"A goddess like me, to be defiled by a big dumb bear!"
Aqua struggled to her feet, her cute face smeared with black mud, her blue and white dress stained a terrible color.
"If the villagers see the beautiful and holy Aqua-sama of the Axis Church in such a wretched state, my reputation will surely plummet!"
Tears of humiliation shimmered in the Water Goddess's eyes as she glared at the big black bear with burning rage.
Whoosh!
A dazzling flame burst from Aqua's clenched fist, one of her attack skills.
Seeing this, Zyhark's first reaction was not surprise but a deep sense of irony.
On the other side, an infuriated Aqua swung her fiery fist, charging at the big black bear.
The bear, seemingly stunned by this miraculous technique, stood frozen in place without any reaction.
"Behold, this is the consequence of angering a god! With this strike, be reduced to ashes and repent in hell for your unforgivable sins!"
"God's Blow!"
With a cry mixed with sobs, Aqua rushed up to the big black bear and hammered her fist into its fat belly.
Duang~
A crisp sound rang out, and Aqua's momentous punch... ended up singeing just a few hairs on the big black bear's belly.
The big black bear, puzzled, lowered its head, silently observing this seemingly not-too-bright prey.
It wondered if consuming such a peculiar being would affect its intelligence.
"Ah? Upon closer inspection, this little bear is quite cute."
Aqua maintained her punching stance, smiling as she looked up to meet the big black bear's gaze—her water-blue eyes now shaped like symbols of wisdom.
In response...
ROAR!!! The big black bear opened its massive jaws, issuing a fierce and robust roar at Aqua.
Though it had no intention of eating Aqua, the scene of being played with its eyes closed was vivid in its mind.
To uphold the dignity of the forest's overlord, it was determined to shred this foolish challenger to pieces!
Aqua, startled by this formidable presence (and mainly the stench), fell to her knees, weak-legged.
The situation turned perilous instantly.
Without the power of her believers' faith, Aqua's physical defenses were inferior to Zyhark's.
Without any water to buffer the impact, a swipe or bite from the big black bear would surely leave her in tears for a long time!
"Hey! Big guy, over here, your opponent is me!" Zyhark quickly made noise to draw attention.
However, the big black bear merely rolled its eyes, glancing at him dismissively before refocusing on Aqua, who lay on the ground.
Preferring to attack the fool who dared to mock it over the human man as hard as a rock, the giant shadow loomed, the bear's eyes flashing fiercely as it raised its hefty paw toward the pale-faced Aqua.
Bang!
Just as the big black bear was about to crush Aqua into mush with a powerful slap, a crisp gunshot startled it.
Amid the smoke, Zyhark casually pocketed the flintlock pistol, pointing its dark barrel at the bear.
Click. The bullet chambered.
"Now, are you willing to listen?" Zyhark's gaze at the big black bear was somewhat mocking.
Brother, if you had that thing, you should have used it earlier. We wouldn't have to deal with such a misunderstanding like we do now!
The big black bear awkwardly retracted its paw, scratching its head to alleviate the awkward atmosphere.
It obediently stood still, its harmless demeanor making it look more national treasure than a national treasure itself!
Clearly, living near human villages, it recognized the deadly firepower of flintlock pistols.
In the deep forest, beasts stronger than it were killed by such weapons.
It wouldn't have become the area's overlord so easily otherwise!
"Stand properly, why slouch? Straighten up!" Zyhark reprimanded.
The big black bear immediately stood to attention, arms naturally at its sides, chest out, seriously saluting.
This anthropomorphized bear pose, complete with a mouth full of sharp teeth, looked quite comical.
Seeing the big guy finally willing to calm down, Zyhark, still holding the gun, slowly approached Aqua.
"Wuwuwu! Zyhark-sama! Thank you, I'm really grateful for your help!"
Having narrowly escaped death, Aqua cried out, clinging to Zyhark's trousers and eventually wrapping her arms around his chest.
Thus, Zyhark ended up covered in mud and stench...
This idiotic goddess!
Thinking of the high talents and potential Aqua possessed as a goddess, which she traded for intelligence, Zyhark's irritation quickly dissipated due to the imbalance created by her rapid understanding of Observation Haki.
Haki can always be mastered with enough practice, but some things, once lost, are truly gone!
Pushing the clingy Aqua away, Zyhark pocketed the flintlock pistol at his waist and turned to the timid big black bear, saying, "Now, let's continue our training from before."
The big black bear blinked.
Only then did it realize that this human, who had once again closed his eyes, actually intended to use it as a sparring partner!
But unable to inflict fatal damage, it had no choice but to obediently attack.
Whoosh!
A hefty bear paw swept through the air, and feeling its presence, Zyhark immediately ducked.
The strong wind pressure blew over his head, and this time, the familiar stutter did not occur.
He had actually managed to dodge the black bear's attack by sensing its presence?!
No, that's not right...
Zyhark opened his eyes, seeing the hesitant look on the big black bear's face, he quickly guessed the real reason.
The bear's fear of the flintlock pistol's power had significantly slowed its attack speed.
Had the animal kingdom in the world of pirates become so sophisticated that even a small black bear understood to seek advantages and avoid harm?
To dispel the big black bear's wariness, Zyhark decisively removed the flintlock pistol from his waist and casually tossed it to Aqua, who was standing not far away.
After all, with his strong defensive capabilities, he could ensure his safety without the gun, which served more as a deterrent and protection. It didn't make much difference whose hands it was in.
But the next moment, he regretted it.
Aqua, holding the flintlock pistol, focused her gaze on this common weapon in the world of pirates.
Intending to recover the dignity she lost in front of the big black bear and uphold the dignity of the Water Goddess, she felt she needed to intimidate the bear, showing it who was boss.
Imitating Zyhark's earlier actions, Aqua aimed the pistol at the sky and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
Smoke billowed as numerous broken gun parts scattered.
The flintlock pistol, which had never malfunctioned in Zyhark's hands, unfortunately exploded!
The startled big black bear: "..."
The incredulous Zyhark: "..."
The wise-looking Aqua: "..."
(End of Chapter)