In Evan's previous life, people in the Han Dynasty of the Celestial Empire had already begun eating raw fish, calling it "fish carpaccio." It had merely fallen out of fashion because freshwater fish carried more parasites, only to be further developed by the coastal island nations.
Captain Gell was the first to show Evan some respect. He picked up a slice of fish so thin it was translucent in the sunlight, first praising Evan's knife skills before putting it into his mouth. He was instantly conquered by the fresh, sweet flavor of the raw fish.
Accustomed to fish soup and grilled fish, they found this novel way of eating it uniquely flavorful.
"Mm, not bad. Fresh, sweet, tender, and smooth. You should all try some too."
Following their superior's lead, the sailors eagerly sampled it one after another, quickly becoming fans of Evan's new way of preparing sea fish.
The chef then brought the meticulously prepared barbecue to the table. Several officers left behind aboard the Warrior were also invited over to join the Silver Wing's lunch. For a time, food and wine flowed freely, and both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves.
The leisurely hours did not last long. As the sailors sent to fetch water gradually returned, they brought back exciting news: they had unexpectedly discovered traces of other people's activity at the island's water source!
"Let's follow them!"
Though they could not be sure whether it was One-Eyed Beck, no one wanted to abandon such a rare clue. After a brief rest, the two warships swiftly raised their sails and set off, pursuing the direction in which the other party might have left.
The howling sea breeze filled the sails.
As the observer, Evan stood in the lookout post atop the main mast when a strange thought suddenly popped into his head.
Other transmigrators were hunted down by forces large and small every day, scrambling for their lives, while he had already reached the point of hunting others down. He probably had not disgraced the wider transmigrator community, right?
He then dismissed the joking thought from his mind.
Rubbing his chin, he recalled how more than three years of hunting experience constantly reminded him that the roles of hunter and prey were never fixed. Even a hunter had to remain vigilant against the prey's counterattack.
Especially when that prey was also a cunning predator!
And One-Eyed Beck's conduct gave him precisely that vague feeling. That fellow had hidden rather than fled, remaining within the Third Fleet's jurisdiction all this time. He definitely had some other objective.
This pursuit continued for an entire day. Near a vast stretch of Chaotic Rock Islands extending for dozens of miles, they finally discovered traces of another vessel.
It was a half-full oak barrel that looked as though it had accidentally fallen into the sea and then drifted with the current directly into the warship's sight.
The sailors hauled it from the water.
Bang!
When they opened the completely ordinary-looking barrel, the scent of liquor wafted out. Even Evan, who hardly drank, knew it was rum, the most common liquor at sea.
But First Mate Perry solemnly poured himself a cup, sniffed it, then took a small taste before saying with certainty, "This barrel of liquor was not produced on the Black Sea coast. At the very least, it is not rum made by any of the Tulip Alliance nations."
Faced with the puzzled looks of most of the sailors,
the first mate had a sailor pour another cup of the rum stored aboard the ship. Placing the two cups together, he explained, "The nations of the Tulip Alliance interact frequently and have many wineries. But in truth, their distilleries are all located in colonies on the Southern Continent, where there is sufficient sugarcane as raw materials. Both the sugar and liquor industries are highly developed there."
"No matter how the methods change or whether the liquor is blended, the sugarcane used as raw material is always the same kind. That is why sugarcane liquor from the Tulip Alliance all shares a particular fragrance, distinct from that of other regions."
Hearing this, Evan also picked up the two cups and sniffed them, trying to detect the difference, but found nothing at all. He could only silently look at the first mate with the reverence of a clueless newbie admiring an expert. Sure enough, experience still counted for something.
"In other words, some outsider avoided the regular shipping routes and inexplicably came to this godforsaken place. I'd say there is an eighty percent chance they're pirates, and the most likely one is our target, One-Eyed Beck!" The first mate voiced his conclusion.
Though there were many possible explanations for the presence of foreign liquor, most people aboard agreed with the first mate. Evan therefore did not interrupt in an area outside his expertise.
"Inform the Warrior."
At Gell's signal, the news was quickly relayed to the Warrior by signal flags. The Warrior then replied, suggesting that the two warships split up here, each taking one side of the Chaotic Rock Islands. Once either found traces of the other party, they would signal the other ship.
And without waiting for the Silver Wing's response, the Warrior impatiently sailed toward the outer side of Chaotic Rock Island. That was the direction from which the current came, where the odds of finding the other party were theoretically higher.
"Captain, is this really alright? After all, it was the Silver Wing that found the clue first." The Warrior's navigator asked somewhat hesitantly. He was also one of the officers left behind who had been invited aboard the Silver Wing for lunch, and he now felt that his captain's conduct was truly rather unfair.
"What's not alright about it? Didn't we share our discovery at the water source with them yesterday? Now that we've caught One-Eyed Beck's tail, it comes down to ability. Whoever catches him gets him."
The captain, a rough-looking man with a face covered in a huge blue beard, held a lower rank than Gell and was merely a lieutenant colonel. But he had no command relationship with Gell; they were only cooperating at sea because of headquarters' orders. Naturally, he was not afraid to compete with him for credit.
Watching the Warrior rush ahead, the officers and sailors aboard the Silver Wing wore unpleasant expressions. This attempt to keep everything for themselves was far too ugly. They had barely found a clue, and already they wanted to ditch everyone else and act alone?
And did that fellow take One-Eyed Beck for meat on a chopping block, just waiting to be thrown into the pot? Was he really that reckless?
"Make sure the navigation log records everything. If something goes wrong, it won't be our fault." Gell said no more, merely instructing the junior officers to record the course of events properly and clear them of responsibility first.
"Let him go. A man as unpredictable as One-Eyed Beck will not be easy to deal with. We'll take the inner route."
At the same time, aboard a sea vessel flying black sails.
"Captain, good news! Gagon says a fish has taken the bait!"
The tattoo-covered first mate hurried up to the forecastle, bent at the waist in a ninety-degree bow, and reported to the captain wearing a tricorn pirate hat and possessing only one eye.
The one-eyed captain turned at those words. His remaining eye seemed to carry poisonous thorns, making the first mate unconsciously avert his gaze, unable to meet it.
His captain, One-Eyed Beck, was a hundred times more powerful and crazed than the rumors claimed. Even a longtime follower like him did not dare show the slightest disobedience.
"Go tell Gagon that if his entrail divination is inaccurate again this time, then next time we'll use his own entrails! Understand?" A suppressed, nauseating voice, like that of rotting mud from the seafloor, entered the first mate's ears and made him feel sick. Yet he did not dare reveal the slightest change in expression.
"Yes, yes, yes. I'll tell him right away." The first mate nodded frantically. He did not dare say another word or hesitate, hurriedly running down from the forecastle.
Yet inwardly, he thought,
Gagon may only be a native wizard who knows a little rudimentary witchcraft, but he is still the second most terrifying person on this ship.
Just the thought of cutting open animals and using their entrails for divination sends chills down my spine. I'd better avoid provoking him.
Watching the first mate's departing back, One-Eyed Beck was highly satisfied with his own intimidating presence.
Turning around, he stroked a black stone sculpture placed behind the figurehead. A trace of fervor flashed through his single eye.
As long as he could sink one more warship and complete the ritual, the powerful Oceanic Secret Treasure, the Shipwreck Lament, could be fully unlocked.
And he—the great Captain One-Eyed Beck—could complete his Extraordinary path transformation and become a rare and powerful Shipwreck Wailer!
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