After going into the sea, I met the witch.

These pirates varied in strength, but the three most notorious pirate groups to watch out for were from the inner seas and far more powerful than the smaller outlying pirates.

They are the Blood Demon Pirate Crew, the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, and the Iron Eagle Pirate Crew.

Among them, the Iron Eagle Pirates are the strongest. According to intelligence, the captain of the Iron Eagle Pirates kept an extremely powerful flying monster, from which the pirate crew got its name.

While the Blood Demon Pirates and the One-Eyed Pirates were not as strong as the Iron Eagle Pirates, their captains were both second-tier elite professionals, with bounties reaching a terrifying 51000 pounds and 55000 pounds respectively.

The three pirate crews have a tacit understanding with each other, each occupying a small island as their sphere of influence, while North Island 1, where Ryan is currently located, is the territory of the Blood Demon Pirate Crew.

That's the general information.

The intelligence sold by the Black Agate Merchant Guild did not contain any further information about the Moon Wolf.

Perhaps it wasn't there, or perhaps the Black Agate Merchants Association was unaware of it, or perhaps they deliberately kept it a secret.

Ryan strolled toward the tavern not far from the market.

Taverns, a melting pot of all sorts of people, have always been the fastest place to get firsthand information.

Before returning to the Black Rose, Ryan planned to go to the tavern to find out more information about the Moon Wolf.

As for the potential troubles?

Ryan asked himself, unless it was a second-tier elite professional who made the move, with his current strength, there were very few first-tier individuals who could defeat him.

According to intelligence, the leader of the Blood Demon Pirate Gang should spend most of his time at the Blood Demon Pirate Gang's base in the central area of ​​North Island 1.

The probability of it appearing in this tavern is extremely low.

……

On Mingjin Island, atop a dormant volcano, a large gray wolf sits alone.

The soft moonlight poured down, leaving strange colors that resembled flowing ribbons of light on its smooth fur.

It raised its head, gazing at the crescent moon in the night sky, its cold, beastly eyes softening without it even realizing it.

On the other side, where the moonlight did not reach, a figure leaned against the gray wolf, whispering softly that echoed across the desolate mountaintop.

"Come on, come on..."

……

Hundreds of nautical miles north of the Whirlpool Islands, naval vessels sped towards them.

At the bow, the three black knights had cold and murderous eyes.

Chapter 69 Moonlight Blood

Seagull Tavern is a tavern located on Tide Island, which is the market area of ​​North Island 1.

The green vines climbing the old walls silently tell the story of this tavern's long history.

Night had fallen, but the Seagull Tavern was bustling with activity.

When Ryan pushed open the door, he was greeted by a cacophony of shouts and a wave of intense heat.

Almost simultaneously, some of the pirates sitting in the tavern turned their gazes to Ryan, and upon seeing his delicate skin, which was so different from that of ordinary pirates, a subtle look flashed in their eyes.

In a place like the Whirlpool Islands, the law is practically nonexistent, and someone like Ryan is like a rich kid who goes out to sea for thrills, no different from a "fat sheep".

Pirates aren't fools; they're generally quite cautious. But there are always some drunkards whose minds aren't quite clear.

Just like now.

A middle-aged man with a thick beard, who was sitting at the bar near the door and looked drunk, stood up, raised a wooden wine glass that was almost as tall as a person's head, and walked towards Ryan, who was also drunk: "Kid, your grandpa Hank is buying you a drink."

"Cheng Hui, all your wealth."

"What, are you not going to give Hank any face?"

Because he had drunk a lot of alcohol, the pirate named "Hank" had a flushed face, but his eyes were particularly fierce. Clearly, if Ryan didn't give him this "face," the gleaming scimitar at his waist was not just for show.

Ryan showed no courtesy whatsoever to the "grunts" who came to his doorstep.

He darted forward, grabbed the pirate Hank's right hand holding the wooden goblet, and smashed the goblet, hand and all, directly into the man's face.

"boom!"

A deep thud was followed by the collapse of a burly body.

Ryan calmly flicked his hand, brushing away the specks of blood that were stained with it, and then walked past the unconscious pirate Hank.

The entire tavern seemed to fall silent for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

The only difference was that all the subtle glances previously cast at Ryan were now withdrawn.

When a "fat sheep" possesses great power, it is no longer a "fat sheep," but rather gains a status equal to that of a "predator."

Although pirate Hank is reckless, his muscular physique is no joke. He is the second mate of a first-class pirate crew, and his fighting strength is below that of a professional, but still he was taken down in one move. Most of the pirates in the tavern couldn't even see Ryan's movements.

The speed and power displayed in that smash were beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

—Professional.

This word came to everyone's mind.

The weight of professionals is enough to make them put away any inappropriate thoughts.

Ryan remained calm.

He understood the rules of the pirate world: might makes right.

Pretending to be weak to fool others isn't impossible, but it will bring you a lot of inconvenience. When it's time to show your strength, you should show it appropriately.

After sitting down at the front bar, Ryan smiled slightly at the tavern owner who was wiping glasses and said, "Give me one of your specialty drinks."

"Okay, wait a moment, sir."

"I am Caius, and I am very grateful for your mercy. This drink is on my behalf."

The owner of the Seagull Tavern was a middle-aged man with a refined appearance. His hair was neatly combed, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses, making him stand out from the noisy surroundings.

More than a tavern owner in a lawless place, he was like a butler serving a high-ranking nobleman.

Although Pirate Hank was rude first, this is, after all, the Seagull Tavern. Any bloodshed that occurs here would be a bad influence.

"Hey……"

Ryan smiled. He naturally understood this, otherwise he wouldn't have held back just now. After all, when someone comes to someone else's territory to gather information, you always have to give them some face.

"Drag that guy out." Tavern owner Caius called out coldly to the back of the tavern. Soon, two burly men came out and dragged the unconscious pirate Hank out of the Seagull Tavern.

Caius handed a large glass of wine to Ryan on the table in front of him, smiling politely: "Guest, please try my specialty wine, Moonblood."

“Oh…” Ryan’s eyes lit up with interest: “The moonlight is pure and beautiful, yet it ends with ‘blood.’ You’re implying something.”

"Isn't this just keeping up with the times?" The tavern owner shrugged. "So many of you are here for the Moon Wolf and the treasure, I had to come up with a nicer name for the drink, right?"

"Haha, I'm not joking. The guests probably didn't come here to drink, did they?"

"Considering you went easy on me just now, I know what you want to know, so I'll give you a 20% discount."

“I thought you would give it to me for free,” Ryan retorted.

“You’re joking, sir,” said Caius, the tavern owner, his smile unchanged. “We all have to make a living, after all.”

Ryan picked up his glass and swirled it gently, without smelling it or drinking it: "Since you've said we're here for the Moon Wolf and the treasure, the information I want to ask you is naturally related to that."

"Cheng Hui, 500 pounds, 400 pounds after discount."

Ryan sighed: "You informants really make a lot of money. When I quit this business, I'll find something similar to do."

Caius didn't speak, but just smiled at Ryan until he saw Ryan throw out a bag of money. He picked it up and weighed it in his hand, then his smile widened as he said, "This deal will definitely make you feel it was worth it."

"plz follow me."

Led by Caius, Ryan arrived at a private room at the back of the tavern.

Caius sat up gracefully and said with a smile:

"Regarding the Moon Wolf, I have collected some information that has been circulating among the pirates recently, and I have removed the unreliable versions."

"On the last full moon night, the moon wolf appeared on the western outskirts of the Mingjin Forest and was seen by the local natives, and that's how the story spread."

"Affected by the Moon Wolf, a large number of monsters and sea monsters have gathered on the Whirlpool Islands. These monsters are extremely aggressive, causing heavy casualties to the pirates who went in to try to find the Moon Wolf."

"After a period of exploration and at great cost, the pirate crews, still unable to find any trace of the Moon Wolf, tacitly withdrew from the Forest of Mingjin."

"According to legend, a treasure will surely appear on the night of the next full moon after the Moon Wolf appears. Since we cannot find the Moon Wolf in advance, the casualties we suffer now are meaningless. In that case, we might as well patiently wait for the next full moon to arrive."

"Based on this consensus, three second-tier pirate groups from the inner sea area have occupied four small islands in the east, west, south, and north. Among them, the strongest Iron Eagle Pirate Group occupies the southern Suo Liu Island and the western Bai Sha Island, forming a barrier. Other second-tier pirate groups that want to enter the Vortex Islands will be besieged by these three pirate groups. This is why, so far, there are still only these three second-tier pirate groups in the Vortex Islands."

"As for the first-tier pirate crews, they didn't seem to care much. After all, exploring the Forest of Roaring Thunder also requires cannon fodder..."

"Please take this map. It shows the types and approximate numbers of monsters inhabiting the various areas that have been explored recently, as well as the location where the Moon Wolf was last discovered. I believe it will be helpful to you."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Ryan's eyes lit up. He unfolded the map Caius handed him and glanced at it briefly. He noticed the densely packed information marked on it and nodded in satisfaction.

"It looks good, hopefully it's true."

“We’re in the business of long-term operations, so we wouldn’t lie about this kind of information. However, monsters always migrate due to various unstable factors, so this map can only be used as a general reference,” Caius explained.

"Okay, let's do this first."

Ryan gave the tavern owner, Caius, a deep look before getting up and leaving.

Watching Ryan's departing figure, Caius, illuminated by candlelight, wore the same smile as always.

Chapter 70 The Silver Hammer Master and the Forging of Armor

Outside the Seagull Tavern, Ryan walked alone down the street.

In the dim light of the streetlights, his eyes flickered slightly.

"An interesting guy, but I wonder which faction he represents?"

Recalling the owner of the Seagull Tavern, a solemn look settled over Ryan.

From the moment he saw Caius, he sensed a subtle threat.

This keen perception was honed during his travels, constantly battling monsters for survival.