The fastest updates and most complete collection of novels are undoubtedly found on the novel website. If Fang Senyan had requested to train with the pirates Crow and Sata, they certainly wouldn't have refused, but Fang Senyan was also helplessly certain of one thing: even if he spent vast amounts of time training with them, he wouldn't gain even the slightest improvement. This was because his starting point was too poor, his foundation too low—it was much like how any man, no matter how much of a Casanova he claimed to be or how enduring his stamina, would be utterly helpless when transmigrated into the body of a five or six-year-old boy facing an alluring, delicate beauty ready for the taking.

“I have probably gotten too far ahead in exploring the plot,” Fang Senyan sighed inwardly. He hadn't anticipated that this would backfire. Normally, achieving the rank of Boatswain on the Bell and Cup would be the height of attainment in this world, allowing him to learn from pirates of lower standing. But where was he now? Aboard the Flying Dutchman, one of the three legendary pirate ships! Naturally, Fang Senyan couldn't learn through shortcuts. It was likely that if Fang Senyan hadn't already been skilled in organization, dispatch, and surveying sea areas, Davy Jones wouldn't have given him the temporary position of Third Mate.

After sending the two pirates away, Fang Senyan collapsed into his cabin and fell into a deep sleep. He had been mentally and physically exhausted from the day’s labor, and after all the activity, he still felt the effort hadn't been entirely worthwhile, carrying a lingering sense of regret as he drifted off. However, Fang Senyan was always meticulous; before sleeping, he placed a sheathed cutlass behind the cabin door. Since the Flying Dutchman was at anchor with both anchors down, and the wind and waves were mild, the ship was stable. Thus, any movement at the door would inevitably knock over the cutlass and make a sound.

Fang Senyan didn't sleep soundly. The root cause was Davy Jones. Clearly, Jones had deep ties to the Phoc family, and one must never forget that the current Mrs. Phoc had died by Fang Senyan's hand! Although Fang Senyan believed he had done this deed without anyone knowing, Davy Jones’s personal power at this stage was as deep as the sea, and his future role as a ferryman between the underworld and the living world, guiding drowned sailors, meant he might already possess strange abilities. Facing such a monstrous figure, Fang Senyan had no confidence in keeping his secrets safe. If this matter were exposed, who knew what the consequences would be? Under such circumstances, Fang Senyan naturally preferred to err on the side of caution.

In a hazy state, after sleeping for an unknown duration, Fang Senyan suddenly heard a clang, as if something had fallen and bounced a couple of times on the floor. He instinctively shot upright from his bunk. As he sprang up, his eyes snapped open just as he saw the wooden bolt on the cabin door being drawn back. The sheathed cutlass lay on the floor, and the door was cracked open a sliver, swaying slightly. A figure in grey clothing was scrambling hastily toward the outside.

A sharp glint flashed in Fang Senyan’s eyes. He immediately launched himself from the bunk, leaning forward with force to give chase. Clearly, if Davy Jones meant him harm, he wouldn't resort to such sneaking tactics. This meant the person was acting independently of Davy Jones! For some reason, his mind flashed back to that piercing gaze from when he first boarded—a look so sharp it seemed capable of penetrating one's very organs!

The figure ahead was now tightly held in Fang Senyan’s sights, only five or six meters away. On this busy pirate ship, if the runner encountered any other pirate, they would surely side with Fang Senyan, the new Third Mate, rather than the person fleeing. A cold smile touched Fang Senyan’s lips as he watched the panicked escapee, viewing them as already captured prey.

But just then, a tremendous sound erupted near Fang Senyan’s ear! Then the entire hull of the Flying Dutchman lurched violently to one side, shifting sideways by at least two or three meters! He staggered, nearly falling. Fang Senyan was familiar with such a sight—it was the simultaneous broadside fire from the cannons on one side of a pirate ship!

...

The situation changed so abruptly that Fang Senyan hadn't anticipated such an emergency. Since agility wasn't his strength, he stumbled near to falling. Taking advantage of this momentary lapse, the person he was chasing leaped nimbly, stepped off a nearby plank, and with an impossibly smooth motion, vaulted into an adjacent crossover path. By the time Fang Senyan regained his balance, the person had vanished completely.

At that moment, Fang Senyan spotted a corner of a sail in the distance, gradually emerging from the sea mist. Another magnificent and imposing warship was sailing into view, one that could stand toe-to-toe with the Flying Dutchman. It was none other than the other legendary pirate ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. Fang Senyan instantly forgot about the person who had tried to ambush him. He finally understood why he hadn't encountered any crewmen during his chase: the pirates were all at their posts, standing ready! But… Fang Senyan still couldn't fathom why the Queen Anne's Revenge would suddenly engage the Flying Dutchman in battle.

A rumbling cannon fire sounded again from the opposite side; Blackbeard must have ordered a return volley. But then Fang Senyan noticed something was off. Despite the heavy smell of smoke, a crucial sign was missing: the spray of water from the cannonballs. Most of the cannonballs at this time were solid shot, meaning even if they missed the ship, they should have kicked up high splashes of water. Yet, after both ships exchanged a full round of cannonades, the sea remained calm. This could only mean one thing: they were firing blanks at each other! Thinking it over, even a child—let alone Fang Senyan—would understand this was an exchange of ceremonial salutes.

At this point, both ships began signaling with flags. After a short while, the approaching Queen Anne's Revenge maneuvered closer, anchored two nautical miles away, and lowered a longboat that began gliding toward them with the wind. Fang Senyan couldn't clearly see who was aboard the other vessel, but the pirates on his own deck stood solemnly in formation. Despite their ragged clothing and loose array, they possessed an air of strictness reminiscent of the British Navy. Even the usually haughty Davy Jones stood on the deck, arms crossed, projecting an air of nonchalance. This level of reception clearly revealed the identity of the expected guest—anyone warranting such a greeting from Davy Jones could only be the captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard.

Fang Senyan figured the ensuing events had nothing to do with him—what connection could the meeting of two giants possibly have with a mere Third Mate like himself?—and he returned to his cabin. However, his mind was preoccupied with the attacker. Fortunately, as the ship's Third Mate, even if he lacked prestige as a newcomer, his assignment assisting the Navigator carried considerable deterrent weight over most pirates.

The Navigator's duty was to accurately find all sea routes across the vast ocean; some navigators could even chart maps and routes, selling them for a high price after retirement (and a side note: any reader who thinks they might transmigrate should carry a world map; if transported to the Middle Ages, this item would be priceless—thousands died fighting for the route to the Cape of Good Hope). Therefore, even when a sailor died during a voyage, the Navigator had to give a blessing, otherwise, it was believed the soul could never return home. Naturally, anything associated with the Navigator appeared mysterious and revered to most pirates.

Using this status and authority, Fang Senyan could move unimpeded throughout the ship. Although the Flying Dutchman was enormous, if he summoned the two local pirates he knew, Mohan and Sata, to accompany him, it wouldn't take long to search the entire vessel. He could easily root out the person who had tried to strike him. The greatest taboo for anyone in a strange place is having the enemy hidden while you are exposed. Fang Senyan would never commit such a basic error; having made too many enemies in this world, he needed to identify any hidden hostile forces quickly and eliminate them using his current rank and standing!

But just as Fang Senyan was about to leave to start his search, the Second Mate, Old Barry, pushed open the door, bringing two other men with him. He shot Fang Senyan a look that was decidedly annoyed—in the local slang of Fang Senyan’s real world, it was the equivalent of "his eyelids only half-closing."

"The Captain wants to see you. Immediately."

Fang Senyan was startled, but looking at the two burly, overbearing pirates beside him, he realized he had no choice but to go, whether he wanted to or not. He could only stand up and follow reluctantly, though he was secretly prepared to retreat immediately if an attack was imminent. He followed the three men through the winding passages of the massive Flying Dutchman. Before long, they reached the outside of Davy Jones’s captain’s cabin. Even Old Barry stopped at the door, glowering, and jerked his chin toward the entrance, signaling Fang Senyan to enter.

Davy Jones’s cabin was quite spacious, paneled with thick pine wood, and smelled of tobacco mixed with rum. Inside, there was a bunk, a storage chest, maps and charts, a painting of the Sea Unicorn, and a row of logbooks on a shelf. On the sturdy beechwood desk at the front lay a tobacco pouch. Fang Senyan had seen one like it in the real world; it was made from seal skin—untanned, hairy seal skin—with a drawstring to tie it closed. This type of pouch was rumored to successfully keep the tobacco dry and enhance the flavor.

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