"And the other gift?"
Leilin looked at the alluring fox-woman before him, a hint of boy-next-door anticipation on his face.
This attitude immediately brought a flush to Madam Tiren's cheeks, and she secretly cried out that she couldn't handle it. "Even though I know you're putting on an act, I almost fell for you anyway..."
Tiren swayed her hips, her fiery-red fox tail flowing gracefully behind her. "As for the second gift, it's intelligence! About the Church of the Murder God..."
Leilin's expression turned serious at once, and he listened carefully.
...
Several days later, at the docks of Pirate's Port, the Crimson Tiger had been completely refurbished. Its blood-red dagger and skull banner fluttered proudly in the wind.
The damage to the hull had been thoroughly repaired, and the bottom of the ship had been scraped and cleaned. Even the ramming prow had been replaced. The entire warship had a reborn feel to it, making Leilin sigh with satisfaction that his gold coins had been well spent.
Leilin stood with his hands clasped behind his back at the very front of the deck, looking down at the hundred-odd pirates below.
These were all the men he had recruited at Pirate's Port — the foundation of his future pirate crew.
Although Hulk and Giant had done their best, the time had been far too short, and Leilin still felt a trace of dissatisfaction.
It wasn't dissatisfaction with the men themselves. Suddenly seeing a youth become their leader, it would be a miracle if these unruly pirates submitted immediately — and that wasn't what Leilin minded.
What dissatisfied him was that these pirates were simply too weak!
True professionals were few and far between, and not a single elite above the fifth rank could be found among them. Ronald's group had actually been the highest-quality batch, though at least most of the current recruits had seen blood and wouldn't go soft in a fight.
As for the few who actually had some ability, they all seemed to be harboring unsavory intentions, without even the patience to bide their time, which made Leilin shake his head inwardly.
"Never mind. An elite pirate crew can't be built in a day or two... Hulk and Giant did a reasonable job!"
Leilin sighed to himself and stepped forward before the crowd.
"I am the captain of this Crimson Tiger, and from now on, I'm your boss. Any objections?"
He suddenly bellowed, his voice so loud it made many of the pirates' eardrums ache.
"I know... a lot of you don't accept me!"
Leilin's eyes swept slowly across the crowd, seeming to peer into every pirate's heart. "Some of you came for the generous pay. Some came just for a bit of fun. And some of you are outright planning to murder me and steal the ship once we're on the open sea!"
The pirates below stirred, but Leilin's even louder voice drowned them out.
"But that's fine. I can overlook all of that. However, if you disobey orders on this ship, or fail to meet even my most basic demands, I will twist your heads off and stuff them right up your asses. Did you hear me?!"
This arrogant declaration immediately provoked an uproar among the pirates below, and even Ronald's face showed a hint of displeasure.
"You pale-skinned little pig, how dare you speak to our elders like that! Go back to your mother's breast and drink your milk!"
A discordant voice rang out from the crowd, followed by a burst of laughter.
"Don't hide, 'Wet Hair' Ilun — I see you. Get out here!" Giant and Hulk's faces were twisted with fury.
"Heh heh... Brothers, are we really going to let some brat climb on top of us?"
The crowd parted, and a pirate sporting a false eye and yellowed teeth stepped forward, followed by a dozen or so others.
"'Brown Tooth' Torwood, 'Long Face' Jon Mirey, 'Red Muck Hand' Lucas Caud, Colin Hambley..." One by one, names were called out, and Giant's expression grew darker and darker.
These were all well-known pirates from the surrounding area — mostly solo operators, but none to be trifled with.
Furthermore, they held considerable reputation among the free-roaming pirates, which even made Cyclops feel this was going to be difficult to handle.
"Just as I expected." Leilin shook his head. "So what do you intend to do? Don't forget we're still at the dock."
Leilin was quite speechless at their brazen approach. Even if they had feigned submission while secretly plotting to seize power, he could have used them for a time — anything would have been better than having to deal with this right now.
"Nothing much, young master!" Ilun grinned, making his yellowed teeth even more conspicuous. "I was just hoping you'd appoint me and these brothers as the ship's second-in-command and other officer positions. That way, we can hand over a portion of our earnings to you, and you — a noble young master — won't have to risk your life adventuring at sea. Isn't that perfectly reasonable?"
"Is this what the rest of you think too?" Leilin looked down at the newly recruited pirates below.
By this point, even the dullest among them — Giant — could tell this was a calculated coup. He immediately joined the old pirates like Cyclops behind Leilin, a hint of pity in his eyes.
Knowing Leilin as they did, they understood this was just the beginning of a show of force and a bloodbath.
Most of the pirates lowered their heads, though a few continued to shout and jeer. The overall attitude was one of tacit acquiescence.
A pirate's loyalty was the same thing as a whore's virtue.
"Ilun! You've gone too far!" Ronald stepped forward with his own brothers, drawing a clear line between himself and Ilun's group.