Chapter 888
Hela’s heart sank. She wanted to help Shen Lang, but there was nothing she could do. Almost everyone was on Douglas's side. Compared to Douglas, Shen Lang seemed too frail, not at all like a leader capable of commanding the Skull Gang.
But for some unknown reason, when she learned Shen Lang was her brother, and especially when she met him in person, she had been overcome with a wild joy. Her heart had softened completely, filled with an overwhelming urge to protect him, and she had accepted him as her own flesh and blood almost at first sight. On the other hand, Douglas resembled their mother so much that, under normal circumstances, he should have also been her kin. Yet, the moment Hela saw him, a surge of animosity rose within her.
“Uncle Jack Dang. Big Sister, Brother Haiyuan…”
Hela looked at the three of them with pleading eyes, hoping they would reconsider.
“Shen Lang is truly exceptional, incredibly wise. He's the one who saved the Amazon Kingdom. Just give him one chance. I'm begging you…”
Hela, who was always so uncompromising, was practically begging, but Jack Dang cut her off firmly.
“I'm sorry, child.”
Hela immediately turned her gaze to the others, but Haiyuan only sneered at Shen Lang. No one stood on Hela's side, and no one was willing to give Shen Lang a chance. Just as Hela was about to open her mouth to plead again, Shen Lang stopped her. Begging only makes one appear weaker, earning nothing but contempt from others.
In a confident, unbroken tone, Shen Lang asked Jack Dang.
“Uncle Jack Dang, you said there's an election for the First Chieftain of the Skull Gang tomorrow, correct?”
“That's right, my boy.”
“Then may I participate?”
“Any member of the Skull Gang can participate in the election.”
“Then may I join the Skull Gang now?”
“You can. Hela is the Third Chieftain. If she sponsors you, you can be admitted into the Skull Gang.”
Shen Lang looked at Hela and said.
“Sister, please sponsor my entry into the Skull Gang.”
Hela gritted her teeth.
“Brother, let's go. We should never have come here. The Skull Gang has chosen to fall into the hands of an ambitious schemer. If that's what they want, let them have it.”
*Ugh! Sister, you might be saying that in anger, but in a way, aren't I the ambitious one? I'm planning to lead the Skull Gang to invade the Eastern world, after all.*
Shen Lang said firmly.
“Hela, sponsor me so I can join the Skull Gang.”
“Brother, are you really going to invite this humiliation? They look down on us. Why should we go out of our way to be humiliated?”
Hela said, unable to hide her anger. This was why she could never become the First Chieftain of the Skull Gang, even after Angela's death. Her temper was too direct, too fiery.
“I will.”
“Fine. Then I will sponsor Shen Lang to join the Skull Gang. Uncle Jack Dang, will you accept?”
Jack Dang readily replied.
“I will! I consent to Shen Lang becoming a member of the Skull Gang.”
There was no ceremony, no medal, not even a brand. With just a simple acknowledgment, Shen Lang became a member of the Skull Gang legion. This wasn't a violation of the rules. Not all members of the Skull Gang were combat warriors; some were scholars who studied sea routes or wind patterns.
“Since I am now a member of the Skull Gang, may I participate in tomorrow's election?”
Shen Lang asked, and Jack Dang replied.
“According to the rules, of course you can. Any member of the Skull Gang can run for the position of First Chieftain.”
“Very well, then. I formally declare my candidacy for tomorrow's election. I, too, will compete for the position of First Chieftain of the Skull Gang.”
Everyone was stunned by Shen Lang's words.
*Are you out of your mind? A pretty boy like you, who probably couldn't even win a fight against a goose, isn't even qualified to be a grunt in the Skull Gang, and now you want to compete for First Chieftain? What a joke. Are you banking on being Hela's brother? She's incredibly strong, yet even she couldn't become First Chieftain. Are you relying on being Loki's son? But the Skull Gang doesn't care about bloodlines, only strength!*
*Besides, Loki left us a long time ago. Though he founded the Skull Gang, his time with us was very short. Shen Lang, who do you think you are to challenge His Highness Douglas? He is not only strong but also saved the Skull Gang. Plus, he's the son of Chieftain Angela. He was born to the sea. You're not even worthy of a single hair on his leg.*
Jack Dang stared at Shen Lang in disbelief.
*He's running in the election? He's just asking to be humiliated. The Skull Gang still has about sixty thousand members left, but how many votes could Shen Lang possibly get? One, at most?*
“My boy, are you certain you want to participate in the election for First Chieftain?”
“I am.”
“If you've made up your mind, then so be it.”
Then, Jack Dang stood on the highest platform, raising Shen Lang's hand with one of his and Douglas Seirun's with the other, and shouted.
“Tomorrow, Shen Lang and His Highness Douglas will compete for the position of First Chieftain of the Skull Gang. Is there anyone else who wishes to run?”
Tens of thousands of pirates stared at the pretty boy Shen Lang with expressions of utter disbelief.
*Who is this thing? With such a pale face and those fancy clothes, does he look anything like a pirate? Maybe he should go sell his body in a brothel.*
Jack Dang continued to shout. “Allow me to introduce him. This is His Highness Shen Lang, the only son of our Skull Gang's founder, His Highness Loki. I have already verified his identity, and there is no mistake.”
The pirates were stunned once again.
*This pretty boy is Chieftain Loki's son? What a disgrace. Who does this bastard think he is? We pirates don't care about bloodlines. If we did, and some pirate chieftain went and did it with a sheep and had a lamb for a child, would we have to accept that lamb as the chieftain of the Skull Gang? This pretty boy Shen Lang may not be a lamb, but he looks just like one, doesn't he? Just as white, just as weak.*
“Boo! Boo! Boo!”
Countless pirates turned their thumbs down at Shen Lang and booed wildly. Of course, because he was the son of the first chieftain, Loki, the pirates refrained from shouting any direct insults. Otherwise, they would have cursed him so viciously he'd start to question his own existence.
“Booo, booo, booo, booo!”
Shen Lang was already quite used to this kind of scene—tens of thousands of people wildly opposing him. Looking somewhat awkward, Jack Dang turned his gaze to the right and said.
“As for His Highness Douglas here, I suppose he needs no introduction. You all know him well and even worship him.”
The moment Jack Dang finished speaking, the Skull Gang pirates raised their mugs high, applauding and cheering wildly.
“Your Highness Douglas, we salute you!”
“Long live His Highness Douglas, long live!”
“Long live Chieftain Douglas!”
Tens of thousands of pirates cheered in unison, frantically banging on their tables, a stark contrast to their earlier opposition to Shen Lang. Hela, standing beside him, was about to explode with anger. She was filled with regret that she couldn't just drag Shen Lang away from this place and spare him the humiliation. Jack Dang shouted.
“Then, at sunrise tomorrow, the Skull Gang will hold a formal election to choose our new First Chieftain!”
“Hooray, hooray!”
“Long live the Skull Gang! Long live His Highness Douglas!”
“Your Highness Douglas, come over here and have a drink!”
Countless pirates enthusiastically invited Douglas over, while no one paid any attention to Shen Lang. Douglas Seirun shouted loudly.
“Alright, I'm coming! Let's drink. I'll take on a hundred of you myself. Hahaha.”
The pirates waved their arms enthusiastically, shouting.
“Douglas, Douglas!”
And so, Douglas once again plunged into the crowd of frenziedly celebrating pirates, sharing in their joy. Haiyuan also joined the crowd, while Haimon extended a hand to Hela, inviting her to drink with them.
“I'm not going.”
Hela replied coldly. Jack Dang then said to her.
“Aren't you two going for a drink? The ale here is quite good.”
“I'm not going. That man makes me sick.”
Hearing Hela's response, Jack stayed behind to keep her and Shen Lang company. Out of concern, Jack offered a piece of advice.
“My boy, you should prepare yourself for tomorrow's outcome. We pirates are a rough bunch; we don't know how to save face for others. Out of respect for Chieftain Loki, they won't insult you, but they will certainly make things awkward for you. They won't accept you. Are you still determined to participate in the election tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
“That's enough, Uncle Jack Dang. You don't have to force yourself to stay with us. Go on and drink with them. Go pledge your loyalty to your new boss.”
Such was Hela's fiery temper. She had been displeased with the people of the Skull Gang for some time now. Jack Dang said.
“I'm too old to be fond of drinking.”
“I need to speak with my brother.”
“Then I'll take my leave. See you tomorrow.”
***
Down in the harbor, the pirates were lost in a wild frenzy of celebration, while up on the open ground, only Shen Lang and Hela remained, lying alone on the ground and gazing up at the star-studded sky.
“Brother, it's all my fault for not being strong enough, for letting you suffer such humiliation today. I told you before, we shouldn't have come here.”
“The land and the sea are truly different. On land, people desperately cling to bloodlines, but the people of the sea try to shatter them. In fact, the latter is the right way. You may not know this, Sister, but in the Eastern world, when my identity was revealed, countless people rushed from all corners to pledge their loyalty to me, and many were willing to die for me. Not for Shen Lang, but because I am the son of Jiang Li. Isn't this better? The Skull Gang doesn't think more highly of me just because I'm a chieftain's son.”
“Knowing you'll be humiliated, why are you still going to participate in the election tomorrow? I'll go get a ship, and we can just leave. Let's not join the Skull Gang legion.”
Shen Lang sighed and said, “Sister, I never fight a battle I'm not prepared for. Do you know what I'm best at? Seducing women? Well, I am certainly good at that. But besides that, what I do best is shatter people's pride. I've even shattered the pride of a million people at once. In the capital of the State of Yue, a million citizens lost face and questioned their very existence because of me. So this time will be no different. I'm going to slap Douglas across the face so hard it's not even funny, and I'll make every single pirate of the Skull Gang kneel before me, wailing and repenting with tears and snot streaming down their faces.”
Hela turned her head to look at Shen Lang, then cupped his face in her hands and said, “Brother, do you know what I like most about you?”
“You like how shamelessly I boast.”
Hela affectionately rubbed the tip of her nose against Shen Lang's and said, “That's right. And the important thing is that you've always made every one of your boasts come true.”
“So, Sister, this time will be no exception. I will shatter their pride so completely that they'll start to question their own existence. This time, we will win again!”
“Swear it. Swear you'll win.”
“I swear. In the end, I will crush Douglas Seirun to claim victory, and I will make the entire Skull Gang legion kneel before us in repentance.”
“How sure are you?”
Shen Lang thought for a moment, then replied, “Eighty percent!”