The lookout on the passenger ship sounded a sharp, loud horn, piercing through the obstacle of wind and rain, waking all the passengers.
They didn't have time to put on proper clothes, and rushed to the windows in their overcoats, pajamas, or even barefoot, to see what was happening outside.
Half of them soon saw a huge three‑masted sailing ship that defied common sense, with three black sails, and clusters of dim yellow lights swaying in the deep darkness.
Accompanied by the howling wind, the pitter‑patter of rain, and the night sky devoid of the crimson moon and stars, many passengers felt as if the ship had sailed out of hell, carrying unspeakable terror and majesty.
"Black Emperor"!
After a moment of stunned silence and panic, that name surfaced in their minds.
Anyone who had some experience at sea, or had lived for a time in port cities of the colonies, knew of this pirate ship to some extent!
"Oh, may the Storm be with us."
"May the Goddess of the Night protect us!"
"Steam above!"
...
Instinctive prayers sounded, full of fear and helplessness.
These passengers knew very well that the master of the "Black Emperor" was the one with the highest bounty on the five seas, the pirate king in a certain sense, a formidable figure who could still be active despite being hunted by the fleets of various countries, and was absolutely not something a passenger ship's cannons and crew could oppose.
This meant they were about to fall into the hands of pirates!
Many women couldn't help imagining scenes of being brutalized and sold to strange places. Some trembled, some felt their knees go weak and slipped from the window to kneel on the floor, some frantically searched for daggers and revolvers, not knowing if they wanted to resist or avoid the worst outcome, and some, finding no weapons, moved the hat stand beside them.
The men didn't fare much better. Except for a few who took out weapons and tried to organize resistance, the rest were stunned, looked for places to hide, or cursed the damned passenger ship and the "King of the Five Seas."
Finally, the captain's voice reached everyone's ears through some kind of amplifying device or means:
"Calm down! Don't be afraid!
"The master of the 'Black Emperor' has set his own laws. Unlike other pirates, he and his men only rob valuables and do nothing else!"
This announcement was repeated several times, and the panicked passengers finally calmed down a bit, no longer so terrified.
Compared to what they had imagined, being able to stay alive and avoid abuse was already a very good outcome.
After a few dozen seconds, some passengers thought of how they had worked hard for so many years and finally saved up a little, which was about to be completely lost. Unable to bear it, their grief welled up and they burst into tears.
Several among them had even borrowed money to do business. If they couldn't bring back funds this time, their families might end up on the streets, depending on the poorhouse.
Thinking of this, they quickly set to work, hiding their money in various inconspicuous places, hoping to save whatever they could. After doing this, they each gripped their weapons, ready to die with the pirates at the critical moment.
Even a wild beast will fight back before death; how much more so a human?
At this moment, many pirates on the "Black Emperor" were already waiting at the side, following orders, ready to jump onto the "prey" once it got close.
Their second mate, "Viscount of Fear" Burd Mastan, was raising a spyglass, casually observing the passenger ship opposite, mentally calculating how long it would take for them to converge.
This great pirate, whose bounty had long exceeded ten thousand pounds, was wearing an Intis‑style shirt with intricate patterns on the cuffs and collar, draped over a dark red captain's coat, as if waiting for a banquet to start rather than a robbery.
Suddenly, his vision blurred, and the passenger ship was no longer in sight!
Burd Mastan quickly moved the spyglass to search, but in that direction, there was nothing except the waves stirred up by the strong wind and red‑headed sea eagles fond of hunting fish in the heavy rain.
A passenger ship of that size, with steam and sail hybrid power, had simply vanished!
"..." Burd Mastan's eyes flickered, unable to make an accurate judgment.
"Where's the ship?"
"Such a big ship?"
"It was just here!"
...
The pirates on the deck also noticed something was wrong and called out in astonishment.
Ghost ship? No, there's no ghost ship like this—this is a steam and sail hybrid that has only become popular in recent decades... Illusion? Someone used a large‑scale illusion to hide the passenger ship? An illusion of this level must be demigod level... Burd Mastan's thoughts churned, and he put away the spyglass, walking towards the cabins.
Throughout this process, the sense of distance seemed to be disrupted; Burd Mastan reached the area below the captain's quarters in just seven or eight steps, where he respectfully bowed:
"Count, there's an issue with the hunt."
—On the "Black Emperor," the "King of the Five Seas" Nast always called himself Count, a title conferred by Emperor Roselle.
Of course, he also openly declared that he would one day establish a pirate nation, becoming a Grand Duke, Prince, and even an Emperor.