Octopus Brother

The Sea Queen wasn't Xiao Feng's largest ship, but it was his favorite. This ship could carry 600 tons of cargo and was equipped with fifteen heavy cast-iron cannons, capable of plundering vast amounts of wealth and capturing many prisoners in a single plunder. Xiao Feng had craftsmen paint enormous eye patterns on the Sea Queen's hull and decorated his captain's cabin with exceptional luxury.

Despite the Junk ship' upturned prows and sterns, which might seem unsuitable for naval warfare, both Eastern and Western ships have their advantages and disadvantages. Because the Junk ship are not square like those of Western ships, their angle is towards the wind, allowing them to always sail in a straight line.

Russell traveled by small boat through a complex waterway and, led by Tai Huang, arrived at Xiao Feng's bathhouse, where he met the fearsome Pirate King.

With his goatee, bald head, and scarred face, he looked every bit the ruthless one. Although Xiao Feng was a bit ugly, his appearance was a perfect match for his pirate identity. The scars were the badges of honor for a hero, and paired with his gloomy eyes, he had the air of a ruthless leader.

He wore a layered, ornate black robe, a gold-inlaid belt, and a dragon tattooed on his forehead.

It is worth noting the two pieces of jewelry he wore: a jade necklace around his neck, a symbol of the Nine Pirate Kings; and a ring on his right little finger with a red silk handkerchief tied to it.

It's very stylish, but its meaning is extremely profound. When Tai Huang introduced Xiao Feng to Russell, he emphasized this silk scarf. It was a relic of Xiao Feng's father, the former South China Sea Pirate King.

"Who are you, and what information do you want to tell me?" Xiao Feng Ma Dajindao sat in a chair, with two beautiful young women who looked exactly alike standing behind him.

The twins, named Lian and Pu, were, according to Tai Huang, Xiao Feng's personal bodyguards and attendants, responsible for Xiao Feng daily life, so close that they were practically inseparable.

"Mr. Xiao Feng, my name is Russell, I'm from over there..." Russell said, pointing to the east, and continued with a smile, "Because of your activities in the South China Sea, some people want to cooperate with you further."

Xiao Feng glanced at Russell suspiciously, then picked up the red silk handkerchief and sniffed it. "Who are you referring to, the white ones or the black ones?"

Russell understood the subtext of Xiao Feng's words and replied, "The white ones, those big shots sitting in the halls of power!"

Xiao Feng scoffed, his face showing disdain. "You're lying to me. A piece of trash who just issued the sea ban would want to cooperate with me? And what about your hair? Are you sure it's white?"

A maritime ban?

Russell's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't very familiar with this era, and he knew nothing about many of the rules and regulations. But it didn't matter; where there are people, there is society, and where there is society, there is the pursuit of profit. A maritime ban didn't mean there was no trade.

"It's because the maritime ban has harmed the interests of many people that I thought of you." Russell touched his short hair. "As for the hair, it's for concealing my identity, so you don't need to worry about it."

Xiao Feng chuckled and shook his head, "Then, what do those big shots want from me? I'm a pirate who doesn't keep his word, they wouldn't happen to want to do business with me, would they?"

"It's all about doing business!" Russell stepped forward, glanced around, and frowned. "Mr. Xiao Feng, this isn't a good place to talk. Could we go somewhere less crowded?"

The surrounding area was noisy with people, all of whom were Xiao Feng's men, a group of desperate criminals who had lived on the edge of death. Russell wasn't afraid of them, but he felt there was no need to confront them head-on. He was planning a low-key infiltration, not a ruthless infiltration where he would kill everyone.

Xiao Feng sniffed the silk scarf without saying anything. Tai Huang, standing next to him, gave him a wink and nodded slightly, indicating that Russell was safe.

"Alright, let me hear how we'll cooperate."

Xiao Feng got up and walked towards the side room, with the twin maids following behind him on either side. Tai Huang quickly stepped forward and opened the door for Xiao Feng, while Russell followed at the very back.

In the side room, Tai Huang wiped the armchair clean with his sleeve and respectfully invited Xiao Feng to sit down. But as soon as the twin maids closed the door, he suddenly drew a long sword from his waist and held it to Xiao Feng's neck.

The sudden change startled the twin maids. The elder sister, Lian, drew her dagger and rushed towards Russell, while the younger sister, Park, turned sharply to open the door and call for help.

However, Russell was fully prepared. The Thunder Beast slipped out from his trouser leg and pounced on his sister at the door with lightning speed. As for his sister, who had planned to kidnap him, she was grabbed by the joint and held to her neck with a dagger.

"Crackling and popping!"

"Hmm~~"

Ah~~

The Thunder Beast pounced on the two women, instantly making the room slightly damp.

"Tai Huang, you betrayed me!?" Xiao Feng's face turned ashen as he stared in disbelief at the long knife held to his neck. He had anticipated that many people might betray him, but he never expected that the person would be Tai Huang.

Tai Huang was deeply trusted and was the second-in-command of the pirate crew, but his relationship with Xiao Feng was far more than just that of a superior and subordinate. Xiao Feng had adopted him when he was young and raised him as his own son, grooming him to be his successor.

"Captain, I did not betray you, but this man's words are really important," Tai Huang whispered in Xiao Feng's ear.

"This is the back... ah, uh... um..." Xiao Feng was in a fit of anger when he was suddenly pounced into the arms of the Thunder Beast, and he fainted with incoherent speech.

"Crackling and popping!"

Tai Huang were too close, and unfortunately they both met with misfortune, their mouths and eyes twisted as they fell to the ground.

Russell picked up the Thunder Beast and stroked it, looking down at it. "Mr. Xiao Feng, I have some very important information to tell you. If you have no objections, I will tell you now."

"..."

"OK, it seems like there are no objections."

Twenty minutes later, the twins, Lian and Park, came out and stood guard on either side of the side door, preventing anyone from entering. Their wet trousers didn't arouse suspicion; this was a public bathhouse, and everyone was damp.

Russell then began his Enslavement the winds in the house, but frustratingly, Xiao Feng's willpower was extremely strong, and he spent two whole hours trying to succeed without success.

Fortunately, the twins were successfully Enslavement, and their presence outside prevented them from attracting the attention of Xiao Feng's men.

"As expected of one of the Nine Pirate Kings, the level of Enslavement is quite difficult!" After failing again, Russell frowned deeply, glanced at Tai Huang beside him, and asked after a moment of thought, "If I kill Xiao Feng, can you, as the second-in-command, take over his position?"

Tai Huang shook his head repeatedly. "No one can replace the captain's position. He can take back the power he granted me at any time. Without him, I have no power. So, if he dies, most people's first thought will be to kill me and then seize power."

Finally, Tai Huang added, "Because we are pirates!"

"Tsk, no wonder it's a high-risk profession."

Russell grumbled with a headache, snapped his the Snap, and the Thunder Beast pounced again. A cheerful clattering sound filled the room. As for whether Xiao Feng would suffer any aftereffects, that was no longer Russell's concern—who told him to be so uncooperative!

Three hours later, Russell sat in a grand chair and sipped tea, while his twin sisters massaged his shoulders and legs from one in front of the other. Xiao Feng and Tai Huang stood side by side, bowing slightly to Russell.

"Mr. Xiao Feng, has anything unusual happened at sea lately?" Russell closed his eyes and began to enjoy himself. Xiao Feng knew how to enjoy himself. Lian and Pu's massage techniques were superb, and they were kneading him until his bones almost melted.

"My lord, forgive my impertinence, but the anomaly you are referring to is..." Xiao Feng cupped his hands in greeting. There were always anomalies on the sea every day; it was never peaceful.

Russell thought for a moment and said, "What big moves have the Navy and Octopus Brother... no, I mean, Captain David Jones of the Flying Dutchman made lately?"

Xiao Feng frowned, realizing that his boss knew nothing, but he didn't expose him. Instead, he said, "When talking about the navy, one has to mention the East India Company. The newly appointed chairman Lord Beckett, is a madman who is very keen on eliminating pirates."

The East India Company mentioned here is neither the Dutch East India Company nor the Swedish East India Company, but the Britain East India Company.

The infamous Britain East India Company operated primarily in South and Southeast Asia. From its establishment to its dissolution, it operated for 274 years, monopolizing trade in the Indian Ocean. It also possessed an army and enjoyed administrative powers and local jurisdiction granted by the government, making it arguably another Britain in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Incidentally, it was this company's doing that sold opium to China, which led to the Opium Wars.

"As for David Jones..." Xiao Feng frowned and pondered, "This devil comes and goes without a trace, and I have no information about him."

Russell nodded. The Pirates of the Caribbean series takes place in a fantasy world, set in the early 18th century, where information was severely restricted. Many things, even if they had already happened, wouldn't spread for a long time. It was normal for Xiao Feng to lack information. If he knew everything, he would have made a fortune selling information, and wouldn't have needed to resort to highway robbery.

"How is Jack Sparrow, the Pirate King of the Caribbean, doing these days? You are all one of the Nine Pirate Kings, and all second-generation pirates, so you should know him quite well!"

"Jack Sparrow...heh..." Xiao Feng looked disgusted, as if he were referring to a bug, and said with disgust, "A cynical Caribbean conman who has no sense of being a pirate. He deserves to be betrayed by his own crew."

"You really hate him?"

"I really hate it!"

Russell put down his teacup and asked the crucial question, "Is he dead or alive?"

"Is he dead or alive!?"

Xiao Feng added in surprise, then said, "My lord, although I hate him very much, I have to admit that he's very resilient. I heard that he got his ship back and is living a very carefree life."