Chapter 83

The remaining mermaid, though unable to speak or write, had become a key protected figure on the Wind Fury. After Zhizhi’s words, the captain immediately declared the meeting adjourned, instructing people to rush to find the ship’s doctor, Bakir, while the rest were promptly assigned to the first mate’s ship to undertake the massive task of changing the water in the bilge.

A certain paralyzed Navigator, unwilling to be outdone, tugged at the captain’s pant leg, insisting on participating. Caesar had no choice but to pick him up from the grimy sheets—thus, Miguel successfully acquired the most expensive ride in the entire Mediterranean Sea. At this moment, he was clinging to his ride’s neck, thoroughly enjoying the treatment of a pampered invalid, taking advantage of the fact that Caesar wouldn’t dare throw him into the sea, and pushing his luck by saying, “The way you looked at Zhizhi was so intense, like you wanted to devour her. Why haven’t you ever looked at me like that—”

The man responded with a cold snort.

“Answer me!” The Navigator, unsatisfied with the lack of response, reached out to grab the man’s chin.

Caesar calmly walked to the swing rope on the third deck. Before them, the others had already hurriedly made their way to Rick’s ship, while the captain’s unhurried demeanor left him trailing behind. Holding Miguel with one hand and the swing rope with the other, the man grasped the rough hemp rope and casually retorted, “Who was it that was clinging to a woman on my bed earlier, unwilling to let go?”

He’s turning this around on me?

Miguel narrowed his eyes, leaning closer to the man. “I was jealous, but are you jealous too?”

“As your master, I have the right to oversee all diplomatic relations of my slave.”

The man answered matter-of-factly, and before Miguel could retort, he tightened his grip on the swing rope and leaped from the third deck of the Wind Fury as if playing, drawing a perfect arc in the air before landing with a thud, his leather riding boots firmly planted on the deck of the first mate’s ship—

The sight of the captain descending from the sky with a man in his arms left the sailors on the deck exchanging bewildered glances. However, none dared to ask the captain when his interests had shifted from women to men. After a moment of silence, they instinctively parted like the Red Sea, leaving a clear path for the captain to the bilge.

Caesar carried the Navigator horizontally, expressionless, as he descended into the bilge. Along the way, the deck creaked and groaned under the weight of the two grown men. Using this as an excuse, Caesar remained stoic, pretending not to hear the black-haired young man’s incessant whispers in his ear: “You’re mine too,” “You’ve already lost yourself to me,” “Do you know what it means to honor a bet?” and other such nonsense.

As they descended the stairs, Caesar could feel Miguel’s cold cheek, chilled by the sea breeze, pressing against his exposed, muscular chest.

“Don’t act like a woman,” the captain said, somewhat helplessly.

The Navigator, who had been burying his face in the man’s chest, lifted his head with a straight face and declared shamelessly, “What’s wrong with me taking a little advantage?”

By now, everyone was already waiting in the bilge. Rick and Leoza had already climbed onto the edge of the bilge pool. The overpowering stench of fish became even more intense as they reached the bilge, causing even some seasoned sailors to gag. The bilge was dimly lit, and the man frowned, reluctantly setting Miguel down before taking a candlestick from a sailor. He turned, the flickering yellow candlelight passing over the Navigator’s face—

Caesar paused, only then noticing that the Navigator, who had earlier seemed so eager to watch the spectacle, wasn’t in a hurry to look into the pool. Instead, he was staring fixedly at him.

As if his gaze was glued to the man’s face.

“What are you looking at?”

“You, because you’re good-looking.”

“Even the most beautiful things get boring after a while.”

“Then I’ll just keep looking until I get bored.”

“…”

Caesar decided not to engage with this twisted logic any further, or he’d spend the entire day on it.

Holding the candlestick in one hand, he easily leaped onto the high edge of the bilge pool. The man’s face darkened as he glanced into the pool filled with clear blue seawater. As expected, just as Zhizhi had said, the surface was littered with fine scales, which had turned the once-clean water into a sticky, foul mess.

The last mermaid on the Wind Fury was no longer hiding at the bottom of the pool. She floated weakly on the surface, her pretty face pale, her lips slightly parted as she breathed faintly, her lips a sickly cherry-red hue. She was indeed a beautiful mermaid, but unlike the more robust bodies of adult mermaids, her upper body and sides were connected by semi-transparent wings and tendrils. Her pale golden curls floated loosely on the water’s surface, her fair skin and childlike features making her resemble a human girl more closely.

With Rick’s help, Miguel also managed to clamber onto the edge of the pool. He clicked his tongue twice, uttering something that left everyone present feeling awkward.

“—This kid’s really had the worst luck running into us.”

The pirates: “…”

They had been through countless battles, but never had they imagined that one day they’d be accused by a clerical worker of ganging up to bully an underage girl.

As punishment for disrupting morale, Caesar didn’t hesitate to deliver two hard slaps to Miguel’s buttocks—not the flirtatious kind, but with enough force that the Navigator felt his recovery from paralysis might be delayed by another two or three days.

Just then, amidst Miguel’s yelps of pain, a faint splash of water could be heard.

The bilge fell silent once more, and even Miguel stopped his cries, leaning back over the edge of the pool. He widened his eyes, staring intently at the mermaid in the pool—

It was as thrilling as the first time he’d seen a panda at the zoo when he was five years old… At this close distance, he could easily observe the mermaid floating on the surface. She moved slightly, her lips twitching as if trying to say something. Then, with difficulty, she flipped over, her large silver tail gently swaying and elegantly tracing a line through the water.

This movement caused even more scales to fall from her tail, revealing the delicate, snake-like silver-white skin underneath. The color, accentuated by the seawater, matched her eyes perfectly. The pool’s water, illuminated by the kerosene lamp, cast a yellow glow, and for a moment, the creature in the pool was enveloped in an indescribable, morbid beauty.

However, her next move left everyone utterly shocked. She slowly swam to the edge of the pool, reaching out with her jade-like arms to cup Caesar’s face. Her upper body rose out of the water, her petite chest nearly brushing against the stoic man. Under Miguel’s increasingly unbearable gaze, the mermaid closed her eyes and affectionately nuzzled her pink cheek against the man’s neck.

The pirates’ eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

Miguel’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Rick: “You look like you want to drown that mermaid back in the sea.”

Miguel: “Exactly, that’s exactly what I’m thinking—is it that obvious?”

Rick: “You might as well write the details on your face.”

Leoza: “What’s she doing!”

Miguel: “What ‘she’! It’s ‘it’!”

Leoza: “…What’s the difference?”

Miguel sneered: “God says, cross-species relationships never end well.”

As if oblivious to the noisy arguments around him, the captain chuckled. He reached out with a large hand, gripping the mermaid’s delicate chin and tilting it upward. This rough gesture seemed to strain the already fragile mermaid, but she didn’t resist, obediently following his command. Her silver eyes, filled with a pitiable longing, locked onto the captain’s amber gaze.

The captain examined her pretty face for a moment, then released her after some thought, saying calmly, “This mermaid isn’t dying; she’s maturing. She’s seeking a mate.”

The bilge erupted into chaos.

The mermaid, disturbed by the noise, flicked her tail and dove back into the depths. Caesar stepped back from the edge of the pool, taking a handkerchief from a sailor to wipe the sticky liquid from his hands after touching the mermaid. Tossing the handkerchief aside, he left a group of people behind to change the water for the juvenile mermaid, then led the rest of the officers back to the deck for an impromptu meeting—

As he sat in the large chair at the head of the meeting room, the habitually fastidious captain was still sniffing his hand, which reeked of fish.

Once everyone was seated, he dropped another bombshell that nearly sent everyone tumbling from their chairs.

“Who’s going?” The captain scanned his subordinates expressionlessly, his voice calm. “Who can convince me that they can resist the mermaid’s lure and not drown in the sea? Whoever can prove that will have the right to her first night.”

Rick: “…Wasn’t she courting you?”

Caesar: “Just because she courts me, I have to respond? What kind of logic is that?”

Miguel: Thumbs up!

Rick: “That’s inhumane.”

“Humane?” The man’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, sending shivers down everyone’s spines. Slowly, the captain said, “Get this straight—that’s not a person; it’s just a marine creature.”

The meeting room fell silent.

“Alright, trash. Whether you’re well-endowed or not, if you can prove you won’t be bitten to death during mating and can survive until the next day to deliver me an adult mermaid that can speak, she’s yours.”