"So this is how ghost ships evolve?" Muria stood on the highest deck, looking down. With a lich going all out, Captain Dale's ghost fleet didn't last even half an hour before being completely destroyed. The ghostly birds devoured their soul flames, and under Muria's directive, all the ghost ships were blown apart.
These ghost ships, the largest barely over three hundred meters and the smallest only a few dozen meters, were insignificant compared to the thousand-meter steel ghost ships Muria had seen Barbossa command. They were perfect for testing the characteristics of ghost ships.
Thus, the fifteen ghost ships were blasted to pieces, their fragments floating on the black sea. Unlike ordinary wooden debris, these pieces, due to the violent spells cast by the lich, had no chance to recover and were completely destroyed.
As a result, numerous wailing spirits lingered on the floating wooden shards, creating a chilling sight. Despite being shattered, these pieces slowly drifted together, trying to reform. Muria saw two broken planks merge, with a few less wailing spirits bound to them.
When these deck fragments appeared, Muria sensed a yearning from the five ghost ships under his feet. Without needing the liches to intervene, the ghost ships moved towards the shattered fleet on their own.
An astonishing scene unfolded as ropes dropped into the sea like arms, grabbing floating planks and integrating them into the hull. The five ghost ships began devouring the remnants of the destroyed ships.
Standing atop the ghost ship, Muria extended his mental power, feeling the ship beneath him slowly expand. Silent changes occurred as two new cannon positions appeared, and two ghostly magic cannons emerged.
The height of the ghost ship increased, its decks multiplied and grew larger, and twisted, struggling wailing spirits began appearing on the previously smooth hull and deck. These spirits symbolized the ship's foundation. With enough spirits, a ghost ship could quickly recover from damage and maintain formidable firepower.
"Captain Sparrow, can't these ships restore themselves without consuming everything?" Gibbs approached Muria, feeling a pang of loss seeing the shattered deck below. These were ghost ships, and it pained him to see them destroyed so readily.
"You don't think these ships are unworthy of me?" Muria felt the ship under him expand from a hundred to a hundred and twenty meters, and the pace was quickening. "My ship needs reinforcement."
"Very well, Captain Sparrow, as you wish." Gibbs, seeing Muria's decision, retreated with a heavy heart, realizing he only had the right to suggest, not interfere.
"Ghost ships are fascinating! They can self-optimize," Muria observed, intrigued by a recent event. The ghost ship had just consumed a more advanced magic cannon, and upon fully integrating it, all the ship's cannons began to change, synchronizing to the new design.
This phenomenon occurred throughout the ship as it continually optimized itself by consuming remnants, a process unimaginable for ordinary ships.
The five ghost ships spent half a day devouring their kin's remains. The originally one-hundred-meter-long ghost ship expanded to over four hundred meters, with its widest point nearly a hundred meters. It had become a giant ship, though lacking a true main cannon, much to Muria's displeasure.
For a ship of such size, the highest firepower was just over a thousand ghostly magic cannons, each barely wide enough to fit a person. The caliber seemed inadequate to Muria.
"Caliber is justice!" Muria sighed, feeling the need for justice.
Besides Muria's flagship, the smallest of the other four ghost ships was over two hundred meters long, fundamentally transformed.
"Let's head to Blackstone Harbor." Under Muria's command, the five transformed ghost ships set sail without needing lich assistance.
Guided by navigator Gibbs, they sailed for a day before Muria saw the bustling Blackstone Harbor.
"What a magnificent sight. Worth the long journey." Gazing at the distant harbor, Muria's hidden face under the bone mask couldn't help but smile.
Blackstone Harbor had a coastline stretching out of sight, with thousand-meter-tall lighthouses every few distances, emitting green ghostly flames guiding ghost ships to dock.
"Captain Sparrow, this is Blackstone Harbor. At least thirty thousand ghost ships dock here daily, with up to a hundred thousand during peak times. Such a grand scene occurred decades ago when Lord Barbossa issued a summons."
"Very impressive!" Muria marveled at the sight. His four-hundred-meter giant ship seemed insignificant among the numerous ghost ships.
What would happen if all these ghost ships were shattered and his ship devoured them? Muria couldn't help but wonder, driven by his curiosity as a (half-baked) mage.
"This idea seems feasible." Muria glanced at the liches behind him. If Barbossa didn't intervene, his five grand liches and forty-three soul-intent level liches could easily sweep Blackstone Harbor. The only question was how long it would take.
"Let's enter the harbor." As they approached a certain distance, Muria felt a lighthouse's ghostly flame emitting a guiding force, directing the ghost ship to dock.
"Honorable captain, based on your ships' number and size, you need to pay 3,600 wraith coins as a docking fee."
Before Muria even disembarked, a ghostly tax official, dressed arrogantly, came to the deck, scribbled on a parchment-like notebook, tore off a sheet, and handed it to Muria.
"You want money from me?" Muria's eyes narrowed beneath his mask, golden lightning flashing within. Although he still didn't understand what wraith coins were or their purchasing power, he knew they were currency. And now, a being he could crush with a breath was asking him for money!
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