Chapter 169 - 169: The Pirate Conference

[The Sonia Sea] Saturday. Alger was sitting in the captain's cabin of the Blue Avenger, holding a glass of malt beer as he gazed toward the volcanic island in the near distance. Ships with raised masts and full sails were docking one after another, soon crowding the not-so-small harbour. Even from afar, one could hear the pirates' singing, shouting, laughter, cursing, and cheers. The atmosphere quickly infected the crew aboard the Blue Avenger, and everyone became eager to go ashore and take part in this rare pirate gathering. Knock, knock, knock. Suddenly, a knocking sound came from the suitcase on the table. Alger immediately set down his beer and, as agreed with Mr. Tower, placed the suitcase on the floor. Half a minute later, the suitcase opened from the inside, and out stepped a young man in his early twenties. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a refined, scholarly appearance. A gentle smile appeared on his face. "Finally, we meet in person, Mr. Hanged Man." Hearing his title from the Tarot Club spoken aloud in the "real world" for the first time, Alger was slightly caught off guard. He gave a small nod. "Mr. Tower?" "That's right." The two shook hands. Since the Potion of Madman had been fully digested, Edward no longer planned to attend the Pirate Conference wearing Gehrman Sparrow's face. Better to avoid drawing unnecessary trouble. Just then, Danitz climbed up after him. The moment their eyes met, both he and Alger looked surprised—they hadn't expected to run into each other here. "Blazing Danitz?" Danitz immediately denied it. "I'm not Blazing Danitz! I'm Fire-Fist Ace!" "???" Alger froze. That was an outright lie, wasn't it? Wait—Fire-Fist Ace…that name sounded familiar. Wasn't that the guy with the 20,000 pound bounty, the one following the unpredictable Gehrman Sparrow—Fire-Fist Ace?! The next second, Alger stared at Edward in shock. "You're…that Gehrman?!" Edward smiled. "That's right." Alger fell silent. A saint of the Church of Storms had even specifically instructed him to keep an eye out for that man named Gehrman. Who would have thought he'd end up on his own ship—let alone as a fellow member of the Tarot Club? According to Bishop Jayce, that night Gehrman Sparrow had brazenly provoked Lord Jahn Kottman and even managed to escape. The Sea King had returned with a stormy expression and stayed moody for days. Based on the intelligence Alger had gathered over the past weeks, Gehrman was, in his mind, a reckless madman. There were always a few like him on the seas each year—but they usually didn't live long. But upon realising this 'madman' was a fellow Tarot member, Alger's first instinct was to wonder whether Mr. Tower was carrying out some secret mission from Mr. Fool. "You came to the Pirate Conference for…?" He glanced at Danitz as he asked. Edward shrugged with a smile. "Just here to do some shopping." Alger: I don't buy it. Edward sighed at his disbelief and added, "I've got a budget of forty thousand pounds this time. I'm hoping to buy two mystical items—one defensive, one offensive." After that brief clash with Saint of Secrets Botis, Edward had realised he still lacked the means to decisively threaten demigod-level opponents. Even with Magnified Killing Curses and Fiendfyre, while they could threaten demigods, they weren't lethal enough, quickly enough. Not because the spells were weak—but because demigods were simply too difficult to kill. And once a demigod figured out his tricks, he'd be in grave danger. Forty thousand pounds! Danitz's jaw nearly dropped. This guy's loaded! If he could rob him, he could retire comfortably for life! Too bad I can't beat him… Alger pressed his lips together. "You want an offensive item capable of harming demigods?" "That's right." "That'll be difficult," he said seriously. "Even if such mystical items exist, they're basically not for sale. At that level, gold pounds have very limited value." Edward wasn't surprised. "That's why I'm mainly here to try my luck." As they spoke, the Blue Avenger began to slow down, pulling into the dock at the volcanic island. At Alger's command, the crew rushed ashore excitedly. The Pirate Conference itself didn't have much to do with ordinary pirates, but the island offered pleasures and entertainment they couldn't usually enjoy. The three of them disembarked shortly afterwards and headed toward the lively volcanic island. "This is actually only my second time attending a Pirate Conference," Alger said. As Alger spoke, he added, "But at its core, it's just a Beyonder gathering organised by pirates. The outermost circle is mainly made up of average pirates hawking so-called 'treasures' they looted—most of it is junk, of course, though there might be a hidden gem or two mixed in." Edward nodded in understanding. He'd read about this kind of thing in many novels—lucky finds at flea markets and such. Unfortunately, in the world of Mysteries, the odds of that were minuscule. Anything with even a hint of mystical power would be instantly recognised by Beyonders. Sure enough, as they walked along, casually glancing at roadside stalls, there were indeed items that seemed to come from ancient ruins—but sadly, they were just aged, ordinary objects. Alger then turned his gaze toward the pitch-black palace at the centre of the island. "That's where the supernatural gathering is held. Danitz should've attended it before—he can tell you more." Danitz thought for a moment before speaking. "Actually, like Alger said, it's just a gathering of Beyonders, though most of them happen to be pirates. The event is split into two parts: outer and inner. The outer one is open to anyone. Once inside the palace's main hall, participants can register what they want to buy or sell. You can browse everyone else's listings and make trades as you see fit." "As for the inner circle, it's limited to pirate captains—no, to be precise, only those captains who have sufficient wealth. Inside, participants can directly propose requests or auction items. Don't be fooled by how packed the island is—there are really only about two or three dozen pirate crews total." Edward looked a little surprised. "I thought only Pirate Admirals were allowed into this so-called 'inner circle'." Danitz scoffed. "As if. Most Pirate Admirals hate each other's guts. If only those seven were allowed in, no one would be willing to sell anything—it'd basically be funding their enemies." "Fair point." Edward spread his hands. "But I'm not a captain. Should we just—" "No need!" Danitz interrupted hastily. "Didn't you say you have 40,000 Pounds? Trust me, no one's turning away a rich buyer!" Just then, a series of surprised shouts erupted from the pirates on the ships and docks. The trio turned to look and saw a pitch-black ship approaching the shore. A massive white flag with a skull flapped on its mast. The skull was set against a dark background, with ghostly blue flames burning in its eye sockets. Alger leaned in to explain in a low voice, "That's the Black Death. It belongs to the new Pirate Admiral who replaced Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos—Vice Admiral Ailment, Tracy." Edward's gaze immediately locked onto the ship, where a figure clad in a white linen shirt and dark red coat appeared at the bow. She was a strikingly beautiful and commanding woman—a Sequence 5 Demoness. Though she wasn't deliberately exuding charm, the natural allure of a Witch still captivated many nearby pirates. But Edward didn't linger on her. His eyes quickly scanned the bow for a red-haired figure—Helene—but she was nowhere to be seen. Soon, the Black Death docked, and a wide berth was cleared around it. The pirates knew well—wherever Vice Admiral Disease went, illness was never far behind. Tracy disembarked with her crew. They quickly dispersed—some to buy supplies, others to seek pleasure. Only Tracy herself walked straight toward the island's central black palace. Edward murmured thoughtfully, "So...that red-haired Helene must be on the Black Death right now." Just as Tracy brushed past Edward, she suddenly turned to look at him, a confused gleam in her bewitching eyes—as if she had sensed something. It was a feeling she'd just experienced not long ago. Her Witchly intuition told her that someone—or something—in that direction was more important than life itself. "Blazing Danitz?" Of the three, she only vaguely recognised the blond-haired Danitz, who had once served under Vice Admiral Iceberg, Edwina. Not him. The blue-haired one? Not him either. That left only...the one wearing gold-rimmed glasses? Without much hesitation, Tracy began walking toward them. Danitz's face changed. Crap! Edward hasn't even done anything yet—why's the trouble coming to us already?! Edward was also confused. I just thought about sneaking aboard the Black Death, and she's already here? Witches don't have mind-reading abilities, right? The Hanged Man, Alger, took a silent step back. "Hello," Tracy greeted politely—surprisingly warm in her demeanour. Her peach blossom eyes stared straight into Edward's as she said plainly, "My intuition tells me you possess something very important to me." Edward raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, ma'am—I don't quite follow." "I'm not sure either," she admitted, frowning slightly. "Did you recently acquire anything unusual? I'm willing to pay a handsome price for it." Edward's mind quickly pieced it together. Due to the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, individuals or objects of the same or similar pathways were naturally drawn to one another. And to attract a Sequence 5 Demoness of Affliction from the Witch Pathway, it could only be one thing—the remnants of the Red Priest Card of Blasphemy (Fake), which had shattered during his battle with Medici's descendant amalgamation. Though it was broken, traces of its aura likely still lingered on him. Not to mention, he had memorised the entire Red Priest Pathway—an irresistible lure to a Witch desperately seeking to become a man again. Tracy blinked slowly, letting a faint seductive aura spill forth. "Are you sure you don't have anything?" Edward suddenly had the urge to spill everything—thankfully, his Unfettered trait kicked in just in time, breaking the charm's influence. He shook his head innocently. "No, I really don't." A glimmer passed through Tracy's eyes. She nodded gently. "I see. Thank you." With that, she turned and walked away, as if giving up. But Edward knew full well—Tracy had already set her sights on him. The moment she used her Witchly charm, the situation became a deadlock. If Edward had failed to resist the charm, he'd have confessed everything. But since he had resisted, it meant he was not ordinary. Tracy was a pirate—she didn't need hard evidence. A single doubt was enough for her to act. "Tch." Watching her graceful figure retreat, Edward rubbed his chin, coming to a decision: Looks like I'll have to strike first. ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.