In the coastal area of the Morning Wind Empire lies a port called Cold Wind Port.
This was the place where Ye Chui and his group first set sail. It is a harbour town with over ten thousand residents. The streets are perpetually filled with wandering sailors, pirates, rogues, and drunkards. Merchant caravans come and go incessantly. The taverns resound endlessly with noisy chatter and laughter.
It was evening now. The sky was overcast. The dark sea resembled a shadowy beast. Crashing waves roared like its bellows.
A swaying drunkard staggered to the docks, clutching a bottle of rum half-drunk. He hiccupped occasionally. Tottering, he wanted to stand on the pier and urinate into the sea. But as he reached the pier, his blurred vision suddenly caught a white figure. The lighthouse emitted soft light. He rubbed his eyes, gradually seeing clearly. It was a girl.
A girl in a white nun’s habit.
And she was barefoot.
She stood on the dilapidated pier planks, gazing somewhat entranced at the eastern sea. Sea winds blew. In the chilly night, she seemed clad only in thin clothing. White outlined her exquisite figure. Her fluttering long hair seemed distinguishable, gold, black, white, a strange mix of various colours.
The drunkard rubbed his eyes again. He was not particularly brave. If sober, encountering such a strange girl might make him scream and flee. But alcohol gave him courage now. He stumbled over, face showing a lewd smile. He said, “Little girl, why come here at night? Lost? Want, want to rest at my place?”
Speaking, his filthy hand landed on the white-clad girl’s shoulder. It felt icy and rigid, like a corpse. But the drunkard noticed nothing. He turned her body. A beautiful face appeared before him.
The face was delicate. Yet the drunkard subconsciously sensed something discordant. What exactly, his muddled drunken thoughts could not pinpoint. Normally, he would immediately notice her mismatched eye colours, slightly asymmetrical face, plus her multicoloured hair. It was as if her body was pieced from several others.
But now certain wicked desires stirred in the drunkard. He already anticipated a wonderful night. His hand on her shoulder gripped harder, as if to hold her firmly.
At this moment, the girl spoke.
She asked, “Is this Cold Wind Port?”
“Cold Wind Port? Yes, correct.” The drunkard shook his head. He eagerly wanted to drag her to his shack. But pulling, he could not budge her shoulder. This suddenly alerted him to something wrong. “How…”
“Do you want to merge with me?” the girl asked suddenly.
Merge.
This term was new to the drunkard, but he quickly grasped its meaning. His eyes lit with eager heat. “To my home, to my home…”
Yet he still could not move her shoulder.
The girl appeared only seventeen or eighteen. The drunkard, long working at docks, had strong arms. Lifting her one-handed would be easy. Yet now he could not shift her body. This anomaly finally triggered alarm. He suddenly released her shoulder, stepping back. Shaking his head vigorously to sober up.
“How many people are in Cold Wind Port?” the girl asked with a smile. Her smile, like her body, held no warmth.
“Over, over ten thousand…” The drunkard slapped his forehead, trying to clear his mind. The girl’s strangeness instinctively wary him. Ready to bolt at any sign. He asked, “Why ask these questions?”
“Because I want to merge with them all,” the girl said crisply with a laugh. The sound like wind chimes, delightful, yet like chilling ghostly wails in a haunted house.
“You, you…” The drunkard’s body began trembling. Crash. The bottle in his hand fell, shattering. He yelled, wanting to flee. But suddenly his body froze. Breathing rapid. Then suffocation struck.
The girl’s hand pierced through his back, protruding from his chest. Some wondrous aura spread over him.
The girl said, “I am Tix.”
The drunkard should be dead. Heart stopped. Breathing ceased. Yet he could still speak.
“I am Tix,” he repeated.
Morning.
A ship appeared on the sea. The surface calm, yet sails billowed. The black ship’s course wobbled strangely. Its flag was peculiar. Those familiar with the Gorge Sea would recognise it combined flags of the three great pirate groups: Red Beard, Watchers, Black Sails. A new pirate flag.
On these seas, daring to fly this flag meant someone extraordinary. It insulted the three groups. Unless permitted by them.
Recently, Gorge Sea merchants and pirates recognised this flag. Its owner, acclaimed by the three groups as the new Pirate King, Stari.
Descendant of Captain Dailin. Controlling the three groups, the strongest pirate.
The ship’s name was Fearless Expedition.
On the Fearless Expedition’s deck, Ye Chui was teaching Stari to use a black sword.
After leaving the Tidal Empire, Ye Chui’s group passed Pirate Bay en route, meeting Stari and Elizabeth. Stari formally gained the Pirate King title. Something he dared not dream before. As a child, he longed to sail seeking Pirate King treasure. But the treasure was himself. With Ye Chui’s intervention, he gained the three groups’ recognition, becoming acknowledged Pirate King.
Though everyone looked at him with extra admiration, he could not feel happy. The title felt undeserved. One unskilled in sailing or helming, how qualified as Pirate King?
People called him Pirate King mostly for Ye Chui’s face, the Pirate Emperor, and Debbie, who gained the ghost ship but little interest in Pirate King.
(Debbie gained the ghost ship, called Pirate King. Ye Chui got Pirate King’s man title. But heading to Tidal Empire, Debbie gave her Pirate King title to Stari. It was meant for him originally.)
The three groups made him, blood descendant, proxy for symbolism.
Those pirate captains acted arrogantly towards him.
This deeply depressed Stari.
Ye Chui’s group originally planned brief meeting in Pirate Bay then leave. But seeing Stari thus, Ye Chui decided to help.
He had Stari sail his Fearless Expedition, carrying the group to coast. En route, teaching Stari an interesting magic creation.
That creation was the black sword Stari now held.
The black sword cost Ye Chui a thousand points from Pirates of the Caribbean. Named Blackbeard’s Sword. Mastering it could enliven the whole ship, obeying the sword holder’s commands. Like Blackbeard or Barbossa in the film.
But mastering required skill. The ship’s twisting course resulted from poor control.
“This sword is a magic creation. It links you to the ship. You can control sails with it. Also enliven ropes, making them snake-like to attack boarders,” Ye Chui explained to Stari. “Your magic content is too sparse. Initial control difficult. But persist. Your magic will grow. Control will become effortless.”
Stari gripped the black sword pointing forward. Sweat poured from his forehead. He nodded firmly. “Understood, Mr Ye Chui…”
“Yes, keep trying.” Ye Chui patted Stari’s shoulder, letting him continue controlling the great ship.
“Stari’s aptitude is truly poor. His personality somewhat lazy. No wonder those great pirates dislike him as Pirate King,” Debbie whispered to Ye Chui returning to her side. They enjoyed barbecue on deck. Gu Ni and Salome tirelessly hunted sea phantom beasts. Familiar with the sea now, Gu Ni’s capture method unprecedentedly advanced. She wrapped iron chains around herself. Salome held the chain. Gu Ni jumped as bait into the sea, attracting attacks.
“Those great pirates actually prefer you as their Pirate King. After all, Captain Dailin’s ghost ship is now yours,” Ye Chui said, taking fish from Resha. Savouring a bite beautifully, smiling.
“I have many adventures ahead. No time to be Pirate King,” Debbie said spiritedly. Though she liked the title, she felt little passion for the sea.
“Mr Ye Chui, your companion has been wiping the deck since earlier. Should she rest?” Elizabeth asked Ye Chui compassionately. The companion was Akuya. At Ye Chui’s request, Akuya mopped the deck. Later, she would clean cabins.
“No need. It’s fine,” Ye Chui shook head smiling.
Looking at Akuya, she noticed Ye Chui’s gaze. The goddess immediately thumbs up, smugly indicating. “Leave it to me. I will absolutely clean this ship spotless!”
“”
Could you believe this one recently planned world conquest?
Green then brought freshly grilled fish to Ye Chui. His face puzzled. “President, do you feel something off?”
“Yes. The fish you just grilled is slightly overdone. A bit burnt,” Ye Chui said, biting fish.
“Not the fish. I mean the sea,” Green shook head sweating.
“The sea?” Hearing Green, Ye Chui sensed something wrong. “We have sailed so long. Should be near Cold Wind Port. But en route, we met no other ships…”
Ye Chui’s group departed from Pirate Bay. The route should have many ships. So close to Cold Wind Port now, impossible to see none. Ye Chui set down fish, looking towards Cold Wind Port.
“Something wrong at the port?”
