Chapter 60

Caesar couldn’t stand the sight any longer and kicked the navigator who was sprawled on top of him, laughing like a pig. “What are you laughing so lecherously for?”

“Look at this, look at this,” Miguel squinted with a smile, feeling quite pleased with himself as he stretched out his hand and hovered it over the bloody tattoo, even craning his neck to glance at the mirror. “What is this?”

His hand traced the arc of the “C” over and over until Caesar grabbed his wrist, his expression blank. “A sickle, symbolizing the discipline of the Wind Fury. Anyone who disobeys will face death.”

Hearing this grandiose official explanation, Miguel’s smile didn’t waver. He easily freed his wrist from the man’s grip—

“Say whatever you want,” he said, quickly pinching Caesar’s chin before the man could react, then limping and crawling back to his sofa. Miguel propped his face in his hands, staring at the man who stood stiffly in place, and said seriously, “It’s not like I don’t know that people in your line of work have the habit of carving their beloved’s name on their bodies. Hehe, Big Dog, you’ve finally understood my heart—”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t yell so loud, my head wound hurts from the vibration,” the navigator retorted, unfazed, and even muttered in complaint, “At your age, still acting all shy like a young girl or boy!”

“…You’re my slave. Marking you with your master’s brand, what’s wrong with that?”

The navigator, who missed the point entirely: “See, you’ve admitted it.”

“…”

“Hey, Big Dog, you’re blushing.”

“Get lost.”

Caesar turned his head, scrutinizing his navigator-slave carefully for the first time in days. Those amber eyes were unusually bright, capable of making anyone they stared at feel uneasy. His gaze paused for a moment, sweeping over Miguel’s thin shoulder blades and waistline, and he came to a conclusion—

After days of being pampered with good food and drink, he hadn’t gained any weight, but his courage had certainly grown.

With a cold laugh, the captain strode past Miguel, sitting back down in the plush armchair behind his desk under the navigator’s inexplicably festive gaze. His slender fingers curled as he narrowed his eyes, about to say something, when suddenly, a deafening cannon blast echoed from outside the window.

“Hmm?” The man frowned slightly. “Which idiot’s ship misfired?”

His first thought was that some clumsy sailor had made a mistake. The captain stood up, pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window behind him, and stepped out onto the small observation deck connected to the captain’s cabin—the highest point on the Wind Fury, where he could easily survey the entire fleet.

Curious, Miguel also slid off the sofa, wrapped a thin blanket around his naked body, and limped over to Caesar’s side. Due to his height, he had to hold onto the man’s sturdy arm and stand on tiptoe to see the situation in the distance—

At the very end of Caesar’s fleet, a single-masted cog ship, usually used for transporting goods and weighing around 200 tons, was slowly emitting smoke. The sky, freshly washed by the storm, was a clear blue, and the outdated merchant ship-turned-vessel was clearly under attack!

Behind the Wind Fury fleet, a pirate fleet of similar size was closely following.

In the Mediterranean Sea, there was actually a fleet daring enough to challenge the Black Sea Wolf at their own game!

The unfamiliar fleet, led by a massive three-masted galley painted entirely black, was tailing the Wind Fury closely. Strangely, after firing the first cannon, it immediately stopped and, taking advantage of its sturdy ship, blatantly rammed the outdated cog ship—

The specially modified sharp prow of the three-masted galley pierced the cog ship’s hull with unstoppable force. The point of impact creaked under the strain, and wooden splinters fell into the foamy sea—

Provocation!

The newcomers were challenging the authority of the top dog in the Mediterranean!

Amidst the sea of blue and black, Miguel suddenly noticed something different.

He opened his mouth in surprise, then hopped back into the captain’s cabin, grabbed the brass telescope Caesar had left on the desk, and stood next to the silent, grim-faced man. He clicked open the telescope and peered through the small lenses, magnifying the scene hundreds of meters away—

The three-masted galley, identical to the Wind Fury to the point of suspicion, wasn’t attacking aimlessly. Its owner stood at the very top of the mast, laughing maniacally with his hands on his hips. His long, wine-red hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and his twisted, handsome face was magnified in the telescope.

Miguel silently lowered the telescope: “…”

Caesar: “What did you see?”

Miguel: “Something unbelievable. Someone’s come to challenge your turf, Captain. And, that person seems to have a tiny bit of… blood relation to you.”

Caesar lazily smiled: “Is that person ugly?”

Miguel put on a sincere face: “Exceptionally ugly.”

Caesar: “Thinking about being kissed by someone like that, don’t you feel like killing yourself?”

Miguel looked at his master with difficulty: “…That’s… not necessary, right?”

Caesar turned his head expressionlessly and glanced at him.

Miguel’s skin tightened, and he clutched the blanket around his waist, mustering all his seriousness: “Yes, yes, you’re right. I really want to die. If it weren’t for the Wind Fury, I might just go die right now!”

With a particularly disdainful side-eye at the fickle navigator, the man snatched the telescope from his hand, looked through it…

“Tsk, monkey,” the Black Sea Wolf cursed under his breath in displeasure.

Below them, the deck was eerily quiet, not at all like the scene before a sea battle. Everyone’s mouths hung open, unable to believe they had just been ambushed by other pirates—

Had their cushy lifestyle these past days rotted their brains? Curling his lips in mockery, Caesar casually picked up an empty can and threw it onto the deck below with a clang, snapping the stunned pirates out of their daze. They looked up and immediately saw their captain’s grim face—

“What are you all staring at? Raise the Black Wolf Flag and prepare to counterattack! Pass the order: First Mate Rick, turn the ship around and take the lead!”

The pirates: “…”

The man raised an eyebrow: “Why are you all looking at me? Can I make that trash die from my handsomeness? Get moving!”

Finally snapping out of their stupor, the pirates on the deck scrambled to carry out the captain’s orders. As the Black Wolf Flag slowly rose, the ship flying the “Jolly Roger” beside the Wind Fury began to turn around. By the time the Black Wolf Flag reached the top of the mast, Rick’s ship had completed its turn. Beside the black “Jolly Roger,” a massive white hourglass was almost empty—

Set sail, set sail!

The devil stands by my side, the blades of boarding battle ring out!

Set sail, set sail!

Lower the enemy’s flag, make them surrender in tears!

Set sail, set sail!

Gold flows like the most beautiful river, there’s no melody more beautiful than this!

A powerful song rose from the ships as the massive sails were hoisted high on the masts. The crew stood on the deck, circling around and shouting the battle song with all their might, pushing the capstan bars with all their strength!

In the distance, Rick’s loud shouting could be heard as the Wind Fury’s first mate’s ship sailed against the wind, charging full speed toward the invading enemy!

The entire Wind Fury moved into action at top speed, preparing to counterattack. Caesar put away the telescope and walked back into the captain’s cabin without a word.

He quickly strapped on a belt that could hold four pistols, opened his desk drawer, and casually picked out four of his most reliable personal firearms. As he bent down to slide a clearly extraordinary dagger into the inner pocket of his boot, his eyes flickered, and his swift, practiced movements… paused.

“…What are you looking at?”

The captain turned his face away unnaturally, slammed open another drawer, pulled out another dagger, bent down to place it in a convenient spot, then turned and slammed the drawer shut.

Not far away, the navigator wrapped in a thin blanket and barefoot: (ˉ﹃ˉ).

Caesar lowered his head, fastening his belt after putting on his shirt: “Keep looking and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”

Not far away, the navigator wrapped in a thin blanket and barefoot: (ˉ﹃ˉ).

“…” With a helpless expression, the fully armed captain stepped onto the soft carpet, reached out, and roughly ruffled the navigator’s hair. “Daddy’s going to work. Be good, stay here, and don’t go anywhere.”

Miguel: “Dad… you look so sexy in your clothes (ˉ﹃ˉ).”

The captain sneered: “Stay here and don’t go anywhere. If I hear you’ve been captured again, don’t expect me to rescue you.”