“...... You don't look like him at all. ”

Ed replied through gritted teeth.

"You didn't think that when you rushed over and hugged me, did you?"

"Is" chuckled lowly. It was still Is's voice, but the tone was so soft and thin that you had to pay full attention to hear what he was saying, "I didn't know you were so good at acting...... What an unexpected surprise. ”

"I didn't know you could be so breathless. Ed replied coldly, "You really think that such a stab in the back can defeat me?"

"Defeat?" "Is" shook his head, "I didn't want to defeat you in the first place...... I'm just tired of continuing to play a childish idiot. ”

A silent roar erupted from the bottom of Ed's heart, but the sentence that came out of his mouth tried to keep it calm: "If you really think so, why did you play a 'fool' in the first place?"

"On a whim. The man replied nonchalantly, putting his hand behind his ear, "I've got something that's pretty interesting, and I can't help but want to see how it works......"

He peeled a layer of skin from his face and neck. It didn't look like human skin, but more like some kind of reptilian shedding, translucent gray-black with a sallow oily glow, and it was disgustingly wrinkled.

Like some monster out of a shell, the man's body swelled. He was about as tall as Is, but he was much more burly, his brown hair cut extremely short, and his mutilated left ear was unconcernedly exposed.

Nine-toed Walker, the leader of the Black Sail Pirates.

He slowly folded the layer of skin and tucked it into his waist, and he couldn't see how much he cherished it. His eyes seemed to be pure black in the shadows, empty black, and even sarcasm seemed fake.

Ed bit his lip so hard that it almost bleed. He did find out early on that this was probably not Is, and even if Iss was likely to change, he would never become what this man "played", as if he was born in darkness and never saw the light...... I don't expect the light either. The awkwardness and willfulness of the imitations were too stiff for him to become suspicious after the initial ecstasy, but he could never have imagined that this impostor would be nine-toed.

His father was already in his hands, so why did he need to appear to him in this way? just to play tricks on him?

He was almost desperate at his stupidity, so he had the opportunity to grab Nine Toes in exchange for River, but lost it because of hesitation and arrogance?

“...... What the hell do you want?" he said in frustration.

For a moment, Nine Toes just looked at him in silence, as if contemplating how to answer and how to get more. But there was a strange look in his eyes...... An inexplicable anger that Ed could see, but couldn't understand at all.

He's in control from start to finish, so what is he angry about? Because he's depriving the pirates of the perfect hiding place like the Gate of the Fury?

Ed vaguely felt that it didn't seem that simple. But he really couldn't think of any other entanglements with the pirate leader.

“...... Walker. Adora's voice came from the darkness, "We're almost there. ”

The hull is slightly sloping. Ed actually knew that the Dragonbone didn't stay where it was, and they continued sailing once they were on board. Although the sailor could not be seen, the Keel was so steady that he could barely feel the undulation of the waves. But in this endless sea, where there seems to be no difference anywhere, what exactly does it need to be in a specific place?

“...... Come, 'Sage'. Nine Toes whispered, "You want to know what I want...... You'll find out soon. ”

Ed stood still.

"Where's my father?" he asked.

Nine-toed spread his hands: "Anyway, not here." Maybe you can grab me and see if you can dig something out of my head? I warn you, I'm afraid it's not going to be easy. ”

He laughed silently, and the smile sent chills down Ed's body: "And your father, I'm afraid he won't be able to wait that long for you to have the Book of the Dead, you should know if I'm lying." ”

He wasn't lying.

Ed had flipped through the Book of the Dead as fast as he could, not trying to figure it out, just trying to grasp what he needed most. He knew that a necromancer would be able to store souls in some kind of container, mostly gems, and transform them into another power. However, even if it is not transformed and detached from **, no matter how tenacious the soul is, sooner or later it will gradually be lost or even dissipated, and it will be broken to the point that it can no longer be repaired.

“...... Are you really going to give him back to me?" he asked, the last bit of toughness in his voice dissipated.

"Perhaps. Ninetoe's face floated in the darkness, like a pale ghost, and his smile was drawn cold, "Stop struggling, Ed...... You know you don't have any other choice. Even if you had, you wouldn't be able to do it. ”

Ed closed his lips tightly, his fingers tightening unconsciously. He felt as if he had returned to his tent on the outskirts of Visa a year ago, standing in front of Antbowford...... It was as if I felt the same resentment and powerlessness as I did then.

But that was a year ago, after all. If he hadn't made any progress by now, there would be nothing he could do but give up on himself and take everything alone...... That's too much.

He walked out of the cabin in silence. In the dark sea, the wind gradually grew stronger, whining among the sails. Under the rolling dark clouds, the stars crumbled and dimmed.

The night is still long.

Winds swept across the sea, pushing the waves to the west. Between the rocks where the Gate of the Furious Wind stands, the whistling wind rises and falls, still scraping people's eardrums like a ghost crying, but it seems to have lost some of its former momentum. There were no more masts under the hill of hopelessness, and the houses piled up on the shore were empty and silent.

But further down, in the dark depths of the sea, thick walls of ice still protect the sleeping dragons. The handwriting that Ed had left behind with his magic was long gone, and Terry slapped hard against the ice wall, trying to make all sorts of movements, and the colorful lights flashed and flashed, but there was no response.

Bang Bu shuddered and floated to the side, his face turning white.

He felt as if the little mage was going crazy.

That's a rare sight...... But at this moment, even he lost the mood of gloating and watching the excitement.

It's too dark around. The little light that Terry had made was as weak as a layer of soap bubbles that burst at the slightest poke in the infinite darkness, and it only made him feel more and more frightened, lest he be crushed into a cake by the cold and heavy sea water in the next moment.

It was he who wanted to follow, so he persevered very hard for a while. But now, he thinks he'll go crazy if he keeps going.

So he shuddered and reached out and tugged at the sleeve of the little mage, and gestured to the little mage's wilting eyebrows:

"Maybe he's gone?"