Chapter 35

Blackbeard sat upon his throne, deep in contemplation after the meeting with the demon lord and the God of Sword, Orion. The weight of the revelations they had shared hung heavy upon his shoulders, for if their claims were true, it meant that the very fabric of reality itself had been tampered with by some unknown force.

Rousing himself from his reverie, Blackbeard raised his voice and called out, "Jameson! Attend me at once."

Within moments, the doors to the throne room swung open, and a grizzled, weather-beaten man strode purposefully inside. This was Jameson, Blackbeard's loyal first mate and right-hand man, a veteran sailor who had stood by the Pirate God's side through countless adventures and battles over the years.

"You summoned me, Captain?" Jameson asked, his gravelly voice laced with a hint of curiosity as he took in Blackbeard's pensive expression.

Blackbeard fixed his first mate with an intense stare, his eyes glinting with a mixture of determination and trepidation. "Aye, Jameson, I did," he replied. "I have just returned from a meeting, one that has revealed grave tidings that threaten the very foundations of our world."

Jameson's brow furrowed, and he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. "What news do you bring, Captain? What force could possibly pose such a dire threat that you three can't resolve?"

For a moment, Blackbeard was silent, his brow furrowed in contemplation. Then, as if a thought had struck him, his eyes took on a calculating gleam. "We don't know, but he is strong enough to scare god of healing. Yet we have been presented with an opportunity, Jameson," he said slowly.

He fixed Jameson with a piercing stare, his voice taking on a hard edge. "Prepare the crew, Jameson," he commanded. "We go to war."

Jameson's brow furrowed in confusion. "War, Captain?" he echoed. "But against whom? Surely not this unknown entity?"

Blackbeard shook his head, a grim smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Nay, not against them," he clarified. "But against those who would seek to fill the void left in our absence, those upstart captains and self-proclaimed 'kings' and 'emperors' who have dared to raise their banners in defiance of our authority."

Understanding dawned in Jameson's eyes, and a matching smile spread across his weathered features. "Aye, I see now," he murmured. "With the three of us united, there is no better time to strike and reclaim our dominion over the high seas."

Blackbeard nodded, his gaze steely and resolute. "Precisely," he affirmed. "Make no mistake, Jameson – this is no mere skirmish or raid. This is a war, a campaign to crush any and all who would dare to challenge our supremacy."

He leveled his first mate with a piercing stare, his voice ringing with utter conviction. "Prepare the fleet, ready the men, and let word spread across the seven seas: Blackbeard, the Godslayer, the Pirate God himself, has returned – and he will brook no defiance, no insolence from these pretenders to his throne."

Jameson's grin widened, his eyes alight with the promise of battle and plunder. "Aye, Captain," he said, his voice thick with enthusiasm. "It shall be done. The seas will run red with the blood of those foolish enough to raise their flags against the might of the Pirate God!"

With a curt nod, Jameson turned on his heel and strode from the throne room, his footsteps echoing through the cavernous chamber as he set about marshaling Blackbeard's forces for the coming war. And as the first mate departed, Blackbeard allowed himself a rare, cold smile, for he knew that with when he makes up his mind, no force in the world would be able to stand against them.

The war was coming, and when it arrived, it would sweep across the high seas like a tidal wave, leaving naught but ruin and devastation in its wake. And at the crest of that unstoppable surge would be Blackbeard himself, the Godslayer, the Pirate God – and woe betide any who dared to defy his reign.

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The great dining hall of Fortune Isle's citadel was alive with the buzz of activity. Pirate King Samuel stood at the head of the long table, his crimson coat and golden embroidery catching the flickering light of the chandeliers overhead. Arrayed before him were his most trusted commanders - stalwart men and women who had proven their mettle in battle time and again.

As Samuel surveyed the assembled captains, his gaze fell upon the entrance, where Aesa entered leading the blind boy. A smile crept across the Pirate King's weathered features.

"Ah, there you are lad," he called out. "Come, take a seat at my table. I have been waiting for you since a long time."

The blind boy nodded as Aesa guided him to the empty chair Samuel indicated. Once settled, he turned his bandaged face toward the Pirate King. "Thanks for the food," he said simply.

Samuel chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "The honor is mine, boy."

His smile faded as his gaze swept over his captains once more. "My friends, we are gathered here on the eve of a great undertaking. For too long, we have allowed the kingdoms of Maridian to fester and grow complacent within their borders."

He slammed a fist on the table, causing the plates and flagons to rattle. "But no more! We are the dreaded scourge of the high seas. We will not be contained, will not be bound by their petty laws and borders any longer."

A rumble of approval went around the table, the captains feeding off their lord's fervor and bravado. Samuel raised a hand for silence.

"Our time has come at last to strike at the heart of their precious kingdom. To do this, we must be united as one unstoppable force."

He turned to his second-in-command, the fearsome Dame. "Dame, take forty percent of our forces and accompany me. We will lead the primary attack against Jon Sawbridge's strongholds. That arrogant dog who won't bow his head – it is time we show him the true meaning of the word."

Dame inclined her head, her expression one of predatory eagerness. "It will be done, my liege."

Samuel's gaze fell next upon Mad Hanz. "Commodore, you shall take the remaining third and harry the forces of King Edric. That sniveling fool believes his castles and his army will protect him. Burn them to the ground and salt the earth they are built upon."

Rooster captain's eyes glinted with wicked glee. "Consider it done, Captain. Edric and his lapdogs will beg for mercy before the day is done."

A chorus of raucous cheers erupted from the assembled pirates. Samuel silenced them again with an upraised palm.

"Let this be a day that lives forever in infamy," he bellowed. "The day we, Samuel's Scourge, laid waste to the final vestiges of the old order and claimed our rightful destiny as the rulers of these seas!"

The roar that followed shook the very foundations of the citadel. Boots thundered as the captains leapt to their feet, tankards raised high in salute to their fearless Pirate King. For they knew that this was no mere raid or plundering run. This was the opening salvo in a war for complete and utter domination of the waves. And with Samuel leading the charge, no force of man would be able to withstand their unholy wrath.

The kingdom of Maridian was about to learn what it truly meant to incur the fury of the dread Pirate King and his scourge. And by the time the last drop of blood was spilled upon the battlefield, a new order would rise - one where Samuel's black flag snapped defiantly in the wind as the unchallenged ruler of the high seas.