865 Dramatic Change (2/2)
As far as Orlando knew, Ettoman had sacrificed no less than one hundred merchant ships to lure Specter Ship to the Golden Ocean. Nearly ten thousand slaves and sailors had been sacrificed!
Unquestionably, even some countries would be unable to realize an operation of such magnitude.
However, this great sacrifice had also managed to reap great rewards.
Specter Ship sent terror all over the Golden Ocean. Even the Pirate Prince was no match, and he had had to abandon his plan to assist Blackbeard.
There was no one left in the entire Nightmare Ocean that could help Blackbeard. The pirate governor of the Nightmare Ocean, the captain of the Blackbeard Pirates, seemed to be finally meeting his end.
Of course, it would not be too hard for Blackbeard to escape by himself and even take Monster with him.
But if he were to leave the Nightmare Ocean, he would have to forsake his roots, territory, military power, and so on… He would fall from being a pirate governor to a pirate captain with a soiled reputation.
For some pirates, this was a fate worse than death.
Furthermore, anything could happen in battle. Blackbeard was willing to put it all on the line.
”I've heard that… all pirates in the Nightmare Ocean who still want to fight are heading for Blackbeard Island… Arcane Trickster Roche escaped quickly and should already be in the Golden Ocean by now. Rest assured… Even if the Royal Pirates were to rest, we privateer captains will surely be ordered to clear the way. There'll be an opportunity eventually!”
Orlando stomped the deck a few times, looking pleased with himself.
The ship that he was on was the absolute main force in the days of wind-powered sailing ships. It was a first-level warship with three decks, more than two hundred cannons, a displacement of three thousand tons, and a crew of more than a thousand, and it could reach a maximum of twenty knots carrying all of that. It was absolutely a fortress at sea.
If the past Octopus Marauder Team had such a flagship, it would have been over the moon.
But now, Orlando had bought it from the navy for a low price using the wealth that he had accumulated over a few successful pillages.
”By following the royal navy, I've gained a great deal… Next step, although an ironclad is out of the question, it's time to think about getting an extraordinary ship for myself!”
Orlando pondered in silence.
Ironclads were truly a formidable national-level weapon. However, it was too bulky for private use.
Most importantly, even if the navy were to gift him one, he did not have enough trained sailors nor a new shipyard.
In other words, even with a steam-powered ship, ordinary pirates might not be able to use it. Furthermore, he would be tied to Ettoman forever because the logistics were entirely under Ettoman's control! Only if… he built an entire supporting industrial system to accommodate the steam technology.
The clever Orlando realized early on that, despite its merits, ironclads were simply too expensive to even consider.
The kind of ship that he was suited for was still the first choice for all major pirates.
”It's a pity… I didn't run into Cecil's great merchant, Formosa. I really did take a liking to that Mermaid of his…”
Perhaps having caught on to his thoughts, the Pirate System broke its silence and displayed a quest.
”Ding! Quest triggered: Great Pirate!
”Quest explanation: How could you who aspires to become a great pirate not have an extraordinary ship that is compatible with your status? Take over Mermaid within three months! That's right, that ship that can go underwater! Capture a giant octopus on top of that, and the system will reward you additionally with the title 'Deep Sea Hades'!
”Quest reward: 2000 experience!”
…
”Why does it have to be Mermaid?”
Orlando would naturally not understand the system's profound evil intentions. Instead, he was puzzled. ”On top of that… I need to capture a giant octopus…
”Is… this Pirate System customizing quests according to my thoughts? What does all of this have to do with the Dream and Armament Master?”
He was utterly confused as he looked at his stats:
”Name: Orlando
Level: Civilian Level 5, Sorcerer Level 3
Strength: 3
Speed: 3
Physique: 2.5
Psyche: 6
Identity: Privateer Captain (Under Ettoman's command)
Specialization: Sailing (Proficient), Firearm Manipulation (Proficient), Cutlass Techniques (Master), Battle Casting (Basic), Sorcery (Basic)
Experience: 100 (Experience required before reaching the next level: 4000)”
…
”Boss! We've reached the target location. Blackbeard's territory lies just ahead!” shouted the pirate on the observation tower.