Chapter 40

Pirates were accustomed to selling captured sailors directly or keeping them as slave rowers, and such practices were considered normal in the New World, not seen as morally corrupt. Even free men, if unable to pay their debts, often sold themselves into indentured servitude, which was not considered a significant news event, let alone the actions of pirates, which were inherently illegal. Although Luo Zhengdao, the穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, but in this context it refers to a person who has traveled through time or to another world, so it can be translated as "time traveler" or "transmigrant"), thought this treatment was inhumane, he had to accept the saying, "Sing the song of the mountain you are on." He couldn't implement democratic reforms in a slave society. The idea of things like "anal rape," "hanging from streetlights," and "killing entire families" was just too extreme!

The three captured schooners were the main part of the loot. Selling them as a whole required finding the right buyer; otherwise, they would be heavily discounted by middlemen. The pirates didn't have the extra hands to operate them, so Zola Hegel suggested dismantling the schooners and selling the materials, which would be easier to liquidate.

After hearing the boatswain's suggestion, Luo Zhengdao thought for a moment and said, "Hmm, set aside my share for now, and sell the rest to divide among everyone."

Zola Hegel looked at Luo Zhengdao with confusion and asked, "Sir, what do you want with your thirty percent share?"

"Can it be converted into a ship?"

Zola's eyes widened in surprise and he said, "We don't have enough sailors to operate a ship!"

Luo Zhengdao smiled and waved his hand, "Not the whole ship, just the materials on it."

Zola slapped his head in realization, "Oh, so you're planning to rebuild a ship?"

Luo Zhengdao laughed heartily, "Exactly, the Super Brave is too slow. We need a fast ship that can keep up with the Yangwei. If it can't match the Yangwei's speed, it shouldn't fall too far behind. The Super Brave always lags behind, and this isn't a viable long-term solution."

The Super Brave, the only capital left to Luo Zhengdao by his deceased father in Qiongzhou, was a solid and durable schooner with balanced performance, but it was not a qualified pirate ship. Speed was crucial in this line of work.

Since Luo Zhengdao had decided to pursue the promising career of piracy, he naturally had no fondness for the Super Brave, which often held him back. However, replacing the Super Brave was not easy; it required money. Previously, he had to endure and wait for an opportunity. The capture of the Boyle family's armed schooner provided a solution. He planned to make significant technical improvements to the Super Brave, extending the hull, reducing the weight, removing unnecessary living facilities, and increasing the sail area. This would ensure a ship with a speed of over ten knots, though the exact speed was uncertain without seeing the finished product.

Undoubtedly, shipbuilding was a meticulous technical task. If it were as simple as assembling a computer, shipbuilding wouldn't be considered a high-tech industry, and the bearded naval architects could retire. Following Luo Zhengdao's blueprint and internal structure diagram, the sailors, who had just received their share of the loot, worked enthusiastically.

"Hey, remember to install the remaining pieces of the True Magic Pattern Cloth from the last time we upgraded the Yangwei. They're just taking up space in storage."

Considering that this underdeveloped schooner, no matter how modified, could not serve as a flagship, the pirates, acting as carpenters, dismantled most of the upper deck, reconfigured the masts, sails, and lower deck compartments. The result was a sleek and elegant three-masted clipper.

Vina Dubov appreciated Luo Zhengdao's aesthetic sense and was curious about the new ship, which looked like a work of art. She patted Luo Zhengdao's shoulder and said, "Will, your design is great! It looks very light and should be fast."

Zola Hegel, who had been involved in the construction, also smiled and nodded, clearly satisfied with Luo Zhengdao's plan. The newly transformed Super Brave could participate in pursuit battles and serve as a scout and escort, giving the pirate group two fast ships to use, rather than being limited to the Yangwei.

"Done! Let's have a drink!"

Large barrels of beer, rum, and grilled meat were brought out, and the pirates enjoyed a rare moment of leisure on the barren reef.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang..."

Suddenly, the lookout on the Yangwei's mast sounded the alarm and shouted through a megaphone, "Enemy spotted, prepare for action!"

Luo Zhengdao quickly put down his heavy beer mug and rushed to the command deck. Using a monocular, he focused on the direction of the disturbance and saw a vague moving object, but its identity was unclear.

The situation in the Dark Sea was complex. Although it was not as infested with undead as the Sea of Death, it was far from peaceful. The threat came from human factors, not the harsh natural environment. Sensing that the situation might spiral out of control, Luo Zhengdao issued an emergency assembly signal, ordering all crew members to return to their posts. Those who were already drunk and disorderly had to be carried to the lower deck and doused with cold water to sober up.

The pirates completed the preparations for raising the anchor and setting sail. Zola Hegel and Vina Dubov stood on either side of Luo Zhengdao, waiting for his decision.

At that moment, a faint movement appeared in the distant mist. The half-elf beauty, with her keen eyesight, was about to exclaim but covered her mouth and asked in a low voice, "Will, what... is that?"

In the narrow, dim field of vision, the first thing Luo Zhengdao saw was the massive bull's head figurehead breaking through the gloomy fog, followed by the towering black-painted hull, and finally the black flag with a crescent moon flying in the Mana Wind.

Anyone with eyes could recognize the visitor. Luo Zhengdao knew it was the goblins again. He immediately shouted, "Raise the anchor and set sail. We need to leave here immediately."

A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall, an old saying from the old world. Luo Zhengdao did not have the habit of confronting enemies when he knew he was outmatched. His strategy was to retreat and regroup, preserving his strength for a future confrontation. If he were to be defeated today, there would be no tomorrow. His reputation for evading capture was well-known, and even the goblin commanders, known for their brute strength, wouldn't believe that a simple show of force could stop him.

As the Yangwei and the Super Brave began to move in opposite directions, the pirates realized they were already surrounded by the goblin fleet. The initial enemy force was just a decoy.

Goblin warships, like prehistoric beasts, emerged from the dark fog, and the fleet commanded by the bear goblin Jetti White Mountain used a rare multi-pronged encirclement tactic. The nearest goblin warships approached within the range of their 18-pounder cannons and opened fire without hesitation.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The stone projectiles whizzed just above the deck, and the pirates shouted to their comrades, knowing they had no retreat. They had to fight their way out, no matter the cost.

Preserving strength and avoiding direct confrontation with a stronger enemy was a pirate's survival rule. However, when cornered with no way out, even the most desperate pirates would not surrender. They would fight to the death, even if it meant certain death, to take down as many enemies as possible.

Unlike Mordo Blackwater's fleet, which was primarily composed of fast warships, Jetti White Mountain's fleet was based on the former Light Kingdom's Royal Navy. Due to the complex hydrological conditions of the mainland's coastal waters, the Light Kingdom's navy's primary mission was to control important ports, combat smuggling, and support the army in inland rivers. The sail-and-oar warships were not ideal for long-distance voyages, but their close-quarters combat capabilities were formidable.

Inheriting the Light Kingdom's naval assets, Jetti White Mountain's fleet was also primarily composed of sail-and-oar warships. Although their long-range firepower was limited, their close-quarters combat capabilities were extremely brutal.

Luo Zhengdao's two pirate ships, the Yangwei and the Super Brave, had a total of about 400 sailors. The goblin fleet, with just the flagship alone, had over 800 sailors and soldiers. If the enemy boarded, the pirates would certainly face a grim fate.

Goblins were not stupid. Luo Zhengdao's reputation for evading capture was well-known, and the bear goblin commander, determined to outdo Mordo Blackwater, had his own plan. He roared at his subordinates, "Fire the harpoons immediately! If you let this hairless monkey escape again, I'll shove your heads up your asses."

The crude threat greatly boosted their fighting spirit. The strange, small-mouthed, large-bellied cannon on the bow of the goblin warship was ignited, and the stone spores inside the fire door were set alight.

(End of the page)