C9 The Unlucky Day of the Pirate Leader

In the Middle Continent, piracy, banditry, and even rebel activities were driven by the pursuit of profit, with plundering being a necessary part of their daily routine. The indigenous civilization of the Middle Continent was characterized by hardy pioneer villagers, which made the cost of raiding villages prohibitively high, often resulting in a loss for the attackers.

Consequently, these marauders typically preyed upon merchants traveling through the Middle Continent. Merchants were known to carry valuables and generally subscribed to the idea that it was better to lose wealth than to invite disaster, making them easy and lucrative targets for robbery.

The residents of the Middle Continent, however, presented a different challenge. They preserved a primitive society based on hunting and fishing, with every citizen skilled in these arts. Ordinary thieves and highwaymen rarely dared to raid these villages, as attempts often ended with the attackers being killed instead.

Stronger factions like the Green Forest Bandits steered clear of village raids as well. The pioneering villages were often poorer than the bandits themselves, lacking valuables and offering fierce resistance. It was a business venture that was clearly unprofitable.

Relying solely on plunder for income was sometimes slow and uncertain, so some robbers turned to kidnapping to supplement their earnings. Kidnapping could be more lucrative than robbery, as it involved holding a merchant hostage and demanding a hefty ransom from their family, often yielding greater returns than a one-off heist.

Pirates, particularly those akin to the sea raiders of Earth's Somalia, favored the tactic of taking hostages and demanding ransoms. Ostar speculated that they might have been influenced by Somali pirates. In contrast, pirates were generally more principled, rarely engaging in kidnapping. They preferred the adventure of treasure hunting to the grim business of ransom.

However, these pirates hadn't quite mastered the Somali approach. Instances of collecting ransom only to betray the agreement and kill the hostage were not uncommon, with the outcome hinging on the captor's whims. If the pirates were in good spirits, they might release a hostage upon receiving the ransom. But if they were displeased, they were just as likely to "tear up the ticket," executing the hostage even after the ransom was paid.

Basile, known as the "Bald Dragon," was a notoriously cruel pirate leader. The likelihood of him adhering to any kidnapper's code of honor was slim to none. His ship was equipped with several large, rectangular iron cages, specifically designed to detain hostages.

Merchants who appeared to still have valuables worth plundering were abducted by the pirates and kept captive aboard their ship. Their families would later be contacted and coerced into delivering hefty ransoms. Even after being stripped of all but their undergarments, many wealthy merchants could not evade the pirates' clutches and were imprisoned in iron cages, awaiting future demands for exorbitant ransoms.

In addition to the merchants, there was a separate cage reserved for the womenfolk. Although women were a rarity among seafaring merchants, they were not unheard of, and occasionally, they would be encountered. Those accompanying the merchants ranged from lowly maids to high-ranking daughters and noblewomen of affluent merchant families.

On the "Victoria," for instance, there were several such young ladies and noblewomen of considerable beauty, with alluring figures and captivating curves. Predictably, they had caught the pirates' attention.

Under the pirates' menacing force, these women, their cheeks flushed with shame, were made to strip off their expensive garments, leaving them in nothing but their sheer undergarments. They were then herded into the iron cages. This particular cage already housed numerous beauties previously seized during raids on other merchant vessels, now reduced to mere trophies of the pirates' conquests. Regardless of their former status—maid, young lady, or noblewoman—on the pirate ship, they were all equal: prisoners and playthings of the pirates.

The captives in the iron cages, clad only in their thin undergarments, were shackled with black metal chains on their wrists and ankles. A black metal collar encircled each snow-white neck, from which a chain extended to a red ball gag, effectively silencing them. The glistening traces of Water Thread on the ball gags were visible, but because of the black visors, Ostar couldn't discern their expressions. He could only guess at their mental state from the embarrassed redness of their faces.

The captives, now trophies of war, were restrained with their hands crossed behind their backs. Their pale legs were tightly pressed together in a kneeling position, their knees driven downward as their bodies leaned forward in a natural arc, maintaining a posture of proud defiance despite the trembling of their white flesh from fear.

The distinction between a young lady and a wealthy matron seemed to lie in the style of their undergarments. The young lady's attire lacked the daring openness and sensuality of the matron's; it was more modest and conservative, while the latter's was designed with allure in mind. This, unfortunately, played right into the hands of the brigands. Clear whip marks marred their fair skin, evidence that these pirates were far from being paragons of self-control. They would undoubtedly commit unspeakable acts, and Prince Ostar was under no illusion that their motive for capturing these women was anything but ransom—it was almost certainly for the sort of vile deeds that all men understood.

"My lord, our families will pay your ransom, please—don't do this..."

"Enough talk. Are you going to undress yourselves, or do we need to assist you? Another word, and you won't be keeping a stitch on."

"Please, no... We can manage on our own. We don't require your... assistance."

The pirates wore smirks of depravity, their eyes brimming with avarice as they lecherously appraised their captives. The few young ladies and noblewomen aboard the "Victorias" shivered on the deck, their pleas for mercy only fueling the pirates' dark desires.

Under the looming threat of the pirates' blades, they shook with fear, hands quivering as they reluctantly shed their outer garments at the behest of their captors, leaving them in nothing but their flimsy underclothes. The pirates, chains in hand, appeared eager to claim their prizes and revel in their conquests.

Prince Ostar was encircled by the marauders, his three Exclusive Accompany Maidservants—Chris, Yulia, and Sofia—by his side. Each possessed a beauty that could spell trouble, the kind that would tempt sin if seen in public. Their attire, mere bathrobes, inadvertently enhanced their allure, making them all the more irresistible.

Certainly, Ostar couldn't help but feel he was engaging in a bit of "entrapment," luring these lowly pirates into his trap, offering them an opportunity to foolishly fall right into his hands.

"Kid, those three beauties of yours are too fetching. Have them come aboard our ship for a visit, ten days, maybe half a month. Then you can have your folks pay a handsome ransom..."

"I refuse. Leave now, and I might pretend this never happened. Otherwise, you'll face dire consequences."

"Damn, this kid's lost his mind. So full of himself. Looks like he's asking for a death wish. Brothers, attack!"

Ostar's haughty demeanor incited the pirates' rage. Without waiting for their leader, "Bald Dragon" Basile, to command them, they brandished their weapons at Ostar. Their primary arms were fearsome battle-axes. They encircled Ostar, intent on overpowering Chris and the accompanying maidservants, seizing the exquisite beauties to do with them as they pleased.

Many merchants aboard the "Victor Maria" shut their eyes, unwilling to witness the impending carnage. But the axes didn't claim Ostar's life. The pirates' swings halted in midair, as if striking an invisible barrier, unable to make a single cut.

Sofia had preemptively cast a Holy Defensive Barrier, enveloping her allies within its formidable protection. Its strength was such that even a Sword Saint of legend couldn't breach it, much less these ragtag pirates.

Yulia led the counteroffensive. In the absence of explicit orders from Ostar, she took it upon herself to act, interpreting her master's silence as consent. Shadows pooled beneath her feet, swiftly spreading across the deck. From the darkness, myriad shadowy tendrils lashed out, ensnaring the bewildered pirates. With a series of crisp snaps, their necks were broken before they could comprehend their fate, leaving them lifeless in an instant.

Chris's method of retaliation was particularly shocking, delivering a visual spectacle that riveted everyone on the deck. The horrifying display held both pirates and merchants in thrall, leaving them too terrified to move, as an eerie hush settled over the ship, the atmosphere charged with tension.

Chris simply raised her hand and pointed a finger toward another pirate ship near the Victoria. In an instant, the ship was struck by an unseen, terrifying force, causing it to burst apart from the middle, cleaving it in two as if by some arcane power.

In mere moments, the "lucky" pirate vessel sank swiftly to the ocean floor, vanishing from the surface as though it had never existed, leaving behind only the floundering pirates as evidence of its prior presence.

"Big... big brother, we can talk this out!"

Witnessing the spectacle, the pirate leader known as "Bald Dragon" Basile went pale with fear. He had enough sense to realize he had seriously miscalculated this time. The silver-haired girl's casual gesture had obliterated a pirate ship in the blink of an eye, her strength so formidable it defied reason.

By that measure, it would take no more than the time to sip a cup of tea to annihilate the pirates' entire fleet. And considering the black-haired beauty's sinister shadow-slaying tactics, not to mention the golden-haired girl who had yet to make her move, it was clear this merchant ship was cursed with an abundance of monstrous anomalies.

"Cough, cough, I've always prided myself on being straightforward. Just pay up, and I'll pretend nothing ever happened. You get my drift, right?"

"I get it, I get it."

Pirate Leader "Bald Dragon" Basile's expression couldn't have been more wretched. For a robber to be robbed was the ultimate disgrace. But given the current predicament, Basile had no choice but to comply; Ostar held all the cards.

The stern-faced maids accompanying Ostar, including Chris, seemed poised for action. In such a situation, paying up was the only option for peace. Fate had turned the tables, and now Basile understood all too well the feelings of those merchants he had once preyed upon.

Today was undeniably Basile's day of misfortune, a day of sheer bad luck. Not only had his attempt to rob been thwarted by Ostar's formidable entourage, but to add insult to injury, his crew was now encircled by an approaching pirate fleet. It was a classic case of "the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

As Ostar continued to parley with Basile, two sizable pirate fleets emerged in the waters surrounding the Victoria. Approaching from opposite directions, they effectively ensnared Basile's band of pirates.

The two formidable pirate fleets, part of the larger pirate armada, boasted well over a hundred ships. They were under the command of members of the Ten Great Pirate Kings—specifically, the fleets of "Pirate Queen" Liana and Belrose, known respectively as the Crimson Queen and the Golden Queen. Upon discovering that this band of marauders was operating within their territorial waters, they swiftly moved to drive them out. Coincidentally, this confrontation brought them into contact with Ostar and his companions.