Chapter 277: The Creator of Pure Gold
The massive corpse of the Lantern Fish floated atop the sea, its overwhelming stench causing Charlotte to frown deeply.
First, the stench was unbearable, a sickeningly strong odor of blood that made Charlotte's stomach churn.
Second, the sheer amount of blood leaking into the ocean was bound to attract countless Sea Kings before long.
Actually—
It didn't take long at all.
Several colossal Sea Kings were already heading straight for them at terrifying speeds.
Charlotte's brows furrowed as he noticed the approaching creatures.
"Activate the electromagnetic cannons! Any Sea Kings that get too close—blast them to pieces!"
Charlotte bellowed toward the ship.
Barrett, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation, immediately grabbed the communicator.
"Power up the electromagnetic cannons! Lock onto the approaching Sea Kings and fire at will!"
Barrett relayed the order.
"Yes, sir!"
The voices of the crew echoed back through the communicator.
Inside the control room, the ship's operators swiftly began their work.
On the deck, electrical currents surged as power flowed into all 120 electromagnetic cannons.
A deep humming sound filled the air.
The cannons powered up, their barrels shifting toward the incoming Sea Kings.
Meanwhile—
Charlotte took a deep breath before diving straight into the gaping corpse of the Lantern Fish.
The inside of the beast was massive—practically a self-contained world.
However, seawater was already pouring in through the open wound.
At this rate, Charlotte estimated the entire cavity would be flooded within an hour, dragging the corpse to the ocean floor.
Inside the Lantern Fish—
A young girl, Misukina Olga, stared at the rising water with growing horror.
"What's happening?! Why is water coming in?!"
She had lived inside the Lantern Fish for nearly two centuries but had never seen anything like this.
Beside her, a giant lizard named Elizabeth was frantically pacing in circles.
Meanwhile, in another section of the creature's stomach, a middle-aged man worked feverishly.
He was desperately pumping air into an old, barely functional lifeboat.
The man—Misukina Asche—had not used this boat for nearly two hundred years.
And now, it was his last hope of survival.
But he had no idea—
That someone was already coming.
BOOM!
A thunderous crash shook the chamber as something landed hard on the flesh-covered floor.
Misukina Asche flinched in shock.
"What was that?!"
The sudden noise made him jerk his hands away from the pump, causing the precious air to start leaking out.
Panicked, he quickly covered the air hole with his hands.
The dust cleared—
And a figure emerged.
Charlotte stepped forward, his eyes locked onto the terrified middle-aged man before him.
Memories surfaced in Charlotte's mind.
The man before him was the creator of Pure Gold.
"Hello," Charlotte said, his tone calm but firm. "I'm here for Pure Gold. If you tell me where it is, I'll save your life."
Misukina Asche froze, his face pale with fear.
"I—I don't know anything about Pure Gold!"
The moment he heard "Pure Gold," Asche's first instinct was to deny everything.
He knew exactly how valuable it was.
It was because of Pure Gold that he had lost his wife and daughter in the first place.
Charlotte's gaze darkened.
"I won't repeat myself. The Lantern Fish is dead—I killed it. This place will be completely flooded within the hour. Do you really think that pathetic raft will get you out?"
Charlotte's voice dropped lower.
"Oh, and one more thing—we're in the Calm Belt."
Asche's entire body trembled at the realization.
If they were in the Calm Belt, that meant—
There was no escape.
Charlotte stepped closer.
"If you tell me where the Pure Gold is, I'll rescue you. Not just you—your daughter, too."
Asche's eyes widened in shock.
"My… daughter?"
His daughter—the one he had lost nearly two centuries ago—was still alive?
Charlotte could tell from his reaction—
He was hesitating.
But time was running out.
Without another word, Charlotte grabbed Asche by the collar and leaped into the air.
"W-Wait! What are you doing?!"
Charlotte ignored his protests, his Moonwalk technique allowing him to soar through the air.
Seeing the ocean water surging below, Asche clung tightly to Charlotte's arm, terrified out of his mind.
Charlotte glanced at him with disgust.
No other man had ever dared to cling to him like this.
Asche was the first.
Of course, Charlotte already knew where the Pure Gold was.
It was inside the Lantern Fish's lure.
Which meant—
It was already secured aboard his ship.
But Charlotte had another reason for coming here.
He wanted Misukina Asche himself.
The creator of Pure Gold.
If there was even a slight chance that Asche could replicate the process, Charlotte wanted to make sure of it.
Even if Asche's original creation was an accident, Charlotte still wanted to try.
After all—
Pure Gold could extend life itself.
And that made it priceless.
Charlotte sped through the Lantern Fish's remains, finally reaching another chamber.
Ahead, he spotted a young girl sitting atop a large, upright lizard.
Both of them were climbing toward an opening.
"Olga!"
At the very moment he saw her, Asche recognized her instantly.
After nearly two centuries, his daughter hadn't aged a single day.
Hearing her name, Olga whipped her head around.
"…Dad?"
She blinked in confusion, her expression turning to disbelief as she saw a fat, middle-aged man covered in tears and snot dangling in midair.
It was like seeing a ghost from her past.
Hearing her daughter's voice, Asche completely lost it.
"OLGA!"
Charlotte grimaced at the overly dramatic father-daughter reunion.
"She's your daughter, right?" he said, tone flat. "Then tell me where the Pure Gold is."
He added, "If you do, I'll rescue both of you. I'll even cure your daughter's disease."
Asche hesitated.
Charlotte sighed.
He already knew where the Pure Gold was.
But he needed Asche to believe that his knowledge was valuable.
Seeing the ocean flooding in, Asche panicked.
"The Pure Gold—it's in the Lantern Fish's lure!"
He fell to his knees, grabbing onto Charlotte's leg in desperation.
Charlotte stared down at him, unimpressed.
"All of it?"
"Yes! All of it!" Asche swore.
Hearing her father groveling, Olga's rage flared.
"Who the hell are you?! Why are you bullying my dad?!"
She might have been furious at her father, but seeing him reduced to begging made her blood boil.
Charlotte glanced at her briefly.
Then—
Without another word, he grabbed Asche and launched himself toward Olga.
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