Ingsman, offshore.
One pirate crew after another gathered, with the four Legendary Pirate Ships at their core.
Fang Yuan was dressed carelessly, his collar open to reveal a strong chest. A crown worn as an armband glinted in the sun.
"We... will rule the seas!" He stepped forward and roared.
"Whoo!" The pirates around him immediately answered with a cheer.
"As Pirate King, I need a territory. Of course, I have no interest in the resources of the Nightmare Sea, nor in the lands ruled by any of my Governors... What I want is Ingsman, the great island nation—the unsinkable ship that watches over the O'Farrell Continent!"
Fang Yuan's voice rang out. "Pirates, win me a kingdom! Let's launch the grandest raid of all! From this day on, you'll never need another letter of marque, because you'll be the nobles of this kingdom!"
"Whoo?!"
The pirates' cheers grew louder, though a note of uncertainty crept into them.
Even Fang Yuan's subordinates and the four Pirate Governors were equally astonished.
They had never imagined that Fang Yuan had this in mind.
But to Fang Yuan, Ingsman truly was in a superb position, like an unsinkable vessel that held the throat of all maritime trade with the O'Farrell Continent.
If he wanted to monopolize trade between East and West, controlling this final hub would undoubtedly make things twice as easy—and allow him to establish a true maritime empire!
Besides... the reforms I'm about to carry out will inevitably bring conflict. Turning it outward is better than letting it erupt at home... And I can wipe out Ingsman's vested interests, then use the spoils to buy the loyalty of those who join me...
Fang Yuan had calculated it all with perfect clarity.
And he was decisive to the extreme.
It didn't matter if