Inside the Tidal General's lair.
The entire lair was pieced together from flat-bottomed boats, forming something like a plaza with all sorts of buildings erected on it.
A tall, thin man in his prime, with a metal hook for one hand, stood in the center of the "plaza," looking through the waterproof bubble barrier at the seawater overhead.
He was the Tidal General's deputy, nicknamed "Golden Hook," and the highest-ranking officer currently in the entire lair.
After receiving One-Eye's message, he had immediately taken action and prepared for battle.
"How deep have we submerged?" Golden Hook turned to look at a lackey beside him.
"Sir, we've reached 101 meters. That's our limit."
Golden Hook nodded without saying anything more.
That depth was easy to reach with just a few casual modifications, and he did not expect it to stop the enemy.
However, the power of firearms was greatly reduced underwater, favoring pirates who lacked cannons.
That was why pirates were accustomed to fighting beneath the sea.
"What does One-Eye say? How far away is the enemy?"
"Sir, we've lost contact with One-Eye. He should be... dead."
"Dead?" Golden Hook frowned slightly, looking somewhat puzzled.
In his last report, One-Eye had said he was still over fifty kilometers away.
At such a great distance, with seawater obstructing Inspiration perception between them, why had the enemy suddenly killed One-Eye?
"Could he have only come to probe us, with no intention of fighting directly?"
"Or is he waiting for reinforcements to surround us?"
"But One-Eye said he wasn't one of the Pirate Emperor's men. He seemed more like someone from the Island Lord's Residence. Is the Island Lord's Residence going to launch an all-out war against us?"
"Aren't they afraid of others swooping in to reap the rewards?"
Golden Hook muttered to himself,