In the waters between the Tidal Empire and the Castro Continent, this sea area is called the Gorge Sea, pirates are innumerable here. Pirate crews exist in forms somewhat similar to mercenary bands or magic guilds. Of course, there is no pirate union in this world, and the mercenary union does not include pirate crews either, so pirate crews have no strict star-ranking system.
However, pirates are divided into categories. The most powerful are those from the five great pirate crews, who stand at the pinnacle of piracy, the top-tier pirate bands.
Apart from them, countless small-time pirates muddle along in the Gorge Sea. Pirate Bay is paradise for these pirates. It is a ring-shaped island, ships can sail in through a single gap. The terrain is treacherous, easy to defend and hard to attack.
Ever since the first pirate opened a tavern here thousands of years ago exclusively for pirates to rest, the place gradually prospered. Along the inner bay shoreline, gambling dens, taverns, post stations, and brothels appeared one after another without end, slowly turning it into a pirate town. There is even an auction house that auctions pirate captives, women, and rare magical beasts.
Naturally, the most valuable are wind-element or water-element archmages.
In recent decades, as the five great pirate crews gradually rose to power, they divided territories across the sea, and the prestige of pirates grew even stronger. Yet pirates from the five great crews rarely appear in Pirate Bay any more. Therefore, the place remains as it was at the beginning: no order at all, utter chaos, the strong rule. It is the most beautiful paradise for pirates.
When Captain Pippi Xia docked his ship on the inner bay channel in the hazy night, Ye Chui, Debbie, and the others saw the shoreline ablaze with lights. Sounds of drinking, cursing, and screaming rose one after another. This atmosphere gave Ye Chui’s group a strange and novel feeling.
What met their eyes were dilapidated streets even more rundown than the slums of Windrock City. Yet the people walking here laughed freely, the joy far more intense than in the most luxurious pleasure districts of Star King Capital.
Ye Chui and his companions put on their pirate disguises, left Captain Pippi Xia and the others on the ship, and stepped onto this pirate paradise.
The ground here was muddy and foul-smelling, as though no one had ever thought to clean the streets since the place was founded. Drunken pirates lay scattered across the muddy roads, some skeletons long stripped of flesh lay exposed by the roadside. Revelers staggered past them arm in arm. Prostitutes in indescribable attire openly solicited customers.
With a thud, a drunk was thrown straight out of a second-floor tavern window, crashed to the ground with the clear sound of breaking bones, then crawled on the floor howling in pain. This only provoked roars of laughter from the crowd, and a few people even walked over to kick the man hard.
A group of filthy pirates with gleaming eyes shining noticed Ye Chui’s party. Compared to the local pirates, Ye Chui and company’s pirate costumes looked like the cheapest cosplay. Among them were beauties like Freya and Celc, who would turn heads even in major cities. Before Ye Chui’s group could recover from the unexpectedly filthy chaos, the pirates surrounded them.
“Those women would fetch a fine price at the auction, heh heh heh.”
“This lad’s a mage? Shame his grimoire has a white cover and is thin and tattered. Still, if he’s water or wind element, he’d be worth more than the beauties.”
“I saw them first, they’re my prey, nobody else touch them!”
“Whoever grabs them first gets them!”
These words, thick with strange island accents, reached Ye Chui’s ears.
Freya and Celc instinctively felt a chill and moved slightly closer to Ye Chui. Debbie showed an angry expression. “These pirates are disgusting!”
“President, what do we do?” Green asked anxiously.
The pirates here were nothing like Ye Chui had imagined. Well, of course, movies and anime always romanticise them a bit. Pirates are pirates after all, vicious scum who live by burning, killing, and looting. How could their gathering place ever be clean and orderly?
A cold look appeared on Ye Chui’s face. “They think we’re lambs for the slaughter, but we’ll show them we’re the fiercest beasts. If we want to establish ourselves here, we’ll have to give them a show of strength first.” He paused, then continued, “There are no laws here. Killing is perfectly legal.”
Just as Ye Chui finished speaking, one pirate bared yellowed teeth and lunged at him like a mad beast. Ye Chui raised a hand and pointed. Bang! [Starfire Bombardment]. The next instant the man’s head vanished, his body rolled to the ground.
Silence fell for a moment. Then every pirate seemed to have their ferocity ignited. They drew weapons or summoned grimoires and charged at Ye Chui’s group, clearly intent on tearing them apart.
Then, the next moment, flames flashed. Circles of black shadows appeared around Ye Chui’s party, and from them extended numerous black barrels that radiated cold killing intent.
[King’s Armoury]!
Accompanied by booming explosions, the first wave of attackers collapsed, all dead. The few still alive screamed in agony.
This caused the rest of the charging pirates to freeze stiffly. Their expressions shifted from predatory frenzy to awe and fear.
“We are the Casually Named Pirate Crew. If you don’t want to die, remember our name!” Ye Chui announced coldly to the crowd.
As Ye Chui declared their name, Green, Debbie, Guni, and the others readied themselves for battle. To make a name here, fighting was inevitable.
Yet…
After hearing Ye Chui’s words, Pirate Bay grew lively again in moments. Drinking pirates resumed drinking, cursing pirates resumed cursing. The pirates who had been about to attack slunk back into the crowd with awkward expressions. A few even enthusiastically called out to Ye Chui’s group. “The Doom ale at Madam Telon’s tavern is fantastic. Fancy a drink together later?”
Nobody spared another glance for the pirates Ye Chui had casually killed.
Pirate Bay is a callous place. Though it has no laws, it has its own rules.
Ye Chui and company had proven they deserved respect. As for the pirates who died by his hand, pirate lives are cheap. They had it coming for provoking someone strong!
Ye Chui’s brief display had taught every pirate here one thing: this pirate crew with the strange name was not to be trifled with!
…
Moments later, carrying rather complicated feelings, Ye Chui’s group entered a small tavern.
This was the so-called Madam Telon’s tavern. Inside was utter disorder. Tables and chairs were piled haphazardly, as if a fight had just occurred. Broken furniture and shattered crockery littered the floor. The tavern had two storeys. In the centre of the ground-floor hall stood a wooden stage on the verge of collapse. On it, a one-legged dancing girl writhed provocatively while several drunks leaned against the stage shouting loudly.
In the hall, others were gathered gambling. Ye Chui saw a red-faced drunk who seemed to have lost all his coins put his captain’s tricorn hat on the table, meaning he was betting the ship he owned.
Green found a table, casually shoved aside the drunk sprawled across it, and everyone sat down. They were rather hungry. Back on the ship Guni had said she wanted to try pirate cuisine, but now no one had any appetite left. At the next table a one-eyed pirate was devouring a bloody-looking roasted pig leg, enough to kill the appetite of even the big-eating girls Guni and Salome. It was safer to eat the rations they had brought.
“So this is pirate life. It’s nothing like I imagined,” Debbie muttered, moving her eyepatch from left eye to right so she could observe the surroundings better.
Green, however, was staring at the gambling table nearby, suddenly itching to join. “They even bet ships. President, shall we play a round? We might win a ship.”
“Are you that confident in your gambling skills?” Ye Chui gave Green an annoyed glare.
Green laughed awkwardly. “I just thought buying a ship outright would be too expensive.”
“Did I say anything about buying one?” Ye Chui snorted. “We’ve got time. Better to just steal one.”
Hearing this, Green looked at Ye Chui with open admiration.
At that moment a voice cut in. “In Pirate Bay you can commit any crime imaginable, murder, arson, anything goes. But I must warn you outsiders, ships are the most precious thing here. You may win one through gambling or buy one with money, but never steal one. If you do, every pirate here will attack you.”
As the voice spoke, a long-haired, stubbled yet rather handsome man sat down beside Green, holding a wooden mug brimming with beer.
While speaking, his eyes curiously studied the group.
Ye Chui did not like the way he looked at Freya and Celc, so he answered coldly. “Thank you for the warning.”
“Heh heh, perhaps you’ve heard my name. I’m a captain too.” The long-haired man acted familiar, completely ignoring Ye Chui’s coldness. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a fierce red tattoo on his arm, clearly marking his identity.
“Pippi Xia!?” Ye Chui exclaimed upon seeing the tattoo.
“Pi… Pippi Xia? What’s that?” The man froze, then said angrily, “It’s a Flame Red Dragon! I’m the captain of the Red Dragon Pirate Crew! You can call me Captain Stari.”
“So, Captain Pippi Xia, what do you want?” Ye Chui asked.
“It’s Captain Stari!”
“Very well, Captain Pippi Xia. I understand, Captain Pippi Xia,” Ye Chui said with a faint smile.
Stari: “…”
Ye Chui’s gaze shifted to his iPad grimoire. He could confirm this Stari bore them no hostility, but… entering Stari’s memory world and seeing his current thoughts made everything clear: [These fellows look strong. Maybe I can trick them into sailing with me.]
Ye Chui did not spend points to unlock the full memory article; the title alone revealed Stari’s intention.
“…I’m currently recruiting crew for an extraordinary adventure. You lot must be gifts from the heavens. I just saw your performance, congratulations, you are fully qualified to join my pirate crew.” Captain Stari ignored the Pippi Xia business and spoke in a triumphant tone. “I, Captain Pippi Xia (Ye Chui: …) will lead you to find the treasure left by the Pirate King and become the rulers of these seas!”
“The Pirate King’s treasure?” At these words, Ye Chui and the others looked at Stari with curiosity.
The title “Pirate King” had only appeared in recent years. After Captain Dailin turned into a ghost ship and vanished, his subordinates formed the Watcher, Black Sail, and Bloodbeard three great pirate crews, and honoured Captain Dailin as the Pirate King, the only one to hold that title.
This Pirate King had actually left a treasure?
