Chapter 152: Formidable Enemies from the Outer District

With a deafening explosion that shook the earth and sky, a torpedo slammed into the stern of the Shark, sending up a terrifying wall of fire and massive plumes of spray. The entire vessel was violently tossed, nearly capsizing from the immense impact.

The rear of the hull felt as though it had been struck by an iron fist, leaving a massive concave dent in the metal exterior and instantly reducing the ship's speed. Although such heavy weaponry was not yet considered top-tier, this explosion threw Wuhua and the others inside the cabin into complete disarray. Wuhua had been hugging a table leg flat on the deck, but the tremendous shockwave of the torpedo blast sent both him and the table flying through the air. He crashed directly into Yelaixiang nearby, and as the two of them tumbled together, their heads collided hard with Tutiao's alloy armor. A pair of large bumps instantly swelled up on their heads, causing them to wince in pain. The situation for the rest of the crew was even worse; the cabin echoed with a chaotic symphony of crashing metal as tables and chairs smashed together in total disorder.

Dune Witch cried out in dismay, "Hull damage at 8.4%! The stern compartment is taking on water! That torpedo packs an incredible punch."

Moonshadow Tulle decisively ordered, "Restart the stern propulsion and drainage systems! Medical team, ready the fire extinguishers and watch out for secondary fires in the back."

Seeing that the Shark had survived the torpedo strike completely unphased, Xiaoyao stamped his feet in fury. "Damn it, those women are actually using Class-16 alloy! Fine, you've got deep pockets, but take this—fire again!"

The ship's cannons spat fire once more, their roars rivaling a thunderclap in the sky. This time, they fired exclusively incendiary shells, turning the impact zone into a sea of fire that even the heavy rain could not extinguish. Explosions thundered across the Shark's rear deck amidst raging flames, while Lost Sunshine led a suicide squad of medics equipped with fire extinguishers to charge into the blaze and fight the fire at the risk of their lives.

Moonshadow Tulle's tactical command was brilliant. The Shark maneuvered back and forth across the sea surface like a nimble carp, causing numerous shells to miss their mark. Relying on Lost Sunshine's clever direction, the group of female medics managed to dodge every casualty, though many were still struck by shrapnel and collapsed to the ground with heavy injuries.

While the medical uniforms possessed exceptionally high defense, a sliver of flying shrapnel tearing through flesh not only shredded the garments but also inflicted a startling "-3000" damage value. Had these medics not been of a sufficiently high level, a single shell could have blown them to pieces.

Breaking Sky Blood commanded the warriors to charge forward, hauling the heavily injured female medics down to the lower deck for emergency treatment.

"Big Sis, we can't keep going like this," Moonshadow Tulle said anxiously.

At that moment, Dune Witch shrieked again, "Big Sis! More enemies appearing ahead—bearing 9810 to the southeast, only about 4,000 meters out."

Azure Starry Sky quickly checked the radar, only to find three stationary blue dots in the southeastern sector, lingering as if waiting for them.

"Charge in and see who they are," Azure Starry Sky commanded.

Amidst the roaring cannons and raging gunfire, the warships closed the distance. Having received the news, Wuhua and the others slipped out to the front deck. Taking a look ahead, an ominous premonition rose in their hearts.

Three large cruisers were arrayed side-by-side in a horizontal line, idling as if blocking their path. Their hull insignia were entirely unfamiliar, and the people standing on their decks all bore a system-default blazing sun mark on their heads. These were definitely not members of the Sacred Federation, nor were they players from the China Region.

"What is going on here?" Azure Starry Sky could not help but ask.

Dune Witch scanned the tactical map. "Big Sis, we are deep out at sea. This is already the border waters stretching beyond the two major federations."

Seeing the Shark suddenly decelerate and new blue dots appear on his radar, Xiaoyao decisively ordered a halt to the attack, allowing the BREEZE to close the distance.

Peering through his binoculars at the scene unfolding ahead, he asked God of War Invincible beside him, "Who on earth are these people?"

A string of garbled, screeching noises suddenly blared from the opposing warship's loudspeaker. Wuhua muttered, "What kind of bird language is this supposed to be?"

Hot Pepper replied, "That's Japanese."

Wuhua asked in surprise, "Could those people over there be Japanese players?"

Hot Pepper nodded. "I'd say there's a very high chance they are."

Dune Witch, who knew a few foreign languages, shouted into her communicator, "Who goes there? We are the warship Shark from Bright Star City in the China Region's Glory Federation."

A response came back almost immediately. Azure Starry Sky asked, "What did they say?"

Dune Witch's expression darkened. "They said they are the fleet from Sakura City, Nikyo Federation, in the Yamato Region."

Azure Starry Sky was stunned. "The Yamato Region? That's the territory of the Japanese players. Why have Japanese players turned up out here on the open sea?"

Following Hot Pepper's translation for those on deck, Tutiao burst into loud laughter. "Nikyo Federation? Why don't these little devils call themselves the Moonkyo Federation instead? Damn fools!"

A wave of raucous laughter erupted from the crowd, and even the female soldiers of the Blue Corporation could not help cracking a smile.

The voice from the opposite side sounded again: "Friends from the China Region, we believe you have come here targeting the border island. We hope we can cooperate to jointly develop this border islet. Our three warships combined with your two will form a large fleet, guaranteeing we can handle the island's guardian boss, with a fifty-fifty split of the spoils afterwards."

Before the Shark could reply, Xiaoyao on the BREEZE began cursing furiously. "Listen up, you bunch of pigs—a fifty-fifty split in your dreams! Get lost before I personally blow you bastards to hell!"

He no longer cared about his demeanor or paying attention to Azure Starry Sky. Chinese players shared a common trait in such situations: whenever they encountered Japanese or American players, all other grievances were set aside to eliminate the foreign threat first, with zero room for negotiation—whether in the game or in reality.

Azure Starry Sky said with a grim face, "Tell them to get lost, or we'll fight them to the death even if it means losing our warship."

This time, Dune Witch broadcasted in both Chinese and Japanese: "Listen up, Japanese swine! The China Region is giving you one chance to spare your lives and get the hell out of international waters, or else we'll beat you so hard you'll be knocked all the way back to Level 0."

Wuhua and the others felt their blood boiling with excitement. Everyone could feel Azure Starry Sky's absolute resolve. As long as it was for the dignity of the China Region, any price was worth paying, even if they all went down and lost every piece of equipment they owned.

The Japanese on the other side clearly had not expected these Chinese players to be so unreasonable. "Friends from the China Region, you are weak and we are strong. A fight will only bring you losses. Joining forces for joint development benefits everyone. I advise you to think twice."

Xiaoyao roared back, "Weak your grandma, think your grandma! Whose business is Chinese territory? Listen up, I'll give you ten words: As far the fuck away as you can get, get the fuck away!"

As the translator on the enemy warship explained this, someone on their side actually lowered their head and began counting on their fingers. "Huh? That really is ten words."

With Xiaoyao roaring like that, the brothers on the BREEZE grew equally fired up despite the pouring rain, shouting in unison, "Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!"

Xiaoyao continued to bellow, "If you aren't leaving, then all of you drop your weapons on the deck, put your hands on your heads, squat down, and surrender the ship! Grandpa Xiaoyao will guarantee your safety."

His demands had a certain logic to them. The system stipulated that large vehicles outside the main brain's default ownership had no fixed master; whoever seized control became the owner, and anyone could pilot them.

If the Japanese really surrendered the ship, the warship would belong to Arctic Snow Corporation. Of course, Xiaoyao's idea was not only delightfully naive, but also the ultimate shortcut to getting something for nothing.

The Japanese on the other side grew furious as well. "Baka yaro! You have no manners at all!"

Azure Starry Sky was losing her patience too. Her least favorite thing in the world was excessive chatter. "Little Japanese, go screw your ancestors! Give me a straight answer: do you surrender or not?"

Hot Pepper couldn't help laughing. "I never expected our boss to curse like that."

Wuhua smiled. "Why be polite to trash? Sister Hot Pepper, have you ever slaughtered a pig?"

Hot Pepper replied, "Never."

Wuhua chuckled, "Pigs always squeal frantically right before they're slaughtered, so that's completely normal. Besides, those guys don't understand the boss's swearing anyway; pigs can't understand human speech."

Another burst of laughter erupted aboard the Shark.