Those who are accustomed to taking by force and plundering disdain honest production, and they certainly wouldn't use lawful means to get what they want. Seeing that this band of Barbary Pirates was now about to team up to rob him, Byron immediately volunteered to provide them with a carefully prepared "death admission ticket," conveniently receiving the strong approval of [Blue Hair] Barbarossa Halding.
Although their goals extended beyond merely pilfering the treasure map—including reclaiming their lost reputation, avenging the death of their men and the destruction of a squadron at the "Frogman's" hand, and discovering the whereabouts of the missing large Sea Monster, the [Barnacle Crab]—other matters were not urgent aside from acquiring the critically needed treasure map.
Once they triumphantly returned from Silvergold Island, they could address the various internal and external crises plaguing the Pirate Group and settle debts; it wouldn't be too late then. It just so happened that every department within the Pirate Group was suffering severe losses and was desperately short-staffed, so [Blue Hair] took the opportunity to enlist Fat Dragon into his Guardsmen as a commander.
Everyone knew that the most important trait for a member of the Guardsmen was not martial strength, but loyalty! Fat Dragon was a long-standing member of the Pirate Group and had openly declared his allegiance. Such a loyalist was an obvious choice. Why would [Blue Hair] employ dissidents who were dissatisfied with him instead?
"To tell you the truth, I couldn't care less about such arrangements, but I'm not sure if you, a disabled person, can withstand it," Byron mused. "I'm not boasting. Fat Dragon may stand two meters tall and equally wide, but while he won't let wind or rain through, bullets, blades, and tridents are sure to get past him. Especially on perilous Silvergold Island, it's not certain which of us two will be protecting the other, or who will be shielding whom from bullets."
Of course, Byron also knew that the higher the Class, the stronger the resistance to such insidious threats. The same crisis that would be fatal for those of a Low Sequence could be but a gentle breeze for a Fourth Order Transcendent.
Moreover, the longer Byron spent with this Vice-King, the more he felt that a colossal secret lay hidden within him. The Vice-King seemed to naturally emanate a kingly aura and an overwhelmingly imposing presence. He was a recluse by nature, rarely made public appearances, and had hardly any close personal relationships with any Pirate Group members—conduct completely unlike that expected of a king.
What exactly were the special effects of [Blue Hair]'s title? Byron was particularly curious. Fat Dragon had been undercover for an extended period. Yet, aside from being able to directly sense [Blue Hair]'s extraordinary and imposing aura, comparable to that of a High Sequence individual, he had never seen [Blue Hair] use any distinctive transcendent abilities, even during the fiercest battles with the Invincible Fleet. More often, he behaved like his brother, a Beast Tamer of the Wilderness Sequence, relying on commanding his Sea Monsters in combat.
The unknown is always the most intimidating. [Blue Hair]'s title naturally instilled apprehension and sparked wild speculation in Byron's mind.
"Could it be some explosive ability that demands a great sacrifice to use? One he'd rather lose an arm than activate? Logically, the greater the sacrifice, the more powerful the ability's effects must be!"
"Although a Fourth Order Beast Tamer not only significantly increases the number of creatures under his pact but also shares in the abilities of his Guardian Beasts, thus gradually compensating for his own weaknesses, most of his strength still resides in those Guardian Beasts. Once we delve deeper into the island, [Blue Hair]'s power will diminish significantly due to the distance from those colossal Sea Monsters, providing me with an excellent opportunity to strike. However, considering the strength of titles like [The Mad Hunt] and [Mithril Dragon], I must first ascertain what his title ability is, lest I be undone by some unforeseen pitfall."
Having made up his mind, Byron withdrew his consciousness.
Across the entire Bantaan Archipelago, the Barbary Pirates were the only formidable force that warranted Byron's personal attention to this extent. But while such 'services' were limited, the demand for treasure maps was endless. Apart from the Barbary Pirates, numerous other factions, big and small, continued to yearn for a treasure map to Silvergold Island.
Especially now, during this "Great Pirate Era" temporarily lacking a top-tier Overlord to keep things in check, all sorts of monstrous figures had emerged. An unknown number of Pirates, Adventurers, and official forces were spilling rivers of blood in their fight for a single treasure map. As a result, the entire Bantaan Archipelago was thrown into turmoil. With the approaching April rainy season, even the moisture in the air seemed tinged with the scent of blood.
The International Port, already a tumultuous hub of assorted characters at the center of this vortex, was no exception. Many had been convinced by the Governor of Havana, through The Skinners' Church, that the International Port was an easy target. Following the Bone Gobble Joker, several more groups arrived one after another, including assassins specializing in Stealth and brazen Pirates. They were all promptly discovered by Catherine, thanks to the [Golden Law], and hanged one by one on the gallows outside the port.
After these successive battles, the illustrious name of the International Port shone even brighter, and no one dared to try and seize things by force anymore. Instead, buyers bearing genuine gold and silver lined up to make legitimate purchases.
It proved time and again that when facing a pack of Robbers who believed that "plundering is better than toiling" and that "it's better to bleed than to sweat," only a sufficiently powerful fist could teach them the meaning of rules.
[Mithril Dragon] Miss Catherine also seized this opportunity to host a "special treasure map auction," personally serving as the auctioneer, and in doing so, amassed a great fortune. Updates are released by novel{f}ire.net