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"Pull hard, not with brute strength. Feel the wind, understand? The wind, the way it blows toward you."

The Chief Sailor shouted behind Liu Zhi, gesturing as he instructed him. The other sailors stood nearby watching the show. Ever since yesterday's naval battle ended, Liu Zhi had become a madman in their eyes.

As a merchant and a noble, instead of tending to the goods in his cabin, he had run onto the deck and asked the Chief Sailor to teach him Sailing Skill.

The Chief Sailor had been unwilling, yet Liu Zhi had actually offered to pay him for instruction.

For the sake of a small pouch of Xise Silver Coins and some free labor, the Chief Sailor reluctantly agreed to Liu Zhi's request. He taught Liu Zhi hand in hand how to tie ropes, climb masts, furl and unfurl sails, adjust the size of the sails according to the wind direction, and so on.

After a full day, Liu Zhi had gradually improved. From the idiot who could do nothing in the Chief Sailor's eyes at first, he had now reached the level where he could probably sail a small boat near the coast and do some fishing.

What the Chief Sailor did not know was that every time he gave Liu Zhi a piece of advice, +1 or +2 would appear before Liu Zhi's eyes.

[Sailing Skill Level 3 (166+0/900): Mastery over controlling sails, a sailor's primary skill. Equivalent to an old sailor who has spent around ten years at sea. Strength +0.3, Spirit +0.1]

[Description: Sailing Skill personally taught by the Chief Sailor, equivalent to the Chief Sailor's many years of experience controlling sails at sea. In his words, controlling sails was not about brute strength; one also had to use one's heart to sense the wind's presence.]

Just as Liu Zhi watched the Sailing Skill experience continue to rise, the Chief Sailor shouted, "All right, that's enough. We'll be reaching Tortuga Port soon. Go check the goods in your cabin. You lot, get over here and control the sails. We're entering port!"

When he saw the rising experience stop, Liu Zhi could not help calling out, "Don't do this! Let me handle the sails a little longer. I'm about to get the feel for it."

"You should go check your goods. Once we disembark, we won't be responsible for anything. If you want to control sails, rent yourself a small boat and drift around at sea for a few days. You'll learn everything then."

The Chief Sailor directed the sailors to furl the sails while speaking to Liu Zhi. After all, Liu Zhi had paid him, and giving him a few more pointers cost nothing.

Left with no choice, Liu Zhi could only head toward the cabins.

Before he even reached the cabin he had rented, Liu Zhi saw a fat man standing outside it.

The fat man appeared to be a merchant as well. Before Liu Zhi could say anything, he approached with a smile.

"Ah, Sir Sandru, I'm Dobby, the one who boarded with you. I saw all of your bravery during yesterday's battle. You're the king of the sea! Such dull work as being a merchant simply doesn't suit you. Look, there aren't any fleets heading to Seville now. Have you decided what to do with the goods in your cabin?"

Liu Zhi glanced at Dobby, wondering why he had the name of a little dog. Then he raised his head. "What? Are you interested in these goods?"

At Liu Zhi's glance, Dobby immediately took two steps back. Still smiling, he said, "How would I dare? But as you can see, these goods are all specialties of nearby ports. They won't sell for much in these waters, they can't be transported away, and storing them costs money for warehouse rental. So..."

"Fine. Buy them for however much I paid for them." Liu Zhi cut him off. He had no time to deal with a cabin full of goods.

"My lord, buying them at the original price is a little..."

"What, you think they're too expensive? It's true that these goods are specialties of nearby ports, but the share each person can acquire is limited. If I weren't planning to make a big profit, I could have sold them at the port with a twenty percent markup and people would still buy them. What, are you trying to take advantage of me?"

After fighting pirates and Fishmen several times, Liu Zhi's bearing had clearly grown. With one hand on his scimitar and a furious glare in his eyes, he scared the fat merchant Dobby backward.

But with an entire cabin of goods sitting there, just as Liu Zhi had said, they were not something every merchant could buy. Dobby gritted his teeth and swallowed.

"Fine. I'll buy them at the original price."

At that moment, Liu Zhi raised one finger and waved it before Dobby. "But I have one more condition."

Before Liu Zhi could even state his condition, Dobby jumped up. "What did you say? No! I won't agree to any condition!"

Liu Zhi said nothing and merely watched Dobby leap about. After jumping around for a while, Dobby realized that this tactic was useless against Liu Zhi. With a plop, he dropped to his knees before him.

"Sir, you're a noble. Have pity on us poor merchants. It wasn't easy for me to scrape together this money, I..."

Before Dobby could finish, he felt a chill at his neck. Liu Zhi had already placed his scimitar against it. "Agree to my condition, or get lost."

Dobby's eyes kept darting about. It was obvious that he was weighing the gains and losses.

In the end, profit prevailed. Dobby finally gritted his teeth and said, "What do you want?"

"Don't worry, I won't ask for anything you can't afford. I'm a noble gentleman, an upright merchant, so my activities remain within the bounds of legitimate business. Right now, I want to buy some people. You know, the kind who can obey me completely."

"Slaves, right? I know." For the first time, Dobby interrupted Liu Zhi. "Now that you've said that, I'm relieved. I have connections."

"Not necessarily. I want slaves who can fight, and whose deaths won't be my responsibility. I also need a lot of them."

"A lot? What are you planning to do? Don't tell me you're planning a job." Dobby moved among the lower and middle ranks, and many of his thoughts were close to those of low-level mercenaries.

"No. My base is in Seville, but it's obvious I won't be able to return this year. I need to ensure my safety on this land."

"But slaves you buy can't be trusted. No matter how strong they are, it's useless."

"I know. I have no intention of hiring them to protect me. I have my own plans."

"All right, it's your call. I really don't understand what you nobles are trying to do." Dobby agreed without hesitation.

Seeing Dobby's helpless expression, Liu Zhi pushed open the cabin door and took out the cargo list from beneath his hammock.

Besides the prices at their places of origin, it also listed the prices paid to purchase the goods and roughly how much they could sell for after being transported to Xise.

"A total of 307 Gold Coins and 66 Silver Coins. Pay up, and it's yours."