A warship of immense power seemed to fall from the very air, slamming down onto the surface of the Anduin River. The resulting twin waves rose like translucent walls, thirty to forty meters high, before the vessel, riding dangerously low in the water, violently rebounded upward.

A colossal, misty apparition of a sea giant materialized above the warship. In its grasp, it held a massive anchor. This was the spirit of Balbarbo, a Sea Giant, who surveyed the strange and boundless world with a loud, echoing roar.

At the bow, a clearly defined emplacement had appeared, housing the Greenland Scourge, a cannon whose sharpness was palpable. Lined up neatly beside it were whale-rib javelins, tempered by Deisy's dark magic, appearing so poised that one could almost see them spinning at high speed, flying out to trace impossibly bizarre ballistic arcs before burying themselves deep within their prey.

The brutish gunner, Nanook, stood beside the Greenland Scourge, gazing at the unfamiliar world with astonishment.

The figurehead was no longer the black-quality Teji’s ramming spike; it had been replaced by the skull of a savage, abyssal beast, shining with a dim gold light. Furthermore, the ship's main battery had been upgraded from ordinary quality curved cannons to incredibly powerful Black Iron Repeating Cannons!

When the waves finally began to subside, a collection of familiar faces emerged one by one: Doctor Kato, Spike the Carpenter, the required equipment for muscle upgrades, Shaven, Nanook (the gunner), Red Beard, Carter (the rower), and the human radar, Chilean Red Rose.

"Wow, we seem to have arrived at quite a place? Look at that sky!"

"This damned river is wider than the Gulf of Mexico!"

"Don't talk nonsense; I feel an awesome presence in this river."

"Hey, hey, locate us immediately! What are the sail handlers doing? Lookout, get to your post! Did the Captain call us over just to sightsee?"

"Right, has anyone seen the Captain?"

"I haven't."

"No."

"I just got here, still excited, didn't see a thing?"

"Hey, hey, there should be a city nearby. Those things floating on the water ahead look a lot like dead pigs and dogs thrown out by residents."

"Why... why do I feel like those things floating on the water aren't dead pigs or dogs? I’ve been watching the sea for over ten years!"

"What do they look like?"

"They look a lot like... a person, about the Captain's size."

"Really?"

"A bit."

"........."

"You bastards! Hurry up and pull me out! I've been soaking here for a full twenty minutes, damn it!!" The pirate captain, now looking utterly miserable and waterlogged, finally regained his composure and began to curse without any semblance of dignity.

Undoubtedly, Fang Senyan was furious. He had never imagined his ship, the Dingyuan, would make such a dramatic entrance. He had taken the leap off the cliff to ensure the teleportation gate was wide enough, but the Dingyuan had burst forth the moment the gate opened, smashing down with the force of Mount Tai. If Fang Senyan hadn't been an excellent swimmer, he might have been crushed to death by his own vessel!

However, once Fang Senyan’s initial rage and bewilderment subsided, something began to feel decidedly wrong. The crew had arrived too quickly, with such startling swiftness that even he, the captain, had nearly drowned on the spot.

So, when Fang Senyan interrogated them, he learned that half an hour prior, everyone aboard had received a 'divine oracle' stating that their long-lost but fearsome captain had taken a job and required their assistance, promising great rewards upon successful completion.

The voice had sounded directly inside every crew member's mind. The mysterious sorceress, Deisy, upon hearing the voice, showed immense reverence, falling to her knees in worship. This woman was no pushover; no one aboard could truly control her except Fang Senyan. Seeing her reaction convinced everyone instantly.

Fang Senyan pressed for details about the promised rewards, and the pirates held nothing back, presenting the items directly.

The reward was contained within a crystal-clear bottle holding a pool of pale blue water. Gazing at it felt as though one's eyeballs were being bathed in clean, clear water—incredibly comfortable, utterly captivating. For some unknown reason, although the bottle was sealed, a faint, indescribably pleasant scent emanated from within.

"After helping the Captain finish this job, the deity promised to lift the seal on the bottle," Red Beard explained honestly. "And everyone gets an extra bottle besides. We've tried; the seal on the current bottles cannot be broken no matter what."

Fang Senyan inquired:

"What exactly is inside those bottles?"

"Water from the Spring of Youth," Deisy said, holding her own bottle, her eyes alight with fervor. "More specifically, it doubles a person's lifespan and fixes their appearance permanently to the moment they drank the water."

Fang Senyan was stunned. It seemed the Space had truly spared no expense this time. Offering such a potent weapon as a reward indicated that, in pursuit of victory, the Space was willing to go to great lengths, even placing a huge wager on these pirates to ensure their dedication.

Immediately following this, Fang Senyan received another system notification:

"Contractor 1018, your rank validation has passed. Your current rank is promoted from Brigadier General to Major General. Your access permissions have been significantly increased...!"

"It's finally here!" Fang Senyan had waited for this certification for far too long; the bloody Major General's armor was practically rusting away in storage! Honestly, without that armor, Fang Senyan's chances of success would have been at least twenty percent lower!

Now, fortune favored him with the Space's blessing, the tactical advantage of fighting on the familiar Anduin River, and the boundless energy unleashed by pirates nearly driven mad by the Spring of Youth! A long-absent cold sneer finally crossed Fang Senyan’s face:

"Set sail!"

The water of the Anduin flowed peacefully. It appeared slow, yet drifting with the current, one could easily leave the scenery on both banks far behind in a short time. Everywhere presented a tranquil and beautiful vista: comfortable shades of light green blending seamlessly with the sky and water, delicate small boats lining the banks, trickling streams feeding into the main river, and crystal-clear water. Everything was as serene and beautiful as a painting.

However, a beautiful painting would never depict streaks of black smoke piercing the clouds!

Before the Steam Age dawned, most large-scale cities were built along waterways. Why? Because the hustle and bustle of a city depends on logistics; a large population demands staggering amounts of food, water, and waste removal. Water transport offers an unparalleled advantage over land freight.

Thus, following the vast Anduin River downstream, many renowned cities were scattered like stars, with Minas Tirith itself only about ten kilometers from the riverbank. Before it was ravaged by war, Minas Tirith’s commercial districts were incredibly prosperous, spreading along the main road right to the edge of the Anduin.

Yet, only one city along the Anduin was called the 'Pearl of the River': Pelargir. This city, saturated with bright emerald green, always imparted a refreshing coolness, featuring unique architectural styles everywhere. Its wealth attracted abundant fruits and crops.

But at this moment, Pelargir was as tragic as a maiden newly violated. The plunder by the Umbar pirates was drawing to a close; many were laughing as they returned to their ships. The surface of the entire Anduin was densely packed with pirate vessels, large and small, giving the impression of a thousand sails overlapping. Several large ships were riding far below their load lines. The citizens' screams and the pirates' roaring laughter blended into a peculiar tableau.

It was at this very moment that Fang Senyan and the Umbar pirates met head-on—or rather, crossed paths in a tight spot!

Pirates VS Pirates!

Although the Anduin was wide, the Umbar pirates could not simply ignore the bizarre presence of the Dingyuan. Their ships resembled the giant triangular-sailed galleys of the Nile, featuring distinctive triangular sails and being immensely large. Even though the Dingyuan was a five-masted behemoth, compared to the Umbar pirates’ seven or eight giant triangular galleys, it looked like a child next to an adult—completely outclassed, its only saving grace being its unique design.

Of course, that was only to the untrained eye. The Umbar pirates commanded the seas; it was impossible for them to lack skill. Just considering the audacity of their strange vessel to sail directly into this fleet of a thousand sails, seemingly intent on challenging the entire armada with a single ship! Even more terrifying, upon closer inspection, one could see that the sails of the opposing ship seemed faintly tinged with blood red. Staring longer, the entire vessel appeared to weigh down the river itself, so much so that even the waves dared not rise too high!

With the aid of Deisy’s dark magic, Fang Senyan projected an illusion magnified dozens of times, standing proudly at the bow. His voice boomed across the river, causing numerous pirates to turn their heads in astonishment toward them:

"I am the emissary of the Dark Lord Sauron! I bring his will. Where is your leader, Arathorn?"

Witnessing Fang Senyan’s sudden display of might, the other pirates dared not be slow. Soon, the largest triangular galley slowly drew near. Arathorn stood at its bow and sent a small boat over to ferry a messenger.

However, Fang Senyan, backed by his legendary warship, was not about to yield easily. He immediately continued using magic:

"Arathorn! Do you dare to slight the majesty of King Sauron??? Board my vessel and pay respects to the emissary!"