Chapter 133: The Golden Country Does Exist!

Chapter 133: The Golden Country Does Exist!

The pirates were rowdy and boisterous, while Basil Hawkins maintained his usual indifferent demeanor, calmly instructing his men. He ordered them to send out more scouts to keep watch and observe if anyone was approaching.

The position that X Drake offered him was the strategist of the Natural Disaster Pirate Group, a role separate from that of Bindewda Lily. That woman was more skilled in giving commands, as could be seen from the way she organized the camp.

As a strategist, Hawkins' main responsibilities were to handle post-battle matters and complement the captain's plans, not to argue against the captain's decisions.

Hawkins was clear about his role.

He had his own pride, and while surrendering was a humiliation, it would be an even greater disgrace to renege on his agreement to join the pirate crew and then not contribute.

"Guuuuu…"

As Sag ripped off a large chunk of meat, his ears twitched, and he called out, "Who's hungry out there? Eat up! You won't have the energy to work if you don't fill your bellies."

"Yes, Captain!" his men chorused, hastening to finish their meals.

Their rations were, of course, quite good. The culinary team prepared food specifically for these men, maximizing the supplies within their allotted amounts and portions. Even Mary Carter, while cooking for Sag, would set aside leftover ingredients to make special dishes for the pirates.

For example, leftover beef bones could be used to make soup, extra organs could be turned into a variety of offal dishes, and remaining fish bones and meat could be minced and formed into meatballs or similar dishes.

After all, Mary had been the one to lead a group of people and keep them alive for two years in the Shallow Sand Kingdom, where there was nothing but sand. Efficiently utilizing logistics and resources was her forte.

And the food she made was delicious, too.

Supplies at sea could never be too abundant, and pirates would waste anything except food and drink. Their rations were generous, and they shouldn't have gone hungry.

"Guuu…"

However, Sag's ears still picked up the faint grumbling of an empty stomach.

"Miot! Are you still hungry? Come over here and have some of mine!" Sag turned to the big guy not far away.

"Om nom nom!"

Miot opened his mouth wide, gestured with his fingers, patted his belly, and then pointed to the three large, now-empty lunch boxes that had been wrapped up, indicating that he had eaten his fill.

The others were in no rush to finish their meals, either, and some were even chatting leisurely with their companions.

At that moment, Sag paused, a red dot appearing in his eyes as his perception extended to his surroundings. Among his crew, there was an unfamiliar presence.

His gaze shifted to the nearby stone field, where there were pits dug into the ground. In one of those pits, he could vaguely make out a human figure.

"Ajin! Get him over here!" Sag ordered.

At his command, the pirates all started, unconsciously following their captain's gaze to look into the pits.

Whoosh!

Ajin, who had been standing nearby, immediately darted into the pit that had caught Sag's attention. Soon, the sound of startled shouting echoed from within.

"Let go of me! Let go! Let go!!!"

The one being dragged out by his collar was a dirty little boy. He desperately struggled, gripping the other person's hand with both of his, but he had no chance of breaking free from Ajin's grip. Slowly, he was pulled out of the pit.

There was someone in that pit?

"Captain, it's just a kid," Ajin said as he threw the child to the ground.

This child was probably around the same age as Reneetie, but he was very thin and frail. He was covered in dust, and his clothes were tattered and old, looking like an adult miner's uniform that had been altered to fit him. The sleeves and pant legs were too long, and the openings at the wrists and ankles looked like they had been torn rather than properly tailored.

The boy's hair hung down to his nose, and as he fell, the movement sent dust flying, revealing his fearful yet highly vigilant eyes.

"A child in the pit? What were you doing there?" Sag asked, puzzled.

"Stay back!"

As soon as the child hit the ground, he quickly grabbed the pickaxe that had fallen with him. He stood up straight, facing Sag with the pickaxe gripped tightly in his hands, which were trembling slightly.

"You've got guts."

Sag laughed. "Taking a weapon and pointing it at me? Are you prepared for the consequences?"

"I don't care about any of you!"

The child shouted defiantly, "This is mine, and I won't let you take it away!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ajin struck and broke the pickaxe in his hand. Grabbing the child's hands again, Ajin patted him down and pulled out a stone the size of a goose egg from the boy's pocket. He released the child and walked back to Sag, presenting the stone to him with both hands.

"What's so special about a piece of broken stone?"

Sag took the stone and examined it briefly before his eyes narrowed in surprise. There was a spot of gold on the stone the size of a fingernail, and in the night, illuminated by the campfire, he hadn't noticed it at first.

Normally, Sag wouldn't have cared about such a small amount of gold. But the context of where this gold had appeared piqued his interest.

"Give it back!"

The child, who had gotten up from the ground, lunged forward to snatch the stone from Sag's hand. However, with so many people around, there was no way a child could succeed. Ajin frowned, about to stop the boy, but Sag tossed the stone back to him, and it landed right in his hand.

The child hesitated, looking from the stone with the gold fleck to Sag, confusion evident in his eyes.

"Gold the size of a fingernail isn't worth fighting over," Sag waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, if you're hungry, eat something. And while you're at it, tell me if you've been digging for gold down there."

At the mention of gold, the boy's pupils, hidden behind his hair, contracted sharply, and he instinctively took a step back, intending to run.

"Captain!"

Just then, two of the men responsible for standing guard outside came running. "A group of people are heading this way!" they called out.

"Let them come," Sag said calmly. "No need to panic. Just make sure they all stay. I want to ask them some questions."

"Not long after he spoke, a dozen figures approached and appeared on the high ground outside the stone field.

The little boy was startled at the sight of the group, but he also sensed that something was amiss. He turned to Sag and asked, "Weren't you looking for me?"

"You look like a monkey, what's there to deal with?" Reneetie scoffed, turning up her nose. "Who do you think you are, to be worth my time?"

"You're just a kid too!" The dirty child retorted indignantly.

"One punch from me could crush you!" Reneetie rolled her eyes.

By the time the group of about ten people reached the edge of the stone field, it was too late for them to retreat. Ajin took a step forward, his feet treading on air as he leaped into the air.

"Moon Step!"

In an instant, he soared upward, landing behind the group in the blink of an eye. He swiftly moved toward them, his figure becoming a blur as he struck. The group emitted a dull thud, and they all fell to the ground.

At that moment, the other underlings finally climbed up to the outskirts of the stone field, surrounding the intruders and leading them down to where Sag was waiting.

These ten or so people wore leather armor and carried weapons, appearing to be soldiers of this country.

"Who are you! This is the country of Anu!" The leader, a burly man with a thick beard, exclaimed fearfully as he eyed the fierce-looking pirates. "I've never seen any of you before! Intruding into Anu is a crime!"

"Pirates are criminals anyway!"

Sag laughed heartily, picking up a meaty bone and taking a big bite.

"Pi, pirates?"

The dozen or so soldiers were taken aback, their fear intensifying.

Pirates had invaded their country of Anu?

Wait, if they were pirates, why would they be so deep inland? There was nothing to plunder here; if they wanted to rob, they should have gone to White Port instead.

"We have a naval base here! Pirates, aren't you afraid? Let us go quickly! And him too!"

The soldier captain glared at the dirty child. "You've been hiding here, and now you're mixing with pirates! This is rebellion!"

"Pi, pirates?"

The child looked at Sag in surprise, but his wariness had lessened compared to before.

"Quite a story. What did you want with him? What trouble could a kid get into?"

Sag spoke halfway before glancing at Reneetie and waving his hand dismissively. "Never mind, drag them out. Don't let them spread the news, and don't kill them here—it'll ruin my appetite."

The child had committed a serious crime; his sister, who was only eight years old, had a bounty of 79 million berries, whether she deserved it or not.

And before she debuted, Reneetie was capable of robbing entire towns.

Kaido was just starting to make a name for himself, and Ivory King was only eight years old too!

"Understood, Captain Sag. I'll take care of it personally."

Ajin nodded firmly and gestured, signaling for his men to surround the soldiers. They dragged them to the pits in the stone field, and soon, the soldiers fell silent.

"Hey, kid, come over here and eat something. You look hungry. I also want to ask you something."

Sag pointed to the remaining food and addressed the child.

"Gulp—"

The boy swallowed hard, stood there for a moment, then clenched his teeth and rushed to the tablecloth. He grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, but because he ate too quickly, his face contorted, and he almost choked. He pounded his chest to ease the discomfort.

"Slow down," Mary Carter said gently as she handed him a cup of water. "If it's not enough, just tell me. No matter what, you have to eat your fill."

"Th, thank you!"

The boy quickly took the water and washed down the food in his throat before continuing to devour his meal.

Sag watched him eat. Although only half of his face was visible, and his age was difficult to discern, Sag knew he was a boy. But that wasn't the important part.

What caught Sag's attention was that as the boy drew closer, he seemed to possess a rather good physique and a healthy appetite.

He wasn't an ordinary child.

The remaining food had been prepared with Sag's appetite in mind, so it was a small portion for him. However, this child managed to polish off half of it, filling his stomach to the point that it looked round and satisfied before he finally sat back on the ground, hands propping him up from behind, and let out a contented burp.

"Are you full?" Sag asked.

"Yes, thank you! I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I thought you were here to capture me, but it turns out you're a good person!" The boy quickly stood up and bowed respectfully to Sag.

"Pirates aren't exactly good people."

Sag said, "I fed you and saved you, so you owe me a life debt. In my crew, the price for owing me something is not small. Tell me, did you discover gold here?"

He didn't feel the need to use any tricks on a mere child, especially one who seemed to have gone through hardships.

However, he was genuinely interested in the gold, but he didn't want to deceive the child, so he decided to be direct.

"I didn't discover it," the boy mumbled, lowering his head as he took out the stone and stared at the gold within it. To be precise, it wasn't a stone but a gold-bearing ore with a very low gold content.

He gazed at it for a long time before suddenly lifting his head. His eyes, visible through his hair, looked directly at Sag as he asked, "Do you believe in the Golden Country?"

This statement caused everyone around to pause.

Bellamy widened his eyes. "Is there really gold? Is it not just a legend?"

"It's not a legend!"

The boy held the gold-bearing ore high and declared, "The Golden Country truly exists, and it proves that Anu is the Golden Country!"

The boy's name was Lass, and he came from a merchant family in Anu. It had been proven long ago that Anu was not the Stone Country, as some claimed. His father was an anomaly, firmly believing in the existence of the Golden Country.

Like those adventurers with dreams, he yearned to discover gold here, wanting to prove the worth of Anu Country once more on the high seas. So he exchanged all his money from stone trading for tools to excavate underground, hoping to unearth gold.

Mining stones didn't require digging holes; Anu Country was a natural quarry, and one only needed to chip away at the ground. However, he wanted people to dig deep, which meant higher wages, and eventually, even the deepest coffers wouldn't be enough to sustain the endeavor. The money from selling stones couldn't keep up with the expenses of paying wages and purchasing mining tools.

In the end, only Lass's father remained, chipping away at the stone field, hoping to find the legendary Golden Country.

And then...

They really found gold!

"Half a month ago, the earth began to weep blood again, and my father, he was in this mine, and he dug up gold!"

Lass's body began to tremble, and the eyes hidden beneath his hair clearly glistened with tears. "He was so happy. He told me that Anu Country would finally be vindicated and would no longer be known as the Stone Country. He believed we could restore our reputation as the Golden Country, so he took the gold to the royal palace. He thought the king would be pleased, but... but..."

"The king said my father was a liar! A fraud who wanted to deceive others and bring shame to Anu Country again! They hanged my father, but he wasn't a liar! He wasn't!"

Lass wiped away his tears, and as the moisture dampened his hair, he brushed it aside, revealing a pair of pitch-black irises.

Those eyes had no whites at all; they were entirely black, like those of a devil.

"I want to prove that my father wasn't lying. So I went into the mine too, and this is the evidence I found! But those guys, I overheard them talking, and they want to kill me."

"I dared not leave, so I hid back in the mine. I don't understand. Doesn't the king want to restore Anu Country's reputation? Why must they insist that we're liars?"

Lass tightly clutched the gold-bearing ore and gritted his teeth. "The Golden Country truly exists!"

"Hehehe."

Sag let out a low laugh, but then he seemed to recall something, and glancing at Reneetie, he noticed that her expression wasn't pleasant either, perhaps recalling their experiences in the Natiya Kingdom.

Reneetie wasn't foolish; she just wanted to build ships purely out of passion. But sometimes, wanting to do something didn't mean one could actually accomplish it.

In this world, things usually worked out this way: the purer one's intentions were, the less likely they would succeed.

Because their objectives differed.

"Lily." Sag called out.

"I went to take a look earlier."

As the one who understood Sag the most, Lily had a feeling something was amiss when Lass was only halfway through his story, so she went to investigate the mine Lass had emerged from.

"It's very deep; I couldn't see the bottom. It's not something ordinary people could dig. I kept an eye on Lass."

This little boy was indeed unusual.

After all, humans didn't have pure black eyes, with no whites at all.

"Can you help me? I want to prove the existence of the Golden Country. You're a good person and look very strong too." Lass pleaded, looking at Sag.

"Come here."

Sag beckoned to him, and as Lass approached, there was a tearing sound. The boy's tattered mining uniform was ripped off, revealing his upper body.

However, on this child's upper body, from the waist up to the chest and shoulders, there were faint black vertical lines, like birthmarks, running across his skin. But these marks were different, as the black also contained streaks of gold.

Black and gold stripes!

Just like the skull gold coin!

"I knew you weren't an ordinary human. Ordinary humans don't have physiques like yours."

Sag opened his mouth wide and burst into laughter. "The news you brought is excellent! I'm now very confident that the Golden Country truly exists! Hahahaha! Whoo-hooo-haaaa!"

"Kid, let me tell you again, I'm not a good person. But I agree to your request. You want to prove the existence of the Golden Country, right? There's no need for that. I'll take you to the royal palace, but in return..."

He pointed at Lass and said, "You're mine now, and the Golden Country will be mine as well!"

There were other races on the high seas besides humans, or to be precise, besides 'ordinary humans' like Sag. There were long-armed tribes, long-legged tribes, snake-headed tribes, dwarf tribes, giant tribes, hairy tribes, and the typical fish-man tribes.

They were essentially human too!

And this little guy was one of them! With his mastery of the Big Dipper Fist, Sag could easily discern the uniqueness of this child, not because he had some hidden power within him, but because of his extraordinary physique.

Specifically, as Lily had observed with the mine, this kid could venture deep without any protective gear, and on his own, he had dug his way to who knows how many meters below the surface to find the gold vein.

He had exceptional adaptability and stamina. Combined with his unusual pure black eyes and the markings on his body, it was clear he belonged to one of those tribes with unique traits.

Sag didn't know the specifics, but he was certain that the cursed gold coin and the Golden Country were connected to these tribes. And the king of Anu Country definitely knew the truth!

"My men!"

Sag laughed loudly, "The Golden Country exists! No more sleeping! Get up and move! I want it now!"

"Yes, Captain Sag!" The pirates brandished their weapons and roared ferociously.

Gold!

It was what these pirates loved the most!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end