Through a blend of strong tactics and clear favors, Fang Senyan had already thoroughly won over the loyalty of his subordinates. And the most fortunate aspect was that his crew was sharply divided into two distinct factions: former Royal Navy sailors and pirates. This very division guaranteed that they would find it difficult to reach a consensus or conspire in a revolt (Captain Jack Sparrow furiously exclaimed, "Didn't we agree not to mention that?! Bring it up again and I'll cut off your internet access!"). Thus, he felt entirely secure in delegating authority. This, in turn, only deepened the loyalty of the pirates who had been transferred to the other vessels.

The north wind was incredibly fierce at this time, and with the Sam ship further augmented by rare plot-related equipment plundered from the other vessels, coupled with Fang Senyan's "Pirate Captain" title granting a 15% movement speed boost, his flagship cut through the sea at an astonishing velocity. The sharp narwhal figurehead at the bow cleanly tore the sea wind and waves asunder, leaving a long white scar trailing behind the stern. The sails above were so bellied out by the wind that they resembled the taut, proud chest of a woman with an F-cup.

Under Fang Senyan's smooth command and coordination, fewer than twenty people were busy on the ship; everyone else was resting. Despite the reduced manpower, everything appeared more orderly and efficient than even the pirates' usual methods suggested possible.

This was remarkable considering that the Captain, First Mate, and Navigator—the three most crucial roles—were all held by Fang Senyan alone. It was no wonder Mogensha overheard a former Royal Navy sailor whispering, "The 'Boss' could probably command an entire fleet with ease."

Throughout the voyage, Fang Senyan and his crew frequently spotted Contractors aboard single-masted lifeboats, crawling toward Tortuga at a snail’s pace. Naturally, Fang Senyan’s group wouldn't kick them while they were down, but they certainly didn't play the hero by offering them a tow. Watching the envious and hateful glares of those poor souls riding the wind, a natural sense of superiority bloomed in the hearts of Reef and his companions.

As the saying goes, honing the axe facilitates the chopping. These other Contractors had set out nearly ten hours earlier, yet Fang Senyan only needed five hours to overtake them all. Clearly, under these circumstances, there was hardly any doubt that the Ace Squad would be the first to reach Tortuga.

“Boss, how much longer until we reach Tortuga?” Black Bro walked up to Fang Senyan, speaking casually.

Fang Senyan shook his head. “I’ve only seen the damned place on a sea chart; I’ve never actually been there. I can only tell you that, barring any unexpected issues, it should be another five or six hours.”

Black Bro was astonished. “That fast? The space explicitly gave us a full forty-eight hours!” Fang Senyan nodded. “Those lifeboats aren't that slow either; I estimate they’ll take maybe twenty-four hours to make the trip at their current pace.”

Black Bro pondered for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, “Such a generous timeline doesn't feel like the Nightmare Space’s style. Could it be that some kind of twist awaits us during the voyage?”

Fang Senyan smiled. “I don’t rule out that possibility, but for an initial main quest in this world, the difficulty shouldn't be too high. They can’t make every world start with high-intensity warfare like the Space Battlefield. Don’t worry; that's why I let most of the crew rest—if trouble strikes, they’ll be ready to fight in peak condition.”

Mogensha nodded in sincere admiration. After walking a few steps, he suddenly asked, “Boss, are you planning to use that thing in this world?”

“You mean that fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls?”

Mogensha nodded. Fang Senyan took a deep breath. “That depends on how smoothly my plan proceeds. I certainly hope to use it in this world! Because the quality and power of the ships and sailors we command can actually be factored into our own strength, easing the mission difficulty—that’s the unique privilege of the Caribbean world. More importantly, if we gain full control of the vessels, it won't be like the Black Spore Swarm in the last world, which weakened and suppressed the rewards we earned!!”

Black Bro burst out laughing. “That’s right! These pirates we kill will drop keys too. I just checked; although almost every treasure chest we opened was garbage, accumulated together, we netted nearly twenty thousand universal points, not counting the rare, special plot equipment you found.” Fang Senyan smiled. “The special plot equipment can’t be sold. After rewarding the crew with them, we’ll have their help next time we enter. We can’t afford to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.”

“It’s all up to you, keep it up, Boss.” Black Bro flashed a wide, genuine grin. “I’ve never seen you fail at anything.”

The ship sailed for perhaps less than another hour when the sailors in the bow suddenly shouted. Fang Senyan walked over and saw a pirate looking utterly bewildered. “Blast it, we seem to have struck something under the hull. Our speed has slowed down.”

Fang Senyan immediately asked, “A reef? I don't recall the charts marking any hazardous areas here.”

Kambi shrugged. “Boss, you’re right. I’ve run this route three times and never heard of a ship grounding.”

Fang Senyan nodded. “Has anyone gone down to the bilge to check for leaks?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Old Sea Dog, gripping a knife in his teeth, agilely scrambled up from the lower hold with his single arm, shrugging his shoulders. “Sir, the bottom of the ship is as firm as an eighteen-year-old girl’s backside.”

Fang Senyan considered this, then commanded, “Light the torches!”

The torches on board were soaked in whale fat; they burned bright and long without producing smoke. Their only drawback was the pungent, fishy odor the smoke carried. Someone held a torch over the bow, immediately revealing an anomaly on the water surface that should have been calm. The seawater was churning and surging violently, looking as if seven or eight pairs of invisible, gigantic hands were stirring it from below, pushing with force in different directions.

Fang Senyan turned to Black Bro. Mogensha instantly drew his gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The searing bullet plunged deep into the ocean depths, but no blood surfaced.

However, soon after, numerous crisscrossing, irregular black lines appeared on the surface, slowly winding around the hull. It was impossible to tell clearly what they were. The sea became turbulent, and a large amount of white foam erupted.

Although the water here wasn't murky, the reflection of the night sky still made it impossible to discern what was happening below. If one were to make a precise analogy, it was as if the water had begun to boil, and something was trying to burst forth, to crack the surface and devour!

Fang Senyan snorted coldly and loudly ordered, “Get a few men to the rails! More torches!”

Fang Senyan’s prestige was absolute now; with one command, nearly everyone committed fully to obeying. Men quickly stepped forward. Fang Senyan secured a mooring line around his waist and told Reef and Mogensha, “I’m going down to check. If I reach critical condition, pull me up immediately.”

The two nodded. The other pirates, however, were shocked, especially a few who were already completely loyal to Fang Senyan, like Old Sea Dog and Kambi, who hurriedly tried to persuade him against the risk.

According to some old pirates, such anomalies frequently occurred in these waters. They claimed these were the drifting hair of the dead rising from the underworld, yearning to see the moonlight and starlight, their resentment tangling around the ship. However, they would only detain the vessel for a few days before dissipating. But going into the water meant facing immense danger.

Fang Senyan had no time to wait for days. He insisted on descending, but just then, a one-eyed pirate volunteered, claiming his swimming skills were superb and that he was willing to go down with the Boss to investigate.

This one-eyed pirate was among the earliest group to follow Fang Senyan. He had previously shown no remarkable talents, remaining quite average. But now, he eagerly volunteered to guard Fang Senyan, clearly spurred by the previous display—Kambi’s sudden acquisition of mysterious power was truly enviable.

Fang Senyan understood his motives perfectly, but this was exactly the kind of situation he hoped to see. In this world, what Fang Senyan feared most was subordinates lacking talent, not those who were ambitious! Fang Senyan glanced at him. “What is your name?”

The one-eyed man respectfully replied, “Call me Black Sail, sir.”

Fang Senyan nodded. He was racing against time, so he wasted no more words and leaped directly into the seawater. Although this seemed reckless, Fang Senyan had thoroughly considered the situation: this was, after all, only a B-minus difficulty world, and it was the very first quest in the initial plot development, so the difficulty was unlikely to be high. Furthermore, Fang Senyan's swimming skills in the real world were superb, and the "Pirate Captain" title currently provided an extra ten minutes of submerged time. Therefore, Fang Senyan’s dive was backed by full confidence; it was by no means a rash, unauthorized action.

The seawater was bone-chillingly cold. Fang Senyan shivered violently upon entering the water but quickly regained composure. Soon, a "plop" sounded from above as Black Sail followed him down.