Chapter 69

The woman who had fallen into the water was highly suspicious. Although he had his doubts, it wasn't in Luo Zhengdao's nature to kill someone just because they looked suspicious. After calming down and thinking for a moment, he said with a feigned casualness:

"Alright, you can stay on my ship for now, and leave when we reach shore!"

"Thank you, sir, for taking me in. Thank you so much!"

Luo Zhengdao, who had mentally labeled the woman as extremely suspicious and dangerous, glanced at her a few times and said in a lukewarm tone:

"Alright, you'll work as a laundry worker on the ship during your stay!"

"Yes, Captain."

While Luo Zhengdao and Yasha were talking, Zola Hegel stood by the side. When a sailor led Yasha to the laundry room, the boatswain finally spoke up:

"Captain, this woman is very suspicious. There are no proper shipping routes around here, and it's too much of a coincidence!"

Luo Zhengdao nodded in agreement and said:

"Yes, I have the same feeling. This place isn't a normal commercial shipping route, and the chances of a survivor from a maritime disaster drifting here are very low. We can't just throw her overboard because she's suspicious. For now, let's do this: don't let her interact with the crew, and don't let her get close to any critical areas. If you notice any suspicious activity, don't hesitate. You know what to do."

The drow elves were all experts in the art of betrayal. Although Zola Hegel had exiled himself from the Underdark because he detested that way of life, he had his own standards for judging whether someone was honest and reliable. Hearing Luo Zhengdao's instructions, Zola sneered and said:

"Alright, I know what to do."

Finding a floating object at sea and then unexpectedly rescuing a woman was, at most, a minor episode in the long voyage of the pirate fleet. Everything continued to proceed as planned.

After the bloody battle and breakout from the pirate market, Luo Zhengdao did not immediately head out to sea. Purchasing warships was indeed urgent, but he was short on funds. The savings Luo Zhengdao had accumulated were not insignificant, but everything depends on what the money is used for. If he were to retire in a scenic place, the tens of thousands of gold coins would last him a thousand years. However, buying warships was a different matter.

For example, the third-rate battleship from the Yogyakarta Kingdom, which was listed for sale at the pirate market, was a used ship but still priced at 120,000 gold coins. It was clear that the cost of customizing a new battleship in the Yaling Empire or the Elven Federation would be even higher. Thus, Luo Zhengdao found that his biggest problem was still a lack of money, and his primary task was to make more.

Coincidentally, after the boatswain Zola wandered around the pirate market, he somehow obtained a treasure map from someone, supposedly marking the location where a pirate captain had hidden his loot. Such treasure stories, often shrouded in legend and hard to verify, were common among pirates, much like how a broken porcelain shard in an antique market could be spun into a tale of the five famous kilns. Most of these stories were just to fool people. Knowing that the chances of finding treasure were slim, and with no clear plan of action, catching a fat fish in the vast Ether Sea wasn't something that could be done easily. After careful consideration, Luo Zhengdao accepted the boatswain's suggestion and ordered the privateer fleet to change course and head for the area marked on the treasure map to try their luck.

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The ether particle currents in the depths of the Ether Sea slowly lift submerged objects and continuously transport them to areas with higher particle concentrations. Over millions of years, this accumulation effect forms the basis of island flylands. Although there is no discernible pattern, island flylands and rock reefs can appear anywhere as long as the conditions for the accumulation of ether particles are met.

The dark, silent island that appeared before them caused a collective unease among the pirates. There were no signs of plants or animals on the island, and the surrounding blue sea showed no traces of fish. The thin layer of mist surrounding the island gave everything a hazy, unsettling appearance, making it feel like walking through a nightmare from which one could not wake up. The eerie atmosphere was so intense that it could save a fortune on special effects for a horror movie.

Faced with this peculiar and mysterious geographical environment, Luo Zhengdao paced back and forth on the deck, seemingly stretching his limbs casually. After warming up, he waved his hand and said:

"Alright, we're here. Can we just turn back without doing anything? What are you waiting for? Prepare to land!"

Feeling a bit uncomfortable after Luo Zhengdao's words, the sailors began to busy themselves. Soon, several small boats were lowered into the water, and the oarsmen rowed toward the beach in unison.

Zola Hegel, who had already planned this out, divided the sailors into several teams and sent them to search in different directions. Since the island was not large, the pirates who went out soon returned to the landing point. The barren flyland island was almost devoid of vegetation, and a quick glance revealed everything, saving the searchers a lot of effort.

Luo Zhengdao, waiting by the campfire, listened to the reports and asked for details:

"Did you find the location marked on the map?"

One of the team leaders replied:

"Captain, we found a cave entrance nearby. The cave is too deep, and without proper preparation, we didn't dare to go in and retreated."

Cave exploration is a high-risk activity, especially for pirate treasure caves. Not only are they often filled with traps and mechanisms, but geological disasters like collapses, water ingress, and rockfalls can also be deadly, leaving intruders with no place to bury their remains.

The boatswain Zola Hegel took out the old, stained, and moth-eaten treasure map, comparing it with the descriptions from the sailors who had explored the cave. He then said with a smile:

"It's correct. The treasure seems to be here. Captain, look at this mark; it should be at the cave entrance."

Since they were here, Luo Zhengdao was determined not to leave empty-handed. He was in dire need of money, and a man on the brink of poverty didn't need to overly consider the risks of an adventure. Luo Zhengdao was not without awareness; every day in the new world was a struggle for survival. Rather than hiding in a dark corner and praying for salvation, he was willing to take risks and face challenges that seemed impossible. Even if he lay in bed all day, the power of the cursed god would continue to spread. Knowing this, he saw no point in showing cowardice and incompetence.

"Sir, this place is too eerie. Are you really going in?"

The misty cave entrance gave an ominous feeling. As the initiator of the treasure hunt, Zola, who had personally inspected the cave entrance, did not look good. He raised an objection to Luo Zhengdao. For such a reasonable concern, Luo Zhengdao had no reason to suppress it forcefully and nodded:

"Alright, Zola. Notify the others to unload two hawk cannons from the ship. I think that should be enough firepower."

Hearing Luo Zhengdao's words, the boatswain weighed the pros and cons and nodded silently, turning to head back to the landing point. This was a small task he could handle alone. Soon, a group of sailors pushed two wooden gun carriages to the cave entrance. The hawk cannons weighed only a few hundred kilograms, and with the gun carriages, they were still within the range that could be moved by human power. If they had to unload the 24-pound long-barreled cannons, the sailors would have bled to death just moving them on land without animal power. With the firepower enhanced, the boatswain had no more complaints, and the group began to explore the cave.

As the pirates moved through the cave, the uneven walls showed no signs of artificial excavation, suggesting it was a natural formation. After a few minutes of bumpy walking, Zola Hegel suddenly stopped and called out:

"Captain, it seems we are going underground."

Hearing this, Luo Zhengdao frowned as if remembering something:

"You mean..."

His eyes flickered with unspoken emotions, but Zola didn't intend to keep him in suspense. He said straightforwardly:

"The depth of the cave might be beyond imagination, and we have a high probability of encountering unexpected situations."

Luo Zhengdao, who had seen adventure movies like "Indiana Jones" and "The Mummy" in the old world, could easily imagine several scenarios of danger in cave exploration. After a moment of thought, he said to the boatswain:

"Zola, are you suggesting I abandon the mission?"

"No, I'm saying we need to be prepared to deal with those troubles. Bringing just a few people isn't enough."

The situation was clear. Zola Hegel had elevated the exploration mission to the threat level of a raid. The pirates' initial firepower was only for self-defense and driving away wild animals. Since it was now clear that they might face significant combat, the current level of preparation was insufficient. Luo Zhengdao thought for a moment and said:

"Alright, you're right. Fiamma, please go back and ask Captain Chopin to send another hundred men down, and have them bring all the heavy weapons they can carry."

"Yes, sir."

Luo Zhengdao arranged for the messenger and then said to the waiting pirates:

"Everyone, rest here and keep quiet. The scouts will continue to explore the path."