Another massive ship, painted in yellow and black, sailed past in the distance.

Its exaggerated three-tiered gun deck was menacingly visible, and the waves it broke through were several meters high.

Ed, resting on the open deck, frowned at the sight and asked, "What's going on? This is the third giant sailing battleship we've seen already. Which fleet is it?"

This was the third time Ed had seen such a large sailing battleship patrolling in the past few days, not to mention the several smaller ships following behind. Such fleets rarely sailed in the open sea; they usually stayed within the Blood Gold Alliance's waters.

In response to Ed's question, Jason simply took out a newspaper and handed it to him. "Take a look."

Hearing this, Ed flipped through the newspaper. After a quick glance, he knew what Jason wanted to tell him. "The Prayer of the Dead Pirates are conducting a major raid! This time, they may be targeting the Poker Ocean."

The Blood Gold Alliance and the surrounding seas are collectively known as the Poker Ocean, which, on a map, is a large area located slightly above the lower right corner.

"Is this pirate group really that powerful?" Ed was somewhat puzzled. Unlike a certain world where pirates could become emperors, no such thing existed here. Most were simply villains who did bad things, and that was all.

Ed had seen some of the Blood Gold Alliance's ships. Those massive sailing warships were practically sea fortresses. It wasn't that Ed looked down on pirates, but such ships were simply beyond the capabilities of any small power; the construction of each one was a testament to the strength of the entire force. The manpower, resources, and money required were immense.

A mere pirate group with a few hundred members wouldn't stand a chance. That's why he was shocked, wondering why the entire Blood Gold Alliance would treat them with such seriousness.

"Helsiefer is a major pirate," Jason explained. "Perhaps two years ago he wasn't much of a threat, but since that incident, he's become a headache for many forces."

"What do you mean? What did he do? He didn't capture a country, right?" Ed, completely unfamiliar with this information, asked curiously.

"He didn't capture a country, but two years ago, in the Biberts Islands Kingdom, an entire important port island was massacred by the Prayer of the Dead. They plundered most of its wealth, kidnapped many women, and killed hundreds if not thousands of innocent people."

Jason frowned as he said this. "According to the survivors, the leader of the pirate crew, Helsiefer, possessed a treasure."

Hearing this, Ed immediately understood and nodded, though a hint of envy stirred in his heart. Robbing an entire port island, probably taking dozens of beautiful women, processing his own treasure... the wealth from that is enough to make anyone drool.

Of course, he didn't endorse the blatant killing of innocents or kidnapping, but by pirate standards, it was indeed a great, world-celebrated feat.

Perhaps the pirate crew wasn't particularly powerful, but once their captain possessed a treasure, everything changed, Ed thought while rubbing his chin. A treasure brings not only a powerful fighter but also the ability to grant magical powers to followers, enhancing their physical abilities far beyond ordinary people, just as he had gained power by touching that magic mirror.

As far as Ed knew, even the lowest-level treasure at the [Holy Grail] tier could empower at least a hundred people. In that case, their pirate ships were definitely not ordinary vessels.

Sometimes, one had to admit that these magically inscribed ships far surpassed ordinary battleships in many aspects. Their firepower might not be as strong, but their sailing capabilities and other features were far more advanced and comfortable.

This came from Ed's own experience. Sailing on an ordinary sailboat felt a bit like living in a slum. The food, clothing, daily necessities, and living comfort were unacceptable, especially for Ed's modern sensibilities.

He had personally experienced this when he first sailed with Sigurd; it was a hellish experience. Compared to that ship, life on Andre's ship, the Blue Fist, was like living in heaven. There was no comparison at all.

Life on the Blue Fist felt incredibly comfortable to Ed, at least comparable to a regular hotel. Most importantly, there wasn't much to worry about regarding food. They had excellent storage technology. Even without that, Ed kept his inventory stocked with hot meals and fresh fruit, which he could eat whenever he wanted.

During a casual chat, as night approached, the ship accelerated again, heading towards an uninhabited island. In the darkness, the island's twinkling lights became visible.

Andre stood at the bow, rubbing his fingers together. Blue birds formed from magical lines flew from his hands towards the island. A short while later, an ordinary sailboat emerged from the darkness and docked beside the Blue Fist.

A tall man jumped over. By the light from the lanterns, Ed could see the man's full appearance. He was nearly two meters tall, wearing a black leather jacket stained with oil and grime.

His long, black hair was also covered in grease and hung down messily. He wore a classic captain's hat decorated with an unknown skull. He limped over, and only then did Ed notice his left leg was fitted with a wooden peg. His scarred, menacing face stared at Andre.

"Andre, what are you hypocrites doing here, and why call a scum like me so late at night?" he asked in a hoarse voice, his tone utterly rude.

Andre ignored his manner, replying directly, "I need you to attack Meister Island at a time I specify. Not to actually storm it, but to draw their forces away."

"Ha! A bunch of hypocrites indeed. But you should know, the sea patrols these days aren't easy to avoid," The pirate retorted.

"Fifteen Gold Sails!" Andre immediately quoted a price.

This price stunned not only the pirate in front of him but also Ed and Elena beside him. Ed shot Andre a fierce look, as if to say, I could attract their attention too, just give me the money!

"Deal!" the previously hesitant and rude pirate said immediately, extending his filthy hand. Andre shook it firmly without hesitation.

"Haha! Although I hate hypocrites like you, you guys are so generous I can't resist taking the job." He pulled a finger bone from his pocket and tossed it over. Andre caught it.

"You know how to use it," The pirate said, glancing at Andre with a slight smile before turning and jumping onto his ship without another word. The pirate ship sailed back into the enveloping darkness.

"Dad, isn't this price too high?" Elena couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, a bit too high," Ed nodded in complaint. "If you ask me, we could just plant a lot of bombs all over the city in unimportant locations and set them off randomly. I don't believe the guards would still have time to bother us."

That was a full 15 Gold Sails, equal to 375 Silver Snakes. I could rent a super-hot woman for an entire night for a single Silver Snake. 375 means I could rent one for 187 days straight, nearly half a year!

Hearing this, Andre and Elena first gave Ed a weird look, wondering where he got such a bizarre idea. Then Andre shook his head. His face showed a flicker of pain, but he sighed and said, "There's nothing I can do. Normally, I wouldn't offer more than ten for this, but you know how tight the patrols are now. And Ed, do you think bombs are sold on the street nowadays? Where are we going to buy enough to blast a city? First of all, how would we even get inside? Don't forget we're wanted."

Saying that, Andre, still feeling the pain of losing a huge part of his savings, couldn't help but pound his chest lightly.

"Enough talk, let's set sail. Time is of the essence; we still have something waiting for us to retrieve." After saying that, he went directly to the bow of the ship, took the helm himself, and steered the vessel in an unknown direction.

"Something waiting to retrieve?" Ed couldn't help but wonder. As for his idea being criticized as illogical, he didn't feel bad about it. After all, he was new to this profession, and to this entire world.

How was he supposed to know that people could sell guns openly on a random small island, but not bombs? Does that even make any sense? Aren't bombs and guns two sides of the same coin?

Not long after, the sea not far away began to bubble and froth under the moonlight. A sailboat broke the surface of the seabed, the splashing water glistening in the lunar light.

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