The captain of the merchant ship "Redis" witnessed the entire murder of "Red Lion" Taylor through his telescope.
Not only him, but the captains of the other merchant ships also witnessed this scene.
Their hands, holding the binoculars, were trembling slightly. A "great pirate," a pirate crew of over three hundred men, had been wiped out just like that.
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Taylor, whose bounty was a whopping £6,800, was killed so easily, and his killers even cut off his head.
For a time, the captains of these merchant ships were all in a state of panic.
Because the small seagoing vessel "Argo," equipped with wondrous weapons, also flew a pirate flag.
Who knows if they might also try to rob a merchant ship?
But then they gave a wry smile, because the cannons on the merchant ship were no match for this small seagoing vessel, and they were already preparing to hoist the white flag.
...
On the deck of the Argo, Odis watched as First Mate Bazel struggled to his feet and then severed Taylor's head with a dagger.
He smiled and said to Rupert, "It seems the First Mate has finally said goodbye to the 'past'."
Rupert remarked, "Bazel's story has finally come to a good end."
After watching the first mate return with the spoils of war, Odis ordered the "Extraordinary Puppet" to lower the gangway and reached out to pull Bazel onto the deck.
After returning to the deck, Bazel first bowed to Odis, saying, "Thank you, Captain."
"It's nothing," Odis smiled. "It's what I promised you."
He took a deep breath: "Alright, let's clean up the mess."
"I saw that there were still a few pirates alive over there. Since they are so lucky, let them live."
"Besides, Taylor is dead, so we can make use of him and his miserable subordinates again."
The captain and the second mate were slightly taken aback, not quite understanding what the captain meant.
Odis commanded, "You will command the 'Extraordinary Puppets' to retrieve corpses and limbs from the sea, and be sure to recover loot, especially extraordinary traits, sealed artifacts, and heads with bounties."
"I'll try to right that capsized boat."
As he spoke, Odis used a "flight scroll" and flew over the capsized ship.
The ship has capsized, but it hasn't completely sunk yet.
Odis threw three "hovering scrolls" in succession toward the side of the ship that was below the sea surface.
Whoosh~
With the help of the "suspended scroll", the capsized boat was finally righted.
Seawater flowed from the deck and gun ports. The violent shockwave had damaged the ship's mast and keel, but it should still be able to sail for a few more days.
Odis then ordered his first and second mates to command the "extraordinary puppets" to throw survivors, corpses, and severed limbs onto it.
Next, Odis had the "extraordinary puppet" paint his own flag on the sails.
He knew very well that, if publicized properly, this battle could make him an instant celebrity.
On the raging seas, reputation is extremely important; it can solve many problems and thus bring many opportunities. Of course, it also brings more dangers.
Odis now desperately needs to become a "great pirate," because that's the description that best reflects his abilities, and only in this way can he proceed with his next plan.
He glanced at the few trembling survivors who were clearly in a daze, and said coldly, "I can spare your lives, but you must return to Chacker Island and bring these corpses and severed limbs to that port."
"Well... to be precise, that's the only place you can go. This ship can't reach any other islands."
Taylor led the Red Lions pirate crew from Nicard Island yesterday morning, making a large detour, and is now roughly located south of Chacker Island.
If all goes well, the ship should be able to enter the port this evening.
Odis smiled and said, "I am not afraid of others knowing about my deeds. If someone asks you what happened to you, you can answer truthfully."
None of the pirates dared to look at Odis; they simply lowered their heads to look at the corpses on the deck, wanting to say something, but found themselves unable to open their mouths.
At this time, the first and second officers had already directed the "extraordinary puppets" to systematically loot the battlefield and send all the corpses they could retrieve onto the deck.
The magic arrays of these "extraordinary puppets" are engraved inside, and they do not use electricity as their energy source, so they are not afraid of operating underwater.
Odis used the "flight scroll" again, sending Iraiz to the pirate ship and instructing the "extraordinary puppets" to set their course to Chacker Island.
Having done all this, Odis retrieved the "Extraordinary Puppet," glanced at the battlefield, and then ordered, "To Chacker Island! We'll rest there."
When the Argo set sail again, the crews of the merchant ships not far away finally breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully the strange ship did not attack them.
Immediately, the crew began speculating about the "Argo".
At this point, everyone put their usual boasting skills to good use, and Odis and the others suddenly acquired titles such as "the chosen ones of the gods" and "the avengers from the underworld."
Aside from some surprise, no one felt anything else about the demise of the "Red Lion" pirate crew.
Many people are happy that this pirate crew, which committed many heinous acts, has been wiped out today.
After seeing the Argo leave, they lost interest in continuing their voyage and decided to rest on the island of Tirenius ahead.
...
On the other side, in the cockpit of the "Argo," the table was filled with a dazzling array of spoils from the battle.
There are also some large spoils of war, such as artillery, safes, and supplies, which have been sent to the warehouse below. The items on the table are all extraordinary spoils of war with high value.
To avoid suspicion, Yi Lai Zhe left with his students.
Only Odis, the first mate, and the second mate remained in the cockpit. Odis said, "This is the first time we've divided the spoils of war. I hope to provide a standard and reference for the future process of dividing spoils of war."
"I think the most important thing is that the spoils should be distributed according to the contributions made in the battle."
"Of course, it's fine if we win every battle at a very low cost. But if there are casualties, we must first give enough resources to the wounded."
The first mate and second mate nodded, indicating that they had no objections.
In fact, they have stated many times that they do not want any spoils this time, because they know very well that they have not made any contribution in this battle.
However, Odis stated that as long as they participated in the battle, they would definitely get their share.
It wasn't that Odis was particularly generous, but rather that he wanted to use this division to establish rules for the distribution of spoils.
Since the "Argo" was designed and provided by Odis, and the annihilation of the "Red Lion" pirate crew was basically due to this ship, he naturally wanted to take the vast majority of the spoils.
Ultimately, Odis gave First Mate Bazel and Second Mate Rupert each a Sequence 8 extraordinary property.
Furthermore, regarding the bounty for "Red Lion" Taylor and others, Odis himself took 70%, the first mate took 20%, and the second mate took 10%.
Bazel took more money because he needed to use his relationship with the Navy to redeem the bounty as quickly as possible.
In addition to Taylor's head, Bazel, who knew the bounty orders inside and out, also directed the "Extraordinary Puppet" to cut off the heads of five other bounty-bearers.
Unfortunately, many people were killed in the explosion, and all that was recovered were the traits, but they couldn't claim the bounty.
Neither Bazel nor Rupert had any objections to Odis's distribution of the spoils. For Bazel, this was originally a battle for revenge, and he would do it even without pay.
As for Rupert, at least the first mate had killed someone. He had only spent some time searching for people on deck and directing the "Extraordinary Puppet" to salvage the spoils, yet he had already earned a special ability and a reward of no less than 1,000 pounds.
Then Bazel exclaimed, "I never imagined that we... no, the 'Argo' would wipe out a pirate crew so cleanly and decisively."
On the high seas, pirate crews rarely suffer a complete wipeout. This is partly due to the limitations of their weaponry. Neither cannons nor other weapons can destroy an enemy flagship with a single shot like the "Lingbo Cannon."
Most of the time, if one side knows it is no match for the other, it will immediately flee, rarely giving the enemy a chance to completely annihilate them.
Rupert smiled and said, "I have indeed experienced the benefits of not having a crew."
Without crew, there was no need to consider sharing the spoils with them. After such a large battle, it was divided among three people, and each of them only received a small portion, but it was still a considerable fortune.
In addition, there were cannons, two safes, and a batch of usable supplies that were not divided up.
Odis had already had the "Extraordinary Puppet" open the safe and see that, apart from some cash that had been soaked by seawater, there were only some jewelry and gems.
Generally speaking, safes are where captains store their valuables, but these were the safes of the captains of the other two ships serving Taylor; the flagship's safe had long been destroyed.
The Red Lion Pirate Crew had been established for eight or nine years, and even the captains who served Taylor had accumulated some experience.
Now, everything has benefited Odis. Odis plans to sell all the cannons, keep some of the supplies, and sell most of them.
Jewelry and gems can wait until they're in Bayam before selling them; these things are best sold in big cities to fetch a good price.
However, Odis did not divide these things among himself. He planned to sell them and hire a chef to improve everyone's meals.
In addition, some more exquisite furniture can be added, and other members can also use this money to pay for decorating their own rooms. It belongs to the "public funds" of the "Argo".
After a quick division of the spoils, Odis put Rupert on watch in the cockpit. He and Bazel, who hadn't slept all night, went back to rest.
As we walked out of the cockpit and down the aisle, Bazel suddenly asked from behind, "Such a great victory, how about we have a drink to celebrate?"
Odis glanced at the first mate before saying, "Alright."
The two arrived at the restaurant, and Bazel poured two glasses of beer, handing one to the captain: "Back then, after the 'Finger-Severing' pirate crew fell into 'Red Lion' Taylor's trap, only nine of them escaped."
"Besides me, the other eight are still on the high seas. Some became bounty hunters like me, some became pirates on other ships, and some became adventurers."
"Two more have been killed by Taylor over the years, leaving only six. If you need, I can gather them."
Odis thought to himself: When you said your first sentence, I was afraid that your second sentence would be "I am not among those nine people," which would be terrifying.
He didn't answer immediately. He took a couple of sips of his drink, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Are they reliable?"
"Reliable," Barzel said. "They have all helped me more or less over the years, and they have never betrayed me."
"Even the two members who were captured by Taylor did not betray me."
He hadn't mentioned this before, because he was still observing Captain Gar.
The reason he brought this up today is that he now completely trusts Odis and hopes to fully serve Captain Gar with the power centered around him.
Odis nodded: "I do need some more people, but not to come on the ship, but to Bayam, or somewhere else."
He said to the first mate, "You can gather them and ask them if they are willing to pledge allegiance to me."
Odis looked into Bazel's eyes: "You must understand, the reason I have a certain degree of trust in them is because I trust you."
"If anything goes wrong with them, I will punish you as well as them."
Bazel immediately replied, "I know!"
He paused, then added, "We can find one of them on Chacker Island. I told him to gather the other five and have them wait in Bayam."
Odis nodded: "Okay."
The two chatted for a few more minutes before Odis returned to his room to rest.
However, before going to sleep, Odis still mustered his energy and used "meditation" to enter the "wilderness of knowledge" to check his loot.
The battle was very fruitful, with Odis obtaining the majority of the spoils: 3 magical items and 12 extraordinary traits.
He first used the "Wilderness of Knowledge" location to examine the magical item shaped like a red metal gauntlet, because he had just used the "Eye of the Secret" to see that it was a magical item corresponding to Sequence 5.
Odis held a gauntlet in one hand and placed the other on the "Central Simulator," instantly recognizing the magical item's abilities: manipulating fire and reaping.
Odis couldn't help but smirk; both of these abilities were highly offensive.
"Manipulating flames" is not like a "magician" who can simply ignite a flame or make it bigger.
The "Hunter" pathway's "Flame Manipulation" is one of their main abilities, including a series of fire-related abilities such as "Burning Fire Wall," "Fire Crow," "Blazing White Lance," and "Fireball."
As for "harvesting," it's even more useful. As long as it touches a target, even if it causes only minor damage, it can severely injure the opponent. If it attacks the enemy's weak point, there's even a chance to kill them with one blow.
The most powerful aspect of this ability is that it can ignore defenses; even "Guardians" cannot withstand continuous attacks using "Harvest".
Next, Odis examined the negative effects: In the midst of battle, the wielder becomes the primary target of all enemies. Even those who initially didn't intend to attack the wielder will be tempted to do so once the battle begins. However, this won't affect targets already planning to flee; the wielder will only be affected if they intend to attack the wielder or their allies.
Odis thought to himself: Has the "Provocation" ability been enhanced? Even without actively provoking, the enemy will think the holder is asking for a beating?
This negative effect can be minor or major. If it's a battle where the forces are evenly matched, it's not a big deal. But it's more concerning when the enemy has multiple Sequence 6 enemies in a team battle.
Odis now feels that he can easily take on two Sequence 6s, but it's hard to say what would happen if there were three.
After all, Sequence 6 is quite powerful, and the combination of multiple Sequence 6s can make extraordinary abilities have a synergistic effect greater than the sum of their parts.
If such a battle were to occur, Odis might have intended to have his first and second officers share the burden, but instead, the enemy's attacks would all be focused on him.
The key is that he's a "scroll professor," meaning his defense isn't high and he doesn't seem very durable.
However, after thinking about it, Odis realized that this situation was unlikely to occur.
Because if the pirate crew they encountered was too powerful, Odis would simply turn and run away in the Argo, without needing this magical item.
Furthermore, Odis thought of the use of "negative effects." Sometimes, it's not a bad thing for the enemy to concentrate their firepower; it can be used to "pull monsters."
However, the prerequisite is that the "defense scroll" needs to be upgraded.
He took a deep breath. In any case, the "negative effects" of this sealed artifact weren't very strong, so he could keep it for himself.
Then he came up with a new combo: "Imprisonment", "Harvest", "Death".
With these three combos, even a Sequence 5 wouldn't be able to escape.
Finally, it came time to name it. As was customary, Odis named the sealed artifact "Harvest Gauntlets".
The other two sealed artifacts are Sequence 7 "The Spirit Medium" corresponding to the "Death" pathway and Sequence 8 "The Instigator" corresponding to the "Witch" pathway.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
That magical item, which is designed for "spirit mediums," can indeed be used for spirit communication and accelerates the extraction of extraordinary properties.
The other sealed item wasn't very useful, so Odis glanced at its abilities and negative effects and placed it on the shelf over there.
Then Odis looked at those extraordinary traits, one of which was a Sequence 6 trait, a trophy obtained from Taylor, corresponding to the "Hunter" pathway's "Conspirator".
There are also two Sequence 7 traits: First Mate Sandra's "Witch" trait and the "Wizard" trait.
This "wizard" characteristic should belong to the second mate that Taylor just recruited.
Odis even suspected that this guy might have been "attracted" by him, so all the crew members on the "Argo" didn't even know what he looked like, only his characteristics.
Moreover, it was fortunate that there was an "extraordinary puppet" that could dive underwater for a long time to retrieve the item; otherwise, Odis might have missed out on this trophy.
Because this thing was most likely destroyed, no body was found, only its characteristics were discovered.
It should be that the corpse dispersed after the properties were aggregated.
Of the other nine extraordinary traits, three are Sequence 8 traits and six are Sequence 9 traits.
Add to that the two Sequence 8 traits held by the first and second officers, and this is the foundation of the "Great Pirates," comparable to an official Extraordinary squad armed with sealed artifacts.
Odis used the properties of this shattering to shatter the personality of the "wilderness of knowledge".
Then, Odis returned to the real world and lay down on her bed to rest.
Before going to sleep, he remarked: "This sea is truly overflowing with wealth. Klein has become rich almost overnight since arriving here; now, there's no haggling over trade intelligence. I've only been here a month, and I've gone from being 3,000 pounds in debt to becoming a captain with the ability to equip two squadrons of 'Extraordinary' characters."
Odis, preoccupied with cultivating his own extraordinary power, fell into a deep sleep.
...
In the western part of the Hornach Mountains within Intis, there is a large mountain resort.
A young man dressed in an Intis suit strode open the restaurant door: "Mr. Chairman, Taylor just died."
This is an important stronghold of the "Iron-Blooded Cross".
The man having breakfast in the restaurant was a middle-aged man with a high nose and deep-set eyes; he was Tony Downs, the vice president of the Iron Cross Society.
Because the chairman is not here, his subordinates refer to him as "chairman".
Tony loosened his napkin and asked in a very arrogant tone, "Who killed him?"
"I don't know," the young subordinate said. "We only know that he died, and roughly where he died, through the spiritual essence he left behind."
"The problem is that we have performed divination many times, but we have not been able to find any information about the murderer."
Tony crossed his legs: "Send someone to investigate and find the other members of the pirate crew. There are so many people, they can't all be dead, can they?"
The young subordinate immediately replied, "Yes," and then respectfully left the restaurant.
Tony looked at the food on the plate, and with a "whoosh," the food burst into flames and quickly burned.
The news he had just heard immediately made him lose his appetite for breakfast.
...
Around noon, the "Argo" entered the port of Chacker Island and lowered its sails, disguising itself as a normal small seagoing vessel as it docked at the pier.
Chacker Island is not on the main shipping route, and pirate ships can usually dock at such islands openly.
However, it's best not to do this if there are warships docked here.
The banner of "Elemental Dawn" attracted the attention of many people, but no one had heard of "Argo," so they assumed it was just an ordinary small sea vessel serving "Elemental Dawn," and their curiosity and envy outweighed their awe.
After taking a nap all morning, Odis and Bazel, who was carrying a suitcase, went ashore first. The two found a place to have lunch, and then Bazel took the suitcase to find his subordinates and the navy's contact person on the island.
Islands that are not on the main shipping routes and have no mineral deposits or valuable local products are generally not garrisoned by the navy; instead, only a few military liaisons are stationed there.
They turned a blind eye to the pirate ships in the harbor and the pirates on the streets, since the island needed pirates to make money.
Odis went to a fairly large bar to inquire where to sell the stolen goods.
But at the entrance of the bar, he saw three locals, all with wounds on their faces and looking bitter and resentful, sitting at the bar entrance watching people come and go on the street.
One of the locals, a thin man in his thirties, seemed to want to get up and say something when he saw Odis, but was held back by his companion.
Odis found it strange because, judging from their skin color, two of them were local natives, and the other should be a Rune.
Generally speaking, the Ruen people rarely act together with the local indigenous people.
However, Odis did not ask any questions. Instead, he went into the bar and sat down at the counter: "Give me a specialty beer."
There weren't many people in the bar at the moment. The bartender wiping the glasses put down his glass and said, "5 pence."
Odis gave him 8 pence: "Does anyone here need supplies?"
The bartender collected the money and tip, and poured Oddes a glass of white beer: "You can ask at Old York Grocery Store."
"Thanks." Odis took a sip of beer, glanced at the door, and asked, "Why are those three people sitting at the bar entrance?"
"They're seeking the help of adventurers," the bartender chuckled. "But they don't have much money, and they've been here for several days, and no adventurer is willing to help them."
"In the morning, as usual, they came here seeking help. Several adventurers were interested and asked them what price they could offer."
"And they said 100 pounds, hahaha..."
The bartender seemed to have found a very funny joke: "...Well, those adventurers thought these three were joking with them, so they beat them up."
Odis realized that after the three men saw him, one of them might ask for his help, but his companion, fearing further beatings, pulled him back.
This further piqued Odis's curiosity: "What kind of help do they need from the adventurers?"
"It seems some pirates are planning to raid their island, and they've asked adventurers for help in defending it." The bartender shook his head. "These penniless guys are being incredibly naive. Adventurers won't take on such a request for less than a few hundred pounds."
"If it were pirates with a bounty, the price would be even higher, but they only have 100 pounds, so it's impossible for them to hire help."
Odis nodded, finished his beer, asked for directions to "Old York Grocery Store," and then went out the door.
Once outside the bar, Odis noticed the three locals' shifty gazes and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Be careful, a lot of people already know you have 100 pounds in cash."
Most adventurers and pirates might not be interested, but local thugs and thieves will definitely come after them.
The young man, whose skin color indicated he was from the Loen people, immediately stood up and said, "Sir, thank you for reminding me."
After bowing deeply, he asked, "What should we do?"
"Buy each of you a short sword," Odis said. "And stay in a decent inn tonight."
On islands, hotels like these usually have some kind of backing, so thieves don't frequent them.
As Odis was about to leave, the young man quickly said, "Sir, please wait a moment. May I take a few minutes of your time? Are you an adventurer?"
"No, I am a pirate." Odis watched as the other person's respectful expression turned to astonishment, then smiled and walked away.
For someone who asks adventurers for help to defend their home from pirate raids, pirates should all be seen as vicious and ruthless.
"Sir." Unexpectedly, the young man caught up with us, his face regaining its respect: "My father said that there are some kind people among pirates. Could you help us defend against another group of pirates?"
Odis scrutinized the young man carefully: "Where are you from?"
"Crew Island," the other party quickly replied.
Odis nodded: "I'll think about it when I get back."
After saying that, he ignored the other person and strode towards "Old York Grocery Store".
This grocery store is quite large, with various goods simply placed haphazardly on the floor.
The most common items were fresh water, food, and rum. The food mainly consisted of canned goods, dried meat, dried fish, and other items that could be stored for a long time.
Most of the supplies that Odis seized were canned goods.
Fresh fruit, live sheep, live pigs, live chickens, etc., are not sold in this kind of store.
Of the seized supplies, the remaining items were mostly ship equipment, daily necessities, life jackets, and leak-stopping blankets.
Inside, there were many pirates selecting supplies, with seven or eight servants following behind them busily.
Seeing the size of the grocery store, Odis guessed that it must have been opened by the city's mayor or some important figure.
Inside the general store, there was a counter where a well-dressed, white-haired old man sat, his eyes sharp as he kept a close watch on the pirates to prevent them from stealing.
Odis approached the counter: "Would you like cannons?"
All the pirates turned to look at Odis, who was dressed in a formal suit and had a leather bag at his waist.
Such transactions are rarely conducted openly.
The old man was Old York. He calmly withdrew his gaze and then slowly sized up Odis, asking, "How many doors?"
"16 doors."
The pirates took a deep breath; so many cannons were enough to arm a medium-sized seagoing vessel.
They speculated that perhaps one of their comrades was planning to sell his ship and quit piracy.
Old York showed no surprise: "How's the quality?"
Odas replied, "The cannon is undamaged."
"Twenty pounds a door," old York said. "That's the price if the quality is really as you say, without any damage."
Odis nodded, thinking the price was acceptable.
Of course, if you were to buy cannons from here, they might cost 40 pounds, or even 50 pounds each.
If Odis wants to conduct such arms deals on this island, he will have to pay about 30% tax, and then the navy and the city government will not interfere.
If this tax is not paid, both the naval liaison office here and the city government will obstruct Odis's deal.
Although Odis was not afraid of their obstruction, he felt that such a small transaction did not need to cause so much trouble.
"I also have some canned goods, brand-new sails, a batch of unused sealing blankets, and so on," Odis said.
Old York smiled and said, "Looks like you've struck it rich."
He said, "Bring them all here. Don't worry, I'll give you a fair price."
Odis nodded: "Okay."
Then old York enthusiastically asked his men to help Odis hire carriages and laborers to go to the docks and unload the captured cannons, boxes of canned goods and other supplies.
Back at Old York Grocery Store, a number of pirates were already waiting there to watch the spectacle. They probably already understood that it was the young man with the leather bag around his waist who had defeated a pirate group and seized a lot of goods.
The hired laborers carried the cannons into the general store. Old York, with his hands behind his back, moved among the cannons, checking for damage. At that moment, he saw a mark on the barrel of one of the cannons and exclaimed in surprise, "This is a cannon from the 'Red Lion'!"