Now the only thing Leilin could rely on was hiding in the shadows, where the enemy had no way to strike at him.
When one's strength was meager, only a fool would jump out and make a clamor.
"Isabel! Robin!"
Leilin called out suddenly.
"Chief, you were looking for me?" Robin stood respectfully before Leilin. After these several battles, the first mate seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.
"Good! You pilot the Half-Mermaid, take the slaves, and go collect the pirates' families first. I'll take the Crimson Tiger to sell the cargo, and then we'll regroup here!"
Leilin pointed at the sea chart.
Both Foran Island and the Bodie Archipelago — Marquis Louis's fief — were actually on the outer edges of the Danbress Kingdom's newly discovered sea regions. The most notable feature of this area was that it sat in an age of great geographical discovery, where all manner of deserted islands appeared one after another, harboring vast amounts of wealth and… danger!
Finding any random spot to serve as the pirate crew's temporary foothold was an exceedingly simple matter.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Leilin's subordinates could deal with the dangerous creatures nearby, as well as the harsh climate and environmental conditions.
Given Robin's and the other sailors' loyalty, Leilin deliberately sent his cousin Isabel along as well. With her present, even if she couldn't control the entire ship, keeping the dissenters in line shouldn't be a problem.
In fact, Leilin also intended to train his cousin further. After all, he couldn't stay here forever commanding this band of pirates, and Isabel was the temporary helmsman he had found.
Although Robin might be more suited for the position, his ambitions were too wild. Leilin wasn't comfortable giving this fellow too much autonomy in the early stages of building their enterprise — not because he feared betrayal, but because of every leader's instinct.
By contrast, even if Isabel's grasp wasn't particularly strong, she would have to rely on him to keep these pirates in line — and that was enough!
Watching the Half-Mermaid depart, Leilin waved his hand. "Set sail… we're heading to the Pirate Port!"
The Pirate Port was, naturally, a harbor that served pirates exclusively — the gathering place for all the darkness of the open seas.
There, you could obtain any intelligence, supplies, or even high-quality elf slaves! Of course, you also needed the nerve to bear the risks that came with it, because as the pirates' largest port for fencing stolen goods, the provenance of everything here was more than a little questionable.
Even the Bodie Archipelago under Marquis Louis's control didn't dare let too large a volume of stolen goods pass through, forced to painfully forgo the profits here.
As for the location of the Pirate Port, quite a few of the old pirates among Leilin's men knew of it, and the route wasn't a problem at all — it just required passing through several dangerous stretches.
"One-Eyed Dragon! Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the route?"
Leilin spread the sea chart open for a look, then called over a one-eyed pirate. The man carried a fierce, battle-hardened aura accumulated over years of fighting. Though he had only one eye, the light that blazed from it was enough to send chills down one's spine.
But at this moment, One-Eyed Dragon's stubble-covered face broke into a chrysanthemum-like grin, revealing several yellowed front teeth. "Chief! Don't worry! I've been to the Pirate Port countless times with Steve. I even served as the navigator's assistant — I could get there with my eyes closed!"
"Very good! You're the ship's navigator now. If you do well, once we reach the Pirate Port, you'll be the first mate of the Crimson Tiger!"
To this pirate who had defected to his side, Leilin made a promise of promotion.
"At your command, Chief!" As first mate, one received a larger share of the plunder and wielded greater authority. One-Eyed Dragon's lone eye immediately lit up with excitement.
"Good, you're dismissed. Send Giant up to me!"
Leilin waved his hand, watching One-Eyed Dragon's retreating figure with a contemplative look on his face.
Although he had been giving promotions to these defecting pirates one after another, it didn't mean he let his guard down entirely — for instance, they could deliberately lead the entire fleet into dangerous waters.
In fact, Leilin had long since obtained the location and route map of the Pirate Port through other channels, from merchants and even other pirates.
"The location they gave is correct, and the route is the most direct and efficient path. It seems they've genuinely submitted…"
One-Eyed Dragon had no idea he had just taken a stroll past Death's door. On the contrary, his mood was quite excellent thanks to Leilin's promises, and he quickly carried out the tasks Leilin had assigned.
"Chief, you were looking for me?"
Accompanied by a muffled, booming voice, a massive figure walked in. Standing nearly two and a half meters tall, he had to duck his head to enter the captain's quarters. His muscles bulged in great chunks, making him look like a small giant.
"Yes! Giant, I want you to serve as the Crimson Tiger's combat captain. Go select your men — start with ten. Once we reach the Pirate Port, recruit another batch!"
Leilin crossed his arms and laid out his plan.
Among pirates, the combat captain was typically the captain's trusted confidant — the one who charged at the front during every boarding action. The demands on one's strength were considerable.