Compensation

Rewind ten minutes.

Before the Temple of the Sea, the Naga Priestess stood grimly before the statue, clutching the scepter representing the Temple of the Sea's presiding Priest. She wore a long, azure robe embroidered with strange patterns and a mysterious, swirling Crest. Before her stood Plane familiar Naga Guard; Soren seemed to have seen him once or twice before. The Naga Priestess's gaze sharpened as she stared ahead, her expression seemingly filled with anger and murderous intent. She said in a low voice, "Still no news from Asroder?"

The Naga Guard bowed slightly and said, "Yes."

Clang!

Enraged, the Naga Priestess grabbed a silver object and smashed it on the ground, then roared furiously, "How dare he! How dare he ignore me? How dare he ignore the power of the Goddess of the Sea!?"

The Naga Guard remained silent for a moment before speaking, "The Goddess of the Sea is responding to prayers less and less frequently, and many temple Priest are unable to receive a response. Some novice Priest are even losing the ability to cast Divine Magic. Rumors are circulating within the Naga that the Goddess of the Sea's power is waning, which has led some to have other ideas."

"Asroder probably won't respond to your request!... He's already acquired the wealth of Demon Island!..."

"The King of the Swamp has amassed a vast fortune, and Asroder is said to be recruiting soldiers. He has even extended his reach to the eastern coastal regions, preparing to win over those extremely dangerous Eastern Pirate who worship pagan Deity."

The Naga Priestess remained silent.

She paused for a moment, then turned and walked out of the Temple of the Sea.

The Naga Guard seemed somewhat surprised, raising his hand to stop her, but then withdrew it, lowering his head and saying, "Are you really prepared to personally greet that Throat Cutter? He is, after all, a human, an outsider!"

The Naga Priestess stopped, turned around, and glanced at him. Her face expressionless, she said, "So what can we do now?"

"If I don't go out to greet him personally, I will lose even my last ally. The Shark-man have suffered heavy losses in the fight against the King of the Swamp, the Naga Royal Family has begun to undermine my influence within their tribe, and the Goddess of the Sea is temporarily unable to answer my prayers. Even you, whom I once thought I could trust, have ultimately disappointed me greatly."

"On the contrary, it is this outsider who is human who has surprised me time and time again!"

"If he hadn't killed the King of the Swamp this time, my situation would have been even more dire. You're utterly useless, just watching Asroder seize the treasures of Demon Island."

The Naga Guard's face was grim, tinged with shame. He said in a low voice, "It was my incompetence. But he was, after all, one of the Three Great Pirate Kings of the South Coast. I couldn't possibly change the situation on my own."

The Naga Priestess remained silent.

She merely gave a Taunt smile, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

The Naga Guard hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Priest, if you personally go out to greet him, it means the Temple of the Sea has officially recognized his identity. His status will become equal to yours, and if you add the pirate forces he subdued after killing the King of the Swamp, he could very well become the new Pirate King!..."

"This will make him even more uncontrollable!... The situation on the South Coast will change drastically because of him!..."

The Naga Priestess glanced at him upon hearing this and slowly said, "Do you think the situation on the South Coast won't change drastically if I don't personally go to greet him? You're all getting restless, and even you have your own ulterior motives. Perhaps I was a bit narrow-minded in the past, but now I see one thing clearly: he has more investment value and potential than any of you!"

"To be able to kill the King of the Swamp under those circumstances."

"Perhaps I was wrong to think I could completely control him. This kind of person is impossible to completely control; he deserves to be my equal."

"Moreover."

"If I don't go to greet him personally now, does he not have the strength to become the new Pirate King?"

"In just three days, he gathered nearly a thousand pirates, and more and more pirates along the entire South Coast want to join him because he killed the King of the Swamp and proved his strength. This strength is even greater than that traitor Asroder. What do you think he's doing now, riding high on his victory, bringing the King of the Swamp's corpse and head here?"

"He just wants to force me to compromise and back down, to force me to bow my head and admit that he has an equal status with me."

"If I don't bow down and greet him personally, he might become my enemy. It's all because of my mistake. I trusted Asroder, and even more so, I trusted you. I won't make that mistake again. Go back to the Naga Race's Deep Sea Canyon. Since you're hesitant and unable to entrust everything to the Goddess of the Sea, then go back to that underwater canyon."

The Naga Priestess turned her head, her expression icy, and said, "Next time, I will not be merciful to you. You have truly disappointed me."

"My younger brother."

"You need to make your own choice. Don't force me to kill you with my own hands!..."

Dead silence.

When the Naga Priestess finished speaking, her gaze was icy cold, and she looked at the Naga Guard before her as if they were potential enemies. She left the Temple of the Sea, and as she raised her scepter, the Temple of the Sea Temple Warrior Guard the vicinity gathered. They wore heavy armor and carried uniform Trident —not merely weapons, but symbols of reliance, for the Naga Priestess's personal welcome of Soren held special significance.

The crowd before me parted like a tide.

More than thirty Temple Guard led the way as the Naga Priestess solemnly approached the dock. Those who saw her along the way, regardless of their faith in the Goddess of the Sea, couldn't help but bow slightly in reverence. She represented the oldest power in Port Tyler, and the Temple of the Sea held a greater weight in Port Tyler than any other faction. The Naga Priestess rarely appeared in public due to her race, making her appearance all the more remarkable, especially with so many pirates gathered near the port.

The dense crowd parted on both sides.

The Naga Priestess stared solemnly at the warships before her. She saw the King of the Swamp's Dragon-headed Warship, the stitched-up corpse, and seven or eight large Warship, as well as a considerable number of pirate speedboats. This force was almost capable of threatening the safety of Port Tyler. After all, in this era, no city had a large enough Guard; training professional Warrior required too many resources. Those who farmed in their spare time, trained in their leisure time, and possessed certain combat skills were merely considered militia in this world.

All principalities in the South Coast region.

The Regular Army totals less than 200,000. But if the militia were drawn out as Warrior, the number could surge to over two million.

Even the regular garrison of Port Tyler only numbers eight hundred men.

Throughout the entire South Coast and West Coast coastal regions, many cities have only three to five thousand regular troops. The man before them had unknowingly accumulated such a foundation, and he represented the rise of a new force.

"Your Mightiness!"

The Naga Priestess bowed slightly, her head bowed. She could hear the uproar behind her and understood that this act of respect would greatly enhance the man's prestige and solidify his current position. If she could, the Naga Priestess would absolutely not bow to Soren, but refusing to do so meant losing a powerful ally. She had to compromise and yield; even simply coming out to greet him personally might not satisfy the man before her.

Because the Naga Priestess saw a light in his eyes!

That's ambition.

He definitely harbors great ambitions.

This discovery filled the Naga Priestess with a bitter feeling, for she felt she had missed a crucial opportunity. If she hadn't pressed so hard from the beginning, had shown more sincerity, and had invested more resources in the man before her, perhaps things would be different now.

But it's already a bit too late!

If she gave all of this in the past, then it was her blessing. A condescending reward.

But things are different now.

Now the man in front of her is forcibly demanding all of this from her, believing that he deserves it all. In other words, even if she pays a considerable price, the only reward she gets is to regain their trust and friendship.

Soren stood atop the Dragon-headed Warship.

He gazed at the Naga Priestess bowing before him, and at the murmuring crowd behind him. Only then did his expression soften slightly; at least the Naga Priestess wasn't utterly foolish and knew that a price should be paid to restore their trust and cooperation.

But!

That alone is not enough.

How could Soren possibly let bygones be bygones just because the other party personally came out to greet him? After all, the Pirate King ' Asroder ' had stolen his rightful spoils and plundered all the wealth on Demon Island, which was controlled by the King of the Swamp. This paltry price only proved that the other party still intended to continue cooperating and negotiating with him. To truly get Soren to abandon past grievances, he needed to offer tangible benefits.

He's not the kind of person who gets completely bewildered just because someone flatters him.

Soren's expression was cold.

Perhaps because he has experienced a lot during this period, his acting skills have improved without him even realizing it, especially after encountering so many formidable opponents.

The Naga Priestess's heart skipped a beat when she saw Soren's indifferent expression.

She realized that without significant financial sacrifice, she might not be able to regain the trust between them. The situation was now somewhat precarious; she had already come out to greet Soren. Therefore, regardless of whether the two reached an agreement or not, Soren would ultimately receive the recognition he deserved, and his status was now approaching that of other Pirate King.

Thinking of this, the Naga Priestess gritted her teeth, approached Soren, and handed him something.

"The King of the Swamp is dead!"

Although she was inwardly heartbroken, the Naga Priestess outwardly maintained her composure. Priests were all skilled performers; otherwise, they couldn't preside over a temple. She glanced at Soren, then her gaze swept over the nearby pirates, and said in a tone imbued with a sacred solemnity, "Your Excellency has slain the enemy of the Goddess of the Sea!... The Goddess of the Sea will gladly bestow upon you a reward!..."

Please accept this.

"This represents our friendship, and it also represents our determination to join forces and eliminate other enemies!..."

In an instant.

Soren's cold expression shifted dramatically, like snow melting in a spring breeze. The Naga Priestess before him had offered him an irresistible compensation, and even when her words hinted at a renewed alliance, he nodded in agreement without hesitation. The Naga Priestess had given him control of the Ghost Ship ' The Speaker of the Dead,' an irresistible temptation for Soren, even more so than the beautiful and wealthy countess heiress.

The Speaker of the Dead!

Ghost Ship of near- Legendary Tier.

As the core fighting force in several battles, Soren was all too aware of the value of this Ghost Ship.

(P. S.: Fututu is sick... feeling a bit dizzy and dehydrated... so only one update today... hoping to get better soon.) (To be continued~^~)