Origin Paradise!

Two coincidences greatly solved the obstacles to recruiting pirates, so the reason behind it is self-evident.

At the harbor shore, the sea breeze, carrying a salty smell, howled into our ears. Waves surged and crashed against the rocks, splashing water everywhere. Year after year, the rugged rocks faced the raging sea head-on, standing firm like the Djouk family.

When the two arrived, two level-five armed merchant ships and a level-four frigate were already docked at the shore.

This fourth-class frigate is named HMS Evil, which sounds straightforward and crude; it is a large three-masted ship.

The ship was rocking back and forth in the waves, the thick ropes creaking, the skull and crossbones flag fluttering in the wind at the top of the mast, and forty cannons were mounted on both sides of the ship. With the help of gunpowder, the cannonballs were enough to cause fatal damage to the knight.

The ship was fully loaded with 300 people, but the living conditions of ordinary pirates were far from satisfactory. In the fleets of various nations, the frigates served as the basic units, with a status equivalent to a company or battalion in the army.

A white gull flew in from afar and landed on Roland's forearm. He untied the reply from it, turned his head and said, "The Duke is very satisfied with your strength. The ocean treasures that can enhance speed or the soul do exist, but such rare treasures that can directly enhance strength are hard to come by. Even the Duke's family cannot produce them casually. Therefore, this matter must be accomplished."

Roland said with a hint of envy, "The supplies will be delivered before you set sail. You don't need to think too much about it. Any combat power at the level of a Grand Knight is worth recruiting."

Jiang He remained silent. Although she had expected it, the Duke's straightforwardness still surprised her slightly. His decision to continue cooperating when he could have withdrawn was an attitude in itself, and the fact that the other party paid the fee in advance was a response.

The two boarded the deck, where a dozen or so ducal soldiers disguised as pirates were busy running around. Roland's adjutant personally led men to various taverns to recruit pirates. It was as if pirates in the Age of Exploration would automatically respawn; one batch would die and another would appear.

In essence, among those who become pirates, there are very few adventurers and dreamers. The driving force usually consists of two forces: one is the constraints of real conditions, such as escaping, committing murder, or having no other way out; the other is greed and the yearning for quick money.

Jiang He leaned against the deck and drank his familiar rum. He stroked the excellent longsword he had captured. Roland watched with gritted teeth. It was a gift from the Duke to him when he became a Grand Knight half a year ago.

"What is the treasure of the sea?"

"Are you a farmer from the mountains?" Roland asked, somewhat bewildered.

Jiang He didn't care what the other party thought. His strength ensured his value, and some things were not worth worrying about.

Roland said helplessly, "The treasures are the extraordinary crystals of the sea. The laws governing their formation are still a mystery. However, without exception, they all have unique effects. The world's first explorer of the New World, Dogman, divided the treasures into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D. These five definitions are said to have come from the language he learned from the indigenous tribes."

"Dougman, huh?" Jiang He murmured, guessing it was some kind of player alias from a certain era.

Roland sighed, "Mr. Dogman not only made great contributions to the field of exploration, but also had profound knowledge in medicine, literature, and weaponry. It's a pity that he died at the hands of the pirate kings. Three pirate kings had issued orders to kill him. After all, when it comes to development capabilities, pirates are far from being a match for the nations."

The two chatted idly by the ship's railing. Jiang He also learned about the classification of secret treasures. There are currently nine known S-grade treasures corresponding to the ultimate treasures, most of which are under the control of royal families and possess the power to rewrite the outcome of a war.

Grade A treasures are equivalent to perfect items and are extremely rare. As for Grades B, C, and D, they correspond to excellent, rare, and common items, respectively.

“...The vast majority of treasures are related to the sea.” Roland paused, because he saw a werewolf knight approaching.

“My old friend,” Jiang He said.

Old Black's werewolf form was over two meters tall, with a robust and muscular physique. He wore rare-grade Steadfast Armor and carried a superior-grade Watcher's Shield in one hand as he walked straight towards the shore.

“Werewolves, huh? I’ve really rarely seen one.” Roland muttered to himself. The alien city-state was located on an archipelago in the southern part of the Bourbon Kingdom, quite far from the northern part of the Stryker Kingdom. For a werewolf to follow him across such a distance, he felt it necessary to re-examine the person’s identity.

A rabble descended from the sky and landed on someone's shoulder. He glanced at Roland, pretending to remain silent. He was extremely envious of the White Rose Gull intelligence system of the Dejoker family. It was large-scale, systematic, and could save a lot of effort.

"Xiao He, I killed three thieves who ambushed me on the way." Old Hei held up the bloody heads in his other hand, all wrapped in newspaper, thinking it could be used as a tool to deter pirates.

"You are to take over the positions of first mate and boatswain of the Mischief."

"clear."

Not long after, the lieutenant led more than three hundred pirates back from the tavern. This voyage was only a short mission, but it required fierce fighting, so the salary per person was increased to 15 silver coins. Roland carried a large wooden box and went down to meet them.

“Young,” Wuhe shook his head. “I don’t think you can win the loyalty of these pirates with just a salary, and Duke Dejouk may not even care whether they are loyal or not.”

It's disgusting that the boss pays the pirates' wages!

"Wuhe, you're the quartermaster."

"I will handle it."

Wuhe clucked in response, explaining that the quartermaster was the second most important position on a pirate ship after the captain, first mate, and navigator. His job was to check whether the captain's orders were being carried out effectively, and he was also the ship's judge, supervising the crew's discipline and overseeing the ship's transactions on shore or business dealings with other ships. Most importantly, he was responsible for the fair distribution of spoils.

The pirates boarded the ship one after another, and Jiang He saw Zhuang Ya carrying a box of matches through his All-Seeing Eye.

Despite undergoing several evolutions, Zhuang Ya remains petite and slender, with dazzling golden vertical snake eyes and exceptionally delicate and beautiful features. Perhaps due to her cold-blooded snake origins, her thin lips are slightly pale, and her small face is expressionless.

The little guy seems to rarely act alone; he is currently looking up and asking a middle-aged lady for directions.

"Boss, something's not right." Wuhe's eyes were pitch black, and his core skill, Thousand-Mile Vision, was activated. "That noblewoman was pointing in the direction of the inner city... why did she lead the way?"

The middle-aged nobleman led Zhuang Ya toward the inner city, chatting and laughing, with several male and female servants subtly surrounding them.

Old Hei said in a low voice, "This era is full of bad seeds. Even nobles may be pirates who have just landed. Aya should be quite good-looking from a human perspective. I would look like a little lamb walking down the street."

Being attacked by thieves three times in just a few hours left a very bad impression on Old Black.

Jiang He communicated through her animal companion: "Go in the opposite direction, turn left at the end of the street and you'll see the sea. We're on a boat on the shore."

Upon hearing the message, Zhuang Ya turned around without hesitation.

The middle-aged nobleman's expression changed slightly. He nodded to his personal maid, who opened her mouth and shouted. Her voice faded away as the shouts were relayed. Several male servants approached and attacked. Two of them were dressed as apprentice knights, wearing matching knight armor.

Just as Jiang He squinted and prepared to flip over and get off the boat, Zhuang Ya performed a snake-mouth sword-spitting trick in front of everyone, pulling the heavy sword out of her split cheek.

call!

In the blink of an eye, the greatsword had already completed a full circle of slashes. The true essence of the Serpent Sword Technique was tempered and gathered, and the rare weapon's own armor-shattering properties enhanced its sharpness. The exquisite sword technique, Slash Burst, erupted, and a clearly visible ripple of sword energy quickly spread out.

The middle-aged noblewoman and her nearly ten entourage were all cut in half at the waist. Two apprentice knights were the focus of attention and their armor was completely shattered. The valuable items they had bought while the crowd was thinning were scattered all over the ground, and dust billowed from the center of the sword.

Bang!

On both sides of the street, several households that had been watching the situation immediately closed their windows.

Zhuang Ya left carrying the matchbox, her expression unchanged from beginning to end.

The bloodstains on the white dress dripped down quickly.

A moment later, she walked straight back and picked up a box with a snake-shaped carving.

"nice."

Zhuang Ya examined the box carefully for a few seconds, then opened it and casually tossed away the precious gems inside. Satisfied, she put the carved snake box into the matchbox, ready to give it to the giant snake.

On the evil ship, the old man, his dog, and his bird, who had been watching the whole thing, were very pleased.

Jiang He rarely sighed with emotion, saying, "This is all because I set an example; otherwise, Aya would never have been able to execute such a clean slit."

Old Hei said with a mix of relief and worry, "Aya is strong enough to protect herself, but she is prone to falling into traps. From now on, she should stay with Xiao He. Let Wu He and me handle the tasks that require us to take charge on our own."

Wuhe suggested, "Boss, let me find a corner and bring out some vicious soldiers. The pirates on the ship might not be honest."

Jiang He nodded in reply, "Once this attack is over, we'll use the Saint Lilith to swallow these three pirate ships, and replace all the crew members with our own people."

Wuhe took twenty Rubik's Cubes from someone and flew out to meet Zhuang Ya. Jiang He looked through the blood-stained newspaper that Lao Hei had used to cover his head. This year is 1600, the peak of the Age of Exploration.

The Remnant Light Pirates attacked the Imperial port of Herak, causing more than 700 deaths. The Imperial Navy has dispatched a fleet to pursue and suppress them.

The East Falvi Company has recently been established and is raising funds from all sectors to exchange for shares. The company states that this is a new type of colonial expansion model.

The renowned strongman of the North, the mercenary knight commander known for his integrity—Silver Sword Rosard—refused the offer from the Royal Capital Knight Academy, a decision he himself expressed regret over.

……

As dusk fell, with personnel and supplies ready, the three ships set sail, and the treasure sent by the Duke, shaped like a golden apple, was also in place.

Roland watched as twenty fierce-looking soldiers escorted the little girl onto the ship, each wielding a sword. He was almost filled with questions. It's worth mentioning that the crow above the little girl's head had an exceptionally arrogant look in its eyes, as if it looked down on everyone.

"Whose young lady is this?" Roland looked at someone. He knew that the other party had served as a quartermaster lieutenant in the Stuart capital fleet. It was this fleet that discovered the existence of the native empire, but during the subsequent evacuation, they mistakenly entered the Necropolis, resulting in the sinking of a large number of warships and many people suffering from mental illness.

“It’s mine,” Jiang He said.

Roland gritted his teeth and said, "Secrecy is the key to success. Viscount Hru is a spy sent by the royal family to monitor the Duke. Don't treat tonight's operation as a joke!"

Jiang He and Lao Hei whispered to each other that this young knight had loyalty etched on his forehead and was basically out of the running for being won over.

Roland looked at the two of them with a dark expression, and even felt that using the prisoners of the Disaster Prison was a mistake.

As dusk fell, the night poured down like a waterfall from the sky, immersing the sea in boundless darkness. The crests of the waves shimmered with a faint phosphorescence, and the distant lighthouse's light, as small as a bean, struggled to pierce the thick night, cutting a pale white line of light across the sea before disappearing into the trough of the waves.

Three ships flying pirate flags sailed through the waves, heading towards Viscount Hru's territory, two hundred miles away.

The Chaotic Corridor connects the Imperial frontier to the north and Watchtower to the south. This coastal city acts like a nail, pinning the Duchy of Djouk to the vast Northland plains.

As a court nobleman, Viscount Heru has served as the governor of Watchtower for more than ten years. He is under the secret orders of the late king to monitor Duke Dejok and keep a close eye on all the movements of the White Rose Knights and the Northern Fleet. Once Watchtower falls, the knights of the Dejok family can sweep across the northwest of the kingdom without any hindrance.

Of course, a town can't stop a titled knight, but it can serve as an early warning line.

Four hours later, the three pirate ships arrived at the waters near Watchtower City. Dozens of coastal defense cannons were positioned along the shore. Under the cover of darkness, the city was brightly lit. Tens of thousands of people lived here, and even during the brutal ten-year war, they successfully stayed away from the flames of war.

"fire!"

Boom!

Three pirate ships aimed their broadsides at the shore, and all sixty ship-mounted cannons simultaneously spewed fire, their white-powder shells landing on the coastal defense structures and causing violent explosions.

Five rounds of rapid fire destroyed the coastal defense cannons. The pirate ship's cannons demonstrated an astonishing accuracy. Apart from the cannon fodder pirates, the gunners on the ship were all from the Royal Capital Exploration Academy and the Imperial Capital Academy, and were all highly skilled professionals.

However, the most crucial reason was that someone in the coastal defense force lit a fire to guide the pirate ship to its location.

After destroying the rapid-fire, the pirate ship approached the shore, and the cannons switched to covering fire. Streaks of fire at varying heights rose into the air and fell, stirring up countless plumes of smoke on the coast.

Rumble!

"Charge!" the adjutant shouted. "Whoever kills Viscount Heru will be rewarded with five hundred gold coins and a pirate ship. Tonight, you may burn, kill, and plunder within Watchtower City as you please!"

One gold coin = ten silver coins = one thousand copper coins

Three copper coins could buy enough black bread to feed an adult man for a day, so five hundred gold coins was a truly generous reward.

The pirates were excited. The huge reward was only one aspect; the real temptation was the unbridled plundering of Watchtower. Money, weapons, and women fueled the roars of fury.

Pfft!

The pirates scrambled to jump off the ship's railing. Some of the smarter ones had already realized something was amiss. The landing tonight had been surprisingly smooth, and the coastal defenses were unexpectedly weak. There was probably more to it than met the eye, but the more so, the more likely they were to survive to the end.

The knight-ranking lieutenant jumped into the water, which was knee-deep. He waded quickly and stealthily, then pulled out his flintlock pistol and killed a guard soldier a hundred meters away.

Bang bang bang!

The remaining guards on the coast engaged in a fierce battle with five hundred pirates, with knights and apprentice knights mixed in on both sides.

Whoosh!

A white sword, several meters long, slashed down among the guards, killing over a hundred soldiers in a single strike, shattering their defenses and causing heavy casualties.

boom!

A pale gray fireball fell, causing a blinding explosion and a deafening roar. Any soldier who came into contact with even a trace of this peculiar pale gray fireball would suffer irreversible withering. Perfect-level fire control combined with perfect-level withering energy caused this fireball to completely destroy the frontal defenses.

Two knights who fought desperately were casually killed. The pirates roared in excitement and chased after them, leaving a large number of corpses along the way from the coast to the city gate. The undercover agent led the surrendered guards to follow, increasing the total number of pirates to nearly a thousand.

Roland and Jiang He followed behind the pirates, their swords flashing and fireballs striking down the guards on the city walls one by one, their mangled bodies falling like rain.

“The sheriff of Watchtower City was originally a Grand Knight, but his eldest son in the capital publicly criticized the king, so he was transferred two days ago. Now it is a period of transition. Viscount Hru has our spies around him, and he will not be able to escape tonight.”

Roland, holding his spare sword, cleaved open the city gate with a single blow, a broad smile on his face. Whether it was the sheriff's eldest son criticizing the king or the planting of spies, it was all orchestrated by him after receiving the duke's orders. Even the undercover agents within the coastal defense forces who provided directions were all his covert agents. He had made ample preparations long before attacking the viscount's territory.

The pirates stormed into Watchtower, and screams and wails echoed from the houses on both sides of the main road. Fires spread, people fled, and the lieutenant urged the pirates to surround the Viscount's castle.

"Come in!"

"Kill the viscount, seize the lady!"

"You take the gold coins, I want the antiques!"

The pirates launched a fierce attack. The defending soldiers were no different from the weak soldiers they had encountered before. However, the castle that stood in the center of the town was easy to defend and difficult to attack. The city walls, built of huge stones, were solid and towering. The rough stone surface had been weathered by wind and rain. The battlements were arranged like saw teeth, with orderly intervals. The towers rose from the ground, and the conical tops pierced the night sky. Through the narrow gaps in the arrow slits, one could faintly see the solemn atmosphere of past preparations for war.

puff!

Casualties began to appear one after another. Some people were hit by white powder bullets, and their chests were pierced with a bloody hole the size of a human head.

"Keep charging! A thousand gold coins are on the ship!" the adjutant shouted. As long as the castle was captured according to plan, most of tonight's task would be accomplished. He had conducted a field survey recently, and a thousand men would definitely be enough before the casualties and rout became unbearable.

Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.

The sea of ​​fire illuminated Jiang He's cold profile. He turned to look at Roland and asked, "Is the Djouk family motto, 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,' openly circulated or secretly passed down?"

Roland was puzzled: "Why are proverbs kept secret?"

Jiang He then asked, "How much time has passed since the king took away the two colonies?"

“One month… maybe,” Roland said hesitantly.

Jiang He asked again, "What are the chances that someone who was trusted and entrusted with important responsibilities by the late king has been sitting in Shouwang City for more than ten years is a mediocre talent?"

Roland swallowed hard, his cheerful smile vanishing. He said stiffly, "The sheriff has been transferred."

Jiang He remained silent; there was no need to ask anymore.

Rumble!

Dozens of cannons suddenly appeared on the castle walls, and a group of mercenaries in light silver armor appeared. The cannons and flintlock muskets opened fire from below, and the saturation fire instantly killed more than two hundred pirates and surrendered soldiers. The adjutant was hit by two cannon shots, and even a knight was blown to pieces by the bombardment of white gunpowder.