Roger's roar was more invigorating than the ship's largest cannon.
On the deck, the pirates, who a second ago were listless and collectively pondering the meaning of life, were now as if injected with stimulants, yelling and moving.
"Anchor aweigh! Set sail!"
Hector stood by the helm, shouting the first command.
His weathered old face was filled with excitement.
Fishing? What kind of fishing!
I'm a pirate, not a fisherman!
It's much more satisfying to just fight!
Dozens of skeleton pirates skillfully climbed the mast, and the huge black sails, propelled by magic, billowed out with a loud "whoosh" despite the lack of wind.
the explorer, this sea beast that had been dormant for five days, finally revealed its ferocious face once more.
The ship vibrated slightly, then cut through the water with an unreasonable momentum, rushing eastward at full speed!
"Captain reporting! All systems normal! Speed is steadily increasing!"
"Weapon systems self-check complete! All cannons loaded, ready to fire at any moment!"
"ballista tower crew in position! Happy Potion reserves plentiful! Guaranteed to make the enemy see their great-grandmothers!"
The pirates on the ship had now completely adapted to this militarized management model.
Not for anything else, but for the jingling copper coins.
Everyone wanted to become stronger!
At this moment, a unique scene of intense competition was unfolding on the deck.
Two pirates, vying for the same lookout position, nearly twisted off each other's skulls to use as a chamber pot.
"I saw this spot first!"
"Nonsense! I reserved it yesterday! Look, I even drew a line with my thigh bone!"
"You're lying, just because you say you drew it, doesn't mean you did?"
Billy and Hanson, meanwhile, were holding two flintlock pistols, practicing rapid fire at a seabird flying past the ship's side.
"Bang! Bang!"
The poor seabird didn't even lose a feather, but it was so startled that it dropped a dollop of bird droppings, which landed precisely on Jack the monkey's head.
Jack the monkey shrieked, jumping up and down, making the scene quite amusing.
Roger leaned against the door of the Captain's Cabin, watching this thriving scene, and revealed a satisfied, capitalist-like smile.
Very good, this is exactly the effect he wanted.
As long as the money is right, even greedy pirates can work themselves into a frenzy.
His gaze passed over these lively characters, turning towards the horizon where the sea met the sky.
Sam, you old rascal, just you wait for me.
What you owe me isn't three days, it's five days' worth of emotional distress and lost income!
...Hirado Port.
As Sam's meticulously managed stronghold for many years, this was no longer a simple port, but a heavily fortified sea fortress.
On the outskirts of the port, a dozen ballista towers were scattered like stars, their dark muzzles like watchful eyes, constantly monitoring any movement on the sea.
Inside the port, over a hundred warships of various sizes were anchored.
From the massive chinese cargo ship, to the agile Guang ships, and then to the atakebune flying the banners of various Japanese daimyo.
They were densely packed, their flags obscuring the sun.
At this moment, on the tallest ballista tower in the port.
Sam's trusted general, Mao Haifeng, was holding a monocular telescope, idly gazing at the sea.
"It's been five goddamn days, and there's not even a ghost's shadow."
Mao Haifeng put down the telescope and spat disdainfully.
"I think that old fool Robin was just scared out of his wits, talking nonsense!"
"What kind of ship-eating monster, I think he just capsized his own ship and came back to lie to Big Brother!"
"Exactly!"
A Japanese samurai-dressed leader beside him echoed.
"What 'nine-to-one split', I think he just wanted to embezzle that batch of goods and made up some lies!"
"If you ask me, we should just chop him down!"
Mao Haifeng was about to say something.
Suddenly, the hand holding his telescope froze.
He raised the telescope again, staring intently at the distant horizon.
There, an extremely small black dot was rapidly enlarging at an incredible speed.
That was not a ship.
That was a black mountain, moving on the sea!
"What... what the hell is that thing?!"
Mao Haifeng's voice was trembling.
The black dot was getting closer and clearer.
It was a giant ship he had never seen before, with an elegant yet menacing design.
It was entirely black, with a long, sleek hull.
Three massive masts pierced the sky, bearing sails as deep as night.
But what made him most uneasy were the dense, hair-raising rows of gunports on both sides of the ship!
A rough count revealed at least a hundred of them!
"Enemy attack!!!"
Mao Haifeng finally reacted, letting out a hoarse roar, and the piercing clang of alarm bells instantly echoed throughout Hirado Port!
The entire port instantly erupted into chaos.
Countless sailors and soldiers rushed out of their barracks, scrambling towards their warships in a disorganized manner.
On the explorer.
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