Chapter 1 Guns and Canons

Creak, splash*

The sound of wood and tide came right into the ear, creating a harmonious melody for the visitors of this city, but the secret was this city wasn't calm as it seems.

Boom, bang*

As they said before, cries of guns and the angry roar of men decorated this land, giving them the spirit of freedom and being alive.

There wasn't a calm day after the creation of this settlement because many tried to venture into the deep water that no one managed to get away from. Once a pirate, he or she will always be one whether they like it or not, and that made this place special.

Creak*

The leather boot heels clashed with the wood that was rotting in the ocean water. The smell of salt and water covered the man's nose as he inhaled with delight. To him, this place was his home and his burial site when he dies someday. Before that, he was stamping his name in the iron canons of the infamous ships to leave his name as the greatest pirate in the sea.

" What the heck are you pigs doing? Jump up and deliver the thing to its new owner."

The man cursed his men, knowing they would understand his words. The education of his men wasn't that high, but they were highly competent and clever to other's surprise. Especially the vice-captain easily calculated some math questions and gave them exact numbers and prices.

" It is always a pleasure to do business with you, Captain Mendes, and Vice Captain Spade. Please, take this our little gesture of goodwill and share it with your men."

The bald merchant smiled, snapping his fingers to signal his man to fetch the barrel of wine that was specially prepared by his partner. Although Mendes wasn't a good man, he was even stricter than those iron-willed mercenaries of the South and he was a man of word.

" I thank you for your generosity. We will bring the next patch right this time next month."

Spade nudged, Mendes whose eyes were glued to the barrel. He knew Mendes loved good wine and good fight more than anyone else on this ship. That is why the crew members dodged their captain like he was some kind of plague that would kill them.

" Ahem* We will depart now. Do you have any questions?"

Mendes coughed, closing his eyes to remind himself to be calm since he was in the presence of the infamous bald merchant Gustav. He dealt with this for a long time and he understood this man was a shrewd man as well as two-faced bastard who values money more than anyone. Therefore, he didn't lower his guard, believing this merchant would do something terrible to them since there was no absolute law in the sea.

Once they lose their footing on the board, the jaw of the deadly beasts of the ocean would mercilessly tear them apart before they could scream or utter a single word. This was the iron law of the alliance pirates.

" May the ocean God's blessing with you, my friends."

Gustav smiled, squinting his eyes into a narrow line. If he had a tail, his tail would be wagging right now due to his happiness. His pocket was getting deeper than his competitors and his partners were smart enough to give him the bonus.

This showed both parties were willing to bow their head for their benefits and that was the reason for Gustav's eagerness to negotiate with these gentlemen.

He didn't care about whether they were robbed or some kind of loot or treasure, all he cared about was his money.

" Bring the porters in and place them into the warehouse before they start rotting. Ready the ice mage to chant ice spells on the warehouse. THIS THING MUST BE FRESH OTHERWISE IT IS WORTHLESS."

Gustav raised his voice to reprimand his men to be quick and careful. The organic mana plants in this land were expensive as the mana crystal due to their usage and nature.

The crime lords and pharmacists make a special drug that enhances the physical body and mana flow without serious side effects. Hence, a number of people desire this product, but the thing was they would rot quickly after leaving the soil, so it was impossible to bring them fresh.