You took the money, but you're not releasing the person?
This... this is just too damn pirate-like!
Captain Roger is truly a pirate among pirates, a model scoundrel!
Even desperadoes like Billy and Hanson, who have long fed their consciences to the fish, felt that their captain's move was truly authentic and pure.
"Captain... doing this... isn't it a bit..."
Gibbs rubbed his hands, gathering his courage to approach and offer a word of caution.
After all, taking the money and then killing the hostage would give them a bad reputation.
Roger's gaze swept over him, and Gibbs's remaining words immediately caught in his throat.
"Reputation? We are pirates, what good reputation do we need?"
"Pirates kill each other, and everyone hunts them down in front of the Royal Navy."
Roger's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every crew member's ears.
"What are you panicking about?"
"His daughter is still in our hands, that is our biggest trump card!"
"If Governor Swann is sensible, he'll just be his governor obediently."
"If he dares to move a single Royal Navy ship, I'll hang his precious daughter on the mast as a sacrifice!"
Ridiculous.
What is a pirate's code?
It's the law of the jungle! And it's profit above all else!
So-called rules are just shackles used by the strong to bind the weak.
When you can reason with cannonballs, you, yourself, are the biggest rule!
And Elizabeth, the moment she heard Roger's words clearly, was completely stunned.
Her mind went blank, buzzing.
The candle of hope had just been lit, only to be extinguished from head to toe by a bucket of ice water, not even a wisp of smoke remaining.
She thought that all the humiliation she had endured these past few days, scrubbing that cursed velvet toilet, being treated as a maid, was all for the sake of regaining her freedom today.
She thought that as long as her father truly paid the ransom, this nightmare would end.
But now, this devil-like man, in front of everyone, calmly told her that all of this, from beginning to end, was a scam!
He never intended to let her go from the start!
"You... you liar!"
"You untrustworthy bastard! Devil!"
All her reason and pretense collapsed at this moment; she pounced at Roger like a cornered lioness, opening her mouth, wanting to bite off a piece of his flesh.
Roger was prepared; he dodged to the side, deftly avoiding her attack.
With a flick of his wrist, he firmly seized her slender wrist, making her unable to move.
Roger's training these past few days wasn't for nothing!
He was also learning from the pirates!
"Miss Swann, calm down, I advise you to calm down a little."
Roger's tone even sounded somewhat sincere.
"I'm untrustworthy?"
He looked down at the woman struggling in vain in his grasp.
"When did I personally guarantee to you that I would definitely release the person once I received the money?"
"What I wrote in the letter was to give you a 'chance to return to your side.'"
"As for when this chance is given, how it's given, and in what way, the decision-making power is in my hands, isn't it?"
Roger's words were like a heavy hammer, striking hard at Elizabeth's heart.
She was instantly speechless.
Only then did she remember that the blackmail letter that had filled her with shame and indignation had indeed been written that way!
Every word was full of traps!
This bastard!
He had been playing word games from the very beginning!
He had already dug a bottomless trap for himself and then watched with a smile as she walked into it step by step!
"You... what exactly do you want?!"
Elizabeth's voice was tearful, a sound of utter despair.
"I don't want anything."
Roger released her, stepping back, as if the previous restraint was just a harmless joke.
"I just think that it would be a great pity to let go of such a beautiful, capable lady as Miss Swann."
"You see, my ship just happens to be missing a personal maid to warm my bed."
"You..."
Elizabeth trembled with rage, her face pale, unable to utter a single word.
She felt like a puppet manipulated in the palm of this man's hand, even the strength to struggle drained from her.
On the deck, after a brief silence, the pirates, far from showing disdain, erupted in an even more enthusiastic cheer.
"Captain is awesome!"
"Hahahaha! This is what a pirate is!"
They looked at Elizabeth's desperate and angry expression, their eyes full of mockery and admiration.
"Well said! My dear Lin!"
Jack Sparrow slapped his thigh, strutted with a flamboyant gait to Roger's side, intimately put his arm around his shoulder, his pinky finger curled higher than the sky, and exclaimed in a tone of one who had found a long-lost brother:
"This is the true pirate spirit! This is the true meaning of freedom!"
"What damn rules! What damn morality! Those are things thought up by those tight-panted idiots in the Admiralty office!"
"A pirate's virtue is to be untrustworthy! To go back on one's word! To betray!"
Jack waved his arms, spitting, as if giving a speech.
"To be able to sell a duck you already have once more, that's skill!"
"To be able to keep both the ransom and the hostage, that's art!"
"And you, my friend, you are a true artist!"
Jack's words immediately enlightened Gibbs, Hanson, and others who had still been hesitant.
That's right! Captain Jack's words make sense!
Who hasn't been betrayed a few times out at sea?
Who hasn't betrayed others a few times?
If you don't even have that much awareness, then what kind of pirate are you!
Roger glanced at Jack, who was possessed by the drama queen, and secretly chuckled.
It's truly you, Jack Sparrow, the performance artist of the pirate world.
"Alright, brothers!"
Roger clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
He pointed to the several chests filled with wealth and hope, and announced loudly:
"These are the spoils of our operation!"
"According to the rules of the explorer, I'll take seventy percent, any objections?"
Although betrayal and untrustworthiness were common among pirates, Captain Roger was always generous to his own people, with clear rewards and punishments.
This operation, from planning to execution, relied almost entirely on the captain's strategic brilliance.
Let alone seventy percent, even if he took it all, no one would dare to complain.
"No objections!"
"Long live the Captain!"
The pirates cheered in unison, their eyes filled with fervent admiration.
"The remaining thirty percent, every brother who participated in this operation gets a share!"
Roger paused, his gaze sweeping over the excited faces.
"Billy!"
"Here, Captain!" Billy straightened his chest.
"Your gunnery training has been very effective; you get an extra half-share this time!"
Billy immediately grinned, smiling like a three-hundred-pound child.
"Hanson, your command of the sail drill was good; you also get an extra half-share!"
"Thank you, Captain!" Hanson's face flushed with excitement.
"Now, open the chests! Divide the money!"
As Roger gave the order, the words "divide the money" ignited a powder keg.
The pirates were instantly consumed by endless greed.
What rules, what morality?
In front of shiny, glittering gold coins, it was all nonsense!
"Long live the Captain!"
On the deck, deafening cheers erupted once more.
The pirates, like a pack of hungry wolves, excitedly surrounded the money chests, greedily stuffing handfuls of gold coins into their pockets, boots, and even their pants.
The clinking and clanking sounds were the most beautiful music in the world.
Elizabeth stared blankly at the ugly faces of the people before her, watching the man surrounded by the crowd, distributing wealth like a king.
Her heart slowly sank into the cold seabed.
There was no infighting, no arguments.
Only fervent admiration for that man.
She had originally hoped that these pirates would turn on each other due to uneven distribution of spoils, allowing her to escape.
Now it seemed, everything was just her naive fantasy.
She was finished.
Completely fallen into the hands of these devils.
As for Roger, looking at the 7000 gold coins instantly added to his system panel balance, he was in an excellent mood.
He ignored the revelry on the deck and didn't spare another glance at the distraught Elizabeth, turning and walking into the Captain's Cabin.
The door closed with a "bang," shutting out all the noise.
He couldn't wait any longer.
His consciousness sank into his mind.
The huge and complex tech tree, like a brilliant starry sky, slowly unfolded before him.
"Seven thousand gold coins..."
Roger's breathing was slightly hurried.
His gaze quickly swept across the tech tree.
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