The Dragon's Nest

The very first thing we had to do was clean up the aftermath and verify the facts. Taegwi Island, which the giant turtle had dragged underwater with everything still on its back, was our primary concern. I was greedy for the treasures that must be down there, not to mention the inner core of a turtle that had lived for God knows how many years, but first, we had to finish what we started. Ryeo-ah and I gathered ourselves and broke through the surface of the water. And then...

"Who the hell are they?"

I saw familiar faces surrounded by countless ships, locked in a tense standoff.

"Hmm. Judging by the mismatched designs of those vessels and the memories of the fragment I just absorbed, those are not the men of the Oryong Islands."

"Then who?"

Fierce, hostile faces had already spotted us, casting wary glances our way. Ryeo-ah, perhaps still struggling to fully organize her newly recovered memories, shook her head and pointed toward an exceptionally massive fleet among the countless ships.

"I may not remember everything, but I recognize ships like those. They undoubtedly belong to the great pirates who have reached the Samgeuk realm."

The fall of Baekryong Island, which had served as both the leader and the brain of the pirate coalition. Despite pretending otherwise, those great pirates were more sensitive to the shifting tides of power than anyone else. They must have caught wind of the chaos and swarmed in like sharks smelling blood. First, I looked at the massive ships approaching us—the vessels of the Fiend Pirate Crew, now dead and repurposed as jiangshi, sailing out to greet us. Let's hear what happened.

"Hey! What took you so long?!"

"Master, is your body alright? And the person beside you is..."

I gently pushed away the women trying to cling to me. Instead, I turned to Hayeon-nuri and the elders, who were watching calmly, and asked, "Give me a quick explanation. Otherwise, those bastards are going to lose their patience, and there's no telling what they'll do."

Pirates weren't exactly known for their rationality. While great pirates might use their heads a bit more, I could feel the aura of at least five Samgeuk-level masters among them. It seemed every single bastard worthy of being called a great pirate had gathered here.

"First of all, your plan to submerge the Taegwi and bring down Baekryong Island was a complete success," Hayeon said.

Baekryong Island had fallen. To be precise, the massive fleets commanded by the Samgeuk masters and Qi Circulation experts on Taegwi Island had all been ambushed and sunk, and their disciples had been utterly wiped out. They probably never imagined that the divine beast they worshiped would suddenly go mad and dive into the depths. Because of that, the surprise attack had caught them completely off guard.

Taegwi Island possessed massive warships, war-grade dharma treasures, and defensive arrays to ward off external enemies. It had countless well-trained elites and fortresses. Yet, none of those defenses had accounted for their ultimate weapon—the spiritual beast—suddenly plunging into the ocean. Crushing the disorganized forces thrown into the sea was child's play. It was even easier since our side included the Samgeuk masters and the fleet dispatched by the Merchant Alliance on behalf of Ryeo-ah's Blue Dragon faction.

But there was one problem.

"You lost them?"

"To be precise, we lost them, but they were captured. Just... by someone else, not us."

The peak Samgeuk elder and the White Dragon Island Lord, whom we had no choice but to let slip while I was dealing with Ryeo-ah. I had been uneasy about them, and indeed, their might was not to be underestimated; they had managed to escape even when tag-teamed by six Samgeuk masters. After three days and nights of fierce fighting, the old man sacrificed his own body to pave a path, allowing the last descendant and rightful master of Baekryong Island to escape with his life. I thought it was just a cliché, uninspiring story, but fortunately, there was a sequel.

"But the boy was injured, and of all things, he ran straight into the great pirate Susalgwi during his escape. We were staring blankly at the retreating back of the White Dragon Island Lord as he slipped past our perimeter, when suddenly, a ghostly hand reached out from the sea and snatched him."

Susalgwi, the Water-Killing Demon. I had heard that name before and found it quite intriguing. His entire crew consisted of specters who had drowned in the sea, and they navigated the deep ocean in a submarine-like ghost ship. They were known as one of the most secretive and powerful pirate crews in existence.

"Whether it was planned or just a stroke of luck, the important thing is that the great pirate Susalgwi now has the White Dragon Island Lord in his clutches."

"Then why hasn't Susalgwi fled? Why is he still lingering beneath the waves?"

I squinted, sensing a chilling presence deep down in the abyss. I had felt an unpleasant gaze on me when we were ascending earlier; so that was him.

Ryeo-ah scooped up a handful of the dark seawater, staring at it as she murmured, "A water ghost indeed. Despite reaching the Samgeuk realm, his nature remains vicious and wild. Had I not been in this Blue Dragon vessel, he might have dared to ambush us."

"It seems the great pirate Susalgwi wants to talk or negotiate," Hayeon added. "The proof is that he just stood by and watched when the other great pirates, having noticed the fall of Baekryong Island, came rushing over."

Come to think of it, Susalgwi and the other great pirates must be just as bewildered. Their de facto leader had suddenly gone completely bankrupt overnight. Even Susalgwi, who had ambushed the injured White Dragon Island Lord on a whim, was probably scratching his head. I caught him, sure, but what the hell actually happened here?

In fact, capturing the White Dragon Island Lord might be the very reason Susalgwi couldn't just walk away. The stakes were far too high to simply ignore everything and sail off. One way or another, this situation had to be settled with the other great pirates and the masterminds who had caused this catastrophe in the first place.

I scanned the massive warships surrounding us. Every single one of them was merely keeping its distance, unable to fully process the situation. In other words, nobody knew what the hell was going on. Well, if Susalgwi had captured and tortured the White Dragon Island Lord, he might know a thing or two. Ultimately, it was time to have a little chat.

"What's our strength?"

"The forces of the Merchant Alliance and our family... *cough*, our pirate crew, consist of four Samgeuk masters from the Alliance, and five from our side, including the Family Head. We also have countless Qi Circulation-level warriors under our command."

"Good."

Add Ryeo-ah to that, and we had ten Samgeuk-level powerhouses. Even when we weren't here, our side had eight Samgeuk masters, which explained why the standoff had persisted. If we had looked even slightly weak, those bastards would have banded together and invaded us already.

"What about the enemy's strength?"

"There are five pirate crews, each led by a Samgeuk captain. Then there's the Seonggang Pirate Crew, where both the captain and the vice-captain are Samgeuk masters. Finally, there's Susalgwi's ghost fleet, which we estimate has at least three Samgeuk-level specters."

"So we're about even."

We were slightly outnumbered on paper, but it wasn't a significant gap.

"Alright, call them all in."

This was more than enough leverage to have a proper conversation.

"So..."

"You bastards are the ones who brought down Baekryong Island? Ha. Unbelievable."

In a makeshift meeting hall erected on a derelict deck, a two-headed moray eel with striped scales tilted its heads and glared at us.

"I'm lookin' right at it, but I still can't believe it. Damn. I knew Baekryong Island would fall eventually, but I never expected it to go down like this."

A pot-bellied, bearded captain chugged his liquor.

"So, what's the plan now? The chief's entire faction is fucking ruined. Are we supposed to elect a new chief from among ourselves?"

"Are you a fucking idiot? Would you ever recognize any of the bastards in this room as the chief? The only reason we let Baekryong Island stand above us was because they had legitimacy and power. Even in decline, they had deep reserves. More than anything, they had the prestige of being the descendants of the White Dragon, which allowed them to negotiate with the arrogant sects of the Oryong Islands and other powerful orthodox factions."

The White Dragon Island Lord. That title carried history, tradition, and the intangible value accumulated through centuries of interactions with numerous great sects and islands. That was why they were still called Baekryong Island, even after losing their homeland and entrusting everything to the back of a giant turtle. The White Dragon Island Lord and his faction served as a bridge and a symbol that allowed pirates to cooperate with the great sects without friction.

"Hey, Susalgwi, you bastard. Spit out the White Dragon Island Lord already."

The gaze of everyone in the room shifted to a merman whose body was covered in clam shells like scales. A creature with wet, seaweed-like hair hanging down—Susalgwi, the master of the ghost ships—extended a rusted hook toward me with an unpleasantly squelching sound.

"Meee? Whyyy? What difference does it make if I spit him out nowww? That young white dragon has already become one of usss... Why don't you ask that man over there instead... why he did ittt?"

"Fucking hell, then are you going to negotiate and trade with the other Oryong Island bastards? Those high-and-mighty pricks looked down on us; they only dealt with us because of the White Dragon Island Lord."

"At the very least, active exchange and cooperation like before will be impossible."

A tentacle flapped as Susalgwi cackled, waving his hook.

"A wounded white dragon who has lost both his spiritual beast, the Taegwi, and his entire faction... is already out of the runninggg. Even if we nurse him back to health and prop him up as chief again, to outsiders, he will only look like a puppet chief forced onto the throne by piratesss..."

"Damn it, if it weren't for that bastard! I was supposed to secure a massive trade deal with the Blue Dragon Island folks this month! Without the Island Lord, it's completely down the drain!"

"Chatter, chatter... so noisy..."

"You want to die?"

"I am... already dead thoughhh?"

*Clap!*

Ryeo-ah clapped her hands. The hostile glares of the great pirates shifted toward us.

"Cheong Ya-hui! Is this the will of the Merchant Alliance?"

"It is," she replied.

"What? Then you should have brought Cheong Sa-gun himself! Have the leader of the Merchant Alliance come. You aren't on our level—*Aaargh!*... You crazy... bitch..."

"Do you think I am on your level now?" Ryeo-ah asked coldly.

The pupils of the pirate who had been pointing at Ryeo-ah trembled violently. Everyone gathered here was a master of the Samgeuk realm or higher.

"What the fuck is that?!"

"Possession. Those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of you who haven't reached the peak of the mind, watch yourselves if you don't want to make fools of yourselves."

"I have eyes too, you stupid fish-head!"

The great pirates quickly tensed up, growling as they drew their dharma treasures from their robes.

"Hehehe... How very interestinggg... I knew Cheong Ya-hui had ulterior motives, but I didn't expect them to be like thisss... When did you change? Just now? The last time we met? Or perhaps..."

"There is no need to probe," Ryeo-ah said. "More importantly, you have two choices."

"Let's... hear them. Speak your mind, you mysterious bitch... or bastard?"

Ryeo-ah smiled faintly and held up two fingers.

"First, we part ways right now as if nothing happened. We pretend the White Dragon Island Lord never existed, say our clean goodbyes, and go back to our daily lives."

"When people like her offer choices, the first one is always bullshit, and the real deal is the second."

Ryeo-ah locked eyes with the grumbling pirate. Then, one of the other great pirates frowned and rummaged through his robes.

"You possess quite a decent treasure, don't you?"

"...Is that what's important right now?"

"I suppose so. Now, the second option. We establish a pirate coalition, but we act a bit more like actual pirates."

"Elaborate."

"Son of a bitch. I don't know if this is the right call."

"Who cares? For now, we just need to keep our heads down."

With those parting words, the pirates left Taegwi Island—or rather, the desolate stretch of sea where Taegwi Island once stood, now littered with floating debris. Hayun leaned his back against the bow of the ship.

"The mood seemed pretty grim."

"Of course it was," Ryeo-ah replied.

She approached me, swinging her arms as if thoroughly enjoying her newly acquired body.

"We are nothing but powerful outsiders with zero credibility. Even if we babble about a dragon's treasury or a dragon's nest, there is no way they would take us seriously."

"Then why did you even bring it up?"

"Because it needs to spread. We must entangle not only the other pirates but also the great sects ruling the Oryong Sea Region, and even those beasts of Yoryong Island."

Look at her plotting schemes when she barely just got a body. Believing the crashing waves would drown out our conversation, I quietly voiced my doubt.

"Does it actually exist? This 'Dragon's Nest' you spoke of."

"Fufu."

Ryeo-ah smiled wickedly, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Oh, it exists. Though it might not be exactly what they are hoping for."

"Now that you've found a body, what's next?"

"What a silly question. Having a suitable vessel is merely the beginning; full recovery is still a long way off. Therefore... I need sacrifices. A sacrifice far grander than the clash between the Night Goblins and the humans."

I could almost smell a faint, bloody scent lingering around Ryeo-ah's pristine lips. In the hazy illusion before me, she was already sharpening her blade. But it wasn't pointed at me, and as always, that was enough.

"I'll help you."

"You state the obvious. Who else but you would help me? However... the problem is that you are miserably weak and utterly unreliable."

"I'm pretty strong for my level, you know."

"You are weak. At my peak, I could have killed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you with a flick of my finger."

I had no comeback, which made it even more annoying.

"Do you remember what I told you in the past?"

"The 'past' is a bit too broad, Master."

"The Great Mountain Demonic Wisdom Art you practice. It is a cultivation art that only works up to the Samgeuk realm. You must be starting to feel its limits by now."

Mmm. I couldn't deny it. While I still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hadn't grasped the extreme of the mind, I felt that the growth of my Great Mountain Demonic Wisdom Art had practically ground to a halt after I reached the limits of the body and qi.

"That is because the art is capped at that level. A talented individual might stubbornly force their way into the Johwa realm with it, but it is highly inefficient."

"Can I get my hopes up then?"

She's going to give me some legendary divine art, right? Right?

"Your body is sufficiently tempered now, and you have accumulated enough knowledge, so this should suffice. Do not resist."

*Poke.*

Ryeo-ah tapped her index finger against my forehead. I quietly accepted the energy that began to tickle the inside of my mind.

"What is this?"

"It is called the Manual of Creation's Ultimate Principles."

"Just the name sounds badass."

Is this one of those divine arts that immediately promotes you to the Johwa realm once you learn it? Ryeo-ah poked my chest as if I had just said the stupidest thing on earth. It actually hurt quite a bit; she definitely put some personal feelings into that poke.

"If practicing a single art could make one reach the Johwa realm, every dog and pig would be a Johwa master."

"Then what is this?"

Why on earth did you stuff such an ominous thing into my head, Ryeo-ah?

"Read it slowly. For now, let us achieve the extreme of the mind first."

"How?"

"Like this."

*Kiiiiiiii—*

An eerie cry echoed from beneath the sea. However, it was a bit too familiar to be entirely terrifying.

*Splash!*

"Once a brainwashing is established, reconnecting is easy, provided no one has dispelled it."

A turtle head as massive as a ship breached the surface, sending up a geyser of water. Ryeo-ah gently stroked its chin and turned back to me.

"If we consume a dragon-phoenix soup of this size, surely we will gain something from it, no? You can have the inner core. I shall claim the rest to bolster my strength."

My stomach's going to burst.

And not long after, the bait scattered by Gol D. Ryeo-ah steadily shook the Oryong Sea Region.

Before the Oryong Sea Region could even adapt to the fall of Baekryong Island and the pirate coalition, it was hit by yet another monumental event. Consequently, the ambiguous reports suggesting that the newly emerged great pirates might be Night Goblins were buried. They simply had no time to waste resources on unproven rumors that cropped up every year.