So this guy was behind it all... Angel's lips twitched as she looked again at the "sailors" silently going about their work. On closer inspection, their movements were clumsy and their expressions unchanging, like sleepwalkers repeating tasks from their memories.
Klein had probably "robbed" some pirate ship full of hardened villains, turned every pirate aboard into his marionettes, and brought them onto the Queen Anne's Revenge.
Not only could this conceal his true body as a Trick Sorcerer, but at critical moments, he could also use his marionettes to scout ahead or avoid potentially fatal injuries.
The trouble was that he usually carried only three Beyonder marionettes. Now that he was controlling so many more, his proficiency had plummeted. Many marionettes were performing identical movements or simply staring into space...
With a soft chuckle, Angel approached Klein, pointed at the sailors moving back and forth across the deck, and asked:
"Which pirate ship did you 'invite' these extras from?"
"They admired the Golden Queen's grace and volunteered to work aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, even if it meant sweeping the decks and washing dishes."
Klein took off his top hat, held it against his chest, and bowed to Angel, offering his explanation in a humorous tone.
At the same time, every sailor put down his work in perfect unison, turned toward them, and copied Klein's gesture.
Most of them weren't wearing hats, however, so the way they touched the tops of their heads with their right hands before holding them over their chests looked exceedingly strange.
If I didn't know he was a Trick Sorcerer who could control marionettes, I'd probably think I'd seen a ghost... Does he usually scare passersby this way to digest his potion? But even without knowing about marionettes, the sailors' earlier movements were frightening enough...