Chapter 218: Section 6: 006
Thump.
Golden Chin fell onto the deck, completely unconscious.
His defeat marked the end of the battle, as the stubborn enemy pirates lost their fighting spirit, threw down their weapons, and surrendered on their knees begging for mercy.
The knight youth was gasping for breath.
He had captured the Sea Snake Lady, defeated the returning Sea Snake Magic Beast, and riding the wave of victory, returned to the Grey Rat. Later, the youth and Zong Ge coordinated, using Dragon Roar to stun Golden Chin temporarily, allowing Zong Ge to seize the opportunity to knock him out.
“How should these people be handled?” Zong Ge asked, planting his Two-Handed Greatsword onto the deck, visibly exhausted, especially due to his previously severed arm which seemed to cause him greater pain.
Ash, looking tense, jumped over from the mast.
The “these people” Zong Ge referred to included not only the Sea Snake Lady and Golden Chin but also Ash.
After a moment’s thought, the knight youth gave Ash a slight smile, “Captain Ash, I hope you can command your men to take control of these three ships.”
“This battle, through your actions, you’ve earned my trust. I am a knight of the Empire and I keep my promises. I hope you cherish this hard-earned trust and do not disappoint me.”
“I understand, sir,” Ash replied respectfully.
The imposing demeanor of the knight youth greatly deterred him.
Just then, a shout came from the captives, “You’re a knight of the Empire? Did I hear that right? I’m also from the Empire. Help, help!”
The youth, Zong Ge, and Ash turned to look and saw a young man with a clean face, kneeling on the deck trying to stand up.
“Stay down!” a pirate from the Grey Rat immediately kicked him back down.
“Let me go, let me go! I am from the Empire, I’m an ally!” the young man cried out anxiously.
“He’s not Golden Chin’s captive; he’s an enemy and has killed quite a few of our men,” Ash’s eyes flashed coldly.
“Don’t kill me, I have important intelligence. I need to speak privately, privately! Sir Knight, aren’t you curious? Why would Golden Chin and Sea Snake Lady team up to attack me?”
The youth’s eyes instantly flashed keenly upon hearing this, sensing there was more to the story.
A moment later, inside the captain’s quarters.
Zong Ge was personally guarding the door.
To save his life, the young man immediately divulged the secret, “I am a spy of the Empire, I have no name, only a code number, 006. I am currently under the direct command of Navy Marshal Yan Tan.”
“This is not my original appearance, I used a high-level Transformation Potion.”
“My mission is to turn prominent pirates against each other and disrupt the selection of the King of Pirates!”
“Indeed, the Empire had discovered long ago about the reappearance of the pirate throne. The Empire would certainly not just watch, and has already started dealing with the pirates. I am part of the vanguard.”
The knight youth could not help but raise an eyebrow, “Do you have anything to prove your identity?”
The young man smiled wryly, “This was a covert operation; I wouldn’t have any proof on me. But Golden Chin and Sea Snake Lady, whom I’ve successfully turned, can attest to my allegiance.”
The knight youth nodded slightly.
Golden Chin and Sea Snake Lady were still unconscious, and this young man only came forward after hearing the youth reveal his identity as a knight while they were unconscious.
To verify his story, they just needed to wake Golden Chin and the Sea Snake Lady and probe them indirectly.
“Go on, then,” the knight youth gestured with his hand, indicating for 006 to sit and speak.
The good will shown by the youth let 006 breathe a bit easier.
After sitting down, he said with a sincere tone, “Sir Knight, currently the Empire is launching a campaign against the Beast Race. Our vanguard has already secured a foothold on the Wilderness Continent and built many fortresses. Not long ago, many Holy Temple Knights from the Holy Temple Knights have gone to serve as City Lords at the fortresses.”
“The Beast Race is actively mobilizing their tribes, aiming to form a coalition to annihilate our vanguard and destroy all the fortresses. The clouds of a great battle are growing darker.”
“We must transport a large army to the Wilderness Continent to have the strength to engage in a large-scale battle with the Beast Race,” said the leader.
“And the transportation will definitely take place by sea, using ships.”
The knight youth nodded again.
He knew: Although teleportation technology existed, the act of teleportation was actually very limited.
The higher the level of life or demon energy of the object being teleported, the greater the consumption.
The youth had struggled desperately around the Teleportation Gate at the core of the Alchemy Factory and was very familiar with its mysteries.
006 continued, “If a new King of Pirates emerges, the pirates will all submit to Him. The previously separate and independent pirates would unite as one entity. If the King of Pirates wished to interfere with our transportation lines, it would significantly disrupt the Empire’s strategy to conquer the Wilderness Continent.”
Conquering across the sea was fraught with many difficulties.
The Empire had to ensure the safety of its transportation lines. This maritime transportation line was not just for transporting troops but also supplies. The longer the war lasted, the longer the transportation line had to be maintained.
The transportation line was a lifeline, as well as one of the critical pillars of the Empire’s dominance.
006 sighed, “Once the King of Pirates is born, given His Divinity and Divine Office, it’s very likely that He will plunder the Empire’s transportation lines.”
“And at present, we must also admit that the Empire does not have an official Sea God.”
This isn’t to say there are no divine offices, Divinities, or Divine Domains related to the sea.
In fact, the God of Commerce has a Divine Domain related to navigation, and the Empire’s Wind God also controls the divine power of the sea winds.
What 006 meant by “official Sea God” was the Main God Office.
Only a deity of the ocean holding the Main God Office could be considered a true Sea God.
Although the Holy Bright Empire had unified the Human Race continents, it was once a landlocked country. In terms of a Sea God, there has always been a deficit.
In fact, the historical roots go back even further. The great Divine Office of the Sea God had always been controlled by foreign tribes. The Human Race, being land-based creatures, had always lacked competitiveness in this regard.
006 said, “The three legendary pirates are trouble enough. Once a King of Pirates is born, it will pose a significant threat to the Empire’s strategies. The Empire will not ignore this, so it has dispatched intelligence members, including myself, to secretly infiltrate and attempt to recruit pirates to our cause. Afterward, we will do our best to thwart the birth of the King of Pirates. Of course, if we could support one of our own to take the pirate throne, that would be perfect.”
The youth understood, “So that’s why Golden Chin and the Sea Snake Lady had the audacity to defy the rules of the Brother Pirate Group and attack someone wearing grey.”
006 nodded, “In fact, this attack was instigated by me. I just didn’t expect your lordship to appear.”
“The Brother Pirate Group is the largest pirate group in the world and is the primary target of our secret mission.”
“In fact, despite its vast size, according to our scholars’ analysis, they are actually the weakest.”
“This is because, historically, there have been no contractual restrictions among the main members of the Brother Pirate Group. The unity is entirely reliant on the charisma of their leader, Firebeard.”
“However, this charisma is very fragile under the military might of the Empire and sufficiently appealing incentives.”
The knight youth nodded.
Golden Chin and the Sea Snake Lady were indeed the best proof.
“After all, pirates are just a bunch of evil scoundrels driven solely by profit,” the knight youth sneered.
006 asked, “My lord, since you are a knight of the Empire, why not take advantage of this rare opportunity to participate in the Empire’s secret mission?”
“Can I, really?” the knight youth expressed with a hint of surprise.
“Of course!” 006 immediately replied, “As long as you perform an action fitting of a pirate, we can gain the favor of the King of Pirate’s Divinity. Our names might even make it onto the Holy Tablet. Just like the man in grey, he must have seized an extraordinary treasure, which is why his name suddenly topped the Holy Tablet!”
006 was clearly an intelligence elite.
By voluntarily sharing this secret with the knight youth, he was not only trying to save his life but also trying to pull the knight youth to his side and make it part of his accomplishment.
He appeared frank and sincere, but in reality, his words contained probing and provocation.
However, to his disappointment, the knight youth’s face remained expressionless, giving away no clues.