As Klein performed his bow, Cattleya, whose black hair was simply draped, contracted the purple in her eyes, which seemed to transform into a vast abyss capable of devouring souls. This only made her inherent mystique even more pronounced.
She saw that deep within Gehrman Sparrow's ethereal body, on the surface of his astral body, was a lightless, pure darkness. At the smallest details, undercurrents surged and transformed endlessly. She saw that Gehrman Sparrow's left hand was bright and radiant, yet stained with an intense, unextinguishable blood red. She saw a trace of azure light at Gehrman Sparrow's cuff. In his left pocket, a silvery-white current flowed, vivid in color, as if connecting to the overlapping, illusory Spirit World, surrounded by numerous things with phantom tides and vague winds. She saw that in Gehrman Sparrow's right pocket, cyan and black rays interweaved. At his armpits were two points of gold, silver, and bronze respectively. At his chest was a deep, grayish whiteness, like rotted death.
Four mystical items. Dozens of Beyonder items or spiritual charms... The eyes of "Star Admiral" Cattleya were slightly dazzled, and she couldn't help blinking.
Taking the chance, she nodded. "Good evening, Mr. Sparrow."
Even for a powerhouse whose reputation had spread across the sea for years, a leading veteran among the Seven Pirate Admirals, she seldom encountered someone who armed themselves to the teeth with mystical items to such an extent.
Of course, it wasn't that she hadn't seen or possessed more mystical items, Beyonder items, and spiritual charms than this. It was just that with a secret organization behind her, several ships under her command, and over a thousand pirates, many things had to be handed over, distributed, and sold off to maintain and grow her power. The things she could keep for herself weren't that many.
This relative "not many" could almost rival Gehrman Sparrow's current display. However, Cattleya had used various exchanges to reduce them to just two items—two items powerful enough, magical enough, and suited enough for the status of a Pirate Admiral.
Besides the radiance representing the different items, Cattleya's black eyes, tinged with a hint of deep purple, could faintly discern that Gehrman Sparrow wasn't entirely real, as if he were hiding behind a thick curtain of shadows.
This... this is the reason why he gave me the feeling of not being alive during the Tarot Club? His secrets are considerable. At the very least, he's connected to Sequence 3 Saints, or even higher-ranked Angels... Cattleya dared not observe further, and her gaze lost its profound depth.
At the same time, she sneered to herself, feeling that her initial speculations about "The World" Gehrman Sparrow were somewhat ridiculous. "Connected to Sequence 3 Saints, or even higher Angels, heh... There's absolutely nothing wrong with that statement. Because, like me, he's a member of the Tarot Club. He is definitely connected to 'Mr. Fool,' who is suspected to be an awakening ancient god."
After exchanging greetings, Cattleya didn't make small talk or waste time. She led Klein toward the cabin entrance.
At that moment, the previously halted "Future" set sail again, drawing a long arc on the sea surface as it headed east along the whaling route. The tense atmosphere at Port Nasons consequently dissipated.
The gazes of the sailors fell upon him. Klein showed no sign of discomfort. Instead, he looked around and said in a casual tone as if returning home: "It's fewer people than I imagined."
"Star Admiral" Cattleya glanced at him and replied simply: "Going east of the whaling route is an extremely dangerous matter. Only Ludwell frequently goes there, seemingly searching for something. Besides the Future, none of the other ships in the pirate group go there. Similarly, I've transferred most of my sailors to the other ships, only keeping the minimum number required for sailing here."
Very rational measures... Ludwell, that "Hell Admiral" Ludwell? When Mr. Hanged Man first mentioned him, he said that Ludwell had started his voyage to explore the eastern end of the Sonia Sea again... Klein nodded lightly and didn't say more. This fit Gehrman Sparrow's demeanor.
He silently observed his surroundings, discovering that the decks, bulkheads, masts, and other parts of the "Future" were covered in strange, abstract symbols. The entire ship seemed to be overlapped into a massive ritualistic magic formation.
Just like the "Golden Dream," it was a mystical type of sailing ship, yet it hadn't reached the level of a ghost ship... Compared to the "Star Admiral" and the "Iceberg Vice Admiral," Tracy, who had only been a Pirate Admiral for a few months, was clearly lacking. The "Black Death" didn't have any unique qualities... Klein withdrew his gaze and followed Cattleya to the cabin entrance.
A man in overalls and a white shirt was waiting there. He was around thirty years old, robust, and so thickly haired that his bare forearms looked like they were wearing a brown sweater.
He wore a round-brimmed hat with a dent in the middle, revealed a hearty smile, and extended his right hand, saying: "First Mate of the 'Future', Frank Lee. Good evening, Mr. Sparrow."
Frank Lee, the "Toxin Expert" with a bounty of 7,000 pounds... Klein immediately recognized him.
Considering Gehrman Sparrow's habit of not shaking hands with people, he slightly bent his back and said: "Good evening."
Frank Lee withdrew his right hand, glanced at "Star Admiral" Cattleya, and said with his smile unabated: "It seems you recognize me? Right, the picture I took ended up on my wanted poster. Don't mind the 'Toxin Expert' business. I'm a very friendly person, as long as I'm not facing those damned fellows! My greatest passion is researching soil, crops, and cross-breeding techniques. Believe me, this is the future of humanity!"
"But the people from the Earth Mother Church don't think so," Cattleya said, introducing him to Klein in a very subtle way.
He was originally from the Earth Mother? Cross-breeding technology is great. Only by increasing yields can we support more humans and raise the baseline for poverty... Klein looked at Frank Lee and said calmly, half politely and half sincerely: "This is a good thing."