A vast blue ocean.

There was a salty smell in the breeze.

The sea was slightly rippling, and seagulls were crossing the sky from time to time.

This is the golden route to the East, and since the great geographical discovery, countless ships have traveled along this route every day to the mysterious East, bringing porcelain, spices, silks, and other specialties to be dumped in the harbor and transformed into gold and silver and other cuties.

The sea is the cradle of dreams and holds countless treasures.

In each port, there are stories of lucky people who became rich overnight, inspiring more teenagers to follow the path of navigators, but they do not know that in addition to the incomparable treasures of the sea, there are also extremely terrifying dangers.

Nature's storms are only one aspect, but also the giant water monsters, the races that inhabit the ocean, and even some indescribable beings, once angry, can easily overturn ships and bring disaster.

Of course, piracy is the most frequent danger on the route.

They chase riches, love rum and women, and after grabbing a large sum, they spend their days drinking in special pirate ports until they spend the last copper in their pockets, and then they are red-eyed and screaming, and they embark on a new hunting journey.

For men at sea, being born in the sea and dying in the sea are all arrangements of fate.

However, pirates are not a good profession, and they are also subject to the dangers of the sea compared to maritime merchants, and even in addition to this, there is a special Royal Navy round-up.

On the Western continent, the most powerful maritime state, Insman, as the biggest beneficiary of maritime trade, abhorred piracy and legislated for this purpose, if any piracy was detected at sea, regardless of the status of the pirate, it could be executed on the spot.

In Insman's harbor, the corpses of pirates could be seen hanging from the air every day, until one day the pirates had achieved results and several new ones were replaced.

The struggle between the navy and pirates is the theme of eternal antagonism in the ocean voyage of mankind in this Age of Discovery.

The Age of Discovery!

Based on the great geographical discoveries, after the great navigator Michael discovered the route to the East, many continental countries went crazy.

Countless people flocked to the oceans, risking hurricanes, tsunamis, trolls, pirates, and more, to explore new worlds, continent after continent was discovered, more and more ocean-going ships were built, and tonnage and speed continued to improve.

An influx of wealth poured into Innsman, making the island nation the richest nation on the entire Western continent.

The stimulus of gold and other wealth has made many countries with coastlines ready to move, and one after another they have started their own seafaring careers.

This is the worst of times, the terrifying seas are like merciless beasts, devouring the young lives of people, and the great discoveries of geography are full of colonization and sin.

It's also the best of times, with courage and a little subtle luck, wealth and anything else can be found in the sea!

……

"What a great day!"

Donald was in his thirties, and his white shirt was half-open, revealing his thick chest hair.

As an old fur dog and an experienced navigator, he just sniffed the sea breeze and knew that it was a good and cloudless day.

"At this rate, by tomorrow night, you'll be in Delenque Harbour and enjoy the turkey and rum there......"

Donald rubbed his face, because he hadn't been tidying up for a long time, he had grown a hard clump of beard, like a steel needle.

He is the navigator of the 'Flame Beauty' and has a high status.

Generally speaking, on a merchant ship at this time, the highest status is the captain, followed by the first mate, who is the captain's deputy and manages the affairs and other chores on the deck.

The navigator followed, skilled in using the sextant and star positioning, calculating currents and routes, and sometimes even a little more important than the captain.

Next, there is the Stormtrooper Captain, as well as the second and third officers.

At this time, the sea route is not calm at all, there is a possibility of encountering pirates, a stormtrooper who can fight and enough armament is the guarantee of survival at a critical moment!

In the case of pirate ships and warships, there are subdivisions of gunners, musketeers, and other specialized combatants.

In addition to this, there are doctors, cooks, carpenters, accountants, ...... Together with the sailors at the bottom, these people form a complete human chain on a ship.

And Donald himself also has a certain stake in this cargo.

He was proficient in seafaring and trade, and had already estimated that he would be able to make a profit of more than two hundred and fifty gold galleons after getting rid of the goods on the ship, and these little treasures that shimmered with golden light were enough for him to buy a villa in the countryside of Insman, and hundreds of land in Hule, and then retire and live a leisurely and prosperous life.

Years of sailing, with its countless dangers, seem to be nothing to mention compared to this.

'Alas...... After being away for so many years, I don't know how my family is going, but little Arthur can already speak, right? ’

Donald misses his wife and son a little.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance down his throat.

There, a bizarre metal pendant, worn by fine hemp rope, emits a cold, hard glow.

It's a miniature dagger in the form of a weird one that Donald bought from a crazed witch at a pirate market.

'It has a special meaning, it represents the mastery of all weapons, you feel its greatness, and therefore it belongs to you......

The witch's words were still lingering in Donald's ears at this time.

However, out of respect for the witch, he paid the price of three silver narls.

In fact, Donald strongly suspects that this is just the witch's sales pitch.

Who knows how he got obsessed with it in the first place and bought this pendant.

Although the experienced captain saw it and thought that it might be the emblem of some Eastern faith, or something related to an evil god, and advised him to abandon it as soon as possible or give it to another priest, Donald knew that he could not abandon this thing worth three silver narls, unless he was insane.

What's more, anything related to beliefs, gods, and spirits must be treated with caution.

Maybe a god or unknown being is watching you secretly, and if you throw the pendant away, it will lead to disaster!

"From the East...... Maybe it's the emblem of a certain Master of Weapons? ”

Thinking of this, Donald couldn't help but grasp the pendant and began to pray: "That unknown majestic existence that stands in the dark...... I praise you with sincere words and worship you with sincere faith...... I hope you can guide me so that I can complete this voyage smoothly! ”

As an old fur seal, he has a rather trustworthy attitude towards luck and fate.

Even though many countries on the mainland still have religious bans, Innsman, which is the most open and civilized, has a very enlightened attitude towards religious circles.

Basically, as long as it is not a cult and does not promote doomsday and offensive things, it can be treated and promoted on an equal footing.

Although Donald already believes in a goddess of luck, this does not prevent him from asking for help from another being when his heart is weak.

After all, while the gods swore that the true god would exist, Donald didn't once feel the goddess answer his prayers.

Well, our Mr. Donald, if it is really divided by faith, is probably at the level of false believers and pan-believers.

But this prayer was clearly different.

A hot burning sensation emanated from the palm of his hand, making him stare at his pendant in disbelief.

This strange blade, which looks like a knife but not a sword, and looks like a sword but not a sword, has a smooth arc and a strange shape, as if many traces of weapons can be found from it.

At this time, the black pendant was cold in the hand, as if everything before was an illusion.

But in the dark, a huge sense of crisis constantly stimulated Donald's heart, making him know that great danger was coming!

"Damn...... Is this really a revelation from the gods? ”

He tugged at his collar and climbed up to the mast lookout like a monkey.

The weather was good, there were no clouds, there was no mist on the sea, and visibility was good.

Donald looked in one direction.

There, a black dot slowly approached, eventually taking the form of an armed merchant ship.

After the other party saw the Flame Beauty, his speed increased and he approached violently, and there was no sign on the hull.

"Alert!"

Donald didn't have time to think about it, and immediately shouted, sounding the alarm.

"What's going on?"

There was a commotion on deck, and a white captain pushed the sailors away and walked out.

"Five nautical miles to the left, an unknown ship was found!"

Donald gritted his teeth.

"Huh?"

The captain took a brass monocular, and his face became solemn: "Captain Stormtroopers, prepare for battle!" The other sailors, each back in the cabin, ready to cast their oars! ”

The sailors aboard the Flame Beauty sprang into action, and Donald looked nervously at the approaching armed ships.

The closer they got, the more clearly they could see the guns on the big ship and the dense figures on the deck, and an atmosphere of unease suddenly spread.

Finally, there was a cheer from the opposite ship, and a black flag was raised.

Above the flag, there is a white skull pattern with two crossed bones underneath.

"It's a pirate ship!"

The most unwilling conjecture became a reality, and the captain could only take a deep breath: "Turn immediately!" ”

Brush Lala!

Suddenly, dozens of long oars poked out from both sides of the Flame Beauty's ship, shaking the sea in unison, causing the ship to turn and flee quickly.

However, with the sound of a horn, the ship on the opposite side also stretched out its long oars to accelerate, like a fierce beast, flying and hunting for food.

Just by contrasting, Donald closed his eyes, knowing that with the speed of his ship, he couldn't escape.

"Ready for battle...... Full! ”

The captain also knew this, took a deep breath, and issued the order.