Doreze
The Final Journey
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Doreze (多雷泽) |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | Approximately fifty 16 |
| Affiliation | Nightglow and its crew 16 |
| Occupation/Role | Smuggler; owner and captain of the Nightglow 16 17 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 16, “Doreze and the Nightglow” 16 |
Appearance
Doreze’s lavish appearance immediately makes Zhang Yao think of a nouveau riche merchant 16.
- Build: Short and fat 16.
- Face: Dark cheeks, tiny eyes, and a drooping mustache 16.
- Dress: Ostentatiously expensive clothing, with gemstone rings covering both hands 16.
Personality
Doreze is boastful about his ship and particularly susceptible to compliments about it. Although he calls its extraordinary appearance a “little trick,” his smug expression betrays his pride, and he immediately offers Zhang Yao a tour. His bravado disappears when Luo De reports a nearby Heaven Tier naval powerhouse: Doreze curses his friend and urgently orders the ship underway 16.
He insists that paid work must remain separate from personal feelings, invoking his “merchant’s code” when Luo De complains about his lack of help. With people he accepts as friends, however, he is generous: he gives Zhang Yao excellent accommodation, refuses to treat a gift of weapons as passage payment, and leaves a first-mate position open after Zhang declines it 16 18 22 23.
His friendship with Luo De is expressed through insults and physical brawls. Their dinner-hall fight involves thrown tableware, pauses for food, and resumes afterward; the sailors’ indifference suggests such exchanges are familiar aboard the ship 22 23.
Abilities & Skills
Combat Capability
Doreze considers himself capable of defeating the Plachy Brothers, though no serious fight involving him is shown in the supplied chapters 17 18.
- Stops his sailors from attacking the brothers because he knows they would be outmatched 17.
- Initially believes he is the only person aboard able to handle the pair, underestimating Zhang Yao because of his youth 17.
- After Zhang kills them, admits that he might have suffered wounds if he had fought them himself 18.
- His exact rank and combat techniques are not identified 17 18.
Command and Smuggling
Doreze directs the Nightglow’s crew and takes precautions to avoid unwanted attention during smuggling operations 16 23.
- Orders an immediate departure upon learning that the navy has a Heaven Tier powerhouse nearby 16.
- Takes additional passengers because Luo De’s business alone would not cover the voyage’s costs 17.
- Orders conspicuous objects put away before reaching Andal Harbor 23.
- Lands at a secluded stretch of shore rather than the harbor docks and oversees cargo unloading 23.
Equipment / Weapons / Items
- Nightglow — Doreze’s Sea Soul-class smuggling ship. Its grayish-brown hull has a dolphin-shaped bow ram and rows of crossbow bolts along both sides. It first appears after the space above the sea ripples and bursts; Zhang Yao interprets this as magic, but the mechanism is not explained 16 31.
- Friendship gemstone — A valuable gem given to him by Zhang Yao. Doreze initially refuses it, then accepts when Zhang applies Doreze’s own argument that refusing a friendship gift would reject the friendship 22.
- Plachy Brothers’ daggers — Two refined-steel daggers recovered after the brothers’ deaths and given to Zhang Yao. They are high-grade white equipment with damage of 5–12 and an exchange value of 30 gold coins each 22.
Relationships
- Luo De — Close friend and business client. Their habitual insults and brawls coexist with considerable trust; Luo De later plans to join Doreze’s smuggling crew 16 18 22 30.
- Zhang Yao — Guest and later friend. Doreze values his defeat of the Plachy Brothers and offers him the Nightglow’s first-mate position 18 22 23.
- Plachy Brothers — Unwelcome but paying passengers. Doreze defends Zhang Yao against their threats and authorizes lethal force aboard his ship 17 18.
- Nightglow crew — Sailors under his command. He prevents them from entering a fight they cannot win and directs their sailing and concealment preparations 16 17 23.
Background / History
Pickup at Sea
Luo De hires Doreze to collect him after his business with Sea Wolf. When Luo De and Zhang Yao reach the rendezvous, the Nightglow appears before them and the crew lowers ropes. Doreze welcomes Zhang as Luo De’s rescuer, but his proposed ship tour is interrupted by news of the navy’s Heaven Tier fighter 16.
The ship heads west toward Andal Harbor. Doreze and Luo De worry that the appearance of such a fighter in the Still Sea Region—where none has been seen for over a decade—may signal a major disturbance. They decide that returning to Andal will make investigation easier 17.
Conflict Aboard the Nightglow
When the Plachy Brothers threaten Zhang Yao, Doreze prepares to intervene personally. Luo De restrains him and urges him to trust Zhang. Doreze permits Zhang to use lethal force and promises to cover for him if necessary 17 18.
After Zhang kills both brothers, Doreze personally escorts him to one of the ship’s finest cabins and assigns a sailor to assist him. At dinner, he gives Zhang the brothers’ recovered daggers; Zhang reciprocates with a gemstone, and the two agree to drop formal forms of address 18 22.
Arrival at Andal Harbor
Before reaching Andal, Doreze offers Zhang Yao a place aboard as first mate. Zhang declines because he expects piracy to provide more opportunities to grow stronger. Doreze respects the refusal and promises to keep the position open. After landing discreetly and unloading cargo, he parts with Zhang and Luo De 23.
Luo De subsequently expects Doreze to return in three or four months and plans to join him then. Zhang leaves his own participation undecided 30.
Notable Quotes
“You paid me to do a job. Ours is a business relationship! How can you drag personal feelings into it? That would go against my merchant’s code!” 16