"I hope you gentlemen are ready."
After the Wavebreaker made a turn and sailed some distance, it stopped, maintaining a relatively far distance from the Sea Island. Captain Ken Angus returned to the deck. His cigar was gone, but he held a folder.
'Poet' Edward stood up, a gentle smile on his face, and said, "Captain, aren't we going to a secret base?"
Ken casually pointed towards the Sea Island in the distance: "That is it."
Lex also chimed in, "But if I'm not mistaken, there's a ship anchored there, and it seems to be flying a pirate flag."
The Captain glanced at him indifferently: "Good eyesight. Yes, that is a pirate ship. It belongs to the 'Three Brothers Pirate Group'."
"From the information we have, these fellows seem to serve the Blood Admiral, small fry operating on the fringes of that Admiral's influence."
"And they are the test you will face. You few, of course, not including Miss 'Apothecary'. You can play it by ear, work together, or go your separate ways. I have no specific requirements, my only demand is to eliminate their Captain, First Mate, and Second Mate."
"I will give a fair assessment based on your performance to determine whether you are suitable to join the Black Sail."
"After taking them down, that Sea Island can be used as our secret base. So, any questions?"
This is too casual, this is a bit different from the secret base I imagined. Lex had an urge to cover his forehead, feeling that his superior was very unreliable.
"Alright then, Captain, even if it's a test, there should at least be information about the opponents. At the very least, there should be photos, so we don't mistake anyone."
Lex looked at the folder in his hand.
Ken's lips curved slightly upwards: "Mr. Lex, it seems you have some 'hunting' experience."
Lex said in surprise: "Isn't that common knowledge?"
"Whether it's common knowledge or not, you were the first to bring it up. Congratulations, you've already earned 1 point with me," the Captain said, handing him the folder.
Only then did the others realize that the test had already begun. They quickly gathered around Lex to look at the information in the folder.
Even Quincy, who had been sitting in the corner, reluctantly walked over.
Lex looked at the information while listening to the Captain.
"The important figures of the 'Three Brothers Pirate Group' have unknown names, and even if they have names, they are likely aliases. So, the information uses their nicknames."
"The Captain, 'Butcher', just like his nickname, is an evil scoundrel who has committed all sorts of atrocities. He once plundered a merchant ship and killed over seventy people on board. He is a 'Werewolf', one of the Beyonder pathways."
"The First Mate, 'Smile Clown', this fellow always paints a smiling clown face on his own face. He is a 'Lunatic', and his favorite thing to do is to torture everyone except himself, finding pleasure in it."
"The Second Mate, 'Silver Tongue', he is an Instigator. In our records, he once instigated the natives of a Sea Island, causing them to fight among themselves. He is a very malicious person."
"In short, these three fellows are all heinous criminals. You don't need to have any psychological burden. Hunting them down is both a voice for justice and a way to maintain order on the Sea. Additionally, while you gain the opportunity to join the Black Sail, the bounties for those three pirates will also go into your pockets, not a single cent less."
On the document, the bounties for these three pirates were 2,700 pounds, 1,800 pounds, and 1,500 pounds, respectively.
It was clear that the Black Sail had been watching these three pirates for a long time, so the information provided by the Captain was very detailed.
So detailed that it even knew about 'Butcher's' inadequacy in a certain aspect, and even that a certain massacre was due to a prostitute mocking him for being like a toothpick, which enraged the Captain, leading him to directly bloodbath the entire brothel.
"Now, you have 10 minutes to discuss."
Ken took back the folder from Lex's hand and then roared: "Helm hard over, full speed ahead! All gunners, prepare! Let's give those pirates a good lesson!"
The Wavebreaker re-adjusted its direction, all square sails filled with wind, and it cut through the waves towards the pirate ship. At this speed, it might enter shelling range in less than 10 minutes.
Since Miss 'Apothecary' did not need to participate in the test, a Sailor invited Natasha to the cabin to avoid being caught in the battle later.
Lex looked at the people around him and saw that French had returned, but since no one was speaking, he said, "Among you, who has combat experience?"
"I used to be a member of the Night Watchers, so I have some similar experiences," Mr. Poet took a peach-wood-handled revolver from under his armpit and began checking the bullets inside.
Quincy remained silent, but from his demeanor, he was clearly not a novice.
Lex then looked at Mr. 'Thief', French refused to make eye contact with him, looking at the deck, but did not leave.
"Alright."
"This is what I'm thinking."
Lex recalled the information he had seen and organized his words: "Our targets include a Werewolf, a Lunatic, and an Instigator. The former is Sequence 7, and the latter two are both Sequence 8."
"If they stick together and cooperate, it will be quite troublesome."
"Therefore, I think we should split them up."
Lex looked at Quincy: "You are from the Sailor pathway, so you should be good in the water. If you can launch a surprise attack from underwater, breach their ship, and create Confusion. If nothing unexpected happens, they will at least send their Second Mate to check the cabin."
"While Quincy launches his surprise attack, the three of us will try to sneak onto the pirate ship. Mr. Edward's 'Poet' ability can ensure this. I hope we can take down 'Butcher' before he can display his abilities, which will save us a lot of trouble."
He pulled out 'Blood Praise'. This gorgeously styled crimson pistol immediately attracted many gazes. Lex shook the revolver and said, "I'm confident in my marksmanship, and with the addition of a magical item, I'm confident I can take him down before he fully transforms into a Werewolf."
"At least, inflict significant damage."
"As for French, I hope you can use your abilities to steal weapons or magical items from the targets. I believe that as long as we each play to our strengths, we can all join the Black Sail."
Edward was the first to readily say, "No problem, I primarily provided support in the Night Watchers and participated in a certain degree of combat. I should be able to coordinate well with your actions."
French said nothing, only nodded.
But when Lex looked at Quincy, the latter had already walked to the edge of the deck. He stepped onto the railing and looked back at Lex: "I will breach their ship, but not because of your suggestion, but because I intended to do so anyway."
Lex nodded indifferently. Just then, he heard a deafening cannon roar from the gun deck below. Following that, cannon fire erupted one after another, a continuous barrage, merging into a single roar.
The sunset was like blood, and the Wavebreaker, belonging to the Royal Navy, was the first to open fire on the pirate ship, which had not yet entered a state of battle!