When the pirate leader Caspar stepped onto the deck of the Wind Feather, he couldn't help but feel smug.

The captain of this merchant ship was quite experienced and responded very quickly after discovering them. In the past, it would have taken the Blood Shark most of the day to catch up to the merchant ship's tail.

However, with the Wind Mage he had recruited with a large sum of money, the situation was completely different. Compared to the Blood Shark at full speed, an ordinary merchant ship was like an adult compared to a child in terms of speed.

Mages rarely wanted to stay on ships long-term.

If they just needed a mage to make fresh water, a lower-level mage would do. However, if they wanted someone to keep the sails filled with wind, they'd need at least a Gold Level mage.

Even putting aside the harsh life on a ship, for mages, increasing one's Magic Level requires a stable environment for meditation, and learning spells requires places to acquire knowledge, none of which are available on a ship.

Generally, among advanced mages, only those who have given up on self-improvement or are in desperate need of money would choose to board a ship, and those ships are usually official vessels. Rarely would a common merchant ship like the Wind Feather be able to hire a mage, let alone a pirate ship.

Caspar had barely taken over the Blood Shark when he recruited a wind mage. The mage was persuaded to join the pirate ship because they were wanted, and Caspar felt providence was smiling upon him as it seemed his luck had turned.

Boarding another ship was risky, so he didn't bring the unfamiliar mage who didn't know how to use ropes but only brought the first mate, second mate, and over thirty crewmen. He had long figured out the strength of the Wind Feather through his insider, and this number was sufficient.

The Wind Feather's captain, Gerhard, and a group of sailors gathered at the edge of the ship's structure. Although a white flag was already hoisted, they hadn't put down their swords and sabers, clearly not giving up entirely and hoping to negotiate.

Caspar wasn't in a hurry; he was already confident he could take this ship.

A particularly perceptive pirate swaggered out, walked among the sailors, picked up a high stool that was about the height of a barrel, weighed it in his hands, and found it much lighter than expected.

Lin Jun & Dylan: ???

The surrounding sailors appeared very tense, many gripping their curved sabers tightly. The pirate, however, acted as if he couldn't see them, deliberately making a round before handing the stool flatteringly to Caspar.

After the arrogant pirate left, the already low morale of the sailors visibly plummeted.

Dylan reached out his hand, yet couldn't find any reason to stop that pirate, ultimately watching in horror as Caspar sat right down.

Caspar looked at this subordinate with satisfaction. Bold and clever, and coincidentally, the position of boatswain was still vacant...

But he wasn't sure if it was just a misconception; did this stool seem a bit soft?

Scout Puki strained to straighten their body to remain undiscovered.

Caspar subtly shifted his weight, thinking it must have been a mistake.

Of course, even if this stool were paper-thin, he had to hang in there with a horse stance to maintain the pressure he exerted earlier, or else it would have been for nothing.

The effect was indeed significant.

Seeing the sailors' shrinking expressions, even the first mate Jialong averted his gaze, rendering him completely devoid of any deterrent force, Gerhard had no choice but to step forward.

"People of Blood Shark, this ship is delivering Breath of Oblivion to Lord Glosa. We are willing to offer a third of the cargo for peace!"

Glosa, one of the three major slave masters of the Archipelago, was also Dylan's final destination, the controller of Silver Sand Bay. Breath of Oblivion is a common drug used to train slaves.

Dylan looked at the captain with some surprise. He hadn't known that this ship, too, was working for Glosa.

Gerhard mentioned Glosa's name because, in the Archipelago, even pirates have rules. Delving deeper would reveal many pirate leaders had some connection to one of the three major slave masters.

These pirates mercilessly target ships belonging to entities other than the three slave masters and take only a quarter of the cargo from ships belonging to the other two slave masters.

This was a means for the major slave masters to eliminate other emerging small forces within the Archipelago and also a way for them to play a game where they wouldn't rip each other's faces off.

The reason why the Wind Feather's captain was willing to give up a third of the cargo was really because of the aggressive posture of the Blood Shark's crew; they seemed to ignore the process, leaving him unsure of their intentions, so he could only sacrifice more for peace.

Yet Caspar merely sneered, "A third to brush me off?"

"What do you want to do then?" Gerhard struggled to keep his voice steady, but he couldn't hide his lack of confidence. At this point, even if Caspar wanted half, he would accept it.

"I want it all!"

"You want to break the rules?"

Caspar grinned, "I not only want all the cargo, but I also want your ship, your people!"

"You…do you want to start a war? Where is Wright? I want to ask him to his face!"

Dylan and the passengers didn't know who Wright was, but the pirates on the Blood Shark clearly did.

They exchanged glances and suddenly burst into laughter.

Caspar said even more smugly, "Wright, that coward, is already fish food. Now the Blood Shark answers to me, Caspar. As for Glosa, we'll just take Glosa's ship!"

"Bullshit!" Knowing there was no way to end this peacefully, Gerhard raised his sword and shouted to the sailors, "Grab your weapons! If you don't want to become slaves tortured to death, pick up your weapons!"

The sailors and even several passengers clutched their weapons tightly—the pirates clearly had no intention of sparing them.

Gerhard pointed his sword at Caspar again, "Don't push me, or there won't be much cargo left if we fight!"

Gerhard was also Gold Level; though he might not win, he could potentially sink the ship in a lose-lose situation.

That's all he could do now to threaten the other side.

Caspar watched the Wind Feather's captain's performance coldly, then raised his right hand, drawing everyone's attention, unsure of what he meant.

As Caspar clenched his right hand into a fist, a dagger pierced through Gerhard's chest!

"Jialong?"

Jialong's dagger was meant for the heart, but Gerhard, being Gold Level, managed to react in time and move slightly, preventing a fatal blow, but the situation was dire.

Gerhard's furious counterattack was dodged by the prepared Jialong, who then quickly ran to Caspar's side, bowing and saying, "Caspar, as you requested."

"Good, good, good!" Caspar patted Jialong's shoulder. "Not only did you drop guidance beacons along the way, but you also solved this big problem. This success will surely earn you accolades, and I'll certainly introduce you to the master!"

At these words, Jialong couldn't help but smile.

"Jialong! You've been with me for 8 years!" Gerhard, lying on the ground and spitting blood, cursed furiously.

"Don't say that, Captain. Everyone's out here for profit; blame yourself for not being cautious enough." Jialong replied nonchalantly, showing no guilt.

"You!" The enraged Gerhard spat more blood as he trembled to retrieve a life-saving potion and gulped it down.

The pirates wouldn't wait for him to recover slowly.

Caspar waved his hand, "Take everything, aoooohh——"

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