Pirate Kingship

"SHRIEK!"

Amidst a sharp wail, a thick tentacle at least five or six meters long thudded dismally onto the deck of the Golden Deer.

It kept writhing in pain, looking extremely fresh—turned into sashimi, it would surely make the tongue explode with freshness!

Even better, the Dragon Dung Potion hadn't contaminated this part. It could be eaten raw!

"Let's go, secure the Captain's dinner."

First Mate Gus and Sailor Chief Eight Fingers, along with a group of Marines, immediately restrained the tentacle, well aware of their Captain's preference for this delicacy.

Byron's attention, however, wasn't on that.

The elation from swinging his sword just now made him suspect that he had once again touched upon a higher level of swordsmanship within the Storm Sword Technique. The last time he had felt this way was back in Valhalla when he had been driven to the brink of death by a barrage from catapults. A few more times and I should be able to completely grasp that godlike feeling, allowing my 'Sword Mastery' to step into the realm of 'Flow State.'

While Captain Byron Tudor was displaying his divine might, the others weren't idle. They didn't wait for the Twin-Gun Squid—which had just shrieked sharply—to attack again. Little Hans, who had been waiting at the ship's side, hoping for his Captain to ride back on a shark and had thus refrained from dropping the potion, finally smashed a vial on the rail.

But this wasn't the common Dragon Dung Potion; it was the juice of the Fishbane Tree, a top-notch product provided by the Third Order Artisan Violet. The raw material was a fruit named Verdant Core. After processing, it could cause fish to asphyxiate and die without affecting the meat, thus also known as Fishbane or Sea Poison Tree. Any creature that breathed through gills would be affected, while those that breathed through lungs would not. Seawater carrying the toxin underwater would poison any creature if it flowed through their gills. Even if they escaped and diluted it with a large quantity of clean seawater, they would still become weak for a period.

At this moment, murky yellow-green sewage also continuously surged in from the direction of the main fleet, its odor so strong it almost stung the eyes. The Twin-Gun Squid soon realized that someone had poisoned the water amidst the sewage that was already unbearable for Sea Monsters, making it increasingly difficult for it to breathe. Facing the threat of death, it could no longer focus on hunting and hurriedly abandoned the Golden Deer, swimming towards cleaner waters away from the main fleet.

Under normal circumstances, an encounter between humans and a Sea Monster like this should have ended here. In naval battles, even Warships find it hard to sink each other, mostly resorting to boarding actions to decide the victor—let alone dealing with Sea Monsters, which possess greater mobility. Unless a Third Order Transcendent personally intervened, driving them away was the best possible outcome.

But this time, encountering Byron, it was different. The World's Fastest Three-Master, the Golden Deer, immediately shot off like an arrow from a bow, leaving other supporting Privateer Ships behind as it relentlessly pursued. The light from the "Guiding Lantern" also moved with the battlefield, positioning itself above them. Like a spotlight on a stage, it made them the center of attention for the entire fleet.

Byron himself grasped the helm. Slamming it hard to starboard, he shouted towards the front, "Sea monster ahead, surrender at once!"

Only a few splashes from the thrashing tentacles answered his call.

"Very good! You dare not surrender, so you choose the path of death! Mark of Hatred!"

An almost invisible mark suddenly appeared on the giant squid's body. The Figurehead, the Avenging Angel, drew its bow and fired a beam of light that enveloped all the cannons on the ship, granting them a temporary blessing: a 30% ballistic correction, effectively increasing their hit rate by 30%.

The indigenous Gunner Chief, Wayne Dote, who was only three consecutive hits on an enemy ship away from completing his Promotion Ceremony, suddenly perked up.

"Starboard, load grapeshot! Target: small Twin-Gun Squid! Full ship, fire!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...

Seven six-pounder Cannons on one side and one 32-pound Carronade fired simultaneously. A continuous roar of gunfire and an orange-red glow illuminated the foggy sea. A metal storm, thick with the smell of gunpowder, suddenly blanketed all the Sea Monster's dodging space. Even though it instinctively dived underwater, its weakened state and inability to breathe meant it still suffered many hits, its screams growing even more miserable. The hit rate was frighteningly high.

"Good! Reload! Continue the pursuit!"

At the same time, a bloody divine light flickered deep in Byron's eyes. Below the surface, twenty Man-Eater Sharks thrashed their tails as they charged toward the Twin-Gun Squid. They had followed their master Byron through one sea battle after another, feasting on buffet after buffet. It was unknown how many Transcendents they had devoured. Like a group of teenagers, they grew taller every day, changing constantly. The largest one had already reached ten meters, while the others averaged seven meters in length.

Perhaps one day, a true Sea Monster that breaks through the racial limits will emerge from among them!

Meanwhile, the effects of the Fishbane Tree were taking hold, causing the Twin-Gun Squid's resistance to wane. Even if it managed to fling off one shark with its tentacles, more sharks would lunge and bite it.

As a group of Man-Eater Sharks kept the giant squid busy with a frenzied attack, forcing it to resurface—

BOOM!

Wayne Dote, seizing the opportunity, decisively fired again. The second cannonball sliced off half of the triangular fin atop the opponent's head. The third cannonball hit the bullseye; the 32-pound solid shot was so powerful it violently expelled the cuttlebone from inside the opponent's head, shredding the entire head to pieces.

"ROAR! We won!"

"HURRAH! Long live the Captain!"

Cheers thundered through the sky. Especially noteworthy were Wayne Dote's three consecutive, precise shots. His Artillery Notebook shone brightly as the Promotion Ceremony was completed. To everyone's surprise, he had surpassed veterans like Eight Fingers and Little Hans, who had followed Byron for much longer, to be the first among them to become a Transcendent.

He was promoted to the Squire Level of the Lighthouse Sequence as an [Artillery Expert]! Not only did he gain the [Transcendent Endurance] that Byron greatly coveted, but also an additional [Military Weapons Expertise] (focused on firearms) and [Accuracy]. Even if it was his first time, he could master any military weapon without instruction. Especially when using ranged weapons—including Firearms, Cannons, crossbows, and Ballistas—he could instinctively grasp the shooting parameters, significantly improving his hit rate.

Watching his Man-Eater Sharks begin to feast on the Sea Monster, Byron couldn't help but feel it was a pity. If only the Mad Hunt Legion could enlist the souls of these Sea Monsters as well, we'd truly strike it rich. The remaining flesh I can't eat, and even the Mad Hunt Legion won't take its Spirituality; it's such a huge waste.

This thought pained the miser, who meticulously calculated every drop of blood, as if his heart were being twisted by a knife.

However, due to the recent rampage of the Touch of the Kraken in the North Sea, the [Mad Hunt], which had induced its loss of control, had also gained significant fame. The legend of the [Mad Hunt] kept increasing. In just half a month, it had grown to 23 points, with the next promotion to 25 points just around the corner.

I just don't know how much longer the Touch of the Kraken can rampage. Its peak is only at the Fifth Order of the [Kingly Title], but the Silver Law has seven layers. I don't believe the Church will allow the Touch of the Kraken to run rampant in its own stronghold; resolving it should only be a matter of time.

Fleet Commander Major General Elsie Newman and Third Order Navigator James were also paying close attention to this battlefield. Seeing such remarkable results, the Major General couldn't help but curiously ask her Steward, "That was an impressive battle. Whose subordinate is this, displaying such bravery?"

"General, I happened to have reviewed the record files for this batch of Privateering Licenses. The one directly commanding the battle should be the adjutant to Pirate General [Executioner] Bill—Captain Byron Tudor of the pirate ship Golden Deer. Although he's a relatively unknown newcomer among Pirates, he performed admirably in the Battle of Iron Anchor Bay. It's said that during the events at Valhalla Hall of Heroes, his was the only pirate ship that dared to break through the Heroic Spirits' siege to rescue the Goddess of Vengeance. His name for loyalty is well-regarded among Pirates."

In fact, after signing the contract earlier, Byron had received a blank [Privateering License] and about a dozen duplicates. The names on them could be filled in as desired, as long as they were later reported to the Navy Department. The first name filled in was Captain of the Golden Deer: Byron Tudor.

The primary function of a Privateering License was to legalize private criminal acts. To truly civilized people, this was inconceivable, the very logic of robbers. But such was the state of the entire Old Continent: the major maritime powers went from questioning the Bayfolk, to understanding the Bayfolk, and then to becoming Bayfolk themselves. Beyond the individual plundering by Bayfolk, even state-level pirate conglomerates emerged.

Sometimes Byron even doubted whether the Mad Hunt Deity's prophecy referred to the Bayfolk, or to the continental countries that, invoking the creator's will, felt perfectly justified in their overseas burning, killing, and plundering.

And his decision to push the "Byron Tudor" identity to the forefront stemmed from his own considerations. Perhaps the role of [Executioner] Bill carried the most weight, and developing under the York Family's wing using the identity of Red Beard's former confidant would offer the best treatment. But that only considered the present, not the future.

Byron's ambition had never been limited to a small Golden Deer, or even the title of Pirate General he had already obtained. He aimed to seize the York Family's Crown! "Byron Tudor" could not forever wear someone else's false persona, entrusting all his future subordinates, endeavors, and achievements to Bill. As his operations grew larger, the burden would also become heavier, and the false persona might become an inseparable true face. It was better to start from scratch with the clean, fictional identity of "Byron Tudor."

Therefore, this identity needed to slowly build its own prestige. Let [Executioner] Bill's identity remain at the forefront, handling matters related to the York Family with an image of unwavering loyalty. Once all value was extracted from that persona, it would be discarded and completely replaced.

Just like now: with his fame spreading throughout the entire fleet, "Byron Tudor," Captain of the Golden Deer, was also beginning to accumulate his own legend.

Fleet Commander Major General Elsie Newman was naturally unaware of Byron's schemes, but she had taken note of his performance. Her eyes flickered thoughtfully for a moment, then she suddenly ordered, "Have this pirate captain come to the Flagship tomorrow. Tell him I have a matter I wish to entrust to him."

"As you command, General."