Five thousand Southsea Pirates, noisy and bustling, headed towards the Caverns of Time under the leadership of Thrall and Vol'jin, each one genuinely happy.
Only a few who admired violence or aspired to become the Pirate King quietly chose to leave.
Throughout the journey, Thrall was amiable and friendly, chatting and laughing with Craig, while Vol'jin was even more approachable and gentle. The three almost became sworn brothers.
Only the young man from the Caverns of Time remained silent, his face grim, as if everyone owed him money.
Upon reaching the Caverns of Time, at Thrall's command, the Pirates removed their armor, laid down their weapons, and entered the depths of the Caverns of Caverns of Time through the winding caverns.
Thrall warmly introduced the Bronze Dragonflight and the Caverns of Time to Craig and the other Pirate leaders:
"The Bronze Dragonflight are the most benevolent of the five great Dragons. They usually observe the birth, aging, sickness, and death of mortals with indifference, but when you ask for help, they will do their best to assist you."
At the Caverns of Time, enormous Bronze Dragonflight occasionally roar overhead, stirring up terrifying gusts of wind.
Feeling the immense pressure from the Dragon, Craig suddenly had an absurd thought: if the Bronze Dragonflight suddenly turned on them, the five thousand Pirates would be powerless to fight back.
But Craig immediately found it amusing; the Savior Thrall was just as rumored—wise, just, full of benevolence and wisdom, and so kind.
Even the most ruthless Pirate leaders were captivated by Thrall's noble character.
Thrall, with his kind heart, would never harm anyone.
They were nearing the center of the Caverns of Time when, before a crooked tower, stood a beautiful Blood Elf woman, her eyes sparkling as she sized up the Pirate.
Many frivolous Pirates whistled, to which the Blood Elf woman responded with a kind and gentle smile.
Suddenly, a terrifying shadow fell, and the Blood Elf woman transformed into a gigantic Dragon, extending her tongue to coil around a Tauren.
The Dragon's tongue, covered in sharp barbs, easily pierced the Tauren's clothing and skin. With a flick of its tongue, a complete hide, along with the head, fell to the ground.
The barbs sliced open the abdomen again, tossing the internal organs aside. The Tauren's mangled body disappeared into the giant mouth, followed by a chilling chewing sound. The Dragon's strong teeth crushed the bones along with the meat, then it swallowed it down with a satisfied expression.
"As expected of Pirates, the meat is very chewy and springy, with a hint of rum. Not bad, not bad at all. I've been so lazy; I should have found a few more to satisfy my cravings sooner."
The Pirates were stunned with fear, and many of Pirate got their pants wet.
What atrocities haven't those ruthless Southsea Pirates committed?
Tragedy like this happens frequently and often becomes a source of boasting when they're drunk. But when they go from being the perpetrators to the victims, the Pirates are terrified and fall silent.
The young man following Thrall complained, "Ellurmi, we Bronze Dragonflight are a civilized race. Your behavior is utterly despicable and shameful."
The young man's expression was eccentric as he said fiercely, "Pirates should eat cooked food."
Craig hoped it was just a misunderstanding, his face pale as he looked pleadingly at Thrall.
Thrall's expression remained calm. "Craig, please don't take it to heart. In the great cause of saving Azeroth, all races are equal. There are only different roles, not distinctions of rank or status."
Craig asked nervously, "What is the division of labor among the Southsea Pirates?"
Thrall said with cadence, "You have the most glorious duty, your role is irreplaceable, I am proud of you, you are indispensable food."
"Food?"
Craig was so frightened that he fell to the ground, only then realizing why Dempl had run away.
"No, great Savior Thrall, I am a Goblin, well-educated since childhood. Unlike these foolish Pirates, believe me, I am far more useful than food."
Thrall looked at Craig with a completely incomprehensible expression:
"You're putting me in a difficult position. What's wrong with becoming food with honor? Countless people in Azeroth dream of becoming Orcs food every day, contributing their share to saving Azeroth. The opportunity you've been dreaming of is right in front of you, so why won't you cherish it?"
Craig crawled on his knees toward Thrall: "No, please, don't eat me."
Thrall shook his head. "Craig, everyone has value. Your mindset is problematic, and I'm very disappointed in you. However, I will correct your mistakes, after all, we're friends."
Thrall turned to the young man and said, "Zaladormu, prepare a set of cooking utensils for me. I want to cook myself. This Goblin's moral character isn't very high, so I'll start with his mind. Hopefully, after he's been thoroughly cooked, his moral character will be as noble as mine, and he'll understand the importance of selfless Consecration to Azeroth."
After Anachronos finished counting the number of Pirates, he nodded to Thrall and said:
"Five thousand Pirates, equivalent to five thousand rations of military supplies, in return for five thousand Orcs soldiers, as per protocol."
Thrall paid no heed, completely absorbed in cooking the Goblin Craig.
"Goblin meat is tough and has a nauseating, coppery smell. It must be seasoned with Tauren and Pandaren meat. This way, the resulting Goblin meat has both the chewiness of Tauren and the tenderness of Pandaren, melting in your mouth and sweet."
Ellurmi, now transformed into Blood Elf woman, asked curiously:
"If that's the case, why not just cook Tauren and Pandaren directly? I think being fixated on Goblin meat, a coarse ingredient, is the biggest waste of food."
Thrall glared at Ellurmi:
"You don't understand. True culinary skill is about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary."
After working for more than two hours, Thrall finished a Goblin feast and began to eat with relish, Vol'jin picked up a map of Uldum and began to study it carefully.
"The Tol'vir of Uldum were originally created by the Titans. After being Curse of Flesh, they multiplied rapidly. Unfortunately, the desertified Uldum could not support so many people, leading to constant warfare among them. The current Tol'vir consists of three Clans: Ramkahen, Oasis, Neferset. Which Clans should we start with?"
Thrall said as he ate:
"The weakness of the four Elemental Lords is the Forge of Origination. Once we obtain this Titans artifact, we can reshape the Elemental Power of Azeroth, and the Elemental Lords will lose all their power. By the way, has Ra-den replied?"
Vol'jin replied respectfully, "We have received Ra-den's reply. He requests the Forge of Origination to help him leave Azeroth."
Thrall nodded in satisfaction:
"The ancient Titan Keepers Ra-den, though most of his power was taken by Lei Shen, is still our greatest ally. Promise Ra-den that once I have repaired Outland, Ra-den will have a place there."
Vol'jin quickly wrote it down.
Thrall wiped the grease from his lips and pointed to the Oasis City: "Let's begin here, Vol'jin. This time, we'll employ a more sophisticated approach."
Vol'jin, beaming, said, "I'm ready. You will march into Uldum in the name of Justice. Saving Azeroth is outdated; this time, we will do it in the name of the Emissary."