Chapter 800

“

Huh?

Why are they even holding a hearing? Hold on… Do pirates actually do these kinds of hearings?” Siegfried

“Yeah, well… It is extremely rare, Captain. In fact, practically unheard of,” the pirate replied.

“Then why now, all of a sudden?”

“The pirate captains insisted on verifying your ideology as a pirate, so the alliance has no choice but to arrange this hearing.”

“Verify my ideology?! Are you serious?”

“I am merely here to deliver the message, Captain. You will find the details in these official documents. But first, I will need your signature on the receipt.”

“...Fine.”

Siegfried scribbled Francis de Drake’s signature on the receipt without much thought and accepted the official document.

The document read…

Official Summon

To: Captain Francis de Drake, Captain of the Golden Rat Pirates

Pursuant to ongoing investigations arising from numerous complaints and credible suspicions regarding the identity, affiliation, and ideological stance of the Golden Rat Pirates under your command, the Pirate Confederation hereby summons you to appear at a formal hearing.

(omitted…)

This hearing will critically examine your identity, allegiances, and adherence to the principles of a pirate.

(omitted…)

Until such verification is satisfactorily concluded, your access to the Green Isles and associated territories will be restricted.

(omitted…)

Your failure to appear at the appointed hearing will be deemed an admission of the allegations lodged against you, resulting in the automatic validation of said suspicions and the impositions of appropriate sanctions as determined by the Pirate Confederation.

Captain Francis de Drake is therefore required to attend this hearing to establish and substantiate their legitimacy as a pirate in good standing with the Pirate Confederation.

Issued under the authority of the Pirate Confederation

Authorized Signatory

“Ideology verification? Identity check?” Siegfried muttered in disbelief.

He was shocked but not entirely surprised. After all, a pirate hunting other pirates would be seen as a threat rather than an ally in the eyes of his peers.

“

Ughh…

This is so annoying…”

But what made it worse was that until he passed this hearing, he was unable to obtain the Green Isles Access Permit.

[Alert: Access to the Green Isles is restricted until the hearing is completed!]

Just when he thought he cleared the quest after successfully hunting down three major pirate crews, he found himself in front of yet another hurdle.

“When’s the hearing?” he grimaced and asked.

“Tomorrow, Captain.”

“All right.”

“Well then, may fortune be with you.”

The pirate from the Pirate Confederation gave a curt nod before boarding his vessel and vanishing into the horizon.

Lionbreath approached and asked, “What’s the matter, brother?”

“They want to verify my ideology,” Siegfried grumbled in response.

“

Hmm…

Well, it makes sense. They have every reason to be suspicious.”

“What should we do?”

“What else? You will have to pass the verification.”

“And if I fail?”

“Things will get… complicated. Not only will you be barred from entering the Green Isles, but every pirate will turn against you.”

“

Hmm…

”

Siegfried fell silent, lost in thought. He was not particularly afraid of pirates, as it would save him the trouble of going around hunting them down.

However, the thought of taking on all of them was more like a nuisance than a problem. They were strong, but fighting dozens—no, perhaps hundreds of pirate ships was truly overwhelming.

Doing so would require the Golden Rat Pirates to enlist the navy’s help, which could further complicate things. Moreover, the Green Isles weren't only home to major pirate crews but also to four Pirate Lords.

Each Pirate Lord ruled a quarter of the isles and commanded fleets rivaling the naval forces of a powerful kingdom. These four lords were the ones managing the Pirate Confederation.

In short, it was far less troublesome to simply attend and pass the hearing than to clash against them head-on.

“Guess I’ll attend. It seems like there’s no other choice,” Siegfried said with a shrug.

“Wise choice. Even if things go south, it’s not like you’ll lose anything. Anyway, our next course of action depends on whether you pass the hearing or not.”

“True.”

It was then.

“Brother,” Siegfried said, grabbing Lionbreath’s wrist with an iron grip. Then, he narrowed his eyes and added, “All well and good, but you better hand over that ruby this instant."

“W-What?! How did you…?” Lionbreath flinched after getting caught red-handed.

“It was too obvious.”

“Did you see it…?”

Lionbreath had secretly swiped a ruby necklace that was no less than two hundred carats from the cargo hold.

“We won’t be able to work together if you keep pocketing treasures like that.”

“

A-Argh!”

“I have my eyes on you,” Siegfried warned, pointing two fingers to his eyes, and then he thrust his two fingers toward Lionbreath. Then, he snatched the necklace away and said, “This is confiscated.”

“B-Brother!”

“Treasures plundered are meant to be shared with everyone.”

“Well, yes, but…”

“One more time, and I’ll find someone else to work with. Got it?”

“All right…”

Lionbreath had no choice but to let out a resigned sigh with tears welling up in frustration.

Brotherhood was brotherhood, and business was business.

Siegfried had a strict unwavering policy when it came to the two.

***

The next day, Siegfried arrived at one of the secret bases of the Pirate Confederation to attend the hearing. The room was packed with captains from countless minor pirate crews and even a few from the major ones, too.

The Pirate Lords, however, were too busy to attend, so none of them were present.

When Siegfried stepped inside, the three pirate judges—members of the Pirate Confederation—slammed a wooden hammer into a skull three times, signaling the start of the hearing.

“Captain Francies de Drake, correct?" one of the judges asked.

“Yes,” Siegfried replied nonchalantly.

“This hearing has been convened due to suspicions regarding your identity and ideology. Are you aware of the accusations brought forth against you?”

“I am.”

The judge wasted no time, “Let’s get straight to the point. Are you a pirate, Captain Drake?”

“I am.”

As soon as Siegfried answered, the pirate captains erupted into jeers and chaos.

“You? A pirate? I refuse to call you a comrade of the sea!”

“

Booo! Hissss!”

“You piece of trash! You’re not a true pirate!”

“You’re clearly a spy sent by the navy!”

It was pure chaos. The pirates, with little regard for court decorum, hurled eggs, books, apples, and even adult toys at Siegfried, all while hurling insults, too.

However, none of the objects, including the

used

adult toys, touched him.

Shwiiik! Shwiik! Shwiiik!

With a quick flick of his wrist, Siegfried conjured ice shurikens that sliced through every projectile in the air. Then, sweeping his cold gaze around the room, he warned the pirate captains. “Go ahead. Throw something else if you wanna see what will happen.”

The message was clear. The next time they threw something at him, his target wouldn't be those junk but their heads.

The room immediately fell dead silent.

“So, where were we?” Siegfried asked the judge nonchalantly.

“You confirmed that you are a pirate. Do you still stand by your statement?”

“Indeed.”

The judge leaned back on his chair, choosing his next words carefully.

After a short while, he finally spoke, “Verifying your loyalty should be simple enough to give credence to your words.”

Then, he leaned forward and said, “Captain Drake, the reason your identity is in question is that you have attacked fellow pirates, your supposed allies, and handed them over to the navy in exchange for bounty. Do you admit to doing this?”

“I do.”

The judge nodded and continued, “Thus, the Pirate Confederation demands proof. We ask that you raid a civilian village to demonstrate your identity as a pirate.”

The pirate captains murmured amongst themselves.

“Aye, I won’t doubt him if he can plunder like the rest of us.”

“Raiding a village sounds fair enough.”

The judge turned to Siegfried and asked, “So, Captain Drake, will you raid a village as proof of your pirate identity?”

At that moment, Siegfried had to resist the urge to let out a sigh.

‘

Should I just kill all of them here and now?’

he wondered.

The idea crossed his mind several times during this troublesome hearing. He could wipe out every pirate in the room with a few flicks of his hands, but doing so would ruin his chances of entering the Green Isles, a key part of his quest.

Thus, he nodded and replied, “Sure, why not.”

“Very well. You have three days. If you successfully conduct the raid, then nobody will doubt your loyalty, and all accusations will be put to rest,” the judge said.

“I accept,” Siegfried said with a smirk.

The judge addressed the room, “The hearing is now adjourned. There will be no infighting for the next three days, and any violation of this decree will be met with swift punishment from the Pirate Confederation.”

The pirate captains grumbled but had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

With that, the hearing was adjourned.

***

When they left the base, Hamchi whispered, “

Kyuuu!

What are you going to do, owner punk?”

“What else? I’ll do it,” Siegfried replied with a smirk.

“

Kyu?!

Are you seriously going to become a real pirate?!”

“There’s no other way. I have to do it if I want to get into the Green Isles.”

“But! Good pirates don’t hurt civilians! Are you going to become a bad pirate just like the rest of them?!

Kyuuu!”

”Good pirate, bad pirate, what’s the difference? A pirate is a pirate. It’s like trying to distinguish between a thug from a gangster. Same thing, different smell.”

“

Kyuu…”

“Let’s go.”

With that, Siegfried sailed away from the secret base with a faint ominous grin on his face.

***

After the hearing, all eyes among the pirates were fixated on Siegfried. There were numerous opinions floating around, but the prevailing belief was that Captain Francis de Drake would never be able to pillage a civilian settlement.

Most pirates were convinced that Siegfried was a spy sent by the Allied Naval Command, which explained why nearly twenty pirate crews trailed the Temeraire, keeping a close watch on him.

Since fighting among themselves was forbidden for the next three days, they openly followed him, wanting to see whether he would attack civilian settlements or not.

Among the pursuers was even a pirate ship dispatched by the Pirate Confederation tasked to keep a sharp eye on him, making it impossible for Siegfried to attack the minor pirate crews.

“I swear… I’m going to sink those pests one day,” Siegfried muttered out of frustration.

He wanted nothing more than to wipe them all out, but he was forced to hold back ever since the hearing ended—no, during the hearing.

Passing the test given by the Pirate Confederation was the top priority, so he had no other choice but to set aside his frustrations for now.

“So, what’s the plan, brother?” Lionbreath asked, sounding amused.

Siegfried replied with a cryptic smile, “I am not sure yet.”

“Look, I get the quest is important, but massacring civilian NPCs just doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Got any better ideas? If I fail the test, then I can’t complete the quest or find the Pirate King’s treasure.”

Lionbreath hesitated for a second before squeezing out, “But still…”

“Enough,” Siegfried said, cutting him off. Then, he pulled out a deck of Hardstone cards and placed them on the table before saying, “For now, let’s play and kill time, shall we?”

“

Huh?

”

“We’re playing,” Siegfried said, proceeding to shuffle the cards and dealt them to Hamchi, Seung-Gu, and Lionbreath.

“...?”

“...?”

“...?”

Hamchi, Seung-Gu, and Lionbreath exchanged bewildered glances at each other.

The Siegfried they knew was just not the type to slaughter innocent NPCs, especially if they were mere villagers. It didn't matter just how important the quest was, as he was not someone who would blindly commit such atrocities for his own gain.

***

Two days later, the pirate crews were still shadowing the ship of the Golden Rat Pirates, the Temeraire, and they witnessed something that left them utterly stunned.

They had been tailing Siegfried from the start, and they were convinced he would not attack a single coastal village. Thus, they were waiting for the allocated time to run out, so they could attack the Temeraire all at once and sink it to the depths of the sea.

But then—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In the distance, the Golden Rat Pirates unleashed a barrage of cannon fire on a small coastal city. The pirates watching realized with growing horror that their assumptions had been wrong all along.

However, that was not the only thing that shocked them.

The Golden Rat Pirates sank a navy warship defending the town and pushed deeper into the harbor, further fueling the already chaotic atmosphere.

WAAAAAH!

A hundred pirates—Nordic Marines disguised as pirates—disembarked and swiftly seized control of the entire harbor. It was a flawless raid most pirates could only dream of—no, this was not just a mere raid.

This was a full-blown invasion.