The warship had a lot of supplies, including medical items, which were just enough to treat the wounded pirates.
As the navigator, Lily temporarily took charge of the logistical supplies and had already compiled a report.
In the captain's cabin, Lily, Gin, and Pearl stood there as Lily organized the compiled supplies and said, "According to the supplies on the warship, we can sail for about a week."
Branch 23 is not far from Kampas, so the supply consumption was minimal, all to the benefit of Sage.
"A week, huh..."
Sage nodded and looked at Gin, "Are there other towns like Kampas Town nearby?"
He wasn't giving up.
Since they'd encountered a prosperous town, their next target naturally had to be similar.
"There are."
Gin said, "Ward Town and Maniruo Town. One is a major wood town, and the other is rich in minerals, both of which are on par with Kampas Town."
Lily spread out a map, located the two towns, and said, "One is to the east, the other to the north. Ward Town is the closest; we can reach it by tomorrow morning."
"Great! Let's head to Ward Town first!"
Sage stubbed out his cigarette forcefully in the ashtray, took a swig of his drink, and got up to go outside.
On the deck, some pirates were painting the canvas black, while the rest were resting and occasionally chatting.
"Listen up, boys!"
Sage clenched his fist and shouted loudly, drawing the attention of all the pirates.
"A single defeat doesn't matter. We'll strike it rich at the next town, so let's keep our spirits up. We will definitely achieve our goal. Now... let's have a feast!"
"Oh!!" The pirates cheered loudly.
No money yet, but they need to be well looked after.
They used half of the supplies to hold a feast to ensure the pirates' morale.
Since they would arrive tomorrow, there was no need to scrimp. If need be, they could resupply along the way.
The pirates brought supplies from the hold, and those with some cooking skills busied themselves in the kitchen. Barrels of rum were brought up, and everyone, wounded or not, started guzzling with their wooden cups.
For pirates, strict management is nonexistent. They live loudly and rowdily; their lives are all about robbing or heading toward a robbery, encapsulating the day-to-day of the majority of pirates.
Sage watched the lively scene below and smirked. However, he remembered something and turned to Lily, saying, "You can't drink, you can have juice."
Lily had no intention of participating, but being repeatedly told by Sage, she couldn't help but defend herself, "I'm sixteen."
"Sixteen, what's that? Sixteen is when you start high... oh."
Sage paused and suddenly realized, "Sixteen, huh, you're an adult."
In this world, the coming-of-age standard was different, eighteen for boys and sixteen for girls. In theory, Lily was already an adult.
But Sage still felt uneasy. After some thought, he said, "In any case, drink less."
Lily shook her head, "I'd rather organize sea maps than join the feast."
The warship's sea maps were quite comprehensive, including a large map of the East Sea. As long as they referenced these, they wouldn't get lost.
Memorizing all the sea maps was the key, so they could make decisions in emergencies. This was the navigator's duty.
...
Boom!
Boom, boom!
On the sea, three warships were chasing a Black Sail warship, continually firing cannonballs, which exploded in the waters around the Black Sail warship, causing it to sway violently.
Swoosh!
Bam!!
A cannonball flew straight at the ship, but Pearl at the stern caught it with a round shield. The explosion on the shield's impact caused him to stagger and fall, but he quickly stood up, laughing loudly at the pursuing warships:
"Cannons are useless against me! I'm the invincible Iron Wall Pearl!"
He could really withstand cannons.
"Turn ninety degrees to the left, the wind direction is strongest there!"
Lily commanded loudly on the deck, then ran to the rear to watch Sage, who was observing the warships. "Sage, our sailing speed is the same. We can't shake them off."
Sage saw another incoming cannonball, stepped on the air, and kicked it back, causing it to explode on the warship's mast, setting it ablaze.
"Rankyaku!"
Two light blue slashes rushed towards the other two warships, cutting down their masts and forcing them to stop sailing.
This action also sparked cheers from the pirates.
Captain Sage truly was the strongest!
Sage landed on the deck, expressionless and calm.
It's alright. Bad luck is nothing new; he's used to it.
Compared to other fruitless ventures, being a pirate meant at least acquiring a warship and having provisions, which was pretty good already.
Striking it rich was merely a matter of time.
They arrived at Ward Town the next day. Sage was up early, planning to loot, whether it be gold, jewels, or Belly. Get the money first, and then... the unexpected happened, without fail.
The town was destroyed as well!
The signs of destruction were the same as in Kampas Town, with half of it gone.
Ward Town was famous for its timber. Though there were plenty of islands with forests, the wood from this town was renowned for being termite-resistant, and if treated specially, it could stay durable for a long time.
Most of the shipbuilding in the East Sea required their wood, among which there was a Treasure Tree that took thirty years to mature, and this tree was immune to termites and much more durable than others.
Once such a Treasure Tree matured, shipbuilders from all over the East Sea coveted it, but it was stolen.
Looking at the ruined town, Sage admitted his bad luck and lost his desire to plunder. He just let his men take some supplies and left, but they hadn't gone far before being chased by the navy.
The reason the navy was pursuing them was simple: the pirates who looted the town also used black sails without any distinctive pirate flag.
Sage didn't have a pirate flag because he hadn't decided yet. But what were those looters without a pirate flag doing?
This made the navy think they had plundered Ward Town, so they relentlessly pursued them.
Which led to the earlier scene.
Sage returned to the captain's cabin and asked Lily, who had hurried over, "How long to Maniruo Town?"
"Two days," Lily said. "How about we change locations? Operate outside the 23rd Branch's jurisdiction."
"There's still one more town! I refuse to believe it!"
Unyielding, Sage said, "We can't possibly get nothing!"
He still had Maniruo Town.
Three major economic towns; surely he wouldn't leave empty-handed?
As long as he didn't give up, he'd eventually get the money!
Prosperous towns were either natural ports with trade routes or had valuable local products.
Kampas produced canvas, Ward Town produced timber, and Maniruo Town was rich in minerals. Ship bolts, cannon materials, and other components required this town's raw materials.
When Sage arrived, this town...
Was predictably destroyed as well.
Maniruo Town had a Treasure Iron, known for its durability and flexibility. It was highly sought after for making cannons that wouldn't backfire.
So, similar black-sailed ships, similar dark-robed people, destroyed the town and took away the Treasure Iron.
This time... Sage was chased by five warships.
"Black Sail Pirates! Surrender now, or we'll sink you!"
The voice from an amplifier broadcasted into the Black Sail warship.
"Rankyaku!!"
Immediately, the Black Sail warship released numerous light blue slashes, cutting the masts of the warships, with one having a giant gash and nearly sinking.
This time, Sage's face was terrifyingly grim.
"Damn it!"
Sage gritted his teeth, "They rob, I take the blame, right? There's no justice in this world, even if a king forces me to take the blame, it dies! No more robbing, we need to find them!"
Being chased by the navy is expected for pirates, but being relentlessly pursued after getting merely some supplies is not worth it.
Sage was simmering with frustration.
He had to find those people, or he couldn't let it go!