Chapter 30: Pirate Battle Royale
2015-01-28
Author: Floating Tower
Soren wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.
He always felt that the Naga Priestess was plotting against him; it was too coincidental that the Swamp King suddenly took an interest in his newly risen pirate power. There had to be someone orchestrating this behind the scenes. Moreover, the rumors about Throat Cutter were spreading so quickly that it not only increased his fame but also expanded the influence of the Ocean Temple that Throat Cutter served. The wider the rumors spread, the more awe others would have towards the Ocean Temple, as Throat Cutter worked for them.
In addition, the legendary naval battle saw the Naga Priestess defeat the Son of Dagon, and Throat Cutter was tagged with the label of the Ocean Church.
It was not surprising that the Swamp King, a follower of Dagon, would act against him!
“Indeed, none of the indigenous people in this world are simple!” Soren stared at the ocean in the distance, but his heart was anything but calm.
Whether he won or lost, the Ocean Temple would ultimately be the beneficiary.
First, if the Swamp King acted against him, it would force Soren into a very dangerous position. If he couldn’t handle the Swamp King, he would have to seek help from the Ocean Temple, and the Naga Priestess was waiting for that opportunity. Naturally, seeking help would come at a cost, possibly even forcing him to join the Ocean Church. This would conveniently add a new force, allowing a quasi-legendary professionist to serve the Ocean Temple, significantly increasing the Naga Priestess’s power.
To take a step back.
Even if Soren defeated the Swamp King, it wouldn’t matter; the fame of Throat Cutter would further spread, and the influence of the Ocean Temple would increase again. As a favored servant of the Ocean Goddess, the stronger Soren became, the greater her influence would be. From any angle, the Naga Priestess wouldn’t come out at a loss, which was why she didn’t interfere with Soren’s plans to establish a pirate force and was even willing to lend him a warship. If Soren won, her status would rise alongside his. If he couldn’t defeat her, he could at least secure a powerful ally.
The best outcome.
Naturally, was for Soren to seek help from the Ocean Temple, then join the Ocean Church’s forces, ultimately defeating the Swamp King. In that case, she would control two-thirds of the power on the Southern Coast. The territory of the Amazon Pirate Queen was the Soros Archipelago. If Soren could defeat the Swamp King, almost the entire Southern Coast would be under the control of the Ocean Church. In this world, legends were quite dispersed. Those in high positions were unwilling to risk their lives; having a blade at their disposal was the best option.
If it weren’t for Vivian as support.
Soren faced two choices: one was to ally with the Ocean Temple for assistance and then figure out how to defeat the Swamp King, controlling one-third of the Southern Coast’s sea area. The other was to abandon these pirate forces and directly form a fleet to the Overseas Islands, but that would sever his ties with the mainland. The manpower and resources he could take would dictate his capital, significantly slowing future progress and making it hard to re-establish connections with the mainland in the short term.
The Overseas Islands.
That was truly a wild land, rife with fierce beasts and ravaging monsters, as well as unreasonable indigenous people. There were shortages of food, medicine, and weapons, and even basic living supplies were lacking. If he could not supply through the sea, Soren would be starting from scratch. The time until the arrival of chaotic times was drawing nearer. In just two years, it would be tough for him to meet his goals. If Soren wanted to rise overseas, he absolutely could not sever ties with the mainland.
“The only option now is to eliminate the Sea Wolf!”
Soren looked at the ocean before him and thought to himself, “Eliminating the Sea Wolf will almost certainly make me one of the leading pirate powers on the Southern Coast, and the number of heads taken down should be just about right. If Vivian can successfully awaken, with our combined strength, taking down the Swamp King isn’t without a chance!”
“I wonder if the Ocean Temple is making the right move here!”
Soren had few choices.
Given the current situation, he could only carve out a path for himself. Even if the Swamp King wanted to deal with him, he wouldn’t be quick about it; Soren still had a bit of time to prepare.
A day passed quickly.
Soren led the fleet into the waters of Shipwreck Bay. The Sea Wolf was one of the few pirates here; he had his territory at the Shipwreck Port and also controlled an island. Since it was called the Overseas Islands, many islands were scattered along the coastal region, with pirates from various places hiding their loot here, many of which still appeared to be legitimate merchant associations. For instance, the Sea Wolf secretly controlled a merchant association and sold off plunder through black market channels.
The Sea Wolf’s territory was called Loneli Wolf Island.
Soren didn’t care what it was originally called; this name was changed by the Sea Wolf himself later.
This time.
Soren didn’t bother with any elaborate plans; what he wanted was straightforward overpowering, to demonstrate his capability in naval combat and intimidate the entire pirate community on the Southern Coast. Eliminating the Narwhal would be too abrupt; some might speculate he used a trick. This time, Soren planned a strong attack; as long as he secured this area of sea, no one would dare go against him.
………………
Shipwreck Bay, Loneli Wolf Island.
A fleet of pirate ships gathered here, their number reached dozens, but only nine of them were true warships; the others were near-coastal vessels not capable of long distances. A large number of pirates congregated close to the port, including not just the Sea Wolf’s subordinates but also other pirate groups in the vicinity of Shipwreck Bay. They had received an invitation from the Sea Wolf a day prior, wanting to unite against the rumored Throat Cutter. The rise of one pirate power would inevitably impact the interests of others, leading many to respond to the Sea Wolf’s call.
At the top of the hall.
The Sea Wolf sat in his chair, watching the other pirate leaders. He was a thin-faced man, with eyes that resembled a wolf’s, appearing to glow green in the dark. He surveyed the room and spoke, “I’m not going to say much about this matter! You all should have heard about the Throat Cutter; he has the support of the Ocean Temple! If we let him continue to grow larger, there will be no space for us in the nearby seas.”
“If we unite and take him down, I’m willing to cede the territory of the Narwhal to you!”
The room erupted in chatter.
One burly man, who appeared to be from the Northern People, glanced at the Sea Wolf and said solemnly, “It seems that the one supported by Throat Cutter is the daughter of the Orca, right? The Orca was killed by you! Perhaps he’s just planning to deal with you! That’s a man of legendary domain—us here might not be able to defeat him!”
“Are you only offering the Narwhal’s territory to divide? With so many of us, that won’t be enough!”
The Sea Wolf’s pupils shrank at these words, his expression cooling slightly, then he said softly, “What do you want then?”
The Northern man showed little fear. All the pirates under him came from the North, and standing firm here represented his considerable strength. He chuckled and said, “I want a share in the black market trade! Especially in the slave smuggling! Sea Wolf, you’ve swallowed this territory for years; aren’t you going to let everyone have a taste?”
“We’ve fought and bled at sea for so long; combined, we wouldn’t even match what you’ve profiteered from smuggling and slavery.”
“These two areas must give up some room; otherwise, the people in this room might not be willing to battle a legendary lord for those scraps of Narwhal’s territory! Besides, that sea area is near Taro Port, which is within the control of the Ocean Temple!”
The big man’s words made many start to respond.
There was little morality among pirates; utilizing and betraying one another was commonplace. Without substantial benefits, there were probably few willing to risk their lives for the Sea Wolf. That small bit from Taro Port likely wasn’t even enough to compensate for their losses; they mainly came today to eavesdrop on the rumored intentions of Throat Cutter about seizing Shipwreck Port.
“Alright!”
The Sea Wolf’s expression cooled slightly, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, but he nodded, “As long as we can defeat Throat Cutter, I’m willing to give half of my black market share for everyone to divide!”
Once they eliminated Throat Cutter, he would surely reclaim those distributed benefits in time.
………………(To be continued ~^~)
