"Hm?" Fang Senyan, suddenly relaxed, looked up at the inky sky as a gentle breeze brushed his cheek. He couldn't help but take a deep breath, sensing the humid, wild essence carried on the sea wind. For Fang Senyan, who had been confined to a ship for seven or eight years, this feeling was acutely familiar—it was the harbinger of an imminent hurricane. And yet, around this Hop Island, there was absolutely no shelter to be found!

Clearly, Fang Senyan was not the only one sensing the approaching storm. In an instant, various unique horns sounded from the pirate ships anchored around Hop Island—some deep, some piercing, some short, some drawn out—summoning the pirates back to their vessels. Based on Fang Senyan's experience, the hurricane was still at least half an hour away. If they set sail immediately and caught the wind, returning to the excellent harbor of Tortuga Port would be no problem at all. The caveat was that they couldn't dawdle here for more than ten minutes; otherwise, they risked being caught from behind by the hurricane, leading to the tragic loss of ship and life.

Fang Senyan let out a long sigh. Those waiting in Tortuga Port for the cargo must have realized that Lady Katri Folke was missing. But they evidently hadn't found her body yet; otherwise, they wouldn't be so quiet. They would surely have hoisted the black flag and fired cannons, searching boisterously for the culprit. However, this perfectly timed hurricane undoubtedly forced their search efforts to halt so they could return to Tortuga Port! If not, the ship laden with stolen goods was highly likely to capsize at sea. For the Folke family, already teetering on the brink, this was an affair that could shake the very foundations of the house, a responsibility no one could afford to bear.

Therefore, the search for Lady Katri Folke would reasonably be forced to cease, only to be resumed once the hurricane had passed and the seas calmed. That would be at least two or three days hence. For Fang Senyan, this was excellent news. He was confident that any stray clue he might have left would be washed clean by the Caribbean's ferocious tropical downpours, and the ancestral necklace gifted by Mr. Jack Sparrow would not vanish in the short term—that, for now, was sufficient.

As the saying goes, a man in high spirits feels refreshed. When Fang Senyan rushed back to the Bell and Goblet, the ship's crew was in a state of utter chaos, stumbling about like headless flies. This was because the ship's senior officers—Scar Henry, Charles, and even Armand—were likely utterly drunk, having shone brightly and made a fortune at the high-ranking pirate meeting, snoring loudly in their cabins, deaf to any hammering on their doors. Only the new Second Mate, Long John Robin, was sober, but his talents were mediocre and he held little authority. He had shouted himself hoarse to no avail, only making things worse; some drunken pirates were even performing hornpipe dances near him.

Seeing this scene, Fang Senyan’s face darkened as he strode up the gangplank. Any rogue who dared block his path or was still drinking and carousing was summarily tossed overboard, either hauled or kicked, shouting as they went—a sight much like dumplings being dropped into a boiling pot. Of course, these pirates were all skilled swimmers and wouldn't drown, but swallowing a mouthful of seawater and enduring a bit of hardship was inevitable. Some with shorter tempers naturally thrashed about in the water, hurling curses that sought to connect the women in the offender's family with his own private parts in creative ways. However, upon realizing the culprit was Fang Senyan, their faces turned awkward, and they promptly shut up. Even the pirates who held grudges against Fang Senyan dared only to mutter complaints under their breath while carrying out his orders.

Order was quickly restored aboard the Bell and Goblet. Fang Senyan moved briskly around the deck, shouting orders and assigning duties to these hardened killers. Sometimes he lent a hand where manpower was urgently needed, sometimes he slapped a helmsman on the shoulder to offer encouragement, and sometimes he kicked a passing pirate and cursed him roundly. Strangely enough, although the pirates he tossed overboard were brimming with suppressed anger, they responded effectively to Fang Senyan's methods, and their work efficiency was unprecedentedly fast. In less than ten minutes, the Bell and Goblet was the first ship to hoist anchor and depart.

The signs of the hurricane were already stark. Distant thunder rumbled. If it were daylight, one would surely witness the oppressive sight of "black clouds pressing down on the city, threatening to crush the jade structures." The square sails hoisted on the mainmast of the Bell and Goblet caught the wind fully, looking incredibly taut and full, providing abundant power. The long, sleek sailing vessel sliced through the waves at astonishing speed, gliding like a nimble flying fish towards Tortuga Port. This swiftness was in no way inferior to that of the Black Pearl, the speed king of the Caribbean.

"Armand seems to have found a fine navigator," several pirate captains murmured as they watched the silhouette of the Bell and Goblet's sails receding.

In less than an hour and a half, the towering outline of the cliffs, resembling a giant's arm, appeared before them outside Tortuga Port. The light from the guiding lighthouse was faint, like a candle flame poised to be extinguished by the wind at any moment. The ocean's turbulence could be clearly felt, as if the entire Caribbean Sea had become one heaving entity, exuding irresistible majesty. Despite having no designated pilot to direct him, Fang Senyan skillfully cursed and directed the helmsman to bring the ship smoothly into the safe haven, undoubtedly adding another layer of mystique among these pirates.

For these ruthless cutthroats, guiding a vessel safely through the passage in the dark was a secret known only to seasoned pilots. They were unaware that in the world Fang Senyan hailed from, such basic skills, falling under the purview of harbor pilots, could be easily mastered by anyone willing to learn. For Fang Senyan, who aspired to advance to the rank of First Mate or Captain on a ten-thousand-ton vessel, this was essentially a required course.

As the returning pirate ships docked one after another, the hurricane followed closely behind, whipping up towering waves of seven or eight meters on the sea surface—a sight terrifying even from a distance. Even though the ship was anchored in an excellent harbor, secured with heavy anchors fore and aft, the sea seemed to roar in fury, threatening to overturn Tortuga Port itself. At this moment, the North Sea three-masted square-rigger sent by Tortuga Port to collect the loot also returned, staggering under the strain. However, its condition was clearly dire: the mainmast had evidently been cut due to the excessive wind force, and the two triangular staysails flanking it had been shredded by the gale, flapping wildly in the air. Its desolate appearance suggested it could sink at any second.

Fang Senyan stood at the bow and beckoned to Robin: "Get me a dinghy. I'm going ashore."

Robin looked surprised: "Boatswain, the taverns look closed."

Fang Senyan said calmly: "Just knock the door down. Besides, I don't much fancy sleeping on a ship during a gale like this."

Robin shrugged: "Your will shall be done immediately."

Fang Senyan nodded, returned to his cabin to retrieve a few items, and a quarter of an hour later, he stood on the docks of Tortuga Port. Although the hurricane raged as if to overturn the world, with the return of the pirates, a few taverns in the port had opened their doors hoping to conduct business, casting dim yellow light struggling out from the cracks in the doors. Fang Senyan, however, was in no hurry to enter a bar; instead, after checking the time, he headed toward the seaside.

The sea churned violently, its deep black, massive waves slamming heavily against the thick breakwater, shattering into millions of spray droplets. One could even distinctly feel a slight tremor in the bluish-black reef beneath his feet. While such a scene would be immensely shocking to someone raised inland, it was commonplace for Fang Senyan. He stood quietly on the breakwater with his arms crossed, waiting.

Before leaving port, Fang Senyan had obtained a hidden quest from Kree. The follow-up to this quest had been acquired from the stingy general store owner, Mogul. Although Fang Senyan had been severely fleeced by the old man, he had also managed to gain a few cups of gold rum as a perk. Finally, the old man had given him a shard of a crystal ball, which, when placed in water, yielded the following prompt: When the midnight bell tolls, the lament of the undead shall be restored to reality, the dust of history shall be wiped clean, and the truth shall be revealed.

The seaside where Fang Senyan was currently lingering was precisely where he had placed the crystal ball shard in the seawater during the day. As midnight approached, the surface of the sea began to shimmer with specks of silver light, resembling the gentle glow of the moon, yet the light carried a deep, cold sensation, as if trying to siphon away the vitality of the living. In the area illuminated by the silver glow, the sea surface became strangely calm, merely rippling slightly. The raging wind and colossal waves seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to stir up any further disturbance.