super battleship

Man and gun in one

At 7 a.m., South Bay Pier. By this time, fishermen had already begun to set sail, bringing the tranquil sea back to life.

In front of a warehouse not far from the pier, a middle-aged woman dressed in a professional suit paced anxiously, accompanied by four bodyguards who kept a vigilant watch on the surroundings.

Though time had etched faint crow’s feet on her face, one could still see traces of the beauty she once was in her youth. This was Chu Feng, the chairwoman of the Chu Group.

“Mom!” A girl's voice called out, making Chu Feng freeze in her tracks.

She turned to see her daughter, who had been missing for two days, standing at the corner not far away, wearing a jacket, smiling brightly under the sunlight. Aside from her slightly disheveled hair, she appeared unscathed.

Chu Feng hurried over and embraced Chu Xiaoxiao tightly. “Xiaoxiao, you nearly scared me to death! Are you hurt?”

Meanwhile, the four bodyguards formed a protective square around the mother and daughter, as several police cars and dozens of officers quickly surrounded the area.

The commotion drew the attention of nearby fishermen, who looked over curiously, wondering what had happened to warrant such a large presence.

Chu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. She had already told them there were no more kidnappers.

Just then, a middle-aged man with a square face, fully armed and wearing a bulletproof vest, approached. “Hello, Miss Chu, I’m Liu Guodong. How did you escape? Where are the kidnappers?”

“I told you, someone rescued me, and we managed to shake them off,” Chu Xiaoxiao replied irritably.

“Miss Chu, please cooperate and tell us the details. We suspect that the kidnappers were the notorious local criminals known as ‘Desperate Saburo.’ They likely have firearms and are extremely dangerous. It’s possible that your rescue was part of their plan. Please...”

“Mom, I want to go home…” Chu Xiaoxiao interrupted, snuggling into Chu Feng’s embrace.

“Alright, we won’t ask anymore. Let’s go home, right now!” Chu Feng shot a glare at Liu Guodong, who dared not press further.

As Chu Xiaoxiao nestled in her mother’s arms, her gaze drifted to the sea, where a dilapidated fishing boat was setting sail...

— Evil Divider —

“Hey, Dad, look over there. Is that the Sea Wolf?” Baldy stood at the bow, pointing at a distant fishing boat.

Uncle Liu put down the rope in his hand and squinted. “It does look similar, but how could it be? The keel was broken. It wouldn’t even float, let alone sail. It’s probably just a resemblance.”

“Sigh, who knows where Nie Yun has gone. That kid is always making trouble!”

“Don’t worry, Dad. That guy is sharper than a sea monkey. He won’t get into any trouble!”

“Hmm, I hope so.”

— Divider —

“Alright, men! Get moving! The morning is the best time to work, and life thrives with exercise! Those who need to sunbathe, sunbathe! Those who need maintenance, get to it! No slacking! You newbies over there, move it! Go chew on the mast!

And remember, eat as much as you can replace, don’t break it!”

Aboard the Sea Wolf, Nie Yun shouted orders, directing the mechanical bugs as they carried out the "Sea Wolf Overhaul Project."

With Miss Chu sent on her way, Nie Yun could finally begin the unrestrained transformation and enhancement of the Sea Wolf. Last night, the mechanical bugs devoured that speedboat, expanding their numbers threefold. Now, they could almost completely fill the skeleton of the Sea Wolf!

During breakfast this morning, an idea struck him—if the mechanical bugs could transform into almost any material, what if he replaced all of the Sea Wolf’s materials with them?

He had

already tested it; objects composed of mechanical bugs were incredibly strong, likely surpassing even special alloys.

A fishing boat entirely made of special alloys! The thought alone sent shivers of excitement through Nie Yun.

As for why it was a fishing boat? Nie Yun proudly declared himself a fisherman—what, did they expect him to build an aircraft carrier?

The Sea Wolf had already sailed out to the open sea, far from other vessels, where the mechanical bugs could work freely.

By now, the bugs had reverted to their original silvery color. As time passed, Nie Yun felt his connection with them growing stronger; he could now observe his surroundings through the bugs’ eyes.

He discovered that when the bugs maintained their original state, their energy absorption was most efficient. Changing their color lowered their work efficiency.

So if any ships passed by, they’d see a fishing boat glistening with a gaudy, silvery sheen.

The endless light and heat provided ample energy, and with the mechanical bugs’ current efficiency, Nie Yun didn’t even need to buy fuel anymore.

The mechanical bugs tirelessly continued the “mechanical bugification” of the Sea Wolf’s framework. Every time a component was devoured, the bugs restructured a new one to replace it. In martial arts terms, the Sea Wolf was undergoing a “rebirth.”

Nie Yun wasn’t idle either. He was processing his spoils of war; the Swiss Army knife and two pistols obtained last night had already been consumed by the mechanical bugs.

After testing the knife, he found its strength had more than doubled. With his guidance, the bugs had sharpened it to the point where it could slice through iron like mud—a true masterpiece!

But what thrilled Nie Yun even more was the pistols taken from the bodies of Lao Er and Lao San. After the bugs had enhanced them, holding the guns felt as though they were an extension of his own flesh and blood, a far cry from the awkwardness he felt yesterday when his first shot aimed for the head had ended up in the chest.

He closed his eyes, connecting his mind with the mechanical bugs within the gun, and something incredible happened!

He could sense the gun’s internal structure with remarkable clarity, down to every tiny groove.

“Click!” Still with his eyes closed, Nie Yun chambered a round and released the safety. He could feel the bullet sliding into the barrel, the path ahead clear.

“Bang!” He fired a shot casually at the sea.

The firing pin struck the bullet’s primer, igniting the propellant. The bullet’s base exploded, propelling the projectile as it spun down the barrel, sending sparks flying.

“Whew!” Nie Yun opened his eyes, utterly astonished. Could he really have reached this level? Was this not the legendary unity of man and gun?

Since merging with the mechanical bugs, his memory and comprehension had skyrocketed. Reflecting on the trajectory of the bullet and his posture, he raised the gun and aimed at the rope on the mast.

“Bang!” Another shot—this one missed the target.

“Bang!” A second shot! “Sizzle!” The bullet struck the rope, sending out a dazzling spark before ricocheting skyward.

The rope remained intact, only a slight scratch visible, which the mechanical bugs quickly repaired, leaving no trace behind.

“Perfect!” Nie Yun grinned with satisfaction, patting the gun. Then he muttered, “The only flaw is the lack of some special effects.”

“Snap!” The rope suddenly broke at the spot it was struck, causing the entire sail to come crashing down with a loud rustle.

Nie Yun watched this scene, nodding in approval, and blew on the gun barrel, spinning it stylishly before it transformed into a bracelet around his wrist.

With just a thought, he could turn the bracelet back into a gun.

Whistling, he continued tinkering with his spoils, while behind him, the rope and sail struggled to climb back up the mast and reattach themselves.

Mechanical Bugs: “...” (This master is really hard to please!)