I WAS The Rank–1 Hero-Chapter 148: Red Skull [2]

Five minutes before Ruby and Zane arrived near the Red Skull war ship.

….

On one of the Red Skull ships.

Inside the deck, there was an office space. A beautiful young girl with glossy black hair and dark blue eyes, wearing a black sailor uniform, sat behind a wooden desk. The sunlight streamed directly through the window behind her, casting a glow around her figure. The clapping sound of waves filled the atmosphere inside the quiet room.

Two figures stood before the girl. One was a female with shiny blue hair in her late twenties, and the other was a male with dark blue hair, around the age of forty.

The man wore only pants, his upper body bare, revealing a prominent cross-shaped scar running across his chest.

The female next to him stepped forward and addressed the girl behind the desk.

"Captain Maria, the government has scattered our wanted posters all across the kingdom…"

The girl named Maria, sitting on the captain's chair, didn't respond. Her expression was cold and calculative, as if she had already anticipated this would happen eventually.

The female crew member turned to the man and asked,

"Oi, Jack!" She elbowed Jack, the one with the scar on his chest, and demanded in annoyance, "Show the captain the poster."

"Y-Yes." Jack stuttered as he began searching for the wanted poster by putting his hand into his pants.

"...Where did I put it…?" He moved his hands around his crotch, searching.

"Yuck…" The female crew member squinted her eyes in disgust.

But before Jack could pull the wanted poster from inside his pants, Maria, the captain of the Red Skull, raised her hand and spoke coldly.

"There's no need for that."

She shifted her attention from Jack to the female crew member.

"Susie."

"Yes, captain." The woman beside Jack straightened her posture and gave a high salute.

Maria continued.

"Why do you think they want our heads?"

Susie remained silent for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"I don't know, captain."

Maria asked again.

"Did we harm any commoners?"

"No, captain," answered Susie.

"Have we ever looted from the commoners?"

"No, captain."

"Do you think we caused any trouble to the commoners?"

"Not at all, captain."

Maria stood from her seat.

—Srrr

The chair screeched back as she elegantly walked forward and stood in front of Susie.

Susie didn't flinch, but her breathing hitched. Meeting her captain's dark blue gaze, she was mesmerized.

Susie always admired her captain. At such a young age, she had managed to become the leader of an entire pirate group, with five warships under her control.

And not to forget, Maria possessed unique powers that only she could wield in the entire world—or so Susie believed.

She wanted to be someone like her, someone who could stand on her own feet, lead hundreds, and stand against the corruption of this world. But…

There was only one Maria.

And none could come close to her power. Even the Rank-1 Hero, Hope, would have a hard time against her.

That's what Susie currently thought.

Maria's gaze sharpened. Then, with a cold voice, she asked,

"Then why are they saying we torture common people?"

The wanted posters were made for those pirates who created problems for the everyday lives of people. That's why they were given such high bounties.

Susie's lips quivered before she answered.

"T-They're fools, captain…!"

"They don't yet know your greatness. You've done so much for the commoners—you gave them so many things, and still, they—"

"Enough." Maria interrupted, turning around and pointing at the map on the wall.

"We'll sail here. Prepare the ships." She ordered.

She pointed at an 'X' marked on the map. Looking closely, it was the same place where the Black Bullets were killed, and where they discovered an underwater door.

"As you wish, Captain!" Jack answered, proceeding to move out the door.

But as soon as he did, an overwhelming pressure befell on them.

Doooom—

"Wha—!"

"...?!"

Jack and Susie stumbled on their feet, abruptly gripping the shelf near them. The contents on the table, an aquarium and a wine glass, fell and shattered across the floor.

People screamed.

The havoc wasn't limited to the office. Outside, the crew members also dropped to their knees, banging their heads against the wet floor.

The pressure intensified, crushing and engulfing all of them beneath it.

The crew scattered across the ship fell face-flat onto the deck. The drums in their hands rolled away as they pathetically quivered, their eyes wide with terror, teeth chattering.

All their faces went pale, as if they were under the presence of someone supreme.

But amidst it all, only one entity remained motionless inside the office.

Maria.

She took a single step toward the window.

Effortlessly, she reached beneath her coat and pulled out a pendant.

Dangling on a gold chain was a small clock with thirteen hands, submerged inside a shimmering blue crystal. The hour hand trembled between two numbers.

Number 01, and Number 13.

Maria's lips curled into a pleasant smile.

Tugging the pendant back beneath her coat, she turned toward the quivering Jack and Susie. Raising her right hand, she snapped her fingers.

Snap—!

Almost instantly, an intense surge of energy burst from her fingertip.

The shattered glass and spilled water from the aquarium reversed back. The fish, which had been flopping helplessly on the floor, returned to its watery home. The chattering of teeth ceased.

As if time itself had rewound,.everything returned to normal.

This was her power.

The very power that placed her above all.

The power to revert time.

"Huh?" Jack and Susie gasped in surprise as they found themselves standing, no longer trembling on the floor.

Their eyes gleamed with admiration.

They had once again witnessed the display of their captain's power.

They felt whole.

I've been blessed! Susie thought.

As expected of my captain, Jack thought, lowering his head in awe.

They immediately went on alert, about to bark orders to the rest of the crew to prepare for battle.

Who dares attack us?!

They burned with fury…

Just waiting for their captain's command.

But her next words made them freeze in disbelief.

"Raise the white flag," ordered Maria, gazing out the window into the distance.

"Eh..?"

"Captain?"

Both Susie and Jack couldn't believe what they heard. They exchanged glances but didn't dare speak against her.

The great Maria—feared by pirates across the sea. The one who never surrendered...

Calling to raise the white flag?

Had she gone mad?

Or… did she have another plan?

Maybe she wanted to personally teach them a lesson.

Yes, that had to be it. Right?

"Do I have to repeat myself?" said Maria, her cold gaze piercing through Susie and Jack.

"N-No, Captain!"

They responded in unison, before leaving the captain's office.

Maria stood alone once more.

Looking out into the distance through her window, she murmured—

"I found you… Paradox."

….

At the same time.

200 meters away from Red Skull's warships.

….

As soon as I activated my <Ruler> skill, the air grew thick. A surge of raw Essence erupted from my body, engulfing the sea in front of me.

Opening my eyes—and with the help of my AI mask, Velya—I could see and hear the screams of people suffering on the ships ahead.

The pirates aboard were quivering and crawling across the decks, saliva dripping from their slack jaws. Their eyes bulged wide as they trembled in fear.

It was all thanks to my <Ruler> skill.

One of its effects forced beings weaker than me to immediately submit under my pressure—placing their fear entirely under my control.

I wanted to push it further.

But the moment I tried, an overwhelming force surged in my direction, emitting from one of the warships at the front.

"…Ugh!"

Ruby gripped my shoulder to steady herself.

I remained standing—unaffected.

Then I felt it,.my <Ruler> skill shutting down itself. And the surge of Essence that I emitted reverting back inside me.

Before I could even react—

My eyes widened as the Fate's Interface suddenly popped up in front of me.

The screen was glowing red, and across it, bold, flickering text formed in jagged letters.

''This?!' Sera too sounded panic.

— — —「Alert」— — —

Authority holder detected!

→Range : 200 metres

→Authority : Time

→Threat level : None

— — — — — — — — —

"Fuck?!" Reading the content on the screen, I subconsciously cursed.

"What is she doing here?!"

"What happened?" Ruby asked worriedly from the side.

Our plan was to inspect the underground temple first, then go meet the Apostle of Time.

But this—

"I messed up…" I admitted, turning to Ruby.

"W-Why?" she tugged on my sleeve.

I didn't count the possibility of an Authority holder being one of the members of Red Skull.

I should've thought of that beforehand.

Now, what should I do?

I can't just turn around and run away.

She must've sensed me—and Sera—just as much as I sensed her.

"It's her," I told Ruby, "The Time Authority holder."

"..!?"

"Should we turn away?" Ruby asked, already preparing to move.

But before I could respond, something strange happened.

All the Red Skull warships raised their white flags high into the air.

A clear signal for peace.

"Huh?" Ruby's eyes widened. "W-What's happening? Isn't that flag supposed to mean…"

I gulped before replying.

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"It's clear, she's

not surrendering, She is inviting us."

Ruby's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then…"

I nodded.

"We're about to meet her."