"Um... Miss Catherine, please forgive us. It was all Lucas's doing. If he hadn't forced us, we wouldn't have committed such inhumane acts. It's all his fault. Please investigate thoroughly..."
Parker felt a chill run down his spine under Catherine's cold gaze. He immediately lowered his head and begged for forgiveness, blaming everything on the already dead Lucas. The pirates behind him also bowed their heads and begged for forgiveness when they saw him doing so.
"Hmph, do you dare say you bear no responsibility whatsoever for this?"
Catherine continued to look down at them coldly, saying that if she were still in the Navy, she would have already taken action given her inability to tolerate sin.
"Alright, alright, get up, all of you. We'll settle this score later. Now, tell me everything you know about the Dark Market on Supomachi Island. Don't hold anything back, or else..."
Catherine waved them up after they had been kneeling and begging for mercy for a while, and ordered them to tell her everything they knew.
"Yes, your subordinate will answer all your questions without reservation..."
Ahem, it's like this. According to what I've learned, Supomachi Island is controlled by Carlos, one of the major rulers of the Underworld, and several others also act as its de facto managers.
Its main businesses include the slave trade, arms trade, and smuggling of various jewels, etc. Its network of connections is vast, reportedly involving even the Four Emperors, the Revolutionary Army, and the World Government. It's a true lawless zone, a haven for criminals, and Lucas maintains close ties there, exchanging any spoils he obtains for Beli.
As Parker spoke, a longing look appeared in his eyes.
"Is that so? No wonder it's called the Dark Market, the pirate's Paradise, I see... Alright, go check on those two henchmen. Why haven't they returned yet? Releasing just a few prisoners takes this long, are they out of their minds?!"
Catherine hesitated for a moment, then continued.
"Yes, I'll go check right away and give them a good talking-to. They can't even follow your instructions properly!"
Parker, feeling relieved, quickly retreated to find the pirates he had sent out earlier to check on their progress in their mission.
"Why aren't those two damned guys back yet? They made me look bad in front of Miss Catherine. Just wait and see how I deal with them..."
As Parker spoke, he walked into the cabin without looking ahead, unaware that the two people he was talking about were running straight into him.
Bang...
"Ouch!! Who bumped into me? Get the hell out here right now..."
Parker was knocked to the ground by the head-on collision, and yelled while touching the large bump on his head.
"Oh!! Isn't this Lord Parker? What brings you here? This isn't a place for someone as distinguished as you. Did you anger Miss Catherine and get sent here to meet us brothers?!"
The hot-tempered pirate who had been bumped by Parker also clutched his swollen bump, glanced at him, and then spoke to him in a sarcastic tone.
"Hmm... It's you two. You've finally returned after completing Miss Catherine's orders, haven't you? Hmph, making Miss Catherine wait for you for so long has made her impatient. Let's see how you explain this to her later."
Parker looked up and saw the two pirates he had sent out earlier who harbored some resentment towards him. He then glanced at the group of imprisoned slaves behind them and retorted just as unwillingly.
"You don't need to worry about this. We'll go back and explain to Miss Catherine. Would you like to come back with us, Mr. Parker?"
His companion spoke up at this moment, his words more polite than the previous pirate's, impeccable, but Parker could hear the sarcasm in them. He frowned, glanced at him, and then made a decision.
"Let's go! How could I not go? I've already completed the task Miss Catherine assigned me, why would I be afraid of her blaming me?!"
"That's good. Come with us, brother and I. Don't waste Miss Catherine's precious time!"
They nodded and continued walking forward.
"Miss Catherine, we have completed your instructions and are here to report back to you."
The two pirates, accompanied by a group of prisoners, knelt before Catherine and respectfully pleaded for her permission.
"You're finally back. Why did it take so long to deal with this? And what's with the person behind you? Why is he bound in chains?"
Upon seeing them return, Catherine immediately knelt before her to ask for instructions, her attitude softening slightly. She glanced at the people behind them and then asked.
"Yes, we've been delayed for so long because we're releasing him... Hey, hurry up and come here! Didn't you just say you wanted to see Luo Chen's companions? You're already in front of Miss Catherine, why aren't you coming over to thank her?!"
One of the pirates defended himself and his companion, then turned back and shouted to George.
"No need for that... Who are you?! You just said you were looking for Luo Chen, right? He's still resting. Just tell me if you need anything!!"
Catherine reached out to stop his rude behavior and turned to George, speaking gently.
"Yes, it is I. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is George, and I was a sailor and navigator on the cruise ship they hijacked. I am truly grateful to you and your companions for defeating Lucas and rescuing the innocent civilians imprisoned on this ship. It was indeed because of me that they were delayed so much; please forgive them!"
And these shackles weren't something they deliberately kept from removing; I made them do it, to commemorate my past powerlessness.
George stepped forward, clasped his hands in thanks, and explained.
"No need for that. I didn't defeat Lucas; it was all thanks to Luo Chen. If you want to thank someone, thank him."
And since the chains on you weren't there intentionally, I'm relieved.
And you too, Captain Lucas of this ship has been defeated, and I'm sure they've told you that. Now I'm telling you, you are free.
You can leave on your own, or you can take our boat for a while, and then we'll part ways when we reach the next island. I'd like to know what your thoughts are?!
After speaking to him, Catherine turned her gaze to the group of people behind him.
Upon hearing Catherine's words, the group exchanged glances, then whispered among themselves to see what others thought. After a while, the Knight of Eiffel, having reached a decision with the others, stepped forward, bowed to Catherine, and said...
"Miss Catherine, we have made our decision. We all agree to borrow your ship to reach the island before parting ways. We look forward to your continued guidance."
Eiffel kept a very humble attitude, and even though he knew that the person in front of him was their benefactor and would not harm them like pirates, he did not dare to be too presumptuous.
"Really? Well then, it's fine if you come with us. It's not safe to travel alone in these waters. At least you can be safe with us."
So, young man, what is your decision? Is it the same as theirs?
After a moment's thought, Catherine agreed with their decision, then asked George, who was standing in front of her.
Snap...
"I wish to join you to repay your kindness; please grant me your request."
Without any hesitation, George knelt on one knee before Catherine, clasped his hands in a fist and pleaded.