Chapter 446, Wait for My Father to Avenge Me
Someone spoke up.
All the pirate captains present turned their heads simultaneously, looking at 'Babuchi'.
Babuchi, a veteran pirate captain, felt a sense of panic rise under the weight of so many scrutinizing gazes.
He said: "I'm not defending her. I can't confirm whether she's a Guild spy, but when she came in, she did mention the Pirate King's letter."
He added, "Search her spatial ring. If there's a letter inside, it'll confirm if she's acknowledged by the Pirate King. Besides, when the Iron Barrel Pirate Crew ruled the seas, the Guild on Gold-Silver Island didn't even exist!"
This statement garnered some agreement from the pirates.
Although the Iron Barrel Pirate Crew had declined, it had once been prominent.
It was an infamous Pirate Crew.
Their misdeeds were worse than most pirates present. By the Guild's standards, choosing the Iron Barrel Pirate Crew seemed questionable.
The Black Dragon captain listened to the discussions below and looked at Babuchi. "Which Pirate Crew are you from?"
"Flying Fish Pirate Crew, Captain Heller."
The Black Dragon captain frowned, scrutinizing him. "I've seen the Flying Fish Pirate Crew. Its captain was a burly, steadfast man. When did you take over?"
Babuchi awkwardly scratched his chin. "Captain Heller, I had the honor of raiding a convoy with you back then. I still had my beard at the time."
"So it's you," the Black Dragon captain recognized him and asked, "You're sure she spoke to you just now?"
"She did. With her personality and less-than-sharp mind, I doubt the Guild would choose her as a spy."
On the platform, the Savage Lion Pirate Crew's captain stepped forward. "This isn't up for debate. I followed the Pirate King's letter to capture her. She's not smart and came willingly."
Philipa's expression tightened.
She had wondered why she encountered the Savage Lion Pirate Crew—turns out they came to capture her.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on this, nor could she admit it.
She shouted angrily: "Liar! In the tavern, you asked me to sleep with you. When I refused, you said you'd show me something interesting. Then you brought me here and accused me of betraying pirates. Ask the crew members who were present—they can vouch for me."
Whoosh~!
The pirates looked up at the Savage Lion captain.
His face turned red with suppressed anger.
Seeing her words gaining traction, Philipa continued shouting, "He can kill me with any excuse now, and he'll do the same to others later. Don't trust him…"
The Black Dragon captain gestured, and someone immediately gagged her.
However, her words had sown doubt among the pirates. Mentioning the Savage Lion crew made her claims harder to dismiss.
Pirates weren't known for high moral standards.
Seeing the growing murmurs below, the Black Dragon captain said: "Search her spatial ring."
Philipa's ring was removed, and its contents were displayed on the platform.
Daily items, grenades, food, coins, and bolts were scattered messily.
Among them was a significant number of blank envelopes.
Judging by the quantity, it exceeded what a regular pirate captain would have.
However, the letters disappeared after being read, making their contents unverifiable.
"I'm not a traitor. I've raided Guild ships. My father was a pirate. I grew up on a ship. They're framing me. They can kill me without evidence today and find reasons to kill others tomorrow," Philipa shouted, breaking free from her gag.
The pirates' murmurs grew louder.
Their arguments were becoming less convincing.
Some even questioned if the previous executions were based on fabricated reasons.
Babuchi from the Flying Fish Pirate Crew spoke again: "Captains, let's imprison Philipa and the others for now. They're low-ranking and not dangerous if guarded. We can wait for the Pirate King's decision, avoiding mutual suspicion."
Others echoed his suggestion.
Whether they were traitors could be decided later by the Pirate King. For now, imprisonment was more agreeable than execution.
The Savage Lion and Black Dragon captains looked displeased.
Executing Philipa might lead to uncontrollable outcomes during their next operation.
Pirates were unruly by nature. Without trust, they might disband or rebel.
After exchanging glances, the Black Dragon captain said: "Fine, we'll imprison them and let the Pirate King decide. Split them between the Black Dragon and Savage Lion cages."
Philipa didn't resist and allowed herself to be taken away.
She shouted: "Send me to the Black Dragon cage. The Savage Lion will kill me with an excuse."
"Send her to the Black Dragon cage."
Philipa and the others were escorted away.
The Black Dragon captain calmed the crowd. "Don't let this disrupt our plans. The island provides supplies and provisions. Prepare to set out at night for the next operation."
The crowd nodded and left the building.
They returned to their fleets to prepare.
...…
In the ship's hold,
Philipa was thrown into an iron cage.
The dim surroundings echoed with distant groans from the darkness.
The escort locked the cage and said: "You're lucky to have survived."
Philipa sat on the damp straw mat, muttering indignantly: "Hmph, my father will avenge me for this."
"Damn, even if your father's alive, he'll bow before the Black Dragon."
"Tch!" Philipa turned away, ignoring them.
The escorts left without further interaction.
Once the hatch was shut,
The hold plunged into darkness.
Philipa exhaled slowly.
Her back felt clammy, her legs weak.
The previous spies had been executed with their throats slit.
Without Babuchi's defense, she'd likely share their fate.
Being a traitor truly invoked the Sea God's wrath.
Suppressing her panic,
She took deep breaths to steady herself.
She began plotting her next move.
She had to find a way to escape, return to her ship, and leave.
Then she'd deliver the message to Wu Heng.
He'd kill those who wronged her.
"Damn it, what bad luck!"
...…
On Gold-Silver Island,
GGG
After testing the Hundred-Arms Robe, Wu Heng had a renewed appreciation for the rare item.
Even with only preliminary experimentation, without fully exploring its uses,
It was clear that proper use could yield immense power.
A first-class merit reward truly didn't disappoint.
Glancing at the time, it was nearing noon.
After informing Andviel, Wu Heng left the Guild.
Instead of heading home, he walked toward the outskirts of town.
Upon reaching an isolated spot,
He donned [The Conductor's Hat]. A whistle sounded.
The Ghost Train appeared before him.
Wu Heng boarded with Keramu, writing 'Lopez City' in the itinerary.
The train started and disappeared into the void.
Wu Heng found a seat.
Outside the window was a blur of nothingness.
That morning, Imiro had advised him not to leave the island without urgent cause.
After consideration,
Wu Heng decided to venture out anyway.
He needed to prepare for upcoming events.
Safety wasn't a major concern.
The Ghost Train traveled through the void, bypassing conventional routes.
With pirates as the Guild's current enemies, they couldn't hinder Wu Heng's actions.
After about three hours of travel,
A landscape appeared outside the window. The train stopped, and the door opened.
Wu Heng disembarked, and the train vanished.
He stood in a wasteland, scanning his surroundings. In the distance to the east, a city's silhouette was visible.
'Lopez City,' the port city used for investigating Pirate Village.
It was relatively prosperous.
Wu Heng adjusted his cloak and headed for the city.
He hailed a carriage en route to the Snake Emblem Consortium's building.
After disembarking,
He donned a mask and entered the building.
At the front desk, he presented a purple-gold insignia. "Is Miss Retyri here?"
Upon seeing the insignia, the staff's pupils constricted.
They bowed immediately. "This way, sir. Miss Retyri will be here shortly."
Someone went to fetch 'Retyri,' while Wu Heng was led to a VIP room.
After two to three minutes,
The door opened. A golden-haired, sharp-eared elf in a red dress, with exquisite features, entered briskly.
Seeing the cloaked, masked Wu Heng,
She smiled. "It's been a long time, sir."
Retyri, the Snake Emblem Consortium's auctioneer.
After the auction, she had approached Wu Heng privately as the top spender.
She gave him a 'purple-gold insignia'—the Consortium's highest-tier insignia, granting numerous privileges.
She also offered her services for future requests.
She managed the Consortium's Lopez City branch.
"It has been a while," Wu Heng replied.
As they spoke, Retyri sat opposite him. Her tight dress accentuated her curves.
The door opened again.
Servants brought tea and fruit, demonstrating thoughtful hospitality.
Once everyone left,
Retyri asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"
From behind his mask, Wu Heng said, "I have a request. I need your help to collect something."
"Go ahead."
Wu Heng said directly: "I need the corpses of level-15 alchemists and machinists. The sooner, the better."