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Chapter 19: While Others Get Rich, I Get Blamed?
Chapter 19: While Others Get Rich, I Get Blamed?
There were quite a number of supplies on the warship, including medical equipment, which was just what the injured pirates needed for their wounds.
As the navigator, Lily was also temporarily in charge of logistics and had already taken inventory.
In the captain's room, Lily, Akin, and Palu stood together as Lily sorted through the inventory. "According to the supplies on the warship, we can continue sailing for about a week," she reported.
Branch 23 wasn't far from Kampas, so they hadn't consumed much of their provisions, which was a boon for Sag.
"A week?" Sag nodded and turned to Akin. "Are there any other towns like Kampas nearby?"
He wasn't ready to give up just yet. Now that he had encountered an economically prosperous town, his next target had to be equally lucrative.
"There are," Akin replied. "Wood Town and Money Town. One is a large town known for its timber industry, and the other boasts abundant mineral resources. Both are comparable to Kampas in scale."
Lily spread out the map and located the two towns. "Wood Town is to the east, and Money Town is to the north. Wood Town is closer; we can arrive there tomorrow morning."
"Great! Let's head to Wood Town first!" Sag stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and took another swig of alcohol before standing up and stepping outside.
On the deck, some pirates were coating the canvas with black paint while the rest were resting and chatting casually.
"My hearties!" Sag clenched his fist and shouted to get everyone's attention. "Don't let one failure bring you down. We'll strike it rich in the next town, mark my words! Keep your spirits high, and we'll surely achieve our goals. Now, let's feast!"
"Aye!" the pirates cheered loudly.
Since they didn't have any money, Sag had to keep their morale up with other perks.
After all, they would reach their destination by tomorrow, so there was no need to be stingy. If necessary, they could always replenish their supplies along the way.
The pirates hauled the supplies from the ship's cabin, and those with some culinary skills headed to the kitchen. Barrel after barrel of rum was brought out, and whether they were injured or not, the pirates grabbed wooden cups and began a drinking contest.
Pirates, by their very nature, were not accustomed to strict discipline. Loud arguments, boisterous laughter, and a life of plunder—this was the daily routine for most of them.
Sag watched the lively scene below with a smirk, then turned to Lily and repeated, "You're not allowed to drink alcohol. But you can have some juice."
Although Lily had no intention of joining in, she felt compelled to defend herself after Sag's repeated comments. "I'm sixteen," she said.
"So what if you're sixteen? That's high sch—" Sag paused, realization dawning on him. "Oh, right. Sixteen means you're an adult now."
The age of majority varied in this world—eighteen for men and sixteen for women. Technically, Lily had reached adulthood.
But Sag still felt uneasy about it. "Anyway," he said after a moment's thought, "just don't drink too much."
Lily shook her head. "I'd rather work on the nautical charts than attend a party."
The warship had a comprehensive collection of nautical charts, including a large map of the Eastern Sea. As long as they referenced these charts, they wouldn't get lost.
A true navigator's duty was to commit all these charts to memory, enabling them to make snap decisions in case of emergencies.
...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
On the sea, three warships were pursuing a black-sailed warship, relentlessly firing cannonballs that exploded in the water nearby, rocking the ship violently.
Swoosh! Bang!!
A cannonball shot straight toward the ship, but Paru, standing at the stern, caught it with his round shield. The explosion on the shield knocked him off balance, but he quickly regained his footing and laughed heartily at the pursuing warships. "Cannons are useless against me! I am the invincible Iron Wall Paru!"
He could truly withstand the force of the cannons.
"Turn ninety degrees to the left! The wind is strongest in that direction!" Lily shouted instructions from the deck before running to the back of the ship to address Sag. "Sag, we can't shake them off at this speed."
Sag watched as another cannonball flew toward them, then kicked it back with an air-step, causing it to explode on the warship's mast and set it ablaze.
"Storm Step!"
Two pale blue slashes sped towards the other two warships, slicing through their masts and forcing them to a halt.
This display elicited cheers from the pirates.
"Captain Sag, you're the strongest!"
Sag landed on the deck, his expressionless face a picture of calm. He shrugged off their misfortune, thinking that at least as a pirate, he had acquired a warship and had plenty of food and drink, which was more than he could say for his other unsuccessful ventures. He believed it was only a matter of time before he struck it rich.
The next day, they arrived at Wood Town, and Sag was up early, eager to plunder. He was determined to get his hands on some gold, jewelry, or Berries first, and as expected, things took an unexpected turn.
The town had been destroyed!
It bore the same destruction as Kampas, halved in size.
Wood Town was renowned for its timber, which was resistant to insects and specially treated to ensure longevity. Despite the abundance of forested islands in the Eastern Sea, the town's wood was highly sought-after.
Shipwrights across the Eastern Sea relied on their timber, and there was even a precious tree that only grew one every thirty years. This tree was naturally resistant to insect damage and significantly more durable than others.
When one of these precious trees matured, shipwrights from all over the Eastern Sea would clamor for it. However, it had been stolen.
Surveying the devastated town, Sag resigned himself to his bad luck and didn't feel much like looting. He ordered his crew to take some supplies and set off, only to be pursued by warships shortly after.
The reason for their pursuit was simple. The pirates who had raided Wood Town, like Sag's crew, only had their sails painted black and lacked distinctive pirate flags.
Sag hadn't designed a pirate flag yet, but why would the other pirates forgo having one? This led the Navy to assume that Sag's crew was responsible for the raid on Wood Town and relentlessly pursued them.
And so, the previous scene had unfolded.
Back in the captain's room, Sag asked Lily, who had rushed in, "How long until we reach Money Town?"
"Two days," Lily replied. "Should we change course and operate outside the 23rd Branch's jurisdiction?"
"There's still one town left! I refuse to give up!" Sag persisted. "I can't believe we won't hit the jackpot at least once!"
He still had Money Town to go.
How could he come away with nothing from three prosperous towns?
As long as he didn't give up, he was sure to strike gold eventually!
Thriving towns were either natural harbors with bustling trade, convenient transportation hubs, or producers of unique specialties.
Kampas produced canvas, Wood Town timber, and Money Town boasted abundant mineral resources. The town's raw materials were essential for ship fittings, cannon components, and other accessories.
As expected, when Sag arrived, the town had been ravaged.
Money Town was home to a precious metal that produced exceptionally durable and resilient materials. If used for cannons, they would never explode.
Once again, a group of black-sailed ships and black-robed individuals had laid waste to the town and made off with the precious metal.
This time, Sag was pursued by five warships.
"Black Sail Pirates! Surrender immediately, or we'll sink your ship!" a voice blared from a loudspeaker on one of the pursuing warships.
"Storm Step!!!"
In response, numerous pale blue slashes erupted from the black-sailed ship, slicing through the masts of the pursuing warships. One ship even sustained a massive gash and immediately sank halfway into the sea.
Sag's face turned grim at this turn of events.
"Damn it!" he cursed. "They take the money, and I get blamed? That's not how the world works! I'd rather die than take the fall, even if it were the king himself ordering it! Forget about the loot; let's find those responsible!"
He could accept being pursued by the Navy—that was par for the course for pirates. But what galled him was that he hadn't managed to plunder anything of value, only some supplies, and yet he was continually hounded by warships. It was simply not worth it.
Sag was seething with frustration.
He was determined to find the culprits, no matter what. He wouldn't rest until he cleared his name!
(End of Chapter)
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