Just as Fat Dragon had observed over this period, Halding was unusually particular about his hairstyle.
In the flurry of moves, Byron had attempted to attack that tuft of blue hair several times, but each time, Halding blocked it at the first opportunity.
Of course, it was also possible that he was protecting his own head.
But since there was a clue, it was worth a try.
Thus, Byron decisively switched strategies, a light breeze carrying his voice to Violet's ear.
She immediately understood and, along with Storm Admiral Andrew, leaped into the fray. At the same time, she fired a shot at Blue Hair's confidant... Fat Dragon.
BOOM!
A salvo of Blazing Steel Balls, powerful enough to kill a Third Order Transcendent, forced Blue Hair, who was anxious for his subordinate, to once again activate his Repelling Water Ring.
The larger the area, the weaker the effect naturally became.
One of the pellets, quite coincidentally, flew towards Blue Hair's neck.
Even though it was protected by armor resembling a crab shell, it unavoidably distracted him for a moment.
Simultaneously, the combined three-pronged assault of Byron, Violet, and Andrew, all Third Order powerhouses, finally created a sliver of opportunity.
Byron breathed out wisps of white mist from his nose and mouth, instantly seizing control of the surrounding air currents.
The effects of "Son of the Storm," enhanced by the Mad Hunt, granted Byron even greater dominion over the airflow.
Just as he was attacking head-on, his lance once again caught by the crab pincer, he suddenly opened his mouth and spewed a thin, sharp beam of white light at Blue Hair's face.
SIZZLE—!
Even though Byron's methods had been fully upgraded, the essence of swordsmanship he had realized when he first used chili powder and knockout drugs had never been lost.
Now, even the omnipresent wind had become his sword; it could even be termed "blade energy" or "Mouth Cannon"!
Even though Blue Hair instinctively dodged due to a primal reflex, his head was not pierced by that close-range attack.
Still, the razor-sharp blade energy grazed his cheek, slicing off two blue strands of hair at his temples.
When Byron rushed behind him, he had already snatched those two strands of hair in his hand.
He immediately used Echoes of History on them.
The Sailing Logbook faced restrictions due to Blue Hair's Fourth Order Class, making it difficult to directly read his abilities.
But knowing that the abilities might have a strong connection to the hairstyle, reading the history of just a strand of hair was now much simpler.
Although the information obtained might not be complete, no one understood the importance of intelligence and information more than him.
Sometimes, merely a piece of key intelligence could turn the tides of an unfavorable situation, leading to a complete reversal.
Title: Blue Hair
Special Effect: Fox Borrowing the Tiger's Might.
Effect One: Pulling the Tiger's Skin as a Banner.
In this world, although Great Power ultimately belongs to the individual, it isn't entirely so.
Just like the "Fox Borrowing the Tiger's Might" ability, it relies not on one's true skill, but on solid connections.
As long as the "fox's" hair color and style match the imitated "tiger," it can borrow the latter's strength—the more similar it is, the stronger the borrowed power will be!
For Barbarossa Halding, who in this world could be more similar to, and stronger than, his twin brother, "Ocean Throne" Barbarossa Hailiding?
The piratical hairstyle naturally mimicked none other than the Pirate King himself.
Halding's actual skill level was barely Third Order and was only achieved through extensive drug use—he was nearly the weakest of his kind.
While not weak, compared to his Fifth Order Legendary Realm twin brother, he could only be described as trash.
But with this title effect, his strength immediately surged by one whole Order on top of his original level, transforming him from a mediocre Third Order into a rare and powerful Fourth Order expert!
Unfortunately, limited by his Talent, he had not mastered the Flow State and could not perfectly control this external power, which far exceeded his own Class.
Thus, it wasn't that Halding hadn't used his title ability; his strength was inherently derived from the title effect.
Effect Two: Aura of the Strong.
Anyone seeing this identical hairstyle would wildly imagine that the "fox" is not only outwardly similar to the "tiger" but also that their strength must be nearly the same.
Indeed, one could even feel an aura from the "fox" no less impressive than that of the "tiger"—the Pirate King, "Ocean Throne."
Just by standing there, most people would give you (or rather, your brother) some respect.
Some with weak wills might even frighten themselves, drastically reducing their combat effectiveness or even fleeing without a fight.
Even with Byron's knowledge, his eyelid couldn't help but twitch upon seeing this title effect.
This is practically tailor-made for a privileged second-generation freeloader, even more shameless than Catherine's "Regent King" title.
Under the Iron Laws of Sovereignty, the Regent King's power was only effective within the confines of the law; however, the "Fox Borrowing the Tiger's Might" ability was all-weather and effective across all territories.
What's the difference between this 'My Legendary Brother' or 'My Brother is the Pirate King'... and 'My Father is a District Head'?
Referee, there's a foul here!
Besides, in Byron's view, there was a sense of déjà vu about the scenario unfolding with the Halding brothers.
They seem to share some striking similarities with that pair of Qiu brothers—the world-shaking genius of a younger brother, and the good-for-nothing swindler of an elder brother.
At this moment, his opponent—Blue Hair—realized he'd been ambushed. He broke out in a cold sweat, which was immediately followed by boundless rage.
His hairstyle was his power source, his very lifeline.
No matter how one's power is acquired, in the end, it is real and undeniable.
As the Wild Hunt Knight's three-minute transformation limit gradually neared, a sudden flash of azure fire glimmered deep within Byron's eyes.
Immediately after, Blue Hair heard a thunderous roar from behind:
"Your Highness, the Deputy King, I am here to aid you! Please, step over my corpse and annihilate our enemies!"
Then a swooshing sound as someone tore through the air towards him.
Blue Hair didn't need to turn around; he knew it was one of his closest confidants, a Fat Dragon whose absolute strength surpassed that of many at the Third Order.
The classic, heart-warming lines this confidant used when defending him still echoed in his ears:
"The Deputy King's arm was sacrificed for the future of all Barbary Pirates!"
"His Highness, the Deputy King, was simply careless; he didn't dodge!"
"If you think you can do better, then you try!"
"His Highness the Deputy King only lost an arm, but the Castilians lost their dominant position over the entire Bantaan Archipelago!"
"Setting aside the outcome for a moment, is there truly no one here who is even slightly at fault?"
"..."
Could anyone hear these words and not feel their heart stir?
Clearly, here stood an absolutely loyal retainer one could entrust their back to.
Now, with merely a Second Order Supernatural Rank, he threw himself into a desperate battle among Middle Sequence Transcendents.
This kind of self-sacrificing spirit touched even the stony heart of Blue Hair, moistening his eyes.
He resolved then and there: if Fat Dragon sacrificed his life to create an opportunity for a counterattack, he would definitely take good care of his wives.
Before Blue Hair could think further, Byron and Andrew suddenly lunged with life-risking ferocity, pinning his pincers on both sides, while Violet remotely restrained his breath with a play of black and white keys.
Seeing this tactic that resembled a desperate gambit, Blue Hair sneered inwardly:
Fools! It's not you who have trapped me, but I who have trapped you! Just wait until my fearless and loyal subordinate arrives...
WHOOSH!
Just then, a flash of white light appeared behind him, and atop his head, he felt a chill.
Blue Hair's body stiffened instantly.
His eyes widened in disbelief, bit by bit, as he saw a flurry of... blue hairs fluttering down before him.
Using the reflection from the film of water on his crab pincer, he trembled as he looked toward his own head.
To his horror, he found that with the flash from the Boarding Axe, he now had hair on the sides but a bald strip down the middle—a Mediterranean.
Only then did a nonchalant voice from behind him hauntingly say:
"Sorry, I'm an undercover agent."