Blue Bay Private Tavern

Blue Bay Island was a notorious smuggling island, with plenty of pirate activity.

But pirates didn't stay here long, since they risked being ambushed.

Pirates who roamed the nearby seas were likely to have bounties on their heads, ranging from 100 to 10,000 gold coins.

As an up-and-coming pirate captain, Arthur's name had spread far and wide, and his head had made it onto the bounty board.

Arthur

Notorious Pirate of the Near Seas

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Bounty: 500 gold coins

As he sat in the Blue Bay Private Tavern and saw his own bounty, he found it a little ridiculous.

A burly man was there too, wearing a leather cap atop his blond dreadlocks. A scar at the corner of his mouth snaked down his neck, and he cradled a barrel of rum in his arms.

"Arthur, I'd never heard you had this kind of strength before. Did you come across some opportunity at sea recently?"

Arthur set down the bounty notice and raised his red wine, gently swirling it. "Rosen, the sea is full of infinite possibilities."

"Who can predict what might happen?"

The pirate Rosen, captain of the Giant Catfish Pirate Crew, was a notorious pirate of the near seas.

Not long ago, he had just plundered a cargo ship belonging to the Xiya Empire and led his pirates to Blue Bay Island to lie low.

The Xiya Empire's Royal Navy would have loved to tear Rosen apart, but concerns over maritime defenses meant they could only put a bounty on him in secret.

Bounty: 8,000 gold coins.

Rosen gulped down a mouthful of rum and slurred, "That's true. Who can predict what'll happen?"

"Damn Xiya cargo ship. They had gunpowder on deck, and the rain had soaked it through."

He laughed, then sneered. "Those foolish Xiya merchants didn't deserve the goods from the new trade route."

"That was wealth bestowed on me, Rosen, by the God of Storms!"

As Arthur listened to Rosen tell his story, he also pricked up his ears to catch the stories of the others.

He had come to the Blue Bay Private Tavern and found that prices were low. In truth, it was a hub for gathering information.

What cost a fortune was valuable information!

Suddenly, Arthur spoke up. "I heard there's going to be an auction soon, with plenty of good things on offer."

He brought up the auction, hoping to draw out more information.

A glint flashed in the drunken Rosen's eyes. He had his own channels for getting news, and let out a sigh.

"It's a fine auction, but it's being held on Rhine Island. With the Tudor Royal Navy and the Church of Light there, it's too dangerous."

Having just plundered a fortune, Rosen was fretting over how to spend it and turn it into strength for the Giant Catfish Pirate Crew.

The auction was on Rhine Island; he could make the trip.

Arthur also had ties to the Shadow Temple, so going to Rhine Island wouldn't be a problem. The real issue was the gold.

Ten thousand gold coins was an enormous sum.

The Great White Shark's earlier pirate activities had mainly been driven by the Stuart Family's needs. The pirates had only had a little fun before the money ran out.

Real pirate plundering, by contrast, had been much less frequent.

Just then, a gentleman approached. He wore a tight red shirt with blue breeches, and green ribbons were woven through his golden hair.

Beneath his big blue eyes, two streaks of red paint made him look like a circus clown, but his bearing was entirely different.

"An auction in Rhine Port?"

"They say there'll be plenty of good things, including supernatural potions and rare supernatural artifacts."

"Still, compared to the auctions in Fog City, the selection is rather meager."

"Hm?!"

Rosen's eyes widened as he looked at the brash fellow before him. What a big mouth.

"Who are you? The sea breeze on Blue Bay Island isn't as strong as your hot air."

"My name is Hisoka. I'm a Royal Apprentice Painter for the Tudor Royal Family, a graduate of England University, and I currently work at the Old Wooden Ship Auction House.

"At the invitation of Viscount Drew, Governor of Rhine Port, I've come to Rhine Island to paint a portrait of our pirate hero."

His string of titles was enough to command respect.

Arthur automatically tuned out the rest. The Old Wooden Ship Auction House was hosting the auction on Rhine Island.

The Old Wooden Ship Auction House was a discreet establishment. Most of the items it auctioned came from the New Continent or were related to the supernatural.

Rumor had it that the mysterious auction house was actually controlled by the royal family of the Tudor Dynasty.

Rosen's attention was elsewhere, unlike Arthur's. "A pirate hero?!"

"Is the Tudor Royal Family going to knight a pirate again?"

He burped, then suddenly turned to look at Arthur. The most talked-about pirate at sea lately was him.

"That's right!"

"Captain Arthur defeated the Black Devil's conspiracy. After investigating the site, the clergy discovered traces of the Black Devil."

"Having foiled the cult's plot, the Church of Light and the Tudor Royal Family have reached a rare consensus on the matter."

"After careful consideration, the Tudor Royal Family has decided to grant Captain Arthur the title of lord in the Tudor Dynasty!"

Hisoka smiled at Arthur.

"I've come on behalf of Governor Drew to invite Captain Arthur to Rhine Island for the investiture ceremony."

An investiture ceremony!

The Tudor Royal Family bestowed honorary titles on famous pirates who were friendly toward the Tudor Dynasty, along with medals and Letters of Marque.

A titled pirate was effectively an illegal military force of the Tudor Royal Family.

Arthur smiled calmly and raised his glass.

"Please thank Governor Drew for me."

A noble title would make his pirate activities more convenient.

But Arthur had already decided to give up that identity, so the title of lord didn't stir much feeling in him.

He was more interested in Hisoka's background. A student of England University held a high status in this era.

The university trained many naval officers, colonial administrators, missionaries for the Theology Academy, and diplomats specializing in languages for the Tudor Dynasty.

A student from England University who was also a Royal Apprentice Painter—had he studied painting?

Rosen smiled with narrowed eyes. "Well, congratulations, Captain Arthur. A title from the Tudor Dynasty isn't easy to come by."

"With Captain Rosen's strength, wouldn't winning a lord's title from the Tudor Dynasty be a piece of cake?"

Rosen drained his rum and laughed twice. "Ha ha! Looks like I'll have to get myself a lord's title.

"Otherwise, I'll have to keep hiding after every raid. The Tudor Dynasty looks like a fine place, a good spot for the lads to rest."

He strode over to the counter of the Blue Bay Private Tavern and slapped the tabletop hard. "Bring me a list of targets to plunder—the kind that'll earn me a title!"

"Certainly, sir!"

The server quickly handed Rosen a list of cargo ships returning from the Grand Route.

Merchant ships from the Xiya Empire, Portugal, Gaul, the Northern Alliance, the Netherlands, and other countries.

Arthur looked away from Rosen and turned to Hisoka, smiling slightly as he asked,

"Mr. Hisoka, when exactly is the investiture ceremony?"

"October 11, two days from now, on Rhine Island. Governor Drew has invited many prominent members of society."

"I'll be there."

Just then, a maid came over and whispered a few words in Arthur's ear.

Arthur stood and picked up his hat from the sofa. "I'm sorry, Mr. Hisoka, but something urgent has come up. I must leave."

"Of course. I'll see you on Rhine Island."

Deacon Wallace had left him a message, asking him to meet at their usual place. He had something important to discuss with him.

It involved the supernatural.