A Bountiful Harvest

"Captain, aren't we taking any loot?" Milta asked, a little confused.

"The biggest loot was that ship, and it's already destroyed. We're short on men, and it's not worth the effort to salvage that little bit," Ian said indifferently.

Milta's mouth was slightly agape as he regretfully stared at the wreckage of the Golden Sail, which was gradually drifting away. Winning without any spoils of war significantly diminished the thrill.

Having spent so much time on merchant ships like these, he saw no problem with treating people as commodities. The wine barrels, freshwater barrels, sails, and ropes on the ship could still be useful.

As dusk approached, Ian finally found another Swordfish sailboat. The Swordfish, using its remaining mizzen sail, had actually turned around and was sailing with the wind towards Paradise Island.

They weren't far from Paradise Island, but unfortunately, they were "drifting" too slowly.

The instant the Leviathan appeared, all the sails on the Swordfish were lowered. Several sailors on high frantically signaled with flags.

Ian and Milta didn't understand flag signals. Ian looked at Lia.

Lia observed through her monocular, "They're surrendering, they've given up resistance. Don't fire..."

The captain of the Swordfish knew that the strange ship not far away had very few crew members. To alleviate their concerns, he not only lowered the sails but also aimed all his cannons inward, with all personnel dropping their weapons and standing on deck.

Ian found the Swordfish captain's actions amusing. "Such a strong will to survive!"

The Swordfish had only fired one volley of cannons from a distance and had been running the entire time.

"Slowly approach. Load all cannons with light canister shot. If anything changes, fire immediately!" Ian prepared to board with Milta, while Lia kept watch on the Leviathan.

Canister shot was a thin cylindrical tin can with an iron base, containing 20 to 200 iron balls ranging from 10 to 50 millimeters in diameter. The moment the projectile left the cannon's muzzle, the immense pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cannon caused the tin casing to rupture, scattering the balls into a circular pattern.

Light canister shot contained over a hundred balls, had a shorter range, but a wider kill radius.

The Leviathan's eight Alchemy Cannons firing in unison at close range could turn the Swordfish into a sieve. In the crossfire, low-tier transcendent beings were no different from ordinary people.

The Leviathan circled the Swordfish twice to confirm it posed no threat before slowly closing in.

As the two ships drew nearer, the Swordfish captain could clearly see the silver-gray sailboat and the three transcendent beings on the main deck whose Spirituality fluctuations were not concealed.

Several unusually long cannons, arranged along the sailboat's centerline, kept their muzzles firmly locked onto the Swordfish regardless of its movement.

With those cannons pointed at him, the Swordfish captain's hair stood on end, and an extreme sense of danger emanated from his Spirituality.

When the two ships were about two hundred meters apart, two "giant snakes" flew from the bow of the Leviathan, "baring their fangs." Amidst the terrified shouts of the sailors, the "snake heads" snapped onto the Swordfish and began to drag it towards the Leviathan.

The sudden, powerful drag caused the Swordfish to lurch violently, throwing men off their feet on deck.

The Swordfish captain's petty schemes vanished instantly. He steadied himself and finally saw clearly: they were two anchors attached to long anchor chains.

With a not-so-violent collision, the two ships' hulls met.

Milta, carrying an Alchemy Flintlock specially made for him by Ian, which resembled a hand cannon, and with two loaded short guns slung at his waist, was the first to vault over the railing.

He jumped onto a cannon mount on the main deck, aiming his gun at the somewhat panicked crowd.

Ian, having already cast Emergency Guard on himself, also crossed over, holding an Alchemy Flintlock.

Ian's sharp eyes swept across the crowd. The somewhat portly captain of the Swordfish, standing bare-handed at the front, was about to speak when Ian raised his hand to stop him, coldly stating, "To avoid any misunderstandings, please do not resist from now on."

With a wave of his left hand, Activated Rope shot out from behind him, directly into the crowd. Amidst cries of fear, it bound the sailors' hands one by one.

While Activated Rope couldn't handle cannons, its binding skills were second to none. In the blink of an eye, all the crew members, except for the Swordfish captain, were tied up.

"I request ransom!" The Swordfish captain could no longer bear the torment. He stepped forward, feigning composure, and said.

At this moment, Wawa was scanning the interior and exterior of the Swordfish with its vast Spirituality. Only after Wawa signaled that it was safe did Ian step forward.

"First, tell me about yourselves and the situation with that other ship."

The Swordfish captain had been startled by Wawa's Spirituality and was a bit flustered. He couldn't tell who the Spirituality belonged to, but he was certain it came from the opposite ship.

"My name is Sam, captain of the Swordfish. The Swordfish used to belong to the Hansa Trading Company, but it was recently acquired by the Royal Niger Company..."

The Swordfish and the Golden Sail indeed belonged to the Royal Niger Company. They were returning from Paradise Island to Storm Cape, preparing to load supplies for the Lucia Archipelago, and would naturally resupply at intermediate islands like Paradise Island.

The idea of acting as pirates and plundering the Leviathan had come from the captain of the Golden Sail. The Golden Sail was the lead ship of this small fleet, and the Swordfish had no choice but to obey him. He claimed he was forced into it, though this was likely Sam's excuse.

Ian stroked his chin and suddenly asked, "How will you pay the ransom? Just for yourself, or for your ship and crew as well?"

The crew members stirred slightly at his words, but their expressions remained impassive, as if they held no hope for themselves.

Perhaps sensing a chance for redemption, Sam's tone became slightly agitated:

"I'll ransom myself, and the ship if the price is right! I have friends, I can borrow money. We can sign an agreement with the Extraordinary Professions Union. I initiated the attack, I accept the penalty, and I will not seek revenge afterward."

His words were not false; Sam truly had no thoughts of revenge at that moment.

Ian pondered, not fearing revenge, but considering the feasibility of towing the Swordfish back.

The Swordfish was 34 meters long, nine meters longer than the Leviathan, approaching the standard of a Level 6 ship. Even with some damage, it was worth at least several thousand Gold Coin.

Since they were returning, the ship didn't carry much cargo, but it was still worth something. There was also a large crew. According to customary practice, if no one ransomed them, he could sell them off.

Adding the captain's ransom, the income would be substantial. It almost made Ian regret sinking the Golden Sail.

The only issue was angering the Royal Niger Company. They were accustomed to being overbearing and wouldn't care who attacked whom first. Ultimately, their interests would be harmed, delaying their plans for the New World.

Ian's lips curled into a smile. "But I don't care. After all, you are one of my prey!"