The private discussion between the two top-notch pirate governors soon ended.
Due to the magic barrier that was raised, Wilson and others could not hear what was discussed. They could only vaguely sense that the entire oceanâs forces and state of affairs were about to undergo tremendous changes.
When the two legendary pirate ships ended their meeting, they were even more nervous, afraid that the Pirate Prince would compromise with Blackbeard and give them away as a gift.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not occur.
Blackbeard snorted coldly. The huge Monster roared and reentered the Hell of Lightning.
In contrast, Wanderer gracefully made a left turn, like an exceptional dancer with the ocean as its stage, and sailed alongside Fiery Lotus.
âIâm Roche, captain of the Purgatory Pirate Team. Greetings, great son of the Golden Ocean!â
Fang Yuan opened his arms wide with his palms up and bowed.
âIâm Edward!â The Pirate Prince grabbed on to a mooring rope and exerted a slight force. He drew a beautiful arc in the air and landed on Fiery Lotusâs deck. âMmm, this is a third-level naval warship, right? In the past, it would have been enough to sail in the Nightmare Ocean and the Golden Ocean. Unfortunately, even the navyâs former trump card, a first-level naval warship, wonât be enough in the futureâŠâ
Edward gently stroked the mast and sighed.
Simply from this statement, Fang Yuan knew that the Pirate Prince was definitely not completely ignorant about the changes that were currently taking place in Ettoman.
Furthermore, he had a sufficient understanding of the ironclad warships.
Unfortunately, it was still the same line.
What could you do even if you knew about it?
The entire steam engine industry system was not something that could be completed overnight. Even if the Pirate Prince was already going all-out and working overtime to prepare for war, he was still at least a year behind Ettoman.
Even worse, the pirate governors had their own territories, so they had no choice but to meet the enemy head-on in order to guard their own interests and reputation.
While looking at the Pirate Prince who seemed like a sentimental old man, Fang Yuan unexpectedly felt a hint of âsunsetâ.
It was like⊠seeing the afterglow of the closure of the pirates.
âAll right, letâs talk about some happy matters⊠Captain Roche, welcome to the Golden Ocean that I guard!â
Edward exhaled deeply and smiled brilliantly.
It only took a moment for the sad atmosphere from earlier to be immediately dispelled.
After a brief chat, even Fang Yuan had to admit that the Pirate Prince was truly an admirable man.
Not only did he have plenty of experience and knowledge, but he was also not bound by this worldâs etiquette.
Right after their discussion on the subtle differences between female elves and female humans, Edward pulled open his collar and said nonchalantly, âOh right, Roche, I heard that you have a noble lady from Ettoman on board your ship?â
âYes, her name is Elizabeth, and sheâs the daughter of Viscount Quaid!â
Fang Yuan nodded in admittance.
Speaking of which, this womanâs luck seemed to be always pretty good.
If she had not been imprisoned on Fiery Lotus but on either of the two three-masted ships, she would have probably died long ago.
âHowever, sheâs only a woman. Edward, if you want herâŠâ Fang Yuan was very generous and swung his hands. âThen sheâs all yours!â
âThat wonât do⊠Based on the pirate rules that I set in the Golden Ocean, only high-ranking pirates can order low-ranking pirates to pay tribute, and the frequency canât be too high! You arenât my subordinate yet, so if I accept your tributes, that would be quite wrongâŠâ
Edward promptly waved his hands in refusal. âFurthermore, Viscount Quaid isnât a simple fellow. Even without relying on his daughterâs marriage for connections, he still narrowly defeated his competitor and became the colonial governor of Ettomanâs Solomon Strait⊠Congratulations Captain, your slaveâs worth has risen again.â
âThen, great son of the Golden Ocean, I wonder if you could offer me a suggestion?â Fang Yuan thought for a while, and then his eyes glistened. âIf I use this captive to extort Viscount Quaid, what should I demand?â
âFor ordinary pirate teams and merchants, an exemption right in Solomon would be a gold mine with a steady income. But in your caseâŠâ
The Pirate Prince said sincerely, âI suggest you demand other things, such as⊠have you heard of legendary pirates ships?â
âOf course. Monster, Sea God, Kingâs Throne, Specter Ship, and your flagship, Wanderer, are well-known among all pirates.â Fang Yuan nodded.
âAny great pirate must possess their own extraordinary ship, and this will only become even more important in the future!â Edward winked.
âCould⊠Viscount Quaid have an extraordinary ship?â Fang Yuan was truly astonished.
âNo, he doesnât have one. However, all extraordinary ships are built by legendary shipwrights and sorcerers⊠As far as I know, excellent skills and magic attachment techniques are only one aspect. Whatâs truly important are still the materials! For instance, the wood used in my Wanderer is from the extinct Wind God Tree. Of course, there were other extremely precious materials put together to ultimately build the worldâs fastest sailing ship!â
Edward was gazing at Wanderer as though he was looking at his lover.
âViscount Quaidâs family has a very precious material for shipbuilding⊠Mmm, have you heard the rumors about the ship Sea God?â
âIâve heard. Itâs said that this ship had obtained the Sea Godâs powers and can easily summon tsunamis and whirlpools and call for tempests to assist in battlesâŠâ Fang Yuan said everything he knew.
âThatâs right!â Edward sneered as he shook his head. âThe shipâs keel is made from the Sea Godâs spine⊠Such material is indeed unparalleled in the world. The ship is practically invincible in the ocean. It was thanks to it that the king of the mermaids, Kingsley, was able to suppress the entire Coral Ocean and resist all outsiders!
âWhen they were building the ship, although they used the Sea Godâs body for blood sacrifice, portions of its body were still circulated. Among these, a piece of the Sea Godâs skin is Viscount Quaidâs hands!â Edward slowly shared a secret.
âOf course, although itâs the Sea Godâs skin, itâs too difficult to cast. Furthermore, even if you come across excellent shipwrights who are willing to undertake this task, there arenât many great forces that can gather enough of the other legendary materials. So although this piece of the Sea Godâs skin is priceless, itâs still possible that Viscount Quaid would be willing to exchange it!â
âI see!â Fang Yuan took a deep breath and nodded his head. He then looked at Edward. âThen⊠great Pirate Prince, why are you helping me so much?â
âMe? I just donât want the ocean to be too lonesome in the futureâŠâ
A lonely look appeared on Edwardâs face, and he swung back onto Wandererâs deck. âAn incomparable great ocean war will break out in the Nightmare Ocean a month later. Any pirate with the ambition to become the Pirate King shouldnât be absent.â
âPirate Prince Edward? What an interesting personâŠâ
Looking at Wanderer quickly fading away, Fang Yuanâs lips curled up at the corners. Shortly after, his expression turned grave. âGet everyone to gather on the deck and count our losses! Also, order Slavery to come closer and report the list of survivors!â
After some time, Wilson passed a loss report to Fang Yuan.
Although they had successfully crossed the Hell of Lightning and reached the Golden Ocean, their losses were significant.
First, the two three-masted ships were lost. And along with the two captains, Pixar and Robert, most of the crew had died without burial. As a self-proclaimed pirate commander, Fang Yuan was immediately at risk of regressing back to before.
Next, in terms of personnel, from the people that he had sent to supervise, Single Ear and Danogu had met with misfortune. But Butcher and Youne, these two simple and honest fellows, had survived. Perhaps fortune favored fools.
As for Slavery, although it was not completely destroyed, it was still heavily damaged. The poor carpenter almost fainted when he saw it.
Most of the crew was still alive, which could be considered a consolation amid all the misfortune.
âBoss, what should we do next?â
Having narrowly escaped from death, Bill made up his mind to cling on to Fang Yuan and would never leave Fiery Lotus again, even if he was given the position of a captain!
âWeâll first head to the nearby Hokululu Port to rest for half a month. We need to replenish crew members and find a few shipwrights with ample experienceâŠâ Fang Yuan paused before continuing, âAfter half a month, weâll once again return to the Nightmare Ocean.â
Most of the crewâs faces turned green at once.
Experiencing a narrow escape from death once was already enough. Any more would simply be an ordeal to the heart.
âYes, we must return!â Fang Yuanâs expression was cold and firm. âAnyone questioning my decision?â
All the pirates immediately cowered.
âGreat. In that case, itâs decided.â
There was no doubt that Fang Yuan had absolute authority on his ship.
Ettoman, Royal Navy Port.
âSir Donald, Captain Orlando has come to visit!â
The butler brought Orlando, who was carrying gifts, into the study.
Donald, who was originally hard at work at his deck, raised his head and smiled.
âHaha⊠Welcome! My captain, do you like your new ship and equipment?â
âI like them a lot!â Orlando then asked courteously, âAlso⊠Iâve discussed it with Mr. Donald many times, but Iâm still very curious about the Dream and Armament Master. I wonder if you could further introduce his existence to me?â
âOf course⊠My Lord is benevolent and will shelter anyone willing to convert their faith to Him!â Donald spoke like a religious fanatic.
Orlando sat down and casually asked, âThatâd really be great⊠Also, what are you currently writing, Sir?â
âA literary work titled âThe Influence of Sea Powerâ!â Donald laughed. âLater on, Iâll send you a portion of my manuscript, and you can help me take a look. After all, you and I are different types of sailors, and I need the opinions of professionals.â
âItâd be my honor!â Orlando promptly bowed.