Above the mage!

Chapter 517 The New King of the Black Sails
Case died.

Even though her father, who lived far away on Terra, was a renowned sixth-ring mage, it didn't make Sarah hesitate for a second before pulling the trigger.

Before Luke could grieve for Keith's death, overwhelming fear gripped his heart.

To his horror, he discovered that, without his noticing, a burly man who did not resemble a sorcerer had silently appeared in front of him.

Baby!

The slaughterhouse dock was deathly silent, with only the sound of the sea breeze carrying ashes across the ground.

Everyone held their breath, while wondering in their hearts who Gao De was, that Sarah would stand up for him like this.

Having lived in Black Sails for so many years, Sarah had never heard of anyone standing up for someone else.

Especially considering how young Gao De looked, and how his demeanor was so out of place in their Black Sails City, he was clearly an outsider.

However, today's horror has only just begun.

A worker leaning against a slaughterhouse subconsciously turned his neck, his gaze shifted, and he suddenly froze the moment his eyes inadvertently swept across the sea.

He noticed something, and his finger instinctively rose to point into the distance, trembling slightly.

His companion noticed something was wrong, looked in the direction he was pointing, and then immediately sat there dumbfounded, displaying the same expression and posture, his mouth agape as if he could fit a fist inside.

Because a huge black wooden ship with a long sword painted with burning flames on its side was slowly sailing into the Ice Anchor Slaughter Dock, preparing to dock.

Ice Anchor Slaughter Wharf, including when it was still called Embroidered Anchor Wharf, was just an inconspicuous little wharf in Black Sails City. When has such a huge ship ever visited?
This might be surprising, but it's not enough to elicit such an expression from onlookers.

What truly astonished them was the corpse hanging from the top of the mast of this enormous ship, bound by heavy iron chains, with its arms outstretched in a cross shape.

Fire Knife.

This is the pirate ship that Sarah seized from the Fire Knife Pirates after she took the head of their leader and received the bounty. It is also the "mobile base" of the Gold Coin Hunters.

The person who could make the Gold Coin Hunters go to such lengths, hanging the item on the mast in the form of a "sky lantern," must be someone extraordinary.

As the ship drew closer, they were able to clearly see the body's face.

His signature hooked nose and the menacing old scar that runs from his brow bone to his jaw.

It was exactly the same as the portrait of the pirate king who had been at the top of the bounty list for a century and kept breaking the bounty record!

Could it be Davy Jones?!

The Pirate King died at the hands of a legendary huntress?!
The idea spread rapidly among the crowd.

Here, in the heart of the battlefield.

Baozai suddenly appeared and immediately unleashed a spell that he had prepared beforehand.

There were no amazing magical effects, only a powerful surge of magical energy emanating from Baozai.

Then, as if bewitched, the mage Luke's eyes glazed over and he froze on the spot.

Almost in the instant he was "disoriented," a golden dragon-scale bullet, carrying a swirling current, struck him between the eyebrows.

The bullet made a dull cracking sound as it pierced the stone skin, and the defensive spell on Luke the mage flashed and disappeared.

At this moment, his dazed eyes finally regained their clarity, and then filled with terror.

But it was all too late; he was powerless to change anything.

Amber-colored crystals gushed from the wound and spread rapidly along his neck.

In less than two seconds, the chief guard mage of Case followed in Case's footsteps, turning into a cluster of exploding dust fireworks.

At the right moment, the massive hull of the Fire Knife slowly approached the shore.

The anchor chain plunged into the sea with a deafening sound.

The Crow's Gourd Gang, as the leading gang in Black Sails City, is also based in the Upper District of Black Sails City.

The entire base covers a considerable area and is constructed from volcanic rocks and shipwreck planks transported from other affiliated islands.

The walls are covered with dark green seaweed that can be preserved and rusted iron anchor chains.

The rooftops are covered with watchtowers arranged in a staggered pattern, each topped with a lifelike raven statue, its obsidian eyes gleaming wickedly in the sunlight.

These statues are said to be not only decorations, but also the core of a warning array blessed by rune masters.

Above the base, a flock of carrion crows perches year-round, which the Crow Cage Gang intentionally keeps.

The overall architectural style resembles an ancient fortress rising from the seabed, which not only matches the architectural characteristics of Black Sails City but also aligns with their gang's name.

However, the atmosphere inside the Crow's Vessel Secret Gang's headquarters today was unusually solemn and dignified.

Inside the council chamber at the deepest part of the compound, the room was filled with people.

These people, some with scars on their faces, others carrying sashimi, all exuded a fierce aura of those who had long held positions of power.

They were all high-ranking leaders of various branches of the Crow's Gourd Secret Gang. On the long oak table in front of them were scattered sheepskin maps and intelligence scrolls, but no one touched them. Only heavy breathing filled the air.

Seated at the head of the table was the leader of the Crow Jar Secret Gang, Jar Master.

He wore a black robe adorned with raven feathers, and his face was covered by a bronze mask.

The mask was carved with intricate raven patterns, which made the shadows in his eye sockets appear unfathomable.

"Everyone should already know the news."

"Karen Skullbreaker returned yesterday aboard the Ironcrown, but..."

The voice of the Master of the Bottle came through the bronze mask, husky and hoarse. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "They entered the port late last night, without sounding the horn of return, without hoisting the blood-red flag, not even..."

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room from behind his mask. "The ship's draft is exactly the same as when it set sail."

"In other words, during their expedition to Ash Island, the Gold Coin Hunters did not collect any spoils of war, nor did they even expend any ammunition."

"What's even stranger is that, according to Raven's report, after the Iron Crown docked, Karen immediately sealed off the Bloodsail Wharf, strictly prohibiting anyone from approaching, without disclosing any reason to the outside world."

A subdued murmur of discussion immediately filled the council chamber.

Thanks to Davy Jones's immense power and reputation, the Bloodsail Pirates held a dominant position in Blacksail City, and Bloodsail Wharf was the busiest port in Blacksail City in terms of both merchant ships and hunting vessels.

The Bloodsail Wharf was sealed off for the first time in a century, and the unusual nature of this event is self-evident.

After everyone had discussed it for a while, the master of the vessel gently raised his hand.

The murmurs immediately subsided. "First, the Iron Crown's destination this time is Ash Island, which is both the place where the Blackwing Gang fell and the base of the Gold Coin Hunters for the past ten years or so."

The expedition to Ash Isle essentially pits Bloodsail Recruiters against the Gold Hunters.

"Secondly, the deployment of the Iron Crown, with the target still being the Gold Coin Hunters, must have been at the behest of David Jones.

But now the Ironcrown has returned hastily, and Cullen is behaving erratically, blockading the docks.

"Third, after Karen returned, he did something very illogical: he took all the revenue from Bloodsail's businesses in the Upper City."

"According to the Bloodsail Pirates' custom, they usually collect their income every two weeks, and this is done by Davy Jones's trusted confidants."

“David hates it most when his subordinates touch his property. Karen has been with David for so many years and still managed to become the deputy leader. There’s no way she doesn’t know this.”

“Our people are keeping an eye on the Bloodsail Pirates. Karen keeps claiming that David is going to establish a new base on Ash Isle and that he should come back to gather supplies, but he doesn’t mobilize any manpower. In addition, he uses force to suppress other mages who have doubts.”

"This kind of hurried behavior doesn't seem like they're following orders; rather," the Master's gaze swept over the crowd, his eyes gleaming beneath the bronze mask, "it seems more like they're running away from home!"

In terms of intelligence, as Case said, in Black Sails City, if the Raven Cocks Club claims to be number one, no one dares to claim to be number two.

Karen's stealthy and swift actions were completely uncovered by the Crow's Gourd Gang in less than half a day, which gives you an idea of ​​just how many informants they have in this city.

"Impossible! How could he dare? With Davy Jones' methods, anyone who dares to offend him is brutally murdered and turned into a bone sculpture for his collection, let alone betraying him." The fourth leader to the right of the leader said in disbelief.

“Indeed, Davy Jones is terrifying in his methods. The members of the Bloodsail Pirates are in awe of him and would never dare to betray him, unless,” the Lord nodded in strong agreement, “unless Karen knows that Davy Jones can no longer deal with him!”

These words struck like a thunderbolt, causing everyone present to gasp in shock.

A brief silence fell over the council chamber, broken only by the heavy breathing of the members.

A moment later, the first leader to the right of the Lord of the Bottle, a mage with claw marks on his face, slowly spoke: "Lord of the Bottle, do you mean that Davy Jones is dead?"

"Although it's incredible, all signs point to this conclusion," the Master nodded in affirmation.

Disbelief flashed in the eyes of everyone present.

It was simply because Davy Jones was too powerful in Black Sails. In the many years of Black Sails' history, he was the most dominant figure. And now he died so suddenly and without warning.
It's hard to believe no matter how you look at it.

At this moment, another burly monk in the audience exclaimed excitedly, "That guy's finally got what he deserves!"

"The Bloodsail Pirates are essentially Davy Jones's one-man gang. With his death, the Bloodsail Pirates will have no one to command respect and will soon fall apart, becoming no threat. So what are we waiting for?"

He stood up excitedly, yelling, "Gather your men immediately and seize the Bloodsail's treasury, its assets, and all the docks they control!"

"Sit down!" The mage with claw marks on his face, who had made the earlier deduction, was none other than Mori, the treasurer of the Ravencup Gang. He shouted sternly, "You brainless idiot, you only know that Davy Jones is dead, but you don't even think about how he died!"

His words instantly awakened the other people on the field who were also having impulsive thoughts.

The Master nodded in agreement. "These things happened after the Iron Crown set sail for Ash Isle, so if Davy Jones really died, it's highly likely he died with the Gold Coin Hunters, at Sarah's hands."

"What does it mean that she was able to kill Davy Jones? It means that Sarah's strength is now greater than Davy's."

“Karen knows that Bloodsail is just a paper tiger without David, and Sarah will come knocking on his door sooner or later. So he’s taking advantage of the power vacuum to take everything he can before the Gold Coin Hunters make their move.”

"Even though Sarah is stronger than David, the price she would have to pay to kill him would be considerable. She might be resting right now, which is why she didn't show herself immediately, giving Karen an opportunity."

The author's deduction is actually quite close to the truth.

"So what should we do now?" someone asked.

"This is why I summoned you all here. With Davy Jones dead, the landscape of Black Sails City will inevitably change drastically. What should our Raven Cocks Club do in this situation?"

These words silenced the council chamber instantly, and everyone fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons in their minds.

At this moment, the second monk sitting to the left of the host suddenly spoke up: "Master, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."

"Speak." The master's face was hidden behind a mask, making it impossible to discern any change in his emotions.

The mage hesitated for a moment before speaking. He looked around at everyone, a barely perceptible fear in his voice, "When David Jones was around, we cooperated with him, providing him with intelligence, and at the same time, we received support from the Bloodsail Gang. This made our Raven Cauldron Gang's position within the gangs even more secure."

"Now that Sarah can kill David, she must be even stronger. In my opinion, we should pledge our loyalty to Sarah as soon as possible, just like before, so that we can at least keep our current positions."

"Bullshit!" Before the master could reply, another mage slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly. "What cooperation? It's clearly coercing us into submission to him. We've tolerated David for almost a century, and finally waited until he died. Why should we bow down to a woman?"

"As we said before, we should seize the opportunity now and take the initiative. Once we acquire Bloodsail's assets, these will be our bargaining chips. At that time, whether we confront or cooperate with Sarah, we will be well-prepared!"

"Seize the initiative? Even without David, those pirates are still capable of fighting tough battles. If we intervene, we'll only end up with both sides suffering heavy losses. We might end up not getting any chips and just benefiting the Gold Coin Hunters."

“In my opinion, we should keep a close eye on Karen and do her a favor when the Gold Coin Hunters arrive. Sarah isn’t as cunning and ruthless as David, and besides, she’s a woman. There might be a real possibility of cooperation and coexistence. She’s not as ambitious as David Jones.”

"Naive, naive! In a place like Black Sails City, men and women are all the same. There are no easy opponents. Strength is the foundation of everything. To pin the gang's future on Sarah's character is no joke!"

"."

The council chamber was immediately divided into two factions: those who supported seizing the opportunity to rise to power and those who advocated currying favor with Sarah and "cooperating." The arguments grew louder and louder.

As the host listened to the discussions, his brows, hidden beneath his bronze mask, furrowed tightly.

In fact, he was also undecided, which is why he gathered everyone to listen to their opinions, but the more he listened, the more confused he became.

Moreover, and very importantly, the death of Davy Jones was ultimately just a conjecture based on numerous clues.

Although he was extremely confident, he hadn't actually seen Davy Jones's body, so anything was still uncertain.

If Davy Jones is not actually dead, and he is now taking action against Bloodsail's businesses, the subsequent reckoning would be far beyond what the Crow's Guild could bear.

Every piece of intelligence he had pointed to the conclusion that David was dead, but the lingering unease in his heart remained.

Thinking about it this way, the owner of the wine vessel became even more conflicted.

He knew perfectly well that if he made the wrong decision, the Crow's Vessel Gang could fall into an abyss.

Just as the owner of the wine vessel was struggling to make a decision, the crows outside the window suddenly took flight in unison, emitting a chaotic cacophony of cries.

Then came a loud "boom".

The heavy oak doors of the council chamber were shattered by a golden bullet, sending wood chips and rust flying everywhere.

Everyone was startled and stood up, only to see a fiery red figure stride in through the door and lean against the doorframe where the door had been removed.

The bodyguard behind her stepped forward and threw a blood-soaked figure into the center of the council chamber, where it slammed onto the oak table with a thud.

It was a bone spur that left him bruised, swollen, and with a broken arm.

“The Crow's Den Gang has some nerve,” Sarah’s deep gaze swept across the room, her voice icy cold. “You dare touch my people?”

(End of this chapter)