Chapter 802
“Pay a toll fee?” Siegfried furrowed his brow, wondering what in the world this could mean.
He activated his Rune of Insight and examined the green arrow indicated by the Pirate’s Map.
[High-Speed Sea Route Passage]
[A special magical sea route that only major pirates and Pirate Lords can access.]
[Pirates that can use this route will be able to travel the seas at incredible speeds. However, because it is a toll route, payment of a toll fee is required for use.]
“A high-speed highway on the sea…?” Siegfried muttered with disbelief evident in his voice. He felt annoyed at the fact that he had to spend money, but he decided to play along for now.
“Sigh…”
With a sigh, he opened his Inventory and pulled out a pouch filled with gold coins.
[Alert: The toll fee is 2,500 gold!]
[Alert: Would you like to use the High-Speed Sea Route Passage?]
The toll fee was exorbitant.
“What the hell?! Why is the toll so freaking expensive?!” Siegfried grumbled in annoyance.
Still, he checked the distance to the Green Isles and realized that sailing there without using the High-Speed Sea Route Passage would take more than a week, as it was quite far.
“Tsk…”
With a heavy unwilling heart, Siegfried took out two thousand five hundred gold coins and placed them on the Pirate’s Map.
Syuruk!
The gold coins disappeared instantly, vanishing as if they were never there to begin with.
[Alert: Payment Successful!]
[Alert: Welcome to the highway of the sea, the High-Speed Sea Route Passage!]
[Alert: The toll fee you paid will be used as operating funds for the Pirate Confederation!]
Several messages popped up in front of his eyes as the glowing green arrow extended from the map and stretched toward the horizon in the direction of the Green Isles.
Siegfried adjusted the helm of the Temeraire to position it directly on the green arrow.
Whoosh!
The Temeraire, which was moving slowly earlier due to the barnacles clinging to its hull, abruptly moved fast—no, calling it "fast" was an understatement.
Regardless of how great a ship was, water resistance would always be a hindrance to its max speed, but it was like the laws of physics had ceased to exist on the High-Speed Sea Route Passage.
The Temeraire sped through the water at speeds of over two hundred fifty kilometers per hour, and it cut through the waves effortlessly as if it were a hot knife slicing through butter.
[Alert: Warning!]
[Alert: All passengers must wear seatbelts while using the High-Speed Sea Route Passage!]
[Alert: For your safety, please refrain from standing on the deck!]
Riding the highway of the sea, Siegfried set course for the Green Isles.
“So this highway stretches all over the world…” Siegfried muttered while studying the Pirate’s Map. He quickly realized that the High-Speed Sea Route Passage was connected to all the seas around the Nurburg Continent.
“So that’s why…”
He finally understood how the major pirate crews had been evading the navy so effortlessly and how they could appear wherever they pleased and disappear swiftly as if they had never been there.
Using this highway, outrunning the navy was child’s play. No matter how advanced the naval warships were, they'd never be able to catch up with pirates traveling at such incredible speeds.
“If we can control this route, then our navy will become immensely powerful…” Siegfried thought. Then, he paused after suddenly realizing something, “Oh, right… We don’t have access to the sea.”
The Proatine Kingdom was a landlocked nation. To reach the nearest sea, one would need to travel over seven hundred kilometers west, crossing multiple borders. Thus, the navy was of little use to the Proatine Kingdom except for defending the Piaro River.
Incidentally, this was also the reason why seafood was a rare luxury in the kingdom. Seafood was an expensive delicacy in the kingdom, and they were traded at expensive prices in the market.
“I wish there was a way to supply cheap fish to the people…” Siegfried mused aloud, thinking of his people.
Lately, he developed a taste for making the kingdom’s people happy. He found the feeling of earning their respect and admiration increasingly rewarding, so he would often think of ways to improve their lives whenever he was free.
“Wait… these fools are using such a valuable route just for piracy…?” Siegfried muttered in disbelief. He couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. He found the actions of the pirates to be laughably stupid.
There were countless legitimate ways to become immensely wealthy using the High-Speed Sea Route Passage, but the pirates had decided to use it for piracy instead.
Why resort to crime when there was an opportunity for life-changing wealth to be seized with this route?
“Idiots,” Siegfried grumbled, dismissing the thought. With that, he refocused on the Temeraire, guiding it steadily along the glowing green arrow.
The journey to the Green Isles would still take two more days, but with the speed at which they were traveling the highway, he was confident that they would reach it sooner than that.
***
Two days later, Siegfried and his companions finally arrived near the infamous Green Isles, the so-called Pirate Kingdom. The sea had turned murky green, resembling algae-infested waters, which was a clear sign that they were close to land.
“We should be near…” Siegfried murmured, steering the Temeraire in the direction of the glowing green arrow.
Rumble!
The Green Isles Entry Token in Siegfried’s possession began to glow brightly, its light enveloping the entire ship.
Rumble!
A portal appeared in the middle of the open sea, and the entrance to the Green Isles finally appeared.
“Kyuuu! It’s the Green Isles!"
“Hahaha! So this is the Pirate Kingdom!”
“We’ve finally made it, hyung-nim!”
Hamchi, Seung-Gu, and Lionbreath, who had all been immersed in their pirate roleplay, were ecstatic to see the portal open.
On the other hand, Siegfried looked utterly exhausted.
“Ugh… You guys handle the steering from here.”
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For two grueling days, Siegfried had been piloting the Temeraire nonstop, and he was completely exhausted.
“Kyuuu! Hamchi will steer the ship!”
Hamchi jumped the moment Siegfried slumped over, and he eagerly grabbed the helm from him.
“Hamchi is the captain now!”
Despite being tiny, Hamchi was a surprisingly skilled pilot. He had already mastered driving the Aqua Runners long ago, so he easily guided the Temeraire into the portal.
[Somewhere in the Southern Seas of the Nurburg Continent: Green Isles]
Upon entering the portal, a notification popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes, displaying their current location.
“Whoa… So it’s an archipelago,” Siegfried muttered as he gazed at the vista before him.
The Green Isles was truly worthy of its name. There were thousands of islands, large and small, clustered together so densely that they looked like a fragmented continent.
“Kyuuu! Where do we go from here? Give me the coordinates, you lazy owner punk!”
“Hold on.”
Siegfried took out the Pirate’s Map and examined it carefully.
“Let’s see…”
The Green Isles was divided into four territories, and each territory was controlled by a different Pirate Lord. As a result, the Golden Rat Pirates couldn't just waltz in wherever they pleased, as only pirate crews affiliated with each Pirate Lord were allowed into their respective territories.
“Ah, here we go. Head for Kraken Harbor,” Siegfried said.
Kraken Harbor was a neutral zone, unclaimed by any Pirate Lord. It was a massive city bustling with various sentient lifeforms and was essentially a neutral gathering spot within the Green Isles.
“Kyuuu! Aye-aye!”
Following Siegfried’s command, Hamchi steered the ship through the Wailing Canyon, which was the gateway into the Green Isles.
[Green Isles: Wailing Canyon]
The canyon was a narrow maritime gorge with towering cliffs on either side, each lined with two thousand five hundred cannons–five thousand in total.
Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble or flee from the Green Isles would face a barrage of cannon fire, which was how this place had earned its name—it was born from the wailing of its victims.
After another twenty minutes of sailing, they finally reached Kraken Harbor.
“Whoa…” Siegfried muttered.
He could not help but be impressed by the sight before him.
The island where the city was located resembled a giant octopus. The harbor was full of pirate ships and surrounded by densely packed buildings. There were even waterborne shanties and structures built from decommissioned ships.
Truly, the Kraken Harbor was a city with a unique and exotic charm.
After docking the Temeraire, Siegfried stepped onto the pier.
Gasp!
“I-Is that who I think it is?!”
“It’s… It’s Captain Drake!”
“The Pirate Butcher!”
The locals fled in terror as if he were a plague, referring to Siegfried by the ghastly nickname "Pirate Butcher."
“...”
Siegfried was momentarily speechless, but their reaction was understandable.
Two days ago, Siegfried had annihilated twenty-three pirate crews, slaughtering more than one hundred pirates in the process. Word of his atrocities had spread rapidly, which eventually cemented his infamy across the Green Isles in just two days.
“Kyuuu! You’re the Pirate Butcher, owner punk! No mercy! No compassion! Just pure cruelty and death! A heartless killer!” Hamchi shouted.
He was purposely shouting enthusiastically, trying to boost Siegfried’s already infamous reputation.
“Why, you little! Who are you calling a heartless killer?!”
“Kyuuuu?!”
“That’s it! You’re dead!”
They began to bicker like children, jabbing, snapping, scratching, clawing, and pulling hair as usual.
After they were done bickering, Siegfried redirected his focus to the quest "On a Mission! Hero to the Rescue!"
‘First, I need to find the slave market here,’ he thought.
Although seeking the Pirate King’s treasure was important, completing an Epic Quest was far more important than that.
***
The slave market within Kraken Harbor proved to be a grim place. It was a place filled with nothing but misery where not just humans but sentient creatures were locked in cages as well, displayed like wares at a bazaar.
Elves with downcast eyes, orcs stripped of their dignity as warriors, and humans of all ages were huddled together in chains.
There was no question how they ended up here—they were the spoils and trophies of pirate raids.
“Fresh, strong slaves for sale!”
“Delicate young elf slaves! Soft and pure!”
“Orc slaves available! They’re built for labor!”
“Forty-year-old male slaves! Strong as an ox!”
The slave traders shouted at the top of their voices, just like merchants hawking fish at a market. Their advertisements were crude as they threw all sorts of brash and sleazy comments just to make a sale of their wares, which were living beings.
Siegfried’s face darkened at the unfolding scene.
“Disgusting filths…” he muttered under his breath. He sold people into slavery, too, true, but they were the worst of criminals who deserved no better. They were pirates, murderers, rapists, and a huge variety of scum in the world.
Even then, Siegfried had chosen his dealings carefully, as he worked only with those who adhered to a certain set of moral decorum.
What about these slave traders? There was no such thing as moral decorum.
Here in the Green Isles, they were driven purely by greed. Not a shred of conscience existed in this place, as even the vulnerable, innocent, and even children were all fair game here as long as the price was right.
“I want to kill them all…” he growled under his breath.
The thought flashed in his head, causing his temper to flare. However, he clenched his fists and kept moving, exerting superhuman self-control to stay focused on his task.
He was not here to enact righteousness—no, he was here to find one man. A man named Burke—a slave trader known for dealing with laborers.
Thirty minutes later, Siegfried stood before a shop with a sign that read "Muscle & Might" written in bold letters, and there was a cacophony of shouting and cursing inside the shops.
“Strong, durable slaves for sale!”
“Skilled blacksmiths ready to work!”
“Veteran construction slaves! Ten years’ experience!”
At the center of it all was Burke, an elderly man with a hunched back and a greedy gleam in his eyes. However, the color drained from Burke’s face the moment he saw Siegfried.
“T-The Pirate Butcher?!” he exclaimed, stumbling while his eyes were wide with terror.
Rumors of Siegfried’s recent rampage—the annihilation of twenty-three pirate crews and the deaths of over a hundred pirates—had spread like wildfire. A slave trader like Burke was bound to have access to current affairs, so there was no way he'd remain ignorant of Siegfried's name.
Burke's knees buckled in the face of a legend.
“W-What do you want?” Burke stammered.
Burke’s assistant, a young man, stepped forward quickly and explained, “He says that it’s no big deal. He just wants information on a slave we sold, old man. Cooperate, and he won’t hurt you at all.”
Burke trembled and asked, “T-That’s all he wants?”
“Yes, that’s what he said,” the assistant replied with a nod.
Relieved but still wary, Burke approached with a forced smile.
“G-Greetings, Captain Drake. What brings you to my humble shop?” he asked while rubbing his hands.
Siegfried did not waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point.
“I’m looking for Sam. He’s from the Barnacle Village and sold here by the Black Seagull Pirates. Where is he?” Siegfried asked curtly, his voice sounding sharp as a knife.
‘Arrogant bastard…’ Burke’s smile faltered as irritation flashed in his eyes. But as a seasoned slave trader, he suppressed it quickly and maintained his smile.
He knew better than to provoke the infamous Pirate Butcher. So with a grin, he gestured toward a ledger on the counter and replied, “Of course, let me check the records. Please give me a moment.”
He began flipping through the thick dusty pages. His fingers trembled uncontrollably as he searched for the name that Siegfried had given to him.