Faced with Fang Senyan's tirade, the British Major, covered in blood and looking utterly gruesome, glared with venomous eyes and roared: "You evil heretic, damned executioner, we will never yield to you! Your only fate is to be hung on a cross and be devoured by crows!"

Fang Senyan sneered. At that moment, clamorous shouting, curses, the sounds of a fierce struggle, and sharp gunfire echoed from the other side of the cabin. Soon, the ship's deck was once again drenched in freshly spilled blood, which streamed down the edges, dripping into the sea. At first, it was in large sheets, gradually thinning out over several tens of meters before disappearing entirely!

Quickly, this mutiny was suppressed again. Only about fifty sailors remained alive among the remaining crew. They wore expressions of numb grief, yet could only stand dumbly, raising their hands to cover their heads as they were surrounded.

Fang Senyan walked out of the cabin with a chillingly indifferent expression. His first command was: "Drag all the officers among them up here!"

The hierarchy among the sailors was strict and distinct, easily discernible by the quality of the cloth they wore. The pirates immediately sprang into action. Kambi led his men to seize all officers ranked Lieutenant or above—eight in total—and lined them up, binding them tightly against the ship's rail.

In full view of all the captives, Fang Senyan grabbed a sailor, thrust a rather dull mess knife into his hand, and said with grave seriousness: "Go on, stab the officer in front of you once."

The sailor’s hand trembled violently. His eyes suddenly flared with hatred, and with a savage yell, he reversed his grip and lunged the knife toward Fang Senyan’s throat.

Fang Senyan met him with a punch squarely to the face, knocking the sailor violently to the deck. He then brought his foot down with crushing force! Amidst a piercing crack of bone, the sailor erupted in a spray of copious blood, much like a crushed orange, his entire chest cavity collapsing inward!

Clearly, he was beyond saving. This brutal spectacle silenced even the vicious pirates into a fearful hush, sending cold sweat down their spines, let alone the British sailors.

Fang Senyan then picked up the bloodied mess knife, promptly hauled over another sailor, and used a tone as level as if commenting on the weather, asking: "Go on, stab the officer in front of you once."

This sailor gaped, shuffling step by step toward the Lieutenant before him. The Lieutenant promptly closed his eyes. But the sailor suddenly dropped to his knees, covering his face with his hands, weeping hysterically: "No, I can't!!!"

Fang Senyan swiftly drew his Yexin (Wild Ambition), aimed it at the back of the sailor's head, and fired! Amidst the gore-soaked deck, he coldly stated: "Next."

By then, everyone understood Fang Senyan's intent. The bound officers thrashed wildly, unleashing every vile curse imaginable. Even the soldiers stirred with a nascent [Note: Word intentionally left blank as in original structure/meaning]. However, this unrest was quelled by Mogansha’s three swift, clean headshots.

Fang Senyan spoke with detached apathy: "Gentlemen, I previously did my utmost, in the spirit of chivalry, to ensure your legitimate rights as prisoners of war. Yet, your repayment for my leniency and mercy was an attempt to blow me into smithereens. Very well. I admit I am a vengeful bastard with a petty nature, so I can only respond in a far more cruel manner!"

Soon, the third captive British soldier was sent forward, grasping the blood-stained mess knife. Given the precedent set by the first two, this man moved with practiced swiftness. But before acting, he turned back to Fang Senyan, fearful and urgent, and asked: "Sir, I have only one question, just one. You will grant me the chance to ask it, won't you?"

Fang Senyan extended his hand in a gesture inviting him to speak.

The captive said: "Must I inflict a deep wound upon the Lieutenant Philips you designated, or is it acceptable to stab any of the other seven gentlemen? This matters greatly to me, because if I stab the merciful Mr. Philips, I might suffer guilt for months and lose sleep. But if I can choose the target freely, I can live out the rest of my days with a clear conscience."

Fang Senyan stated flatly: "You have the right to choose, sir."

The captive bowed deeply: "Thank you for granting me this right, sir."

The captive then walked over to the fattest Lieutenant, swiftly plunging the mess knife into his stomach. Amidst the fat Lieutenant's piercing scream, he lingered, increasing the pressure and twisting the blade before withdrawing it. He walked back to Fang Senyan and offered the knife back.

Fang Senyan had already pulled up a stool and was seated squarely upon it. He said plainly: "Welcome to the pirates, Mr. Murderer."

The captive let out a sigh and silently took his place behind Kambi, who regarded him with a threatening gaze. Yes, by stabbing his own officer, he had gravely violated British law, and for a man with no powerful connections, his only future awaited on the gallows or in perpetual confinement.

In truth, he had no other recourse but to join the pirates.

"Next," Fang Senyan's cold voice echoed again.

The "Pledge of Allegiance" ritual proceeded with alarming speed. Towards the end, three numb and listless sailors were sent up simultaneously to stab their former commanding officers.

Naturally, some resisted, but the only outcome for resistance was death! To Fang Senyan's surprise, one officer actually survived among the eight—it was Lieutenant Philips. None of the soldiers had laid a hand on him, which spoke volumes about his high standing.

Faced with this situation, Fang Senyan decisively cut Lieutenant Philips’s ropes and shoved the bloodied mess knife into his hand, stating coolly: "If you wish to die, slit your own throat with this knife. If you wish to live, then slit the throats of those seven men!"

Philips froze for a moment, then shot Fang Senyan a chillingly sarcastic look, seemingly preparing to take his own life. Fang Senyan said coldly: "Lieutenant, if I am not mistaken, you command considerable respect among these sailors. So even if you don't care for your own life, you must consider theirs."

Philips, who had been ready to seek death, suddenly turned back, his dry, cracked lips struggling to form words: "What do you mean by that?"

Fang Senyan stated mildly: "You are a clever man, and I won't waste words. I am severely short-handed now, so I will certainly use sailors like you—those who have spilled the blood of their own comrades—to charge the front lines. If you don't lead them, consider this: how many battles can these scattered remnants possibly survive? Even if you disregard your own life, can you ignore the lives of these soldiers who revere you?"

Philips’s gaze sharpened instantly. He suddenly seized Fang Senyan’s collar and roared: "You devil! I only wanted to escape; I didn't participate in blowing up the ship!!!"

This action immediately made the situation tense. However, Fang Senyan slowly pried his fingers open one by one, then looked him directly in the eyes and enunciated every word: "I demonstrated gentlemanly conduct from the start, and you repaid my good intentions with a plan to blow me to pieces. All right, I admit my initial approach was foolish. Now, I must correct that bad habit."

Philips stared into Fang Senyan’s eyes. Despite being eloquent, he could not utter a single word! He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, his teeth grinding audibly. After a long moment, the man slowly lowered his head and squeezed out two words from between his teeth: "Fine! I'll do it."

Philips snatched the knife from Fang Senyan's hand. Without another word of argument, he silently went to the seven colleagues—those who were barely clinging to life—and slit their throats. He then bowed slightly and handed the knife back to Fang Senyan, making his commitment perfectly clear.

Facing the dual crucible of life and death, loyalty and obligation, indeed, very few people could pass such a test! Although Fang Senyan possessed low Charisma, his methods struck directly at the heart, forcing different people to submit through sheer momentum and the manipulation of ethics.

After some consideration, Fang Senyan broke up the forty-odd sailors, scattering them among the pirates. Thus, the number of combat-ready men under his command rose to about one hundred and twenty (those capable of fighting; including the wounded, it was one hundred and fifty). Fang Senyan led sixty men himself, Kambi, who held significant prestige among the pirates, led thirty, and surprisingly, Fang Senyan saw potential in Philips and entrusted him with a heavy responsibility, leading thirty men.

With the rebellion settled, Fang Senyan’s original attack plan had to be postponed. At the very least, Philips and Kambi needed time to familiarize themselves with their new subordinates. Furthermore, the corpses had to be dumped overboard, and the deck needed a thorough washing.

Just as the pirates were carrying the bodies away, Fang Senyan suddenly noticed: a peculiar light was flickering from the coat pocket of a British Navy Ensign who had been stabbed to death by his own subordinates. The light was very similar to that of the figurehead found earlier. He picked it up, and a series of prompt messages immediately appeared:

“You have discovered a corpse that likely possesses sorcerous power.” “Do you wish to exercise the privilege of private plunder as Captain?” “You have discovered a Magic Item: Brass Spyglass.”

I have been having terrible luck logging in since six o'clock and only just managed it now. Frustrating. RO