Chapter 65

"Vina, don't break the rules. No fighting here. We'll settle this when we leave."

Seeing the situation, Luo Zhengdao quickly stepped forward and hugged Vina Dubov, preventing her impulsive actions and ensuring the half-elf beauty didn't draw her weapon in public. Recalling that this place was indeed unsuitable for a fight, Vina hesitated for a moment. Then, she suddenly realized something was amiss, her face turning slightly red. She quietly broke free from Luo Zhengdao's bear hug.

The Pirate Market was not a place where one could easily turn violent. Minor scuffles after drinking were not a big issue, but if things escalated, it could attract countless enemies. As the saying goes, a good memory is not as reliable as a bad pen. Since his arrival in this new world, Luo Zhengdao had used the excuse of amnesia to inquire about the local customs and gossip from everyone he met. He meticulously recorded this information in his ancestral black notebook and reviewed it whenever he had free time. Luo Zhengdao knew as much about the Pirate Market as the locals, so he promptly intervened to stop the half-elf beauty from attacking the warlock Najef.

For a warlock with extraordinary mental power, even a hint of malice in someone's gaze could raise their alertness. When Najef's gaze shifted to Luo Zhengdao and Vina, a brief look of surprise was followed by a malicious smile. He taunted, "Well, well, isn't this Lord Fulu? You look quite well, must be eating and sleeping like a king!"

"Get lost! You bastard!"

Luo Zhengdao was well aware that settling old scores now was not the right time. According to the pirate code, anyone who started a fight in the Pirate Market would be punished, and the usual outcome was being hanged from the mast. Since direct confrontation was not an option, Luo Zhengdao had no desire to engage in a verbal spat with his enemy. There was always a proper way to resolve matters. As an old saying goes, the invention of cannons replaced crude insults, making us civilized. Luo Zhengdao intended to settle his new and old grievances with Najef in a civilized manner. Words alone could not resolve conflicts or settle old grudges, so it was better to wait for the cannons to speak.

Clearly, the warlock Najef was a cunning and treacherous man, but he was not a shameless rogue. After giving Luo Zhengdao a few cold, mocking laughs, he turned and walked away.

"Will!"

Seeing his enemy in person, Luo Zhengdao was eager to confront him but had to calm Vina Dubov instead. He said with a hint of frustration, "Sigh, we have important business to attend to. We'll settle this with that bastard later."

The unexpected encounter with Najef completely ruined Luo Zhengdao's mood for wandering around. He pulled the half-elf directly to a stall selling warships. Although the actual ships were not visible, the crystal images could vividly display the three-dimensional information of the items for sale.

After carefully reviewing the parchment catalog and the warship thumbnails, Luo Zhengdao pointed to one of the ships and asked Vina Dubov, "Vina, what do you think of this ship?"

The half-elf beauty, now calmer, had rich experience and sharp judgment. After examining the image of the warship, she shook her head and said, "Will, you're being fooled. This ship must have been recently overhauled. If you don't believe me, check the lower deck when inspecting the ship. The planks are probably rotten."

Pirates' conversations always revolved around two main topics: how to find and prepare for raids. Of course, the eternal topic of where to find the best drinks and hot women in the bars was also a constant. Pirates lacking dedication and passion often ended up hanging from some unknown port. Luo Zhengdao, spending his days with such a group, had become a half-expert, regardless of his own diligence.

Nodding in agreement with Vina's assessment, Luo Zhengdao continued flipping through the catalog. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he said, "There's actually a third-tier battleship. How did they get this?"

Luo Zhengdao used the term "acquired" instead of "stolen" because, according to the new world's classification, a third-tier battleship could carry over a thousand sailors and be equipped with more than 120 cannons. Even in a naval battle between two countries, capturing such a large ship was not a common occurrence.

The pirate merchant selling the warship revealed a mouth full of gold teeth and gave Luo Zhengdao an ambiguous look, saying, "This is the flagship of the Gujarat Principality's fleet. The new commander reported it as battle-damaged and is selling it for a good price."

The catalog for the warship included detailed notes, stating that due to the significant size difference between the original users and other intelligent races, the middleman had thoroughly renovated the ship to meet the needs of most potential buyers.

The Gujarat Principality, located in the Javanese Kingdom, was a political entity similar to the Sahu Fishman Kingdom, a chain of islands near the mainland. In this mysterious country, the dominant race was the giants and their vassals, the cyclopes. The residents were divided into different castes.

In this peculiar and exotic land, the powerful giant race naturally occupied the first caste. They did nothing but pray to their ancestors, the Titan Giants, all year round. It was unclear what they were praying for.

The second caste was the cyclopes, who were the warriors and the actual ruling nobility. They were also excellent craftsmen. The third caste was the dwarves, who, despite their small stature, were related to the giants. This relationship allowed them to be in the third caste, where they performed technical jobs like craftsmen, farmers, and woodcutters. The fourth caste was the humans, who were slaves. They did heavy labor, ate like animals, and barely survived.

It was said that these humans were descendants of a group of traitors from the original human dynasty who fled from the mainland to the Celestial Sea and eventually became slaves to the alien races. The human kingdoms on the mainland were indifferent to the cruel rule of these people by the aliens, considering them the descendants of traitors.

Luo Zhengdao humbly consulted Vina Dubov about the Javanese Kingdom to gain a better understanding. Then, he smiled and asked the red-turbaned merchant, "How much for this ship?"

"Thank you for your interest, 120,000 gold coins."

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao, who had just made a fortune from the elves, couldn't help but grimace and shake his head, "Too expensive! Too expensive!"

The smuggler, who specialized in second-hand ships, was unperturbed. He waved his hand and said, "If this warship were cheap, someone else would have bought it already. Why would it be your turn to ask the price?"

As Luo Zhengdao struggled to make a decision, the half-elf beauty leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Will, look over there."

Following her gaze, Luo Zhengdao saw the warlock Najef at a nearby potion stall, coldly observing Luo Zhengdao and his group. Realizing his covert actions were noticed, the evil warlock sneered, raised his right hand, and made a throat-slitting gesture. Then, he turned and walked away, as if he had come just to provoke them.

Fearing Luo Zhengdao might lose control, Vina wrapped her arms around his arm and said urgently, "Don't be impulsive. This guy must have a plan."

Luo Zhengdao was not so naive as to fall for such provocations. Despite his confidence in his abilities, he would not deliberately engage an enemy at a time and place of their choosing. That would be foolish.

Gently breaking free from the half-elf's embrace, Luo Zhengdao smiled and changed the subject, "Are we staying overnight at the market tonight?"

Blandor Fiery, who had accompanied them, replied, "Yes, my lord. We agreed to meet at noon tomorrow. The sailors have been at sea for a long time. If we don't let them relax, it could lead to serious problems."

Luo Zhengdao understood the importance of not rushing into things. Once a decision was made, it should not be changed lightly. Since he had ordered a rest for the crew, it would be impossible to recall them from their revelry now, even if the situation was dire. Despite his deep-seated grudge against Najef, he could only console himself with the thought that there would be another day.

The Age of Exploration in the new world shared a similar spirit to that of the old world. Not only were the pirates' lifestyles decadent and unrestrained, but the regular naval fleets were no better, and in some aspects, even worse.

Due to the meager pay and poor living conditions on naval ships, many small countries struggled to recruit enough sailors, and even some large countries faced the same issue. Navy officers, known for their adaptability, resorted to kidnapping coastal villagers to serve on their ships.

Such brutal practices in the new world were not surprising. In the old world, the British had long "recruited" their own citizens into the navy, even raiding villages to kidnap villagers who knew nothing about sailing. If this were to happen a few hundred years later, it would be considered a shocking scandal. The idea of a country needing to kidnap its own citizens to form an army to protect itself was absurd and against universal values. The best way to avoid criticism was to have a few public intellectuals ready to defend against attacks on the lack of rule of law and humanitarianism. When someone criticized the lack of rule of law and humanity, the public intellectuals would be unleashed to counter the criticism, and all would be well.