Chapter 703 Pirates and Wanderers
Chapter 703 Pirates and Wanderers
Ronald's attempt to rally the Skywyrm Corsairs fell flat, and he walked away with a dark, brooding expression.
As he exited the cave, a pair of eyes from the crowd followed him intently.
Elliot's voice boomed through the cavern.
"That fool has no clue how terrifying the power of such a force can be."
"In this apocalyptic world, ignorant people with great power will only end up digging their own graves."
Elliot scanned the crowd below.
He noticed some of his men seemed intrigued.
After all, their biggest enemy was the navy of a major nation.
A single ship armed with the latest weapons could obliterate their ragtag fleet.
On land, armor and artillery might struggle, but at sea, the power of warships remained unmatched.
This was why the Skywyrm Corsairs roamed the Starlit Expanse but always stayed near the coast, never daring to venture into the deep-sea territories.
"Listen up, all of you!"
Elliot shouted, "No one is to have any contact with those wanderers without my say-so! Don't say I didn't warn you!"
The crowd quickly bowed their heads in submission.
"Yes, King Gray!"
But one gaunt, toothy figure, looking like a ghoul, had a strange gleam in his eyes.
...
After leaving the cave, Ronald didn't rush to leave Skywyrm Island.
Skywyrm Island, the stronghold of the Skywyrm Corsairs, was home not only to pirates but also their families and laborers.
Thousands of boats were docked around the island, mostly small boats and fishing vessels.
Only seven ships, plundered from small nations in the southern seas, were warships, and even those were outdated models.
This was why Elliot refused to follow Ronald on his risky venture.
Even if all these thousand-plus boats attacked together, they wouldn't stand a chance against a single modern warship.
Ronald thought for a moment and used a piece of bread to ask a kid on the street for directions to the nearest bar.
The kid happily told him, and Ronald headed there, buying a few drinks amidst the surprised looks of the patrons.
As for payment, he used his gun and bullets.
Skywyrm Island was a melting pot of people, many of whom didn't know each other. Although Ronald looked unfamiliar, no one suspected he was an outsider.
Moreover, the pirate crew members came from different countries and regions, including Solstian.
Ronald, with his humor, quickly blended in with a group of people, enjoying their company.
But when a group of men wearing branded down jackets and felt hats walked in, the bar's atmosphere instantly quieted down.
A pirate next to Ronald warned him that these men were subordinates of Tristan Learmond, the captain of the fourth squad.
In the strictly hierarchical Skywyrm Corsairs, their rank was far above that of ordinary pirates and laborers, making them part of the regular army.
The three men included a tall, fat man, a slender, elegant man, and a short, stocky man who looked quite comical.
As they walked into the bar, the short man smiled and greeted people one by one.
Ronald held his drink, smiling and watching them.
The three men eventually reached Ronald's table.
The others at the table immediately stood up to make room for them.
But Ronald remained unmoved, quietly observing them.
The three men ordered drinks, ignoring everyone else.
The short, stocky man was very talkative. After drinking, he began to chatter about his past.
From his stories, it was clear he had once been a criminal and gang member in the Driftwind Archipelago.
He seemed like a natural stand-up comedian, standing up when he got excited, though he wasn't much taller standing up.
He held a bottle of liquor in one hand, recounting amusing tales from his gang days.
The people around him laughed heartily, and Ronald, sipping his drink and lighting a cigar, joined in the laughter.
"Seven years ago, just seven years ago. We killed a traitor in Maranth City, but I was so mad that I hung the bastard on a telephone pole."
"Predictably," he shrugged, looking helpless, "the cops caught me!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
"Ha ha, you're a genius!"
"You should've hung him on the pole outside the police station!"
The short man looked helpless and continued, "Then, those bastards, especially a two-hundred-pound pig, tied me up."
"They asked me who ordered me to kill that bastard. Guess what I said?"
He looked at the crowd expectantly.
Everyone stayed silent, knowing he had more to say.
The short man said seriously, "I told him, 'Go eat shit!'"
His vivid expression made the crowd erupt in laughter again.
After the laughter died down, he continued, "Okay, the fat guy punched me, knocking me out cold."
"Then they woke me up with cold water. The fat guy looked smug and asked, 'Do you remember now?'"
"I asked him, 'Didn't I tell you to eat shit? Why are you still here?'"
This time, the laughter was even louder.
For these pirates, past crimes, especially jail time, were not stains but badges of honor.
Even Ronald couldn't help but laugh.
"You're quite the character!"
Hearing this, the short man suddenly turned serious.
The clownish expression vanished from his face.
He stared coldly at Ronald, his icy gaze sending a shiver down Ronald's spine.
"What did you just say? What do you mean by 'quite the character'?"
Ronald narrowed his eyes slightly.
He had long suspected these men were sent by Elliot or were Elliot's subordinates.
"I just meant your story was interesting."
The short man glared at him, "Interesting? Are you saying I was telling a joke to amuse you? Like a clown, just to make you happy?"
The bar fell silent.
The clown had changed his face.
When he was smiling, he seemed harmless, friendly, and amusing.
But when he changed his expression, people remembered he was an important figure in the pirate crew.
A cold-blooded killer, for whom killing was as simple as eating.