Chapter 858: Skin
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
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 ocean’s forces and state of affairs were about to undergo tremendous changes.
“Hmph!”
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.
“I’m Roche, captain of the Purgatory Pirate Team. Greetings, great son of the Golden Ocean!”
Fang Yuan opened his arms wide with his palms up and bowed.
“I’m Edward!” 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 Lotus’s deck. “Mmm, 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 navy’s former trump card, a first-level naval warship, won’t be enough in the future…”
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 ‘sunset’.
It was like… seeing the afterglow of the closure of the pirates.
“All right, let’s talk about some happy matters… Captain Roche, welcome to the Golden Ocean that I guard!”
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 world’s etiquette.
Right after their discussion on the subtle differences between female elves and female humans, Edward pulled open his collar and said nonchalantly, “Oh right, Roche, I heard that you have a noble lady from Ettoman on board your ship?”
“Yes, her name is Elizabeth, and she’s the daughter of Viscount Quaid!”
Fang Yuan nodded in admittance.
Speaking of which, this woman’s 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.
“However, she’s only a woman. Edward, if you want her…” Fang Yuan was very generous and swung his hands. “Then she’s all yours!”
“That won’t 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 can’t be too high! You aren’t my subordinate yet, so if I accept your tributes, that would be quite wrong…”
Edward promptly waved his hands in refusal. “Furthermore, Viscount Quaid isn’t a simple fellow. Even without relying on his daughter’s marriage for connections, he still narrowly defeated his competitor and became the colonial governor of Ettoman’s Solomon Strait… Congratulations Captain, your slave’s worth has risen again.”
“Then, great son of the Golden Ocean, I wonder if you could offer me a suggestion?” Fang Yuan thought for a while, and then his eyes glistened. “If I use this captive to extort Viscount Quaid, what should I demand?”
“For ordinary pirate teams and merchants, an exemption right in Solomon would be a gold mine with a steady income. But in your case…”
The Pirate Prince said sincerely, “I suggest you demand other things, such as… have you heard of legendary pirates ships?”
“Of course. Monster, Sea God, King’s Throne, Specter Ship, and your flagship, Wanderer, are well-known among all pirates.” Fang Yuan nodded.
“Any great pirate must possess their own extraordinary ship, and this will only become even more important in the future!” Edward winked.
“Could… Viscount Quaid have an extraordinary ship?” Fang Yuan was truly astonished.
“No, he doesn’t 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. What’s 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 world’s fastest sailing ship!”
Edward was gazing at Wanderer as though he was looking at his lover.
“Viscount Quaid’s family has a very precious material for shipbuilding… Mmm, have you heard the rumors about the ship Sea God?”
“I’ve heard. It’s said that this ship had obtained the Sea God’s powers and can easily summon tsunamis and whirlpools and call for tempests to assist in battles…” Fang Yuan said everything he knew.
“That’s right!” Edward sneered as he shook his head. “The ship’s keel is made from the Sea God’s 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!
“When they were building the ship, although they used the Sea God’s body for blood sacrifice, portions of its body were still circulated. Among these, a piece of the Sea God’s skin is Viscount Quaid’s hands!” Edward slowly shared a secret.
“Of course, although it’s the Sea God’s skin, it’s too difficult to cast. Furthermore, even if you come across excellent shipwrights who are willing to undertake this task, there aren’t many great forces that can gather enough of the other legendary materials. So although this piece of the Sea God’s skin is priceless, it’s still possible that Viscount Quaid would be willing to exchange it!”
“I see!” Fang Yuan took a deep breath and nodded his head. He then looked at Edward. “Then… great Pirate Prince, why are you helping me so much?”
“Me? I just don’t want the ocean to be too lonesome in the future…”
A lonely look appeared on Edward’s face, and he swung back onto Wanderer’s deck. “An incomparable great ocean war will break out in the Nightmare Ocean a month later. Any pirate with the ambition to become the Pirate King shouldn’t be absent.”
…
“Pirate Prince Edward? What an interesting person…”
Looking at Wanderer quickly fading away, Fang Yuan’s lips curled up at the corners. Shortly after, his expression turned grave. “Get everyone to gather on the deck and count our losses! Also, order Slavery to come closer and report the list of survivors!”
“Boss!”
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.
“Boss, what should we do next?”
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!
“We’ll 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 experience…” Fang Yuan paused before continuing, “After half a month, we’ll once again return to the Nightmare Ocean.”
“What? Return?”
Most of the crew’s 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.
“Yes, we must return!” Fang Yuan’s expression was cold and firm. “Anyone questioning my decision?”
All the pirates immediately cowered.
“Great. In that case, it’s decided.”
There was no doubt that Fang Yuan had absolute authority on his ship.
…
Ettoman, Royal Navy Port.
“Sir Donald, Captain Orlando has come to visit!”
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.
“Haha… Welcome! My captain, do you like your new ship and equipment?”
“I like them a lot!” Orlando then asked courteously, “Also… I’ve discussed it with Mr. Donald many times, but I’m still very curious about the Dream and Armament Master. I wonder if you could further introduce his existence to me?”
“Of course… My Lord is benevolent and will shelter anyone willing to convert their faith to Him!” Donald spoke like a religious fanatic.
Orlando sat down and casually asked, “That’d really be great… Also, what are you currently writing, Sir?”
“A literary work titled ‘The Influence of Sea Power’!” Donald laughed. “Later on, I’ll 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.”
“It’d be my honor!” Orlando promptly bowed.