Pirate Kingship

"A Pirate General has to take an exam?"

Having reached this point, Byron, now dressed in a brand-new Navy uniform, shook his head helplessly.

He made eye contact with six other similarly dismayed individuals and walked into the naval base at Felixstowe Port.

Three days had passed since Bill and Catherine had their "first meeting."

An entire shipful of Judgment Knights, on the Tribunal warship that was also returning to the Royal Capital, was responsible for guarding Catherine.

During the nearly two-day journey, neither Bill nor Catherine showed any sign of anything unusual, nor did they even have an opportunity to be alone together.

However, after personally confirming each other's safety, they had been able to relax.

They weren't in a rush anyway; there would be plenty of time in the future.

When the group arrived at Felixstowe Port, the other members of the Long-range Fleet had mostly gathered.

The following day brought the Pirate Generals' appointment ceremony.

The personal strength of the candidates was a secondary concern.

Unless one was a Mid-Sequences Transcendent possessing tactical-level abilities, whether a pirate was First Rank or Second Order made little difference to the outcome of plundering activities, where battleships were the fundamental units.

The Navy Department did indeed want to recruit Third Order Great Pirates.

But those individuals simply weren't up to par; if they had possessed the determination to fight overseas, they wouldn't have waited for the York Family to recruit them—they would have set out on their own long ago.

Ultimately, considering their reputations among the privateering pirates, the Navy Department selected seven renowned pirates most loyal and devoted to the York Family and conferred upon them the title of Pirate General.

Because "Bill" had performed admirably during the Mad Hunt at Iron Anchor Bay.

Many Transcendent captains, fearing for their lives, had fled to the Goddess of Vengeance for protection, abandoning their crews.

In contrast, "Executioner" Bill had dutifully remained with them.

Such a reliable figure naturally earned high praise from the pirates.

Furthermore, as he was originally a member of the Navy with a clean background, it was only logical that he secured one of the positions.

There was just one thing that vexed everyone, except for Byron who had already served as a Navy Captain: Pirate Generals also had to undergo an examination by the Navy Department?!

When the seven Pirate Generals took their seats in a conference room, the three senior Navy Captains hosting the assessment were already waiting. They reassured the pirates, "There's no need to be nervous. It's just an ordinary officer promotion exam. Whether you pass or not will not affect your appointment as Pirate Generals."

On naval warships, the hierarchy was extremely rigid. Lower-tier sailors had virtually no rights; mistreatment and summary execution were commonplace.

The disparity in living conditions was stark. For example, officers of at least ensign rank lived in the lofty stern. The forward berths were for ordinary sailors—those who enlisted voluntarily or were press-ganged into service. Officer candidates were accommodated in the midship section.

One's status was evident at a glance.

Was there a way to climb up from the bottom?

Yes, the officer promotion exam!

Perform excellently, get recommended by the captain as an officer candidate, fulfill the service years, and pass the officer promotion exam, and one could become a glorious captain, joining the officer ranks.

If one's career progressed smoothly, reaching the rank of Admiral was not out of the question.

However, even for those with formal naval training, passing on the first attempt was extremely difficult, let alone for these rough-and-tumble pirates.

Unfortunately, before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, the chief examiner revealed a meaningful smile and said, "But... whether or not you pass greatly affects your starting funds, as well as your continued financial support from the Navy Department and tax exemptions! The exam results will be ranked. The seventh-place winner receives 1,000 pounds in starting funds, sixth place receives 2,000 pounds, and so on. First place gets 7,000 pounds, plus the option to select a Miracle from the Navy's treasury."

The pirates, who had been indifferent just moments before, immediately sat bolt upright, their eyes wide.

The ferocious Gourmet, "Bloody Eye" Salman, had a bounty of 4,300 pounds on his head. Securing first place was equivalent to 1.6 Salmans!

With 8,000 pounds in starting funds, Byron could build a true "Tudor Hybrid Sailboat" in the colonial shipyards, which typically only produced small sailboats.

He could increase its regular cruising speed to 13 knots, and with his title bonus, up to 15 knots.

Even against those Wonder Battleships that emphasized speed, he would leave them in the dust!

Yes, I've loved exams my whole life.

Observing the suddenly intensified hostility amongst the seven Pirate Generals, the chief examiner secretly gloated, cleared his throat, and announced, "Let the assessment begin. To save time, we will use a buzzer system. Ring the buzzer to answer; scores will be tallied collectively.

"First question: briefly describe the main components, uses, advantages, and disadvantages of White Material and Black Material."

DING!

Before the others could react, Byron, who had taken this exam once when graduating from the Royal Naval Academy and was extremely familiar with the procedure, had already swiftly pressed the buzzer.

"'White Material' is made by mixing the thick fat of marine animals like seals and whales with substances such as lime and sulfur.

"'Black Material' is composed of tree resins and tar mixed with sulfur and horsehair.

"They are used to coat the bottom of ships to prevent marine organisms like barnacles from attaching and causing corrosion.

"The former is more effective, the latter is cheaper. However, regardless of which material is used, the hull will be covered with marine organisms within a year, necessitating scraping and repainting.

"The poor condition of a ship's hull is also one of the greatest pressures on maritime logistical support.

"A mature Colonial Fleet must construct sufficient dry docks to ensure the fleet's combat readiness at all times."

Of course, Byron also knew of a permanent solution: sheathing warship bottoms with copper, which could increase their speed by ten percent over their original capabilities.

But there was no need to mention it now.

He would wait for an opportunity to present it to Edward IV as a demonstration of loyalty. Oh, and he absolutely mustn't forget that copper sheathing had to be nailed down with... iron nails!

"Full marks! Second question: What is the viable wind speed range for a ship's seaworthiness, and how does one quickly adjust the rigging for different wind speeds?"

DING!

DING...

The examination was conducted by the three veteran captains, who took turns asking random questions covering sailing, mathematics, astronomy, geography, racial history, and more.

Navy officers trained in this manner possessed a solid theoretical foundation, practical abilities, and invaluable combat experience.

In terms of personnel quality, this allowed them to surpass other nations.

It was an innovation of the Lancasters following the dawn of the Great Nautical Age.

For the old captains, theoretical questions were a weak point; Byron answered almost all of them.

They certainly knew the answers to practical questions, but expressing them precisely was not so simple, and losing points was common.

This gave Byron another opportunity to showcase his brilliance in public.

After the one-hour examination, most of the seven Pirate Generals who walked out of the meeting room looked ashen-faced, as if they had suffered a great loss. Only Byron was beaming.

A £7,000 deposit slip issued by the Remit People's Bank was tucked into his pocket, ready to be withdrawn anytime after reaching the colonies.

The Miracles weren't anything particularly noteworthy.

The York Family had, after all, been elevated to the status of a Royal Family; the manpower and resources they controlled were beyond an outsider's imagination.

Byron might have been able to pick up leftovers from Salman, but he could never hope to do so from them.

He obediently chose a Bastard Sword from the treasury: the Miracle, "White Frost."

But Captain Byron wasn't disdainful.

The York Family was funding his "rebellious" venture with their own money. What dedication!

From now on, he could be a happy salary thief. Delicious.

He would definitely take this exam again!

The three veteran captains watched the departing backs of the seven Pirate Generals with inscrutable expressions.

"Eat up, everyone. Have more.

"His Majesty is wise. It's most profitable to slaughter pigs only after they've been fattened."

This assessment was clearly about more than just allocating start-up funds.

First, intimidating the pirates and showing them the gap between themselves and the regular military was merely the least important objective.

Second, using the "two peaches to kill three warriors" strategy, they aimed to sow seeds of division among these unruly Pirate Generals from the outset by using limited resources.

If one of them failed to develop well, they would likely blame it on a lack of good initial resources and harbor resentment towards the others.

Even when far overseas, they would not unite easily, thus preventing the emergence of a faction too powerful to control.

The newly risen York Family was clearly just as adept at being troublemakers.

Third, since future assessment models would follow the "Warrant Officer Promotion Exam," and there was even a quota for the number of annual passes, the Seven Generals would inevitably ensure their subordinates followed their example, implementing the Hightins military system within their own privateer fleets.

Forces built to the same standard would naturally allow for seamless integration when the York Family eventually took control.

It was like a country exporting manufacturing standards upstream, making all global industrial chains identical to its own, ultimately allowing it to perfectly adapt and sustain itself.

The Pirate Generals were eyeing the Navy Department's funds, but the Yorks were eyeing their entire fortunes!

This wasn't enough. The leading general, expressionless, instructed a Steward, "Add an overlord clause to the contracts they're about to sign, using Hittite Sun Text—a Transcendent script obtained from the Bantaan Archipelago—to bind them completely."

"As you command."

「The next day.」

Byron looked at the contract before him, its intricate patterns hiding the Hittite Sun Text trap. The "Sailing Logbook" automatically deciphered its contents:

"Munitions purchased by Pirate Generals from the Kingdom at a low price are actually leased. They must be returned upon expiration, and the Pirate Generals are responsible for any wear and tear incurred during this period.

"If the Kingdom suffers investment losses, the Pirate Generals must provide full reimbursement. In the event of insolvency, they must sell themselves into slavery.

"The Kingdom has the right to pursue debts from the responsible person's family and descendants..."

There were seven or eight such clauses in total.

After reading it, Byron said nothing, only offering a fair comment, "Even the Remit People would kneel at this! I've learned my lesson; I'll do the same next time!"

With that, the Outlaw Madman boldly signed "Bill" on the document.

This time, he was operating on a completely different level.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Soon, with the resonant tolling of the port's heavy bell, the Long-range Fleet, composed of a full two hundred assorted sailing ships, finally set sail. Their destination: the Bantaan Archipelago.