Chapter 469: Dragon Level Pirate King

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Dragon Abyss Ocean

Lighthouse Town, named after its white navigation lighthouse, is a small town now packed with merchants from all over. The townsfolk have converted their homes into guesthouses, warmly welcoming these merchants. Mayor Ham spends his days in constant turmoil, with swindled or robbed merchants filing complaints daily...

The reason these merchants are stranded here is the sudden surge of pirates along this shipping route. At first, Mayor Ham didn’t think much of it—pirates? Who living by the sea hasn’t seen them? Dodge them and get rich; fail, and it’s just fate.

But when Ham saw the armed merchant fleet of the Kraus Trading Company anchored in the harbor, he grew terrified. The Kraus Trading Company had twenty specialized combat ships, all magically-enhanced with powerful cannons, and even a Ghost-level expert escorting them. With such a setup, even major pirates would negotiate rather than fight. In fact, most big pirates wouldn’t dare provoke the Kraus Trading Company—the losses would be too great. Pirates aren’t stupid; they won’t do anything unprofitable.

Yet even the Kraus Trading Company was forced to halt their voyage... That was when Ham realized something was terribly wrong!

Something big was about to happen! Ham couldn’t sleep at night. For those in power, such "big events" might be opportunities, but for ordinary folk like him, they often meant extreme danger. When gods fight, mortals suffer! The more prosperous the town became, the more likely it was to be swept into the whirlpool of major conflicts!

"You want to borrow my men? Lord Ram, I’m just a small-town mayor. I only have ten guards—damn it, and half of them are part-time militiamen who only know how to scare drunks with clubs! They haven’t even trained for a hundred hours! Lord Ram, I can barely maintain street security as it is. If you want to teach a lesson to some thief who offended you in a tavern, I’m afraid I can’t help."

Suppressing his frustration, Ham dismissed yet another official carrying a letter of introduction from some duchy. Maybe the man was influential back home, and under normal circumstances, Ham would’ve gladly assisted him. But now? Hell, who knew who that troublemaker in the tavern really was!

The more he learned, the more uneasy he became. Nearly half the major pirates of the Lower Five Seas had flooded into the Dragon Abyss Ocean. Because merchant fleets kept getting raided, many had no choice but to stay in Lighthouse Town... And speaking of which, were these merchants even real merchants? Dammit, his men had already spotted several familiar pirate captains in the streets. Right now, everyone was just maintaining appearances.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside. From the direction of the harbor came the urgent tolling of a bell.

Ham leapt to his feet—that was the lighthouse’s alarm bell. The keepers only rang it like that for one reason: pirates were coming! With trembling hands, he pulled out a glass vial from his pocket containing green peppermint oil. He shook out a few drops onto his forehead and rubbed them in vigorously. The coolness cleared his mind, and a deep breath of the salty sea air steadied him.

Ham pushed open the door and stepped into the street, just in time to see his ten guards rushing over with spears in hand. He felt a surge of pride—his usual kindness to them hadn’t been wasted! He needed to quickly assess the situation and decide their next move. Technically, he was still the highest-ranking official here.

Looking around, Ham felt a wave of dread. The merchants and sailors from the ships were in chaos—some trying to return to their vessels, others trying to hide in the town. The two groups clashed, blocking the road in a tangled mess.

Damn it! Ham didn’t waste time trying to untangle the crowd. Instead, he led his guards through the throng and found a narrow alley. Familiar with the terrain, they soon circled around to the harbor.

Ham skidded to a halt, his mouth dry. He stared in disbelief at the distant sea...

Black ships! As far as the eye could see, the once-familiar waters were gone, replaced by a sea of pitch-black pirate vessels. And at the center of this dark fleet stood a floating palace—a massive structure formed by twelve colossal ships chained together!

"Black Emperor... That’s the Black Emperor’s floating palace from the Ghost Abyss Sea!"

...

On the deck of the floating palace, the Black Emperor stood by the railing. Dressed in black, his long dark hair neatly tied back with a purple-gold crown, he gazed with amusement at the small fishing town thrown into chaos by his arrival. He couldn’t help but sigh—compared to the Ghost Abyss Sea, commerce in the Dragon Abyss Ocean was truly thriving. After just a few days of blockading the trade routes, this tiny port had nearly a thousand merchant ships anchored.

"Your Highness? Our supplies are running low. This place looks prosperous—shall we...?" A burly lieutenant with three swords at his waist made a slashing motion, symbolizing plunder.

The Black Emperor’s expression remained indifferent as his eyes lingered on Lighthouse Town. "If you can’t kill them all, don’t waste time. Send the provisioning party in to trade."

Slaughter and pillage would’ve been preferable, but... The one currently staying in town seemed fond of this place. Might as well give him face.

"As you command." The three-sworded lieutenant turned and relayed the order. Immediately, dozens of pirate ships armed with Magic Crystal Cannons sailed toward Lighthouse Town’s harbor under the banner of "trade." At the lead ship’s prow, Sea Demons and water ghosts occasionally surfaced—these were the pirates’ navigators, guiding them through treacherous waters to avoid reefs.

In a restaurant, everyone had fled except for a dark-skinned man and a chef cooking noodles on an iron griddle. The man suddenly looked up and smiled toward the harbor. His rare shore leave was precious—he’d finally shaken off his annoying subordinates. Now was the time to enjoy good food, fine wine, the solid ground beneath his feet, and the sight of beautiful women on land. Fighting and killing would spoil the mood.

Sweating profusely from the spicy meal, the man absentmindedly rolled up his sleeves, revealing a tattoo of crimson skulls circling his arm. The tattoos writhed like living creatures, shifting from his wrist to his elbow and back...

A dozen pirates disguised as sailors barged in, intending to loot the shops amid the chaos. But the moment they saw the man’s skull tattoos, they froze.

Hiss!

The pirates, who’d been howling and growling just seconds ago, fell deathly silent.

There was only one man in all the Lower Five Seas with such living tattoos—the pirate king of the Sacrificial Abyss Sea, Zakbok of the Living Skulls!

...

At this very moment, in a warehouse at the lighthouse dock, a gaunt man gazed coldly at the mobile palace on the sea. He was completely motionless, his eyes lifeless, devoid of any presence. "If the Black Emperor has arrived, then all four pirate kings are now gathered."

The gaunt man raised a hand toward the sky through the window, and a falcon that could cover ten thousand miles daily swooped down, passing through the window to perch affectionately on his shoulder. The man pulled a strip of meat from his pocket and fed it to the falcon. Meanwhile, he wrote an encrypted message on a paper imbued with seals, placed it into a slender bamboo tube, and tied it to the falcon's leg.

"Go."

The falcon soared into the sky, vanishing into the clouds. Using the sun's position to orient itself, it flew tirelessly, sometimes riding air currents like an arrow shot from a powerful bow, and at other times gliding to conserve energy. A few seagulls fluttered in panic hundreds of meters below, but the falcon ignored them—its usual prey—and continued straight ahead.

Passing island after island, a day later, the falcon finally found its target: a grand fleet of over a thousand warships anchored at a massive military harbor—the Nine Gods' stronghold, Sea God Harbor!

The falcon let out a sharp cry, and immediately, a responding whistle sounded from below. The falcon dove straight toward the source.

Moments later...

The message delivered by the falcon reached the flagship. However, the Nine Gods' naval commander, Yue Shang, did not open it immediately. After verifying the encrypted seals on the bamboo tube, he turned and hurried toward the seaside palace. At the palace's main gate, thirty-six royal banners—signifying the presence of Emperor Long Kang—snapped sharply in the wind.

Yue Shang was quickly granted an audience and entered the main hall of the palace. Upon lifting his gaze, he immediately bowed deeply. An imperial consort reclined gracefully at Emperor Long Kang's feet. While properly attired, her allure radiated like an aura, emanating waves of charm. The emperor idly played with her silken hair as she knelt beside him, docile as a kitten, seemingly harmless.

Taking a deep breath, Yue Shang raised the message tube with both hands and declared loudly, "Your humble general greets Your Majesty! The southern bird has brought new intelligence."

The concubine straightened, her seductive demeanor shifting instantly into dignified poise, like a goddess from a mural. With measured steps, she retrieved the tube and presented it to Long Kang before stepping aside, her presence dissolving like raindrops into water.

Long Kang cracked open the bamboo tube, scanned the message, and smiled faintly. "Black Eel has also ventured into the Dragon Abyss Sea. How rare for all the big eels to gather in one place."

Yue Shang immediately knelt on one knee and requested, "Your Majesty, the four pirate kings are all Dragon Level—though only at the initial stage. Each possesses secret treasures and excels in escape techniques, allowing them to roam freely across the seas. They must be gathering for the illusory secret treasure emerging in the Dragon Abyss Sea. This humble general volunteers to set sail and retrieve the treasure for Your Majesty!"

The four pirate kings ruled their respective territories across the four seas like maritime kingdoms. Under normal circumstances, no human would dare hunt them down. At Dragon Level—even the initial stage—one possessed the power to destroy a city alone. If such a foe escaped, the consequences would be endless. The secret treasure in the Dragon Abyss Sea had not yet fully manifested, yet its disturbances in the soul realm were already intense enough for any Dragon Level being sensitive to the soul realm to detect.

Long Kang chuckled softly. "Very well. Let General Yue undertake this journey on my behalf."

"By Your Majesty's command!"

Clang!

With a metallic ring, a longsword suddenly flew from the throne to hover before Yue Shang. Long Kang stood and walked toward the rear hall, his voice trailing behind him: "The secret treasure belongs only to the fated. Do not force what is not meant to be. However, the secret realm holds many opportunities worth seizing. Do not disappoint me, General Yue."

"Your Majesty's benevolence knows no bounds! This general shall not fail!" Yue Shang accepted the sword with both hands, his face flushed with excitement as he watched Long Kang's retreating figure. His true aim in volunteering was to seize the secret realm's opportunities—though he would, of course, strive for the secret treasure as well. This was his chance to ascend further.

After kowtowing three times, Yue Shang rose to leave when the concubine from earlier called softly, "Commander Yue, a moment, please."

Turning back, Yue Shang saw the concubine who had stood before the throne earlier. He inclined his head slightly in respect. "Consort Haiji."

Consort Haiji curtsied gracefully. "Commander Yue, on your voyage, I ask that you show some leniency toward my reckless younger brother. Should he offend, I offer my apologies in advance."

"You honor me too much, Consort Haiji. So long as he serves His Majesty faithfully, I shall bear no grudges."

Yue Shang watched her retreating figure with a faint smile. Aside from those who had witnessed the events, none within or beyond the palace knew that this Consort Haiji—who doted at the emperor's feet like a cat—was once one of the four pirate kings. Who could have imagined that a Dragon Level pirate would become the emperor's favored pet?

The one who now held her former position was her younger brother, forcibly elevated from Ghost-tier peak to Dragon Level through Emperor Long Kang's immense power.

In Yue Shang's eyes, the emperor's might now rivaled even that of the ancient Supreme Sage Teacher.

...

Ironwood Isle—this was Redbeard Carlos's secret base. Aside from its mountains, rivers, and an iron mine, the island boasted a vast forest of ironwood trees over a thousand years old. Redbeard had spent a decade building a shipyard here.

However, after the Iron Skull Island was betrayed and annihilated by the sea clans, Carlos converted Ironwood Isle as the gathering ground for the "Redbeard Pirate Alliance."

The Redbeard Tavern...

Half-Faced Jason and the half-orc Sessis were indulging in fine wine. Though this was a small island far from civilization’s bustle, the tavern lacked none of the expected atmosphere—bartenders, beautiful dancers, and a dazzling array of fine liquors.

"Chug it! These are all treasures plundered by Redbeard! He couldn’t finish them in ten lifetimes, so we’ve got to help him!" Jason, already drunk, raised his bottle and chugged, crimson wine spilling from the corners of his mouth and dripping down his chin, soaking his clothes.

"Half-Face, is this how you drink? Pah! You’re just pickling yourself!" Sessis cursed but then mimicked him, drenching himself in liquor as well.

Besides the two, over a dozen pirate captains from the Redbeard Alliance were present, mostly at the Ghost Level, grouped according to their affiliations.

Willow Blade had originally been with Sessis and Jason, but he stood deliberately apart, looking disdainfully at these two barbarians washing their chest hair with wine. Their antics had ruined his mood for savoring the drink, leaving him no choice but to stare with reddened eyes at the dancers swaying slowly in the center of the tavern. If not for waiting for Redbeard’s news, he would have already dragged the two curviest ones back to his ship. Damn this soggy hellhole—it made him unbearably uncomfortable. He desperately needed some "therapy."

The plan to seize the Secret Treasure had been completely shelved. The three pirate kings had already crossed into the Dragon Abyss Sea, dissolving the pirate conference they had once led. There were even rumors that the Black Emperor from the Ghost Abyss Sea was on his way and should have arrived by now.

For all four pirate kings to cross boundaries simultaneously was exceptionally rare—clearly, the emerging Secret Treasure was no ordinary prize.

Bang...

The tavern door was flung open, and blinding sunlight spilled across the floor, reflecting back to illuminate the dim interior. Carlos, the Redbeard, strode in. His face was covered in dark red facial hair, yet not a single strand seemed out of place, as if each had grown precisely according to plan.

The tavern fell silent instantly. With a sweeping glance, Redbeard signaled the bartenders and dancers, who promptly bowed and withdrew.

Everyone waited in silence for Redbeard’s news.

Redbeard walked behind the bar, opened a bottle of strong liquor, and took a fierce swig before scanning the crowd again. "Gentlemen, apologies for the wait. The news is confirmed—not only are the four pirate kings coming, but so is Yue Shang of the Nine Gods Empire."

A collective gasp filled the room. Yue Shang, the naval commander of the Nine Gods Empire? It was said he had broken through to the Dragon Level a decade ago and might have advanced even further since then!

"The Mermaid Queen is coming with her beast. She’ll likely settle things with the Nine-Headed Dragon first before going for the treasure. The Queen might not act personally, but her beast will undoubtedly join the fight..."

The pirate captains exchanged uneasy glances. Though they were usually the fearless heroes who ruled the seas, in the presence of these true powerhouses... their Ghost-Level strength meant squat.

But Sessis’s eyes gleamed. Watching Redbeard’s expression, a thought struck him. Given the status and power of these figures, there was only one reason they’d personally intervene rather than just sending their elites. "If these big shots are all making moves... the Secret Treasure this time must be a *soul illusion realm* treasure, like the one from Dragon City back then, right?"

Redbeard laughed heartily, giving Sessis an appreciative look. "Brother Sessis hits the mark! Exactly. After on-site investigation and studying records from the *Supreme Sage Teacher’s* era, I’ve confirmed that the Dragon Abyss Sea once hosted a grand *soul illusion realm* during the Sage’s time. The treasure that emerged then granted the mermaid race over two centuries of prosperity."

Sessis murmured in a low voice, "The Sea God Crown."

It was this very *Sea God Crown* that endowed the mermaids with the power to command all sea beasts, even bending Dragon-Level sacred creatures to its will. With the *Heavenly Soul Pearl* as its anchor, the mermaids achieved near-perfect control over the bountiful Dragon Abyss Sea. For pirates, the saving grace was that wielding the *Sea God Crown* came at a cost—the mermaids would never use it lightly unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, they understood that "clear waters harbor no fish," leaving ordinary pirates alone. But the moment a potential pirate king emerged in the Dragon Abyss Sea, the mermaids would strike without mercy.

Jason’s eyes bulged, his half-snarling face twitching violently. "Damn it! If this is another *soul illusion realm*, Ghost-Level big shots’ll be swarming all over the place. What’s left for us? Unless... Redbeard, have you reached Dragon Level too?"

"Piss off! If I were Dragon Level, would I even need you lot?"

But Sessis chuckled and declared confidently, "It’s precisely because it’s a *soul illusion realm* that we have a shot. The realm is ever-changing, and you can usually exit anytime. Even if we can’t claim the ultimate artifact, we can gather rare treasures inside. With enough luck, we might even stumble upon some companion artifacts born alongside the divine treasure. The larger the realm, the less it depends on strength—what matters most is sheer dumb luck."

Hearing this, the pirate captains’ eyes gleamed with ambition. Opportunity was elusive, but who’s to say it wouldn’t favor them? Even the ultimate artifact wasn’t entirely out of reach...

………

Everyone present also knew that these luxuries were entirely due to the Mermaid Queen’s tastes. Clara was merely their temporary custodian.

"Brother Wang Feng! Congratulations!"

Udagan and Anbolin stepped forward as well. The two had been admiring a black ancient bronze dragon head statue, critiquing its craftsmanship. Old Wang couldn’t give two shits. Forget appreciating art—just sensing its dusty old vibe and comparing it to the overpriced doodles around him made him lose all interest in asking its price.

Anbolin had also sang a different tune. They were now dealing with a super-genius Ghost-Level expert, someone whose age no longer mattered.

"Haha, Brother Wang Feng," Anbolin said with a smile. "Today, Udagan and I are borrowing the Princess’s fine establishment to celebrate your triumphant return—consider it a token of our esteem!"

As he spoke, he also smiled at the two figures standing behind Wang Feng.

The Golden Shell Auction House, the Landwalker Merchant Guild, the Oceanfarer Merchant Guild, and Old Wang—these four parties now formed the core framework of Aurora City. Typically, outsiders wouldn't be invited to such gatherings, but Old Wang hadn’t come alone. Accompanying him were Winnie and Mapeier.

Mapeier was like Wang Feng’s shadow, silently following behind him, drawing frequent sideways glances from the others.

As for Winnie, she was the real focus of this gathering.

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