Pirate Hero

October 11th. The sky was clear for ten thousand miles, and the sea breeze, carrying the scent of brewed wine, swept across the pristine harbor.

Arthur stepped onto the docks of Rhine Island for the first time, carrying nothing but the gold coins for the auction.

He had already received word that the old wooden ship auction on Rhine Island would be held on Sunday, October 15th.

Gathering nine thousand eight hundred and sixty gold coins within four days was a truly difficult task; he could only hope the Church of Light would prove generous.

"Welcome to our hero! Captain Arthur!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Accompanied by the blooming of confetti cannons, Governor Drew of Rhine Island personally greeted Arthur, followed by a contingent of well-trained Tudor Royal Navy soldiers.

Arthur's gaze swept across the docks, and he remarked with a sigh, "The Empire's navy is truly magnificent. Governor Drew is well-deserving of the title 'Sea Lion of the Empire'."

"In your presence, my merits are but insignificant."

"Lord Arthur is truly humble. The knighting ceremony is already prepared, and Father Roberto of the Church of Light will be here to bestow upon you a holy blessing."

"Oh! That would truly be Arthur's honor."

Governor Drew possessed the classic appearance of a Tudor noble: green eyes, a narrow and straight Anglo nose, and he wore a white powdered wig.

His gaze fell upon Arthur's chest, where a shimmering Sun Medal was pinned, inlaid with a ruby of mediocre quality.

"Captain Arthur has a good relationship with the Church of Light? The Sun Medal is a rare treasure even within the Church of Light."

"You flatter me, Governor. The faith of the Light is widespread in Tudor, and after I performed a few insignificant deeds, they granted me a small reward."

Governor Drew's eyes flickered. The Church of Light was the most powerful Orthodox Church in the Tudor Dynasty, and many people were followers.

It was common knowledge that the relationship between the Tudor nobility and the Church of Light had grown strained.

The group walked along the coast toward the Governor's Mansion, and Arthur's eyes lingered on the port of Rhine Port, marveling at the Empire's prosperity.

At the same time, he was observing the fleet at Rhine Port.

There were about ten Caravel sailing ships, displaying the latest types of cannons, their dark muzzles radiating a chilling aura of lethality.

His Great White Shark was merely a simply modified Caravel.

There were two Carrack ships, larger in overall scale, and a rough glance revealed over a dozen cannons on each.

They could carry a crew of 40 to 60 men, and the castle-like forecastle could effectively prevent boarding maneuvers.

As a trade port of the Tudor Dynasty, the defensive strength of Rhine Island was not to be underestimated.

"Captain Arthur seems quite focused on the cabins of the Carracks?"

"No captain can resist the temptation of a Carrack, not even for rum or women. If there is anything that can compare to a Carrack, it must be a larger ship with even more cannons!"

"Haha, the knighting ceremony is this way."

During their brief exchange, Arthur displayed a clear passion for warships, which was quite common among pirate captains.

Beside the beach, two rows of navy soldiers held flintlocks, while a red carpet stretched to a wooden platform by the crashing waves.

"Come, Captain Arthur."

Arthur stood on the wooden platform, gazing toward the Governor's Mansion in the distance.

Governor Drew held the paper knighting decree and read aloud: "Captain of the Great White Shark, Arthur, for your meritorious service in driving out the Black Devil Order. You are hereby granted the title of Honorary Baron of the Tudor Dynasty, enjoying a 10% tax exemption. Simultaneously, we grant Captain Arthur a Letter of Marque; you may plunder any merchant ship and submit 20% of the proceeds, with all gains protected by the laws of the Tudor Dynasty."

After Governor Drew finished reading the decree, a navy soldier nearby presented a wooden tray holding a gold medal and a Letter of Marque.

Engraved on the medal was a line of small text: Honorary Baron of the Tudor Dynasty.

Arthur calculated in his mind: how many gold coins could these two items be sold for?

The "Letter of Marque" represented the legal protection of the Tudor Dynasty; many pirates or smuggling merchant ships were in desperate need of such a document.

The 10% tax exemption of a Baron, combined with the Letter of Marque, held significant value.

He believed there were many merchants who would be willing to pay a high price for these two items.

"Very well! Lord Arthur, there is a banquet waiting for you. I have invited quite a few socialites."

Governor Drew was very enthusiastic; a rising pirate leader could provide substantial benefits if befriended.

In the future, any good cargo from the New Continent could be traded secretly without leaving any stain on his reputation.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, Arthur saw an acquaintance: the royal apprentice painter, Hisoka.

A tall priest, wearing the Sun Medal, approached Arthur with a dark expression.

"Lord Arthur, this is Father Roberto of the Rhine Church of Light!"

Father Roberto's complexion was terrible; he watched as Arthur stiffly offered a blessing before handing over a heavy bag of gold coins.

A look of joy appeared on Arthur's face; he had not expected Deacon Wallace to be so efficient, or for the Church's reward to be issued so quickly.

Seeing Arthur's smile, Father Roberto felt as though he had just eaten a moldy pastry.

Slaves to money!

Despicable pirates!

Arthur held the money bag in both hands; the heavy, solid weight made his mood soar.

Father Roberto maintained his composure. "Governor Drew, I am not feeling very well."

"I am terribly sorry, but I will be unable to attend Lord Arthur's knighting banquet."

Governor Drew politely dispatched a young naval officer to escort Father Roberto back to the church.

His gaze lingered on the money bag for a moment, his eyes fixed on Arthur with a meaningful look.

"It seems Lord Arthur's relationship with the Church of Light is quite good~"

Arthur hefted the money bag, the crisp sound of metal clinking together echoing through the banquet hall.

He spoke in a relaxed tone: "Perhaps our relationship will not appear so harmonious in the future."

A greedy pirate. That was the definition Governor Drew had assigned to Arthur.

Governor Drew could roughly guess the nature of Arthur's relationship with the Church of Light; it was nothing more than the recently flourishing Shadow Temple.

Because he had chosen gold coins, he had missed out on the opportunity within the Church of Light to repel the cult—a chance that did not come often.

This also meant that Governor Drew had a great opportunity to engage in close cooperation with this Captain Arthur.

During the rest of the banquet, Arthur witnessed what they called socialites.

A group of artists skilled in dance, music, and painting; before they had even finished two glasses of wine, a female painter had already thrown herself into his arms.

She murmured that no one appreciated her masterpieces and that she needed someone to auction them to make a name for herself, the watery depths of her eyes nearly overflowing.

Holding his wine glass, Arthur walked out from the crowd of women and let out a long sigh as he approached Governor Drew.

Governor Drew smiled. "Does Lord Arthur not like them?"

His eyes flickered with confusion. A pirate who could refuse fat meat delivered to his mouth? Is this really a pirate?!

Arthur chuckled, hefted the money bag stamped with the sun emblem, and took a light sip of wine.

"Governor Drew, compared to this, everything else is not worth mentioning."

"Is there an opportunity to discuss a deal with you, Governor?"

Governor Drew raised his glass and gently tapped the rim of Arthur's glass with the base of his own.

"Of course."