Chapter 11: Why Don't You Just Rob Someone?
“Then what is the purpose of your visit?”
Commodore Murray's demeanor was relaxed, as if nothing could rattle him.
“Cooperation.”
“Wait, Kukulin Bai Ye, have you truly considered our respective positions? I am a Royal Navy Commodore, you are a pirate. No matter how I look at it, I have no reason to cooperate with you.”
Commodore Murray shook his head with some disappointment, as if he had lost interest in the conversation.
“You may leave. I never cooperate with pirates.”
Commodore Murray leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He did not make grand threats about executing Su Xiao or the like. Having understood the entire sequence of events from last night to now, he judged that, given the current forces at the port, they could not hold back the captain of the Doom Number. Rather than antagonize him and sacrifice many soldiers, it was better to let him go.
“Who said I was a pirate?”
“You did, last night.”
“Oh. Then I am your father, as I say now. Does saying something make it fact?”
Su Xiao set down the telescope in his hand. It was a decent item, but not suited for him.
“You...”
Commodore Murray narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning dangerous.
“Have I ever plundered a merchant ship? Or raided an island?”
“Well... no.”
A smile returned to Commodore Murray's face.
“Then let's talk. I will soon be going to war with the Duke.”
As he spoke, Su Xiao tossed a Soul Crystal Fragment into his mouth. He estimated there was at least a sixty percent chance Commodore Murray would be willing to cooperate with him.
“What does that have to do with me? That's a conflict between you and the Duke. Wouldn't it be better for me to just watch from the sidelines?”
Commodore Murray was not about to commit without seeing a clear benefit. In truth, he loathed the Great Pirate Duke. The other three Great Pirates all had their own enterprises, but the Duke relied solely on plunder. Countless merchant ships had been ransacked by him; he was a massive tumor on the sea.
If he could remove this tumor, Commodore Murray wouldn't necessarily advance in rank—at his current level, promotion often meant a loss of actual power. But in the process of annihilating the Duke, he could demand military funds, supplies, ships, and trained naval soldiers from the Empire.
In short, whether Commodore Murray obeyed the Empire's orders was entirely up to him. He had too many loyal naval officers under his command. If the Empire tried to move against him, he could break away and form an independent force in an instant, choking the Empire's throat.
“Since it's irrelevant, then goodbye.”
With that, Su Xiao made as if to stand.
“Wait.”
Commodore Murray placed both hands on the wooden table, meeting Su Xiao's gaze. Though he was an ordinary man, he dared to lock eyes with Su Xiao—this was the aura of a power-wielder. Such people had strong willpower. More importantly, killing them yielded a large amount of World Source.
“The opportunity I've been waiting for has finally come. What do you want from me? I can't spare any soldiers for you, but supplies are negotiable.”
“Fifty thousand gold coins.”
“...”
A flash of stunned disbelief appeared in Commodore Murray's eyes. If not for his composure, he would have blurted out: 'Why don't you just rob someone?'
In fact, Su Xiao had considered that earlier—robbing pirates. But pirate traces were hard to find, and the wealth disparity between pirate crews was enormous. He might fight for half a day only to get a dozen gold coins.
“The most I can give you... is six hundred gold coins in support. Do you even know the value of gold coins? Three fully loaded cargo ships sailing from the Atoll Sea for a month to deliver goods to the Starstream Islands—after converting the silver coins earned into gold, the total value of the goods is at most two gold coins. You're asking me for fifty thousand gold coins? Are you trying to buy a fief?”
Commodore Murray looked Su Xiao up and down. His annual military budget from the Empire was only about twenty thousand gold coins, of course, not counting any gray income.
“Then make it five thousand.”
“Cooperating with you might be a mistake. Aren't you the captain of the Doom Number? Do those... crew members of yours—let's call them crew—do they even know what a gold coin is?”
As he spoke, Commodore Murray pressed a hand to his right chest. Beneath the clothing was a penetrating wound, a souvenir from his last encounter with the Doom Number. He wasn't the only one; many Royal Navy officers had fought the Doom Number two months ago. Now, the captain had changed.
In Commodore Murray's view, the previous captain of the Doom Number wasn't its true owner. He seemed more controlled by the ship. This one, however, felt like the real captain.
After another half hour of discussion, Su Xiao and Commodore Murray reached an agreement. Su Xiao would attack the Duke's Sunken Ship Island, a frontline island under the Duke's command, and fully occupy it.
After a successful occupation, the island would belong to the Empire, administered by Commodore Murray. Further plans against the Duke were not yet settled.
As support for Su Xiao's attack on Sunken Ship Island, Commodore Murray would provide five thousand gold coins. However, the full amount would only be paid after the island was captured. Upfront, he would give Su Xiao only fifteen hundred gold coins.
Commodore Murray was painting a grand picture while reluctantly cutting off a piece of his own flesh as bait.
In reality, Su Xiao needed exactly this 'bait.' The remaining thirty-five hundred gold coins would absolutely be defaulted on by Commodore Murray. Both sides knew this, but neither said it outright.
Su Xiao picked up a large iron chest and walked out of the captain's cabin. He didn't head back to the port but instead walked toward the ship's railing facing the sea.
The sky suddenly darkened, and the sea breeze turned cold.
With a crash, the front half of the Doom Number burst out of the sea. Seawater drained from the cabin sides back into the ocean. The ship's wooden planks extended, and Su Xiao stepped onto the Doom Number along them.
The Doom Number slowly sank back into the sea. Dark shadows swam in the nearby waters, turning the sea black to prevent the naval soldiers from seeing the ship's full form.
As soon as the Doom Number left, the overcast sky cleared, and the chill in the sea breeze faded.
Commodore Murray stood by the railing of his warship, looking down at the sea below. A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Now that's more like the captain of the Doom Number. Something big is about to happen on these seas.”
Commodore Murray took a deep breath of the salty sea air and walked back toward the captain's cabin.
In the seawater, Su Xiao stood on the bow of the Doom Number as it cruised at high speed underwater. He could feel the water rushing past his cheeks.
He removed the Black King Bracer. Light black lines had spread to the back of his hand and palm. The curse of the Demon Sea was worsening.
When the Doom Number was far from Saint Elde Port, Su Xiao commanded it to resurface.
Boom.
Seawater splashed everywhere as the Doom Number broke through the surface and began sailing on the open sea.
“Bubu, did you find it?”
Su Xiao stepped back a few paces as he spoke.
“Woof.”
Bubu Wang shook its fur, sending droplets flying.
“Good. We'll act later.”
Su Xiao knew Commodore Murray wouldn't keep his promise. So after capturing Sunken Ship Island, he would have Bubu Wang collect the payment owed, plus a hefty sum for emotional damages, since he had been 'cheated.'
Not yet, though. If he acted now, it would mean a complete break with Commodore Murray, forcing him to fight both the Duke and the Commodore simultaneously—a losing proposition.
Su Xiao opened the nearly meter-tall metal chest and poured the gold coins onto the Doom Number's deck.
As soon as the coins touched the deck, they rapidly turned into white powder. In no time, over twelve hundred gold coins were consumed.
[Tip: You have broken the first stage seal of the Doom Number (seal has three stages total).]
[The Doom Number will soon be restored to a four-masted sailing ship.]
[One of the Doom Number's abilities will be unsealed.]
[The Doom Number's crew count will increase to 350, and crew combat power will be significantly enhanced.]