On the high seas, pirates share three iconic hobbies: strong liquor, women, and gambling Alger Wilson simply pulled out his silver pocket watch, glanced at it, and knew where he should first gather information.
It was a quarter past 11 o'clock. The brothels and bars were still Door Opening, but the casinos were sure to be packed with guys looking to get rich quick.
Alger was more familiar with the port city of Bayam than with his hometown. He hardly hesitated to find his way, smoothly winding his way through the streets until he arrived at the outside of a casino tucked away in a quiet alley, with no signboard.
As far as he knew, the owner of this " Gold Coin Casino " was a powerful gang leader with an unclear but vague connection to the big shot in the governor's mansion. It was the first choice for many pirates to sell their loot and buy what they needed.
This is why pirates often frequent this area. They might exchange their looted goods for thick wads of gold in the morning, only to lose everything and be driven out by evening.
Alger pulled his thick brown coat tighter, adjusted his baseball cap (which he'd picked up from the mainland), pushed open the half-closed door, and entered the casino under the watchful eyes of his bodyguards.
--Within the Kingdom of Loen, casinos are not permitted and can only exist as individual rooms attached to bars. However, in the kingdom's vast overseas colonies, casinos are not only legal but also Pillar industry. Among them, Bayam in the Rorsted Archipelago and Alençon in East Balam are the most famous for this, and many wealthy people from Backlund and the Sonia Sea coast will go there specifically to gamble.
Looking around, Alger saw all sorts of card games, as well as roulette-style gambling derived from dice.
Since it was still early and there weren't many gamblers, Alger quickly "browsed" them all.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he keenly recognized who the disguised guy was originally.
He took off his hat, walked to a Texas Hold'em table, patted his target on the shoulder, leaned down, and whispered in his ear:
" Blazing."
Danitz was just opening a corner of his trump card with his right hand when he was startled by the slap and shout, almost jumping up and throwing a ball of fire at the guy behind him.
After being attacked by "Iron" Maviti, he realized that he shouldn't come out in his true form to gather information, as that would attract the attention of Greed pirates.
Although most of the pirates were not strong enough to be taken seriously by Danitz, he was also unwilling to reveal his whereabouts and cause any setbacks in his plan to hunt "Iron" Maviti.
To his surprise, his carefully crafted disguise was exposed just one hour after he left home.
Danitz was on high alert. He quickly turned his head and glanced out of the corner of his eye at who was "greeting" him.
Upon seeing that signature seaweed-like dark blue hair, Danitz breathed a slight sigh of relief and then turned to observe whether his fellow card players had heard each other's words.
The gamblers were all intently studying their cards, either folding or concealing them, completely oblivious to what was happening around them.
"What brings you here?" Danitz asked casually.
He had met Alger at the previous pirate convention and knew that Alger had a ghost ship and about a dozen Sailor; he was a fairly capable but not very famous guy.
According to " Vice Admiral Iceberg's " assessment, the fact that such a small and not particularly strong pirate group could retain an ancient ghost ship indicates that they have powerful backing. They might be members of the Church of Storms, or perhaps connected to a pirate king or some Concealment organization. They usually disguise themselves as ordinary pirates, gathering intelligence on targets for their true allies to facilitate targeted eliminations. At times, they act on behalf of the forces behind the scenes to do things that they themselves cannot do, such as silencing witnesses or robbing certain special items.
There are many similar pirate groups, and no one bothers to deal with such matters.
Alger pulled over a chair, sat down, tilted his head slightly, and asked in a low voice:
"I heard your captain obtained the ' Death's Key '?"
Danitz scoffed with a disdainful laugh:
I thought you still had your own brain, but you disappointed me.
How could something like this be so easy to obtain?
"If you want it and offer the right price, we will definitely sell it!"
"So? How about we consider this deal?"
Alger casually remarked:
"Perhaps it has other secrets, perhaps someone wants to get back at your captain."
"Who knows? Bullshit!" Danitz was furious at the new round of trump cards and cursed loudly.
Immediately, he lowered his voice and said:
"That thing doesn't seem to be a human creation; it might belong to Giant or Devil."
"Creation? Your captain still insists on teaching you to write?" Alger asked, somewhat amused.
Rumor has it that " Vice Admiral Iceberg " is a woman with a strict attitude towards knowledge. She cannot tolerate her subordinates being illiterate, so there are general education and reading courses every day on the " Golden Dream," and the crew members are required to take turns attending them.
Danitz gave a look that suggested he didn't want to look back.
"This is much more difficult than fighting people!"
"That's why we can never recruit enough crew members; every time we stop at a port for supplies, people resign..."
He didn't continue the topic, and looking at the dealer, he said to himself:
"Keep an eye on 'Steel's' whereabouts for me."
"Iron" Maviti? " Admiral of Blood's " second mate? Alger looked down at " Blazing " Danitz's left arm, which was slightly supported by a splint, and asked in a moment of realization:
"He attacked you?"
"For that key?"
"His brain has been eaten by his Living Corpse!" Danitz emphasized.
"You want revenge on him?" Alger inferred from the other party's tone and demands.
"Hehe." Danitz chuckled without saying a word, seemingly intently examining the new cards.
Alger thought for a moment and said:
"Your captain last appeared seven days ago, near Sonia Island, which is confirmed by a telegram. The ' Golden Dream ' will not arrive in Bayam anytime soon."
"You have a new ally? If you were on your own, even if 'Iron' were alone, you wouldn't be a match for him, and you know he's always been surrounded by admirers."
In response to Alger's question, Danitz threw out a bargaining chip:
"Call!"
"Who is it?" Alger assumed Danitz's attitude was tacit and asked, thinking that there was no harm in asking.
Danitz stared at the public sign and replied simply:
You don't know him.
I don't know him? Anyone capable of dealing with "Iron" Maviti, whether a pirate or an adventurer, should have some reputation on the high seas... Unless they belong to a Concealment organization, or it's their first time at sea, or of course, it's possible that Danitz doesn't want to answer, afraid of exposing his secrets—that's the most likely possibility... Belonging to an organization, first time at sea, capable of dealing with "Iron" Maviti... Alger slightly raised his eyelids, making a bold guess.
He tapped the edge of the table lightly and asked casually, as if discussing the weather:
Did you have a good time in Bansy Harbor?
He emphasized the word "play".
Danitz turned his head in surprise and blurted out:
How did you know?
He believed that given the Church of Storms's style, it was unlikely they would expose the scandal themselves. Furthermore, the passengers of the White Agate had only arrived the previous night, and those who actually witnessed the events had all signed confidentiality agreements; how could the news have spread so quickly?
Alger smiled but did not answer.
At that moment, he deeply understood the value of Emperor Roselle's words:
Make bold assumptions, then verify them carefully!
Danitz put away his winnings and muttered:
"It's nothing major; some ancient customs are reviving there, leading to the Depravity of a Storm bishop."
As expected... Alger chuckled softly.
"I'll keep an eye on 'Steel's' whereabouts for you."
But how can I contact you?
"Hmm... No. 15 Fragrant Tree Avenue is an uninhabited house. Just write the message on a piece of paper and throw it in," Danitz replied hesitantly.
Alger nodded, and as he stood up, he patted " Blazing " Danitz on the shoulder:
Don't forget about the payment.
He turned around and walked towards the door.
Watching the captain of the ghost ship depart, Danitz muttered something under his breath:
"This guy is not bad."
"However, I also need to leave here."
He didn't dare to completely trust Alger, fearing that in a few minutes, Alger would lead "Iron" Maviti's group to attack.
Leaving the Gold Coin Casino, Alger, dressed in local wide-legged trousers, strolled leisurely down the street, entered a department store, found the corresponding counter, smiled, and pulled out a wad of brass-colored pennies, saying:
Give me a tarot deck.
While waiting, a question came to mind:
What were Mr. The Fool's Blessed doing at this time?
Inside Old John Restaurant.
Klein watched as the waiter placed a plate of grilled fish in front of him, wrapped in something that looked like straw and covered with various spices, some he recognized and some he didn't.
The strong aroma filled Klein's nostrils, greatly increasing his saliva production.
As expected of the Spice Islands... Klein was about to pick up his knife and fork when he saw the waiter place two twig-like objects on his plate.
Chopsticks? Klein was somewhat surprised.
He then quickly identified the suspect:
Roselle Gustav!
"When eating grilled cod, you must use these utensils, which are said to have been Spirit Intuition by Elf customs by Emperor Roselle," the waiter explained.
Elf customs? They really are a race that loves cooking and food... or perhaps, it's just an excuse Roselle made up... Klein guessed, knowing the man's personality quite well.
He went to several church hospitals in Bayam that morning, hoping to provide end-of-life care for some of the dying, help them fulfill their wishes, and incidentally, to immerse himself in the Acting, but he couldn't find a suitable target.
This doesn't mean no one dies in hospitals, but rather that everyone has family members present, either accompanying them or having already witnessed their death. There's no possibility of faking it; it only has a frightening effect.
He decided to go to the bar where adventurers gathered. There were many outsiders there who came to sea in pursuit of wealth, only to die in some dark corner like stray Wild Dog, their families never to hear from them again... Klein put aside his thoughts and focused on the food.
PS: Requesting recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Monday!