"Stop Them! Risk Your Lives to Keep Them from Boarding the Deck!"

The deck captain drew his sword and roared, directing the crew with urgent commands. "Stop them! Risk your lives to keep them from boarding the deck!" Yet despite their desperate efforts, boarding parties from the swift ships swarmed aboard one after another. Blood sprayed in every direction. Rose's pirate crew stood on the verge of annihilation from the very first clash.

Watching men collapse under sword strikes, Rose's mind went blank. Punching an assassin was one thing. Seeing living people fall in pools of their own blood was something else entirely. For a modern person like her—who had never witnessed such gore—it was a miracle she hadn't fainted and was still clinging to consciousness.

Splash! Even when the blood of a nearby sailor sprayed across her face, she didn't flinch.

"Captain!" Sara's sharp cry beside her snapped her back to reality.

"They're closing in. What are your orders?" Sara pointed toward the imperial fleet approaching from the distance. Unlike the swift ships, these were proper warships. If they became surrounded, it would be the end.

Rose racked her brain with frantic intensity. The starting location of Rose's ship in the game, the nearby sea regions she could exploit, her initial stats, and the increased difficulty from the adult mods. Focusing her thoughts allowed her to push through the surrounding chaos and regain a measure of calm.

"Sara, set course for Witch's Sorrow. Take the helm."

Sara's eyes widened in shock at the order.

"Understood." Loyal as ever, the first mate offered no objection.

"Hard to port! We're breaking through!" Sara cut down the enemies holding the wheel in a single stroke, then shouted to the deck captain, who was still locked in combat.

"In this situation?" The deck captain shook his head in disbelief, his blade dripping with blood.

"It's the captain's command!" At Sara's words, he froze for a moment, gave Rose a single respectful nod, then began ripping apart the enemies who had seized the rigging.

Little by little, the Black Rose Pirates reclaimed control of their vessel against the assassins' ambush and the boarding parties from the swift ships. At the heart of the counterattack stood Sara and Nelia, both displaying overwhelming combat ability, along with Rose herself—who was growing steadily numb to the sight of blood.

"Huff!" Rose's sword pierced straight through an enemy's throat. At first she had swung only to defend herself from the swarming foes, but gradually her true nature resurfaced. She moved between them like a dancer, gladly bathing in the blood that showered over her as if it were sacred water.

It feels good.

When that thought flickered through her mind as she drove her blade into another neck, she briefly wondered if she had gone mad. But the ecstasy of power soon overwhelmed her doubts. She embraced it fully.

With the ship back under control, it slowly turned to port. The grappling hooks from the swift ships clattered away one by one. The crew had suffered heavy losses, but they had exterminated every last imperial soldier. The imperial fleet, however, had nearly caught up.

Had the Bloody Requiem been more developed, they might have stood a chance in open battle. Not yet.

The ship fled before the wind, but they could not completely shake their pursuers.

"Everyone prepare for the fog. We're entering Witch's Sorrow."

"What? First Mate, that means—!" The sailors looked horrified at Sara's order, but none dared protest.

The ship pressed onward. Soon the fog thickened around them. They had entered the Witch's Sorrow sea region.

"Reduce speed," Rose instructed Sara beside the wheel.

The Bloody Requiem furled its sails and moved slowly under oar power, merging with the mist. Lanterns from the imperial fleet glowed in the distance. They had not abandoned the chase. But this reef-strewn graveyard of sailing ships made speed impossible. The conditions were even worse for their large warships.

"They're practically serving themselves up as targets. Or do you wish to keep running?"

Rose shook her head at Sara's question. The chaos had subsided, and now status windows flooded her vision like a tidal wave.

Her abilities focused primarily on close-quarters combat and command. Her eyes locked onto the most critical value for the current crisis.

At this early stage, before her strength and notoriety had spread, the ragtag crew scraped together from the harbor still did not fully trust her. They had barely left port before an imperial fleet gave chase, forcing them to flee into Witch's Sorrow. If she appeared to be a spineless captain who only knew how to run, the crew could fall apart. In the worst case, mutiny was possible. Her inner circle would not betray her, but being labeled a band of cowards would cripple every future move.

She needed to show them something that would capture their hearts.

"Once they're in range, blow them apart one by one."

At Rose's command, Sara channeled her magic. A master of navigation, she could read currents even through fog and reefs, charting a safe path. Thanks to her skill, the Bloody Requiem slipped through the mist like a ghost, lanterns dark.

Boom—!

Moments later, under Nelia's direction, the main cannons fired. A horrific explosion tore through the air as one enemy vessel burst into flames and sank beneath the waves. The imperials fired wildly in response, but most shots flew wide. Nelia's relentless barrage extinguished their lanterns one by one.

Crash!

But fortune did not smile on Rose alone. While every eye was fixed on the enemy fleet, a violent explosion erupted amidships. It was no cannonball. A man holding a torch had been standing beside the mainmast. An assassin who had remained hidden until the final moment had detonated a bomb against the mast.

"The mast is falling! Move!"

The deck descended into pandemonium. As the mainmast toppled, it smashed into the auxiliary mast's yardarm, collapsing the sails completely. The falling mast even dragged several sailors overboard with it.

The assassin was captured instantly by the deck captain, but the ship had been dealt a catastrophic blow.

Then came welcome news.

"The enemies are retreating!" a sailor shouted.

The surviving imperial ships had ceased their haphazard fire and were pulling away.

"Get us out of this sea region. All hands to the oars!" Under the deck captain's orders, the crew hurried below deck.

Rowing with everything they had, the sailors ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carried them clear of Witch's Sorrow. When the pirates finally returned to the deck, drenched in sweat, they needed an outlet for their rage.

Thud!

The deck captain hurled the bound assassin—previously stashed in a corner—into the center of the deck. He approached Rose with deference.

"It is time for judgment, Captain."

He treated her with perfect respect and opened a path toward the trembling prisoner.

Rose walked slowly down the corridor her subordinates had created. The sailors watched her body and sword with hungry, expectant eyes. Then the chanting began.

"Shark bait! Shark bait! Shark bait!"

They stomped their feet in rhythm. The fate of any captive taken by pirates was obvious.

"Silence!" As Rose reached the assassin, Sara quieted the crew.

"What are your orders?" she asked respectfully.

Rose scanned the sailors in silence. With the terror of battle behind them, these beasts had become predators searching for fresh meat. She knew their lust might easily turn toward her if she was not careful. She had to satisfy their bloodlust while preserving her authority.

"We need to show those bastards exactly what kind of pirates we are."

She jerked her chin toward the broken mast.

"No mercy for those who attacked us. Deal with him as you wish."

"Shark bait! It's shark bait!"

At Rose's permission the crew erupted in cheers. The terrified assassin crawled desperately toward her on his knees, still bound.

"P-please! I only followed orders! Spare me just once! If you release me, I'll report that your ship has sunk—there'll be no need to pursue! Please, show mercy!"

She ignored him completely. The pirates seized the assassin and hoisted him upside down into the air.

"Ugh!"

They sliced a long wound into his thigh and positioned a wooden bucket beneath it to collect the blood. When enough had gathered, they poured it into the sea. The scent drew a frenzy of sharks.

"Hehe, just as you wished. Go give your boss our regards."

The pirates cut every rope and hurled him into the center of the swirling sharks. His futile struggles ended quickly. He vanished in a cloud of red.

The pirates watched his death throes with glee. Once the entertainment ended, they dispersed with satisfied expressions. A few cast worried glances at the broken mast, but they were too exhausted for deeper concern.

"How long until the nearest land?" Rose asked Sara, her own face equally troubled.

"Three full days of rowing. But we won't last that long."

Rowing half-days would stretch it to a week. Food was not the problem. The question was whether the crew would tolerate such ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠miserable conditions. For now, feeding them the assassin had calmed their fury. But this would not be the end. In the worst case, the imperial fleet might resume its pursuit.

"Captain! Ships sighted!"

Even without the mast, the lookout at the bow shouted his report.

"Five frigates! Not imperial!"

Rose moved to the railing to confirm. The flotilla was heading directly toward them.

World Trade Union.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Fortunately they flew neither pirate nor imperial colors. Yet if anything, these were even more vicious. It was the private fleet of Nostrum Bank—little more than state-sanctioned pirates—belonging to the World Trade Union that controlled the global economy.

The fleet surrounded Rose's ship in moments.

"Your mast appears to be broken. Did you encounter pirates?" The admiral emerging from their flagship called out to her.

By some stroke of luck, the missing mast seemed to have kept them from realizing her vessel was a pirate ship.

"Mind your own business and keep moving."

Rose spoke threateningly, but the other party remained unfazed.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that, Madam Admiral. Unless you wish to become a ghost ship, you would do well to accept our assistance. We will tow you to shore."

Rose could not refuse. If they were left to drift and wreck, the fate awaiting her was clear. Not death. A hell far worse than death.

Seizing their ships was impossible. Making an enemy of the World Bank this early would make clearing the game nearly hopeless. Most importantly, the Bloody Requiem was essential if she hoped to complete her Black Rose Pirates.

"Of course it won't be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠free."

"Naturally. We are merchants. We require fair compensation."

"But I have nothing to give you."

"On the contrary. I assure you, you do."

Rose felt a strange chill at the look in his eyes.

"Sara?"

At her call, the first mate approached and whispered, head slightly bowed.

"It would be wise to accept their proposal. We cannot confirm whether the imperial fleet has truly withdrawn or if they are circling Witch's Sorrow to intercept us."

Rose nodded. There were no other options. Either drift helplessly or row until they dropped. Though she knew Nostrum's ruthlessness well, she had no choice but to accept.

"We accept. However, I have one condition. I will not agree to any absurd demand that requires handing over the ship as payment."

"Of course, Admiral. To any sailor, a ship is more precious than life itself. I would never make such a ridiculous request."

With a sinister smile, the man gestured to his crew. Soon Nostrum vessels drew alongside, wrapping heavy towing chains around the Bloody Requiem.

Rose's sailors watched uneasily. Nostrum had brought five ships, and their so-called merchants were armed to the teeth. The pirates could only grind their teeth and growl. They had no choice but to endure.

To hide her anxiety, Rose retreated to the captain's cabin.

After two full days of sailing, they finally reached land.

It was Arcanos—the headquarters of the World Trade Union and the stronghold of Nostrum Bank.

Rose had expected them to tow her to some nearby port and demand an outrageous sum. She was caught off guard when they brought her directly to the bank's president himself.

"Oh, you've finally arrived."

Guided by a Nostrum merchant, Rose and her closest aides found themselves standing before Mateo Venezio. He rose from his seat the moment she entered, as though he had been waiting.

"I am Mateo Venezio, President of Nostrum. I trust my men caused you no discomfort?"

As Rose sat on the sofa, Mateo smiled gently.

He seemed to be trying to appear benevolent, yet the more he tried, the more sinister he looked.

Rose shook her head as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Why did you bring us all the way here?"

"Isn't it obvious? We must conclude our transaction."

Mateo leaned back comfortably, but the gaze he fixed on Rose burned with unmistakable malice.

"I already told you. I won't accept unreasonable demands."

Rose refused to yield. Yet in her mind she kept seeing the Bloody Requiem chained and sealed at the dock. Whatever he demanded, refusing would not be easy.

"We will repair your ship. In exchange, you must pay the towing and repair fees."

"We're penniless. We have no way to pay immediately."

Mateo smiled with dark amusement.

"There are many ways. The only difficulty lies in choosing the most reasonable one."

His finger slowly rose, pointing directly at her.

"Rose Black, wanted criminal of the empire. I will take your body as collateral."