As the series of prompts unfolded, both Reef and Morgansha studied them intently. The journal belonging to Morgan Fawk, which Fang Senyan had been unable to take with him last time, held a great deal of curiosity for him, as he suspected it contained secrets. Now that he had regained it upon his return, he eagerly flipped it open to read.

However, a splash of cold water was immediately dashed over him… The journal was written in a very unique form of coded script! The hint Fang Senyan received was that he needed to find someone capable of deciphering it.

Just then, Reef suddenly spoke up: “Morgansha, since this is your first time entering this world, the Space must have assigned you an identity, right? Do you know why we were bound and locked in the hold?”

The dark-skinned man’s expression was far from pleasant: “This damned Space actually assigned me the identity of a black slave. The ship we just boarded is a transport vessel pirates use specifically for moving plundered cargo!”

Reef shrugged, letting out a hearty laugh: “My friend, my entry into this battlefield last time was abrupt, and my departure was just as sudden, so I haven't had much entanglement with this world. In fact, my experience wasn't much better than yours; I’m an unlucky prisoner of war, and even more unlucky because I’m one who’s completely worthless to ransom. So, the identities we’ve been assigned are essentially the same…”

Upon hearing this, Fang Senyan couldn't help but check his own situation, only to discover the identity the Space had assigned him: “Ever since the Flying Dutchman suffered its terrifying curse, you mysteriously vanished from everyone's sight. Many speculate you acquired a great fortune and retired into obscurity, returning to the mysterious East…”

Reef took a look around the ship at that moment and whispered to Fang Senyan: “Boss, the mast on our current ship is broken. Do you know how far Port Royal is from here?”

Fang Senyan reached into his mouth and blew a sharp whistle. Several pirates immediately approached. “Who can tell me where we are?”

A pirate rushed over, trembling: “Sir, we are seventeen nautical miles outside of Cape Lisle.”

Fang Senyan nodded, then turned to Reef: “If the sea chart I acquired earlier is correct, then we are about a day’s sail from Port Royal—that is, based on this ship’s current speed. Strange, though… Never mind that for now.”

Reef immediately breathed a sigh of relief: “It seems we have plenty of time.”

Fang Senyan roared with laughter: “Oh no, my friend, we have absolutely no time to spare!”

Once out on the open sea, Fang Senyan felt an invigorating sense of ease wash over him. He took deep breaths of the air, slightly salty and pungent with the scent of the ocean, and his thoughts felt unusually clear! He turned to look at the sea battle raging not far away, instinctively clenching his fists, the furious blaze reflected in his pupils.

“Have you not considered the intent of the Space in dropping us near this massive naval battlefield and then tasking us with rescuing prisoners?”

Morgansha’s eyes lit up: “You mean… they want capable Contractors to join the fight?”

Fang Senyan nodded: “Precisely. I’m beginning to feel that every world must have its own main theme, aligning with its core plotline.”

“For example, the main theme of the Starship Troopers world is profit; for profit, humanity fights the Bugs, and for profit, Bugs turn against each other! The main theme of the Avatar world is protection versus destruction. So, what is the main theme of Pirates of the Caribbean? That, of course, is adventure and freedom! If we follow the world’s main theme, it’s like sailing with the current—we can achieve twice the result with half the effort!”

“Therefore, we must embrace adventure now! We need to join the fray. I already possess a certain reputation and status among these pirates; what I currently lack is naval power. So, our goal must be to somehow seize a vessel, reap sufficient rewards and merits in the battle, and then arrive at the privateer port of Tortuga with overwhelming strength!”

After hearing Fang Senyan’s words, Reef fell into contemplation, though he sounded somewhat frustrated: “But Morgansha and I have absolutely no experience in naval warfare… I wonder if there’s any way we can contribute.”

Fang Senyan laughed heartily and slapped both his teammates heartily on the shoulders: “In a long-range naval engagement, you are worth ten carronades! And in a boarding action, Reef, you’re worth a hundred strapping lads!”

With that, Fang Senyan walked to a high point on the ship, forcefully clapping his hands to draw the attention of the pirates. He displayed the equipment he wore: the +5 Titan’s Spirit, then pointed at himself and roared: “Do you recognize me? This is a question that must be answered, or I will toss you scum, bastards, and men destined for the gallows back into the seawater!”

A bald pirate with a mouth full of rotten yellow teeth peered closely at the ornament on Fang Senyan’s waist and stammered fearfully: “Sir, if my eyes haven’t been ruined by the sea spray, the ornament you wear strongly resembles a cherished treasure of that Viking, Scar Henry. But it only looks similar. I cannot be certain.”

Fang Senyan laughed aloud: “Your old dog eyes aren’t bad at all.”

He then tossed over a bottle of rum: “This is your reward for your guess. You are correct; I did take this from a fellow named Scar Henry.”

The bald pirate quickly snatched the bottle and immediately took several large gulps, letting out a sigh of utter satisfaction: “Sir, your generosity is as vast as the Caribbean Sea!”

The usual pastimes of pirates were summarized by four characters: eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling—not much different from the profligate sons of China. The wealth they plundered was either spent on the passionate courtesans of the Caribbean or exchanged for mellow rum. Seeing someone gain an immediate benefit, another pirate stepped forward: “The yellow-skinned sailor… possesses such formidable strength? Could you truly be the Eastern Sailor Yan that Armand has been relentlessly hunting?”

Fang Senyan held up one finger and stated seriously: “You answered correctly, child. Therefore, this bottle of rum is yours.”

By then, the remaining pirates were shouting over each other in excitement: “The Eastern Sailor Yan! I’ve heard of you! They say after you betrayed Armand, you even earned the favor of Davy Jones and became his first mate!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! The Flying Dutchman is full of monsters now! This gentleman is the same as us!”

“Blackbeard has mentioned your name too. While drinking in Port Royal, I heard someone say that when he was searching for that evil rapier, he apparently received your help.”

“Good heavens, I’m sailing with such a legendary figure?”

“……”

Despite Fang Senyan’s notoriously low initial charm rating, for these low-ranking pirates, a +1 Legend Rating combined with his respected reputation across the entire pirate world was more than enough to leave them dumbfounded.

Fang Senyan was clearly satisfied with the effect he had achieved. So, he raised his hand decisively and boomed: “Yes, as you can see, my situation is not ideal. I have no ship, no crew, but I certainly don't intend to sneak off to Tortuga in disgrace! You all know the kind of reception one gets showing up there with only a few shillings in one’s pocket!”

“Now I have good news for you. I don't care what you’ve done before, nor do I care about your skills; as long as you have a heart ready to fight to the death, I can lead you to victory and wealth! Place your hands on your hearts and tell me, do you wish to smash heaps of gold sovereigns into the face of that damn barkeep? Do you wish to fling piles of gold at those avaricious whores?”

The pirates below erupted in a clamor of voices. A particularly large, one-eyed man grunted: “We do! But where are the victory and wealth? All around us are only broken ships and icy seawater.”

Fang Senyan pointed toward the distant battlefield, still shrouded in the roar of cannon fire and smoke: “They are right there! Do you have the courage to follow me and my companions to seize victory? Answer me!!”

The one-eyed man’s gaze flickered, and he asked with a tone of doubt: “Follow you?”

Fang Senyan scattered seventy or eighty gold coins with a loud crash, stating seriously: “Indeed! Follow right behind us! Do you think I’m joking? You can ask around; back on the Bell and Goblet, I led twenty old and weak men to defeat a hundred Spaniards! Even the Voodoo Corpse Souls were defeated by my own hand! Now! Those willing to follow me, take two gold pounds. Those who are cowards and fear death should get lost early!”

Immediately, some of the pirates began whispering amongst themselves, confirming that Fang Senyan’s feats were not exaggerated. The result was quite satisfying to Fang Senyan; pirates are a breed that fears death little. Only about ten men left. The remaining pirates, spurred on by strong liquor and gold coins, began stripping off their shirts, shouting excitedly.

Because the current lifeboat they were on was utterly dilapidated, Fang Senyan and Morgansha were now laboring in the dark, searching for a relatively intact vessel—one that at least possessed sails.

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