HoG - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Long Live the Captain!

With Guss's boarding ceremony imminent, utilizing the 'Pirate Ten Commandments' to assist him in achieving anchoring, Byron decided to induct all the newly recruited crew members simultaneously. After lunch, Byron assembled the entire current crew of the 'Golden Hind' within the vast dry dock he had rented. This included the dozen or so veteran crew members who had been working in the shipyard, the twenty or so free pirates recruited that day, and the dozen or so slaves, totaling fifty-six new and old crew members.

Shipwright Hans and his son, the loyal Eight Fingers, apprentice navigators Thomas and Perry, and assassin Guss—these pirate officers who had undergone trials stood at the forefront. Byron surveyed the crowd and nodded silently, acknowledging that while their combat readiness remained to be seen, the framework for the assault team, sailors, gunners, and other departments had been established.

Truthfully, the free pirates, having been picked over by countless captains, were indeed hard to describe under his discerning gaze. One word: mediocre. However, the quality of this batch of slaves was noticeably higher. Those who had survived the harsh conditions of sea transport, with its high mortality rate, at least had no issues with their physical fitness. With a bit of training, they would make excellent junior sailors.

Especially among the native slaves, a young man named Wyndotte stood out. Though he hadn't spoken much, the 'Echoes of History' revealed that he was not only fluent in the common language but also led the other native slaves. He might even possess some supernatural knowledge from the native tribes. It's just that his spirituality hadn't awakened yet, and the knowledge couldn't be converted into power.

"Don't worry, there will be bread, and there will be milk," Byron's gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the crowd, seeing them clearly and distinctly, as if he had known them for several years. He then turned around and retrieved a thick book from a box. The hardcover, adorned with a menacing skull symbolizing the pirate code, was the 'Pirate Ten Commandments' of the 'Golden Hind'!

Unlike the 'Man-Eater,' which was so petty that it only had one piece of parchment, this was a massive tome bound with a full hundred pages of parchment, as heavy as a brick. The two had obviously completely different scopes. Byron's ambition was a pirate group, a pirate fleet, and even a military dispatch company that could influence the life and death of a country. He believed that one day, the book would be filled with the names of pirates!

He opened the cover to all the pirates, and on the first gilded page with decorative edges, the ten commandments of the 'Golden Hind' were inscribed:

"One, everyone has equal voting rights, but the captain's orders must be strictly followed.

Two, fairness for all, the capable rise, the mediocre fall...

Nine, betrayers die, but no one's talents will be buried; accumulate merits, and you can obtain resources, supernatural knowledge, and promotion ceremonies!

Ten, all plunder must not be hidden; the captain receives 15%...

The commandments can be amended through a vote by all crew members."

Hans Jr., the shipwright with the highest level of education and aspiring to the High Tower Sequence, stood beside him, reading each word and sentence to the pirates below. The pirates were most concerned about the share ratio, which was not much different from other pirate ships. It had already been explained during recruitment, and they had no objections.

But when the pirates heard the unprecedented ninth commandment, everyone's breathing became heavier. As long as they accumulated merits, they could obtain resources, supernatural knowledge, and promotion ceremonies! Awakening potions and spices represented the possibility of spiritual awakening. And spirituality, supernatural knowledge, plus a promotion ritual, meant a complete set of prerequisites for the supernatural. It was also the beginning of stepping onto the 'Stairway of Glory' and bidding farewell to the masses.

Even for the most numerous and lowest threshold lighthouse sequence 'Pirates' on the sea, it was not something these mediocre individuals could casually aspire to in the past. Even those with outstanding qualifications would have had to sign harsh contracts with the captain to cross that threshold. Like a donkey with a carrot dangling in front of it, they might work until death and still not get to eat it.

Perhaps only in large pirate groups or those pirate king teams that began to value talent cultivation would such a merit system be established as a universal law.

"Captain, is this all true?"

"We also have a chance to become supernatural individuals? Without harsh contracts, just by working hard to establish merits?"

Despite the late autumn chill, the shipyard felt as though a blazing bonfire had been ignited, and the pirates' enthusiasm was almost enough to set the building alight.

Even the slaves, who had lost hope in life, their eyes lit up immediately upon learning that they had equal rights. Byron raised a hand, showing everyone his palm, and promised solemnly, "Of course! There's no doubt about it! Since I've written it in the 'Pirate Ten Commandments,' it has the backing of the Pirate Emperor's 'Pirate Code.' In the future, it will definitely be executed without compromise. This is my promise to you, and I hope your performance will live up to this commandment."

The 'Silver Law' protected humanity from the chaotic Source tides and various dangers, but it also completely solidified the social structure on the continent. There were dozens or even hundreds of kingdoms and principalities, large and small, but the thrones were always inherited through law and bloodline, and no commoner had ever successfully usurped a country. The middle and lower classes were similar; there were too many wolves and too little meat, and even the secondary sons and illegitimate children of nobles couldn't be accommodated.

Byron knew best that once the path to advancement was opened, the suppressed lower classes, upon seeing a glimmer of hope, would unleash a terrifying force. In the past, even if someone wanted to do this, they certainly couldn't succeed. Because the continent, with no unclaimed land, couldn't supply more resources. But in the age of great navigation, on the infinitely vast sea, everything was possible! Pirates happened to be a profession of survival of the fittest, providing basic conditions where the strong survived and the weak were eliminated. Byron's job was to sift through these dregs to find gold, at the very least iron or brass, to be of use. From pirate to king, his ancestors had done it once, and he was prepared to... do it again!

Thud, thud, thud... The sword scabbard hit the ground, signaling everyone to quiet down. Beyond the tangible material benefits, Byron also eloquently painted an idealistic picture for the pirates, who were clearly already excited, "Even the humblest knight yearns for the day when he can ride a white horse with a silver spear, protect the girls of his homeland, and die a heroic death. Even the most ordinary person has fantasized about standing on the peak one day, holding great power, and competing with the unruliest tyrants in the world! What is the most feared in life? It's feared that when one can no longer move, they are still mediocre and console themselves with the rarity of being ordinary. What is meant by having no desires? Only those who have achieved success can claim to have no desires! Look at those who scurry about in castles and courts now, besides having a good father or a good surname, where are they better than you? You! Our friends, why can't you replace them??? Damn it!"

When he got tough, he even cursed himself, but the effect was immediate. "Roar! Damn it!" "Long live the captain!" "Long live!" Two lifetimes of experience had honed Byron's ability to paint a rosy picture, much better than Salman's. As long as they jumped a little, they could touch the first pie, not something far out of reach.

By the time everyone had left their fingerprints on the 'Pirate Ten Commandments' and settled into their roles, they were all like chickens with their blood up, full of vigor. Even if they were asked to cut down the York family's navy, they wouldn't bat an eye.

Byron also reassigned personnel. Old Hans, the shipwright, remained in his position due to his age, while young Hans, who was still learning, took on the roles of warehouse manager and chef; The honest Eight Fingers was appointed as the boatswain leading the assault team; the apprentice navigators Thomas and Perry were respectively appointed as the rigging master and the navigator; Assassin Guss was promoted to second mate, responsible for assassination and intelligence... The position of first mate was reserved for Bruch, who had not yet recovered.

Then Byron assigned tasks to everyone. The crew needed to spend half a day at the shipyard together repairing the ship, aiming to shorten the two-week repair time by at least a third to ensure they could advance or retreat at any time. For the remaining half of the day, they would be guided by young Hans and the other pirate officers to learn 'Fisher Swordsmanship.' Byron, who had come from a formal military academy like the Royal Navy College, had more foresight than other pirate captains. He provided basic training for free, and whether they could stand out depended on themselves. Even so, "Praise the captain" became many people's catchphrase.

The 'Golden Hind' was finally back on track. Once this makeshift team experienced a battle, killed an enemy, and survived, they would be a formidable force. And if numbers were insufficient, technology could make up for it. Byron's greatest expectation now was actually the world-leading sailing ship—the 'Golden Hind.' 'Titles' could bring power, and if it could be confirmed as the fastest ship in the world after modification, it would surely bring unexpected great benefits!

With internal affairs settled, he now had the energy to focus on dealing with those privateer captains.