Chapter 106 - Black Sail XI (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The next morning, there was a noisy commotion among the pirates as they cleaned themselves up.
“Land ho!” shouted one of the pirates loudly as he came running down from the upper deck.
The pirates fell silent for a few seconds, followed by roaring cheers as they ran to get the first glimpse of land. Zhang Heng and Marvin were being pushed out of the cabin along with the happy mob, where they saw the harbor appearing on the horizon.
Throughout their time on the s.h.i.+p, this wasn’t the first time they heard the pirates mentioning the place.
There were those who praised this land, cursed this land, paid tribute to this land, and forsake the land. One magical thing about this place was that it seemed to have a curious magnetism, causing those who set foot on it never to stray too far, always yearning to return.
Behold, the city of Na.s.sau, the capital of The Bahamas.
Located in the northernmost part of New Providence, the best harbor in the entire country could be found here. The indigenous people of the island were called the Lucayan, a fis.h.i.+ng community that depended on their catch for income. In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the place, before the first Europeans set foot on the island in 1647. They then started to develop it, subsequently making it their home.
“I’m sure all of you here will love this place, especially if you like freedom and adventure! There’s no way you will say no to this paradise. The place used to be colonized by Spain, and after that, the English came along,” explained Goodwin.
“What about now?” asked Marvin.
“Right now, it belongs to us, the pirates! Welcome to Na.s.sau, the motherland of pirates. This is the land of freedom!”
Soon after that, the merchant s.h.i.+p and the Sea Lion approached the harbor at the same time. From the s.h.i.+ps, the pirates dropped several wooden canoes to the ocean and started to sail towards their land of freedom. Now that they were here, all they could think of was to enjoy themselves to the fullest. Only pirates who had been given tasks remained on the s.h.i.+p to finish up their work.
Dufresne ordered Zhang Heng and a dozen pirates to help with the unloading of the s.h.i.+p’s goods. Marvin could not help but feel nervous, turning around to steal glances at the galley from time to time.
“Don’t worry about that barrel. Just do what you need to do right now. Come look for me at the tavern once you are done with everything,” the old pirate rea.s.sured Marvin as he patted his back once again.
With that, he climbed aboard the wooden boat and headed to the island. Zhang Heng and Marvin had to move all the items from the s.h.i.+ps to the trade center of Na.s.sau. It wasn’t before that afternoon that they finally finished their strenuous job. To their surprise, the pirate tasked with managing the s.h.i.+p’s items did not even go into the galley. The barrel was gone when Marvin proceeded to check it out.
“As a matter of fact, the raid we conducted this time had nothing to do with the two of you. However, it is not right of we just let you off with empty pockets, so, here are 50 silver pesos. It should be enough to cover your expenses for a few days in Na.s.sau. Feel free to look for jobs around. Remember, do not sign any long-term contracts. One of us will inform you before we set sail again.”
Zhang Heng and Marvin left the trade center after thanking Dufresne. The moment they were some distance from him, Marvin urged Zhang Heng to pa.s.s him his share of the money. It wasn’t hard to read what was in his mind.
When they were walking away from the trade center, Marvin was peeking at the boats parked at the dock. Na.s.sau was, in fact, located close to the American colony. Getting to Boston was just a short journey away, and he knew that being home was way better than cooking for a band of pirates.
The thing was, Marvin had no idea that it would be impossible to make a run from pirates. Unwilling to let the two off the hook, they must have had eyes everywhere since they allowed them to roam around Na.s.sau so freely. Zhang Heng had no intention to remind Marvin about it.