A small wooden boat, along with six rafts made of logs, drifted on the sea.
On the rafts, some stood while others sat—all fierce pirates.
And on that small wooden boat, there were four people.
Sage sat cross-legged at the center of the boat, staring idly at the sea.
Lily stood next to Sage, occasionally looking at the sky and then glancing at the sea.
Gin stood at the bow, maintaining a fighting stance, ready to spring into action upon sighting a ship.
Pearl was at the stern, rowing the oars with a grunt, dragging the following rafts along.
They didn't have sails; besides the pirates on the rafts exerting force, Pearl also had to strive to propel the rafts more conveniently.
"The wind is normal, the climate isn't a problem, no clouds are visible, and there won't be any cumulonimbus clouds; there's no immediate danger of storms."
After observing for a while, Lily said, "Sage, we can pause here for a while."
Sage nodded and said to Gin, "Gin, are you sure there's a ship?"
How ambitious they had felt half a day ago when they set sail, and how helpless they felt now.
Because there was no sign of a ship...
Gin was confident there were ships passing through this sea, as it was near the shore, close to land and islands. Regardless of their course, ships wouldn't lack land in this ocean.
He was ready; it was his first time joining Captain Sage's pirate crew, and his first time setting out to rob at sea. He was determined to perform well and live up to Sage's earnest invitation.
It should have been a triumphant first battle for the pirates, leading to numerous joys and unfolding a dreamy, valiant pirate life. But why had it turned out like this...
Not encountering a single ship.
In such good weather, and during the day, how could there be no ship?
Gin turned around, bowed his head to Sage, and said sincerely, "Sorry, Captain Sage, I made a wrong prediction; couldn't spot a ship and let you down."
"People always have unexpected events, no ships mean no ships, as long as you know the course." Sage waved indifferently.
He was an old pirate, active in the East Sea for many years, familiar with this region, unlike Lily, who was limited to theoretical navigation.
Finding a town would solve the problem.
"Captain Sage..."
Gin's eyes filled with emotion, "You actually don't blame me; you're indeed very generous!"
Completely different from Krieg, who would punish mistakes!
Captain Sage was truly a magnanimous man!
Following such a captain wouldn't be wrong!
Lily, standing nearby, watched the emotionally overwhelmed Gin, pursed her lips without saying a word.
Sage awkwardly smiled, "Keep it up, I have faith in you."
He wasn't actually generous...
He was simply used to bad luck.
If a genuine mistake occurred, would he truly not punish it?
Could it be his dream to become a rich landlord was fake?
"Pearl, take a break if you're tired, boys, let's rest, if we can't catch fish it's okay!" Sage shouted.
The pirates on the rafts weren't just slacking off; after all, they hadn't eaten for a day and were now thinking about fishing in the ocean.
But with him around, how could they catch fish...
Pearl was exhausted from the rowing, and upon hearing this, just as he was about to release the oars, Lily suddenly spoke, "Sage, it looks like there's a ship."
"Where is it!"
Sage jumped up, looking in the direction Lily pointed. At the horizon, a protrusion resembling the silhouette of a mast and sails became increasingly distinct, gradually revealing the outline of a ship!
A ship!
"Pearl! Keep rowing!" Sage shouted directly.
Pearl trembled, and his hand that had just released the oars tightly gripped them again, rowing vigorously. The pirates on the rafts also tightened their grip on the oars, exerted their force in unison, churning up splashes of water as they rapidly headed towards the ship's outline.
Their rowing speed was certainly not slow, and before long, they approached the outline and saw the ship clearly.
This ship had two-story structures on the deck, a mast erected at the front, and sails unfurled, swaying in the wind.
A standard single-mast sailing ship!
"Captain Sage, let me be the first..."
"Moon Step!"
Gin took out his cane from behind, but before he could finish speaking, Sage had already stepped onto the boat's edge, leapt up, and bounced like climbing stairs towards the ship.
This scene left everyone stupefied.
Captain Sage was truly flying over...
Stepping through the air, Sage's face beamed with excitement.
Finally, a ship turned up!
To prevent any mishaps, he rushed directly using Moon Step.
After all, he was aware of his own bad luck and dreaded any unexpected incidents.
Whoosh!!
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a massive splash erupted on the sea not far from the ship. A bull-headed sea beast roared and emerged, its half-body as high as the ship, and charged fiercely at it.
The people on board were obviously caught off guard, scrambling around in panic.
If it crashes into us, this ship is bound to sink!
"Rankyaku: Riot!"
Captain Sage's legs kicked out in a blur, sending a flurry of blue slashes down like a torrential rain towards the bull-headed sea beast.
Shh! Shh! Shh!
The bull-headed sea beast was just a short distance away from the ship, its head lowered, horns poised to strike the vessel, when the slashes from above cleaved its half-body open, spraying blood and toppling it into the sea.
Captain Sage's face twisted with rage, "Trying to steal my ship? You're crazy if you think you can just do that!"
He'd just discovered this ship; even if a meteor came crashing down from the heavens, he'd fight for it!
This was crucial for his Pirate business to get off the ground!
Any more bad luck and he'd have to become a wild man!
Captain Sage descended from the sky, swiftly landing on the deck, surveying the people aboard.
They were a group of civilians, with no sign of weapons.
But...
He glanced around, frowning. The ship was riddled with signs of repair, with numerous planks nailed across the hull and masts. On the left side of the hull was a huge gap, charred at the edges.
The entire ship seemed on the verge of breaking apart.
This was a ship that had been plundered.
"Um..."
A civilian approached nervously, stammering, "Thank you for saving us."
"Don't be so quick to thank me."
Captain Sage drew a flintlock gun from his waist and fired it into the air with a bang, addressing the bewildered civilian, "I, Pirate, robbing you!"
So what if the ship was plundered?
The ship's still here, isn't it?
As a Pirate, he wasn't concerned with such things. He was determined to start his plundering business today!
...
"Is this it?"
Captain Sage looked at the items gathered on the deck, raising an eyebrow.
Before him, besides some clothes, there was only a barrel of fresh water...
"Captain, this is all there is," Pearl replied honestly, while the other Pirates dared not speak.
They hadn't seen how Captain Sage defeated Krieg, but they had witnessed him slay the sea beast. The beast's huge wound lying there on the water was frightening to behold.
Given the meager haul, no one dared to risk angering the Captain.
"C-Captain."
The gathered civilians were deathly pale, nearly in tears, "Please spare us, we can't give up the water! Without it, despite having the ship, we'll still die."
Sailing the sea, lack of food isn't as dire; it's the lack of water that's truly fatal.
Being killed by Pirates or dying of thirst, they didn't want to die at all...
"Such wishful thinking, the ship's mine too!"
Captain Sage chuckled coldly, "Pearl, get some men and carve up the sea beast!"
There's fresh food, and though the ship's damaged, the kitchen's still intact, even with a fridge...
Pearl and others jumped onto the sea beast, cutting open its skin with swords and knives, starting to slice the meat bit by bit.
Among the Pirates, there are always those who can cook. Though the skill may not be great, frying it is no problem, and there are seasonings in the kitchen. A bit of effort, and to those who've been hungry for a day, it's a delicacy beyond compare!
The Pirates eagerly grabbed the meat with their hands, each tearing into it.
"Sage, yours."
Lily lent a hand in the kitchen too, passing a piece of fried meat with bone to Captain Sage.
As he bit into it, Captain Sage was almost moved to tears.
It's not that it wasn't tasty...
It's that he was finally eating cooked food!
Since arriving in the Oyekot Kingdom, he hadn't eaten anything cooked!
This meat was quite something, combining the flavors of beef and seafood. Even with just a little seasoning, it was delicious.
While they ate heartily, the group of civilians watched hungrily, swallowing their drool unconsciously.
Gulp——!
Captain Sage's ears twitched as he looked at the civilians eyeing the meat, sighed, and said, "Come on, eat a bit. Can't go hungry now."
"Captain, you're not robbing us anymore?" the civilians asked, hopeful.
"Robbing you I am, but I have no interest in the poor. Let's eat first. I'm a Pirate, not a murderer; I won't let people starve to death," Captain Sage said.
With permission, the civilians rushed over to grab the meat and started gnawing.
Captain Sage finished a piece of meat and casually picked up another, asking, "Tell me, what do you do? Who robbed you?"