xia En hastily tried to block it, and with such a fragile short sword, how could he possibly withstand it?

It's a miracle we weren't swept away!
However, what happened next surprised everyone.

Keng!
The sound of metal and stone clanging together rang out.

Xia En's short sword held firmly against An's long sword, preventing it from advancing an inch.

Both swords were trembling slightly, indicating that the contest was evenly matched.

Xia En felt a slight tingling sensation in her arm, but she smiled.

Through this attack, he could tell that although An's strength was greater than his own, it was only by a very limited margin.

However, among all the attributes, strength happens to be Shane's weakest.

My stats are higher than yours!

"Now, it's my turn to fight back!"

Xia En suddenly jerked his arm, knocking the longsword away. Then, with nimble feet, he appeared behind An like a ghost and kicked him in the right knee joint.

This heavily armed enemy has an obvious weakness: the joints in its armor.

boom!
Ann's body swayed slightly, but she remained standing.

But Xia En had somehow gotten in front of him and kicked him in the knee again.

The pain was transmitted to the brain, and An couldn't help but let out a muffled thud.

He raised his sword again and swung it, the wind whistling through the air, its power quite formidable.

Keng! Keng! Keng!
Several more clashes occurred between the blades.

However, An's previously invincible strength could not pose much of an obstacle to Xia En.

On the contrary, during the intervals between attacks, Ann's knee joints would become the target of Shane's attacks.

It wasn't that An didn't want to defend, but rather that with his speed, he simply couldn't keep up with Xia En's movements!
With a "bang," another knee strike landed.

An staggered and almost fell to the ground.

He steadied himself and looked around, but Xia En was nowhere to be seen.

At that moment, Ann's shoulder suddenly slumped, and at the same time, a sharp sensation came from the gap in the helmet around his neck. A sharp blade pressed against his skin, chilling him to the bone.

"Sir Knight, you have lost."

At this moment, Shane was standing on Ann's shoulders, leaning over, with half of the black stone short sword already embedded in the gap of the armor.

clang!
An voluntarily released the longsword in his hand.

The longsword fell to the ground, signaling the outcome of the duel.

Biss smiled brightly: "I declare that the winner of this duel is... Captain Shane of the Black Swan!"

In an instant, the Wind and Waves Tavern fell completely silent.

People stared in disbelief at the handsome young man, who looked relaxed and carefree, as if he had only done a trivial thing.

The next moment, a cacophony of voices erupted, mostly the screams of gamblers.

"Holy crap, An actually lost!?"

"My money!!!"

(End of this chapter)