"The Sea of Fog?"
Little Raven was momentarily stunned.
The Sea of Fog is a region beyond the Crack Sea, close to the edge of the New World.
That area is filled with thick fog, no longer a place where ordinary people can survive.
In that place, adult near-coastal overlords are no longer rare.
Even military vessels have a high rate of accidents in the Sea of Fog.
Carola smiled, but there was a hint of anger in her tone:
"Yes, the Sea of Fog, my little darling. Concerning the Crack Tide, we, the Black Whale Group, need to hold a meeting, and this requires the gathering of all our executives.
You should know, the Navy's three admirals, the Hunter Groups of the inland major companies, and that damned Flower Witch, as well as the Blade Witch, their emergence has completely disrupted the balance of the entire sea.
We must let these Hunter Groups, Witches, and the Navy know who is the prey in this vast sea, and who is the hunter."
Carola grasped the flintlock in her hand and spun it around.
Before the Crack Tide, the Black Whale Group could be said to be the absolute overlord above the sea!
"Hmm, hmm."
Little Raven forced a smile to avoid showing any sign of dejection.
After finishing this meal, she was going to leave this small cabin vessel.
Wonderful times are always fleeting.
Enjoy the meal... Little Raven suppressed her aversion to chili and quietly ate her last dinner.
Although it wasn't to her taste, she ate with unanticipated joy.
Then, Carola took out a Bounty Order, and a bold idea suddenly came to her mind:
"Little Raven, this nearby sea area is where the Black Hunter often appears, right? What do you say, should we pin the matter of the Dream Beast on the Black Hunter?"
"???"
Chen Qi was shocked, was he already so famous at sea?
Carola had a moment of inspiration.
The influence of the Dream Beast was too great; it was perfect to pin it on the Black Hunter, and also to prevent the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau from focusing all their attention on the Black Whale Group straight away.
After all, their ships would still be active in near-coastal waters for a while longer.
Moreover, if the Black Hunter learned that 'he' was involved with the Dream Beast, he would undoubtedly be furious and come to investigate, possibly even seeking out the Black Whale Group on his own initiative.
However, regarding this plan, Carola's subordinates were all frowning.
Carola asked again:
"Little Raven, what do you think?"
Passing the buck to such a twisted Black Hunter... Little Raven once again gave a quality response:
"I don't know."
"Troublesome, I also don't know why Whale Father cares about some insignificant tentacle hunter?"
Carola turned around, leaned in closer, and sighed:
"Culinary ship's chef, do you have information on the Black Hunter? Or any other news?"
Chen Qi looked at the newspaper on his table and said quietly:
"I only know that the Black Hunter recently killed the Ghost Captain."
"Killing the Ghost Ship, a bit stronger than imagined..."
After hearing this, Carola fell into thought:
"Forget it, since we want to recruit him, we shouldn't be pinning the blame on him. Otherwise, before becoming collaborators, we might be treated as prey, which would make things a bit problematic."
Carola elegantly took a sip of wine:
"Compared to this Black Hunter, indeed, we should capture those two witches first. That damned, cold-hearted creature, the Flower Witch, has recently messed up our plans in the Crack Sea again.
I don't know what her relationship with the Black Hunter is, but if we find the Black Hunter, capturing the Flower Witch might be a lot easier."
"Witches must die."
Carola swirled the blood-red wine in her glass, her eyes reflecting a hunter's intent to kill.
The Flower Witch... Chen Qi fell into contemplation; he also didn't know the current situation of the Flower Witch and Water Elf No.2.
From the looks of it, their situation wasn't optimistic.
Suddenly, Carola's lips curved into a faint smile.
After dealing with the matter of the Dream Beast, Carola suddenly shifted her target and looked towards Chen Qi:
"Little chef, your boat is not bad. In our forsaken Witch Sea, your culinary skills are passable, and the boat is decent too. Next, you're heading to Black Mine City in the Crack Sea?"
He's not thinking about taking me aboard the Mermaid Ship, is he... Chen Qi didn't hide his intended destination:
"Hmm, I also don't know how the culinary ship business in the Crack Sea is..."
"Cough cough, auntie, this chef will be heading to the Crack Sea, he's quite short on money recently."
Little Raven coughed twice.
To protect Chen Qi, she had just described him as a talented battle chef with decent skills!
If it weren't for Chen Qi's vessel, they would have taken at least two more days to complete the Dream Beast ceremony.
Not to mention the matter of the Dream Beast, in a significant sense, Chen Qi was also a major contributor to their current deterrent action.
Carola's lips curled into a knowing smile, poured another glass of wine, and handed it to Chen Qi:
"Little chef, when you're out in the world, it's not just about strength, but also about background, and yes, face too. I'm in a very good mood today, you've helped us, and we, the Black Whale Group, will not let you down."
"Little Raven."
The little crow shivered, then realized what had happened.
Chen Qi had helped her so much this time, but she had actually forgotten to give him a thank you gift.
However, she could feel that if it weren't for Chen Qi, even if she wouldn't have been killed by the Dream Beast, she would not have escaped unscathed.
Completely unsure of how to repay him… The little crow thought for a moment and handed a card to Chen Qi.
"What is this?"
Chen Qi took the card.
It was a pitch-black card with the backside made of shell.
This must be a VIP card of the Crack Sea black market; in Shell Country, many dangerous materials aren't allowed to be sold openly.
Therefore, even in the chaotic Crack Sea, only people with sufficient status and identity qualify to enter the black market.
And such VIP cards often require special channels and another person's guarantee to purchase, to ensure that the buyer will not report the matter to the officials.
For someone like Chen Qi and the Flower Witch, who didn't know anyone in the Crack Sea, obtaining a black market VIP card was very difficult.
Even an item without a declared identity, in a chaotic place like Black Mine City, would definitely be taken advantage of.
Chen Qi, in Moonstone City, had already experienced many times the difficulty of doing business because of a lack of identity and background.
Moreover, this card was not just any ordinary VIP card but one that required the endorsement of a significant figure.
He could not use his name, otherwise, it would expose… The little crow coughed twice:
"This is my card, Chef; with this card, not only can you purchase more items, but they will also not dare to bully you at will, which will help you in doing business."
Chen Qi accepted the card:
"Thank you, Dr. Crow."
Carola didn't mind her little self-contained ship's doctor having another good friend:
"Little Chef, you have good abilities and are the right age. If you were a Third-tier Transcendent, maybe I would have let you board our ship, but as it is, you probably can't handle the workload on our Mermaid."
Carola deliberately emphasized the workload.
Are you implying something… Chen Qi struggled to contain the expression of a question mark on his face.
"????"
For a moment, he couldn't tell if she was complimenting or criticizing him.
Was he being seen as a freeloader just because he wasn't strong enough?
In the end, Carola slowly stood up:
"Little Chef, make five more dishes like this; my crew also needs to replenish some nutrients."
Having said that, she got up magnanimously, leaned against the side of the ship, and lit up a cigarette.
Chen Qi did not hesitate to use up all the kidneys and meat in the fridge, earning fifty thousand Shell Coins.
At last, he placed the packed dishes on the table.
"Done, everyone."
"Alright."
Carola signaled to the little crow to take the dishes with her.
She exhaled a puff of smoke, noticing the little crow's troubles:
"Little Crow, on this vast sea, as long as you have the strength, you can achieve anything, and by joining the Black Whale Group, you can have everything and become an existence on par with a Witch, where men or your enemies are just toys in your hands.
As a reward for this mission, the Black Whale Group will get you the release technique for your Shadow likeness.
And once you step into Legend, you will possess true freedom."
In Carola's view, the little crow had talent but always disparaged herself; maybe it was because she spent too long on the broken ship of the Black-eyed Captain that she completely lacked the ruthlessness of a pirate.
However, this trait might be very suitable for embarking on the path of the Shadow.
"Mm-hmm..."
The little crow nodded. In front of the matron, she was so nervous that she couldn't even think properly.
Carola led her crew toward the Mermaid.
She waved her hand and added:
"Little Chef, goodbye. Remember, being an enemy of the Black Whale Group brings no benefits."
The little crow also followed the matron, reluctantly waving her hand goodbye.
But in the end, she couldn't help calling out his name:
"Qi, goodbye."
Afterward, she vigorously patted her own back.
Goodbye, this is to remind myself to watch out for the illness on my back, to take care of my body… Chen Qi stood on the deck, looking into the distance.
The Sea Beast disease behind him, although currently stable, also required seeking a treatment opportunity.
The sea breeze gently brushed the deck, carrying the salty moist air and call of the ocean, bidding farewell to the Mermaid sailing into the distance.
The Water Elf slept, and the entire sea became unexpectedly quiet for a moment.
Chen Qi let out a sigh of relief, with mixed emotions in his heart, uncertain of how to express them.
Waves, sea, release, Little Crow, Flower Witch, soul core, power, calamity, family, loneliness…
In this great tide, there was simply no time to stop.
Whether it was the little crow or himself, their current strength meant they could only ride in small boats, at the mercy of the waves, heading toward the horizon.
Chen Qi walked to the captain's quarters, changed the ship's course, and with hope for the future in his heart, sailed towards the distant Crack Sea.
Set sail!