Among the sailors of the northern seas, there was a legend: of the countless Magic Beasts in the North Sea, the true rulers were the golden dolphins. These dolphins possessed golden skins, powerful magic, and heartbreakingly beautiful forms. If someone encountered a golden dolphin in the North Sea, it meant that this voyage of theirs would surely bring immense gains.
A hat made from golden dolphin hide held only one meaning in the northern seas—the supreme chief of all northern pirates, the leader of every pirate, the one who divided up sea territories and judged every kind of conflict among pirates, the uncrowned king of pirates!
The cuts Wood used, as well as the rhythm at which his fingers tapped the counter, were secret signals of the northern pirates taught by Lin Qi. These signals had been passed down through generations; only true pirates knew what those cuts and gestures meant.
The bar owner stared solemnly at Wood, while the men quietly drinking in the corners warily rose to their feet.
Some of the more hot-tempered men even drew sharp fishing knives and harpoons. They glared hard at Wood and his five companions, their eyes brimming with undisguised hostility. Unlike those sailors whose faces were crusted with sea-rust and who habitually walked with their legs spread apart, Wood and the others, though they too scraped by at the bottom of society, carried none of a sailor's scent.
"Honored guests are not heroes who make their living on the water!" The bar owner gloomily pulled a heavy horn axe from beneath the counter. He slammed it down onto the countertop and said darkly, "Yet you come here asking about the Golden Dolphin Hat. If you cannot give us a reasonable explanation, we can only send you lot to feed the fish!"