"Thank you, Mr. Azik," Edward said with a bow.
Azik gave a faint smile. "It's me who should be thanking you. If you hadn't lent me the Creeping Hunger, I wouldn't have recovered so many of my lost memories."
As he spoke, a ripple passed through his eyes. "Not long ago, I found the grave of one of my daughters. In my memories, she was still just a little girl who loved to cling to me and act spoiled...Priscilla should be one of her descendants."
To be honest, for someone like Azik, the journey to recover memories was undoubtedly painful. It meant reliving departure after departure, death after death. And yet, he was unwilling to live a muddled life. Hopefully, the appearance of Priscilla could offer him some measure of comfort in his long and lonely existence.
"Oh right, do you know what this magical item is?"
Edward took out the bone-white relic he had seized from the Numinous Episcopate last time and handed it to Azik. From the moment he pulled it out to the moment it changed hands, just a few seconds passed—yet he felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss, his strength rapidly drained from his body.
Azik, however, showed no discomfort. He held the white bone and examined it from top to bottom before giving a quick answer:
"It likely originated from a Beyonder of the Death pathway. It's something formed from lingering spirituality fused with bone. It can open a Gate to the Underworld by absorbing the user's life force, and summon undead creatures to assist in battle."
His description matched what Edward had witnessed that day.
"Its side effects are too severe, and the undead it summons are random. So it's useless to high-sequence Beyonders and practically suicidal for low-sequence ones. However..."
Azik furrowed his brows. "It seems to conceal another secret, but I can't see it right now. How about this—leave it with me for now, and I'll see if I can make any improvements."
"That would be...much appreciated."
Azik nodded and put the bone away. "Alright, I should be going now. If you need anything else, you can contact me via my messenger."
"Understood. Thank you again."
Edward gave a polite nod. Azik took a step forward and vanished into the spirit world.
Danitz, who had been holding his breath this entire time, finally exhaled in relief. He looked toward the spot where Azik had disappeared and whispered, "Was that...was that man a high-sequence Beyonder?"
Edward cast him a sidelong glance. "Mr. Azik is a Grounded Angel."
"An...Angel?!"
Danitz was dumbstruck. He instinctively stared at the spot where Azik had stood moments before and murmured, "I actually had physical contact with an Angel...This is insane! I'm not changing clothes for a whole month!"
"You're seriously messed up."
Edward wrinkled his nose and stepped away from him, calling out toward the flowerbed where Lilith was busy chasing butterflies. "Time to go, Lilith."
"Meow~"
Lilith casually batted away a butterfly that had landed on her nose and trotted back to them.
"Let's move."
Danitz quickly caught up. "You have no idea—before today, the strongest people I'd ever seen up close were just the Four Pirate Kings. I mean, our captain's pretty strong too, but this...this was an Angel! When I get back on the ship, I have to brag about this!"
Then, as if recalling something important, he asked cautiously, "So, uh...what's your relationship with him?"
"He's an elder of mine."
An elder? So...a family member?
Danitz stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Edward is (possibly) the captain's brother-in-law. And I'm...well, the captain's...cough. So if you round it up...that means I've got a relative who's an Angel too!
Danitz straightened his back at once.
He quickly caught up with Edward again. "Mr. Edward, do you have any..."
"My name is Gehrman Sparrow now. Don't call me anything else." He paused and added with a smile, "And you—your new name is Fire Fist Ace."
"....."
Danitz looked conflicted. "I still think 'Flaming Danitz' sounds pretty good."
"On the Golden Dream, you'll still be Flaming Danitz. But since you've temporarily joined my crew, there's a saying—'One cannot serve two masters.' You wouldn't want anyone finding out that Danitz the pirate betrayed Vice Admiral Iceberg out of cowardice, would you?"
"!!!"
Danitz's face changed dramatically. "Change it! The new name is great! I'm Fire Fist Ace now! By the way, Mr. Sparrow, where's our ship?"
"The crew isn't assembled, and there's no ship yet. Stay tuned."
So you were just blowing hot air!
"Let's walk around for a bit. You can give me a quick overview of Bayam."
The two of them wandered down the street. The island gradually revealed its full appearance to Edward. If one ignored the chaotic local order and the pirates everywhere, Bayam could easily be mistaken for a stunning vacation destination. Sadly, much of its prosperity likely owed thanks to those very same pirates.
"Tell me about the power dynamics here."
Danitz thought for a moment and replied, "There are really only four or five major forces in Bayam: the Church of the Lord of Storms, the Loen military, the rebels, the pirates, and the natives who didn't join the resistance. The last group actually makes up the majority—about 80% of the population here is native or mixed blood. Sadly, they're also the weakest."
"The Church usually doesn't get involved unless they're provoked or if the pirates and rebels go too far. Oh, and especially those natives who still worship the Sea God—they're a primary target."
"The Loen military's main goal in Bayam is the trade routes and commerce. In short, money. They spend most of their time suppressing the rebels."
"As for the pirates, they don't really count as one unified force. Everyone belongs to a different ship, and the ships belong to different pirate admirals—or even the Four Kings. They fight among themselves constantly without needing outside interference. Though honestly, I suspect some of those conflicts are instigated by government-backed pirate groups."
Danitz shrugged. "That's about as much as I know."
"So how do you pirates usually make your money?" Edward asked.
"Hahaha, well, you said it yourself—pirates, of course we make a living by plundering! Merchant ships, passenger ships, small islands...as long as there's money, there'll be pirates watching."
Edward rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Aren't there people out there hunting those big-name pirates with bounties on their heads?"
"Of course there are. That's actually how some stronger pirates make their fortune. After taking down their target, they'll hire someone with a clean background to cash in the bounty at the church or an official post. But really, that's more the job of pirate hunters." Danitz gave him a sidelong glance. "But out at sea, no matter how strong a pirate hunter is, they rarely last long. Pirates are endless, and a hunter only needs to slip up once to get himself killed."
"Hm, so how do pirate hunters find their prey?"
"Some just run into targets by chance and attack. Others pick a name and track them down."
Edward frowned. "The first method's too random, the second wastes too much time."
"Haha, what else do you suggest? Use a megaphone to shout, 'I'm a pirate hunter! I've come to kill you! Come out and fight me!' and wait for those guys to walk into your trap?"
Edward froze for a second—then said seriously, "That's actually…a great idea."
"???"
Danitz's mouth hung open. He hesitated and said, "Even if…even if you did pull something like that, the wanted pirates wouldn't take the bait. Otherwise, if they reacted to every provocation, they'd never get anything done."
He muttered under his breath, "I'd never be that stupid, anyway."
"You're right. So, let's give them no choice but to come find me." Edward stood up decisively. "Let's go!"
Danitz's mind was a flurry of question marks. "Go…where?"
"Step one—we get a ship."
Danitz immediately pounded his chest. "Easy! I know the shipyards in Bayam like the back of my hand. I'll make sure you get the best ship for the lowest price."
Edward turned to him with a puzzled expression. "Who said anything about paying?"
"…???"
He waved his arm dramatically, gesturing to the ships of all sizes dotting the distant sea. "There are pirate ships everywhere. Just pick whichever one you like…"
"Th–That's not how it works!"
Edward chuckled. "Well, lucky me then~ I came to sea specifically to break the rules. Let's go, Ace. Take me to the tavern where the most pirates gather."
Danitz was silent for a moment, then cautiously asked, "Captain…dare I ask…what's step two?"
"To replace a Pirate Admiral."
$%&…@·%$
—A string of Intisian curses echoed silently in Danitz's head.
After a long moment, he nodded blankly. "Then your step three must be to replace one of the Four Kings, huh?"
"I've got things to do back on my ship, I'll take my leave!"
A wand suddenly appeared in Edward's hand. "Oh, almost forgot—I'm a bit short on startup funds. Blazing Danitz...I heard you're worth 3,000 pounds?"
"…."
Danitz immediately pivoted. "Captain, right this way."
———
[Old Goodege Tavern]
It was a small, run-down bar unknown to most outsiders, but any pirate worth their salt knew it well. It wasn't backed by any major force, and the drinks weren't anything to write home about, but it was the go-to place for pirates coming ashore—supply runs, gossip, ship repairs...you could find it all here.
Not every pirate had the luxury of a private contact network like the Four Kings or the Seven Admiral.
Creak—
The tavern door opened, and in walked two figures who looked entirely out of place.
The younger one at the front wore a clean, neatly pressed trench coat made of obviously fine fabric. His hair was slicked back and meticulous, and he didn't look like a pirate at all—more like a government clerk on vacation. The pristine, luxurious kitten in his arms only added to the illusion: some pampered young master out for a leisurely stroll.
The red-haired man beside him looked more the pirate type, but the way his eyes darted around nervously as he entered made him seem like a total rookie.
Thud.
Edward casually tossed a pouch of gold coins onto the table. "Bring me your best wine and food."
Rooooar!
In an instant, every eye in the tavern locked onto the pouch of coins. Greed flashed across faces, expressions shifted—but quickly, everyone pretended as though nothing had happened.
An old man came out carrying mugs of beer and a tray of roasted meat. He swept his gaze across the room and said blandly, "If you don't want to end up banned from every port, don't cause trouble in here."
"Hahaha! Old Goodege, we know the rules."
A one-eyed pirate laughed. "But this friend of ours who just had to flash a pouch of gold in front of all these idiots…clearly doesn't."
Danitz whispered just in time, "That's One-Eye Cage, first mate of the Iron Hook. He's got an 800-pound bounty and is likely a Beyonder. His captain is 'Iron Hook' John—classic scumbag pirate. He raids merchant ships, trafficks humans, assaults remote settlements...anything for a profit."
"And what about you guys?"
"Us? We're totally different! The Golden Dream crew is a group of adventurous pirates. We only raid when we're desperate, and never harm innocents. We focus mainly on treasure hunting."
One-Eye Cage downed his mug in a single gulp and added, "Just a word of advice to any fools tempted by that gold—there's no such thing as a free lunch at sea. I know my limits, so I'm leaving. Anyone who's got a death wish, be my guest."
He set down the mug and headed for the door.
"Perfect."
Edward tore off a piece of roast meat and fed it to Lilith, nodding with satisfaction. "I'll pick you, then."
One-Eye Cage froze. "???"
Edward flashed a brilliant smile.
"I don't like cyclops."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.