Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: Flagship Posys
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The largest ship of the Neptune Pirates, the flagship Posys, loomed under the watchful eyes of the supervisor tormenting the sirens and a rookie pirate.
Clink, clink!
In the captain's quarters of the Posys, a sound similar to—but slightly different from—the clanking of the iron chains binding the sirens echoed faintly.
It was the chime of gold coins striking one another, resounding through the room.
Before the pile sat a man in a red hood, shirtless, his chin resting on his hand.
Though his frame was leaner than most pirates, a long sword scar crossing from forehead to lip and scars etched across his body silently told the tale of a hard-lived life.
"Hmmm..."
The man, Samuel, murmured as he gazed at the mountain of gold coins on the table, his compact, muscular torso—free of any excess fat—on full display.
"Not enough."
Coins had spilled from the table to scatter across the floor, yet it wasn't sufficient to sate the greed gleaming in Samuel's eyes.
"Was I too hasty? Should've been more thorough... tch."
Samuel still regretted it deeply. Had he stayed a bit calmer, he might have not only pushed into the mainland but even displaced one of those arrogant Four Spirits lording over it.
But Samuel knew full well—even if given another chance to go back—he wouldn't have the patience for such a leisurely approach, given his nature.
And why not? The shock of that day still lingered vividly.
The day when some sword brat kept stirring up trouble in the southwest and south, causing his performance to slip and tempers to sharpen.
The day when, with luck at its absolute worst, he encountered a freak storm he'd never seen in all his seafaring years.
The day even he, Samuel—a powerhouse eyeing mid-tier Sword Master—felt death breathing down his neck.
That was the day Samuel struck gold.
Not just any jackpot, but a legendary mega-haul that could upend a pirate's entire life.
Ithaca, the sirens' island from mere legends.
He'd discovered the mythical isle known only from dusty tomes. And get this—the sirens hadn't the slightest suspicion toward him.
Who could blame them? On these seas, who would dare act hostile toward sirens?
At most, the odd lone straggler who lost her way might get snatched.
That's why sirens always shattered auction records as the ultimate luxury slaves.
Sure, a few years back, the elf queen's daughter had smashed every record, but that was a freak exception.
Sirens were the dream prize for every sailor alive.
And their nest, teeming with them, had appeared right before his eyes.
Samuel, nearly dead from the previous day's storm, felt a surge of energy and bloodlust at the sight—but he clamped down hard on his crew, forbidding any rash moves.
He'd bartered away a fortune in cargo to win the sirens' favor, even playing the nice guy against his nature to lower their guard.
Once recovered and back at base, Samuel faced a crossroads.
Swallow it all solo, even if riskier? Or play it safe and split with others?
He was a pirate, through and through.
No long deliberations.
Crazy talk, sharing this motherlode? In Samuel's mind, every siren on Ithaca was already his.
That was his mistake.
Even the mighty Neptune Pirates—who could clash with Ikenia's navy—couldn't net them all.
Despite the ambush's success, nearly half the sirens slipped away before his very eyes.
"Well, can't be helped. Time to sell off what we've got nice and easy."
In this line of work, botched raids were commonplace. No point dwelling on the ones that got away forever.
Pirate or not, Samuel was a near mid-tier Master.
A weak mind wallowing in regrets couldn't reach such heights.
Besides, peddling the catch slowly would fund expanding the fleet without issue.
Clink!
As the last coin slipped from Samuel's hand onto the table, he brushed off his lingering regrets.
"...Still, I figured they'd come rescue them. Guess I was wrong."
That final fleeing siren, glaring daggers at him.
Her eyes told Samuel instinctively: her kin would return for her.
Trusting that gut, he'd held off selling any sirens till now.
"Wasted time for nothing."
Smacking his lips, Samuel grabbed the cutlass hanging on the wall.
His misjudgment or not, the sirens had cost him time—they deserved a reckoning.
"Gonna slice up a few for sashimi to vent... Hm?"
As he licked the blade, Samuel's eyes flicked to the gold coins.
Clink! Clink!
Perfectly stacked coins began tumbling to the floor, one by one.
"What the hell? Why now...?!"
Right then.
Whiiiiiish!
A whistling gust sliced the air.
BOOM!
The flagship Posys shuddered violently amid the thunderous blast.
"Whoa, it really exists."
After linking up with the sirens Faye brought, our ship veered slightly south of Olivia's position.
Based on the sirens' memories, storm-altered currents, and Dwayne's calculations of possible drift paths to Ithaca, we'd conducted a search.
And sure enough, we spotted some ships.
Vessels flying a flag of a red-hooded skull gripping a sword in its teeth.
Bearing Samuel's signature mark, they sped toward our Cimaria the moment they saw her.
Makes sense. The Cimaria was once the pride of the North Sea's massive Grand Maria Fleet.
To the untrained eye, just a fat, juicy merchantman unfit for battle.
Prime pickings, no doubt.
But we weren't shocked by their approach.
'How the hell did he predict this?'
Dwayne's foresight was eerily spot-on. Even accounting for Ithaca's location, how?
Drift from a massive storm even sirens feared—how do you pinpoint that in this vast ocean?
Ignoring our awe, Dwayne eyed the incoming pirates.
"I've done my part. Now it's up to you, Baron, and everyone else."
"Right."
Snapping to, we faced the pirates and loosened up—like we were on a picnic.
"Don't let a single ship escape. If word gets out we've found the Neptune Pirates' island, rescuing the sirens gets way harder."
Dwayne fussed worriedly, but these were mere scout ships—not Samuel's flagship. No chance of slip-ups.
Shwoooom! Boom!
"Gaaah!"
"What the—?!"
Lampang's shark phantom phantom-rushed, snapping their keels.
"D-Damn it! What are these guys?! Not a normal merchant ship! Quick, report to the captain—!"
Whoosh!
As the scouts belatedly realized their blunder and unfurled sails to flee, Aria and Set's flames devoured every scrap of canvas.
Click!
Saladin and Miron leaped aboard each scout ship. Panicked pirates drew shamshirs and cutlasses.
"Damn it! Crush 'em!"
Commendable grit for scouts, but wrong foes.
Clang!
"Guhk!"
Miron's battle hammer swung, sending three or four pirates airborne.
Splash! Splash!
No swimming back from that—the sirens had summoned sea monsters lurking below.
"Hey, you see this? No winning for you. Surrender nice, and we'll spare ya."
Saladin tried coaxing amid the wreckage, but they ignored him.
"Screw you, you bastard!"
Whish!
Maybe his unassuming face? The ship he boarded resisted fiercest.
"Sigh."
Saladin sighed, fingers twitching. Mimi and Nene blurred into motion.
Thwip thwip thwip!
Mimi's darts pinned limbs, hobbling them.
Pffft!
Nene's poison foam-drooling pirates collapsed.
"Gaaargh...!!"
"Everyone's just smashing like brutes—no one to guide us now? Leave some rational ones alive, geez."
Step, step.
Saladin approached one pirate and kicked hard between his legs.
Thwack!
"Gwaaaaaagh!!!!"
Eyes rolling from agony, the pirate writhed. Saladin scoffed.
"Oh. And flip your own damn eyes, punk."
'Rational my ass...!!
You're the craziest one here.'
Overwhelming force made short work of the scouts, but Neptune Pirate crew—being a grand fleet—didn't spill easily at first.
That changed quick. Sirens surfaced below with sea monsters in tow, and loyalties crumbled as pirates raced to rat out the main base.
No one fancies monster chow over a clean execution.
"That the island?"
A cunningly hidden isle amid fog-shrouded rock formations.
Ships tucked away perfectly—no hint of a major fleet at a glance.
Stone-silent crew even under death threats, prime seclusion, routine scout executions.
Simple but airtight security.
Reason the kingdom's navy failed for years.
"Baron, what's the plan?"
Jean slowed as the island came into clear view.
"Closer, and they'll spot us. Our force is more than enough, but..."
Jean trailed off, glancing below decks.
'Hmm.'
I knew his hesitation. Neptune Pirates couldn't handle us, but grabbing siren hostages? Easy enough.
The more sirens we saved intact, the deeper Faye and kin's gratitude.
How to zero casualties?
"Baron, how about this?"
"What?"
"Well..."
Dwayne sidled up with advice.
After his full rundown and my nod.
"Let's do it."
Operation underway.
Shlrk!
The blast rocked the Posys, spilling Samuel's gold hoard across the desk.
"Damn it!"
Bang bang bang!
As Samuel scooped coins with lightning hands, a crewman pounded the door.
"What?!"
"C-Captain! We're under attack! Enemies!"
"What?! Bullshit! What're the scouts doing?!"
"Th-They're not back! All wiped out!"
"What the hell!!"
Whish! Thunk!
Samuel's flung dagger nailed the reporter's forehead.
Thud!
Blood pooling, the man crumpled. Samuel's rage didn't cool.
"Idiots. No discipline."
Overdue report from scouts? Death sentence.
Belted cutlass in place, Samuel hit the deck to assess.
Boom! Boom!
Cannonballs pelted from afar, splintering hulls.
Not a fleet's barrage—small force.
Naval basics: cannon duel, then boarding. Meager guns couldn't dent this armada, even with surprise.
'Trap. To draw my eye.'
Why bait like that?
To lure the main fleet into open battle.
Only one reason.
'Sirens!'
Petty thieves sneaking onto the now-empty island for them.
Taking out scouts meant elites aboard.
'Too risky solo.'
Samuel never overestimated himself.
His western dominance stemmed from caution.
"1st, 2nd, 3rd lines—hold boarding!"
Steady now, he halted the frantic counter-boarders.
"Rest, fight on! You lot, with me!"
Orders barked, crew eyes sharpened.
"They're after the sirens! Move!"
"Aye!"
Tailing crew in tow, Samuel dashed to the siren holding area, relieved.
'Not one gets away. They're mine.'
Sharp judgment in crisis—worthy of praise.
But whether events unfolded as planned? We'd see.