Chapter 58: The Black Ship in the Storm
Chapter 58: The Black Ship in the Storm
Boom!
Lightning flashed amidst the dark clouds, stirring up an even stronger tempest that whipped the waves into a frenzy. A merchant ship rocked violently in the storm, tilting dangerously.
"Reef the sails! Hurry! Turn the rudder to the right over there, quick! Don't let the big waves flip us over!"
The captain, braving the downpour, roared on the deck, directing the sailors to reef the sails and pull the ropes, doing their best to maintain control in the surging waves and keep the seemingly capsizing ship afloat.
Just a while ago, the sky was clear and serene, the merchant ship's captain grumbled inwardly. Not even ten minutes ago, the sky was peaceful, with everyone enjoying delicious food and singing songs. How did it change so suddenly?
He also served as a navigator and could read the weather. There were no signs of an impending storm, so how did this sudden tempest arise?
This is the East Sea.
It's not the legendary Grand Line, known for its ever-changing climate, just an ordinary sea. There are no strange currents or skies that transform in the next second; those with maritime knowledge can navigate calmly.
As the captain of a merchant ship, he certainly possessed maritime knowledge.
Most captains have some maritime knowledge, and some are even quite skilled.
The merchant ship's captain was competent, but he hadn't anticipated the sudden appearance of a storm, and such a massive one at that, turning the sky as dark as night.
Fortunately, their timely maneuvers had temporarily stabilized the ship.
"Turn the rudder toward the nine o'clock direction; then pull the sailcloth. Make sure to pull it tight and don't let go. If the cloth is blown open by this wind, we're completely finished!" The captain issued orders in an orderly manner.
By riding this giant wind out of the storm's reach, they would be safe.
The sailors on the ship followed the captain's instructions, with some pulling ropes and others turning the rudder.
Boom!
Another thunderous explosion illuminated the gloomy darkness, and a sailor pulling a rope on the side mast suddenly froze, his eyes widening with fear as he stared at the side. The rope slipped from his stagnant grasp, causing the wind sail that had just been somewhat controlled to be blown open by the violent wind, even tearing at the corners.
"Hey! What are you doing? Didn't I tell you to pull the ropes tight? You—"
The captain instinctively shouted toward the mast, but his words trailed off as he froze in place.
In the brief illumination of the lightning, a black behemoth several times larger than the merchant ship suddenly appeared beside it, enveloping the entire merchant vessel in darkness, along with the storm.
The black hull and sailcloth shone like stars in the night, but within the fabric, amidst those stars, lurked a massive skull, as if devouring the entire starry sky.
On the highest flag atop the mast, there was also a pattern identical to the sailcloth.
"Starry Skull Flag!" The captain stammered.
A sailor asked fearfully, "Captain, do you recognize this flag?"
"No, I don't."
The captain shook his head, but the look of fear in his eyes grew more intense. "However, I know who this black ship belongs to!"
He had naturally never heard of the Starry Skull Flag, but he was aware of the figure who had been making waves in the East Sea recently.
The black ship that belonged to the calamity, which had destroyed three kingdoms, was none other than this massive black vessel!
Moreover, according to rumors, wherever that calamity's black ship appeared, it would inevitably be followed by a tremendous storm!
Previously, he had thought these were just rumors, after all, how could a ship sail through storms?
But today, he had witnessed it with his own eyes!
The more one doubted, the more that doubt would turn into absolute trust upon seeing the truth.
There was no room for disbelief now. He could clearly see that while they were struggling to pull in their sails, the other ship had theirs wide open, allowing the fierce wind to billow the canvas without fear of being torn to shreds.
The most important reason was that on the taller ship beside them, a group of people had appeared in the brief flashes of lightning, their blades glinting menacingly. Among them was a tanned man with a headscarf, leaning on twin crutches, who directed a cold smile towards the merchant ship.
There was no room for doubt when faced with such a sight.
...
Dead Omen, Banquet Hall.
Sagittarius sat on his throne, watching as his men hauled box after box into the room. Lily was beside him, tallying their loot. "We left enough food and water for the merchant ship to return home. Those things are of no use to us."
Just as Sagittarius didn't rob the poor, he had no interest in driving people to their deaths.
He was a pirate, a looter, not a murderer.
Food and water were of little value, and it was better to let the merchants return home and continue their voyages so they could be looted again in the future.
Dead men created nothing.
Ajin and his crew had followed Sagittarius's instructions and left behind enough provisions for the merchant ship's crew of around two hundred to return home. Everything else had been taken.
As for the loot, it was quite satisfactory.
"A thousand boxes of tea, a thousand boxes of sugar, a hundred boxes of silver tableware, and thirty boxes of exquisite silk," Lily reported. "The rest is mostly miscellaneous supplies, small amounts of iron, food, and water, and two boxes of gold coins."
Two of the boxes in the banquet hall had been opened, revealing a dazzling array of gold coins that caught the eyes of the pirates in the room.
This was the life of a sea looter.
There weren't many treasure-carrying ships out there, nor were there ships laden with gold and silver. Only those transporting celestial gold would have such valuables, but the protection around them would surely be much stronger, making them far more difficult to plunder than ordinary merchant ships.
Sagittarius waved his hand. "Keep one box of gold coins for me and put it in my treasure room. Distribute the rest among the crew, and sell whatever we can't divide up in a town."
The ship sailing through the storm was, of course, Sagittarius's Dead Omen.
Ever since they had set sail from the island where the ship had been refurbished, that damned storm had been chasing them relentlessly. No matter how they navigated, they couldn't escape it. Fortunately, the crew was used to it by now, and the finely crafted ship was sturdy enough to withstand the fierce winds and waves.
The wind direction happened to align with their intended course, so they didn't need to make any adjustments and could simply sail through the storm.
As for encountering the merchant ship...
To be honest, Sagittarius hadn't expected it. With his luck, he had thought it unlikely that they would come across any merchant vessels, so he was pleasantly surprised to find one.
As the first merchant ship he had looted in his pirate career, it held a certain commemorative value for Sagittarius.
As for the spoils, his crew could take what they wanted, and whatever remained could be sold in the next town they came across.
That was the life of a pirate—looting goods being transported by sea. These goods were of no use to the pirates themselves; they couldn't exactly eat tea and sugar.
In the end, they would have to dispose of it somehow.
There will be one more chapter coming early tomorrow morning. Apologies, I'm feeling under the weather and not feeling well.
(End of Chapter)
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