The capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, Bayam, the City of Generosity.
It was also known as the Spice Archipelago, and it was home to a variety of exotic spices, with the plantations of these produce being mainstays of the economy.
The Blue Mountain Island, where Bayam was located, occupied more than half of the archipelago which was mostly covered in forest. It had gold, silver, copper, coal, iron, and other minerals, as well as a plentiful variety of fruits due to the particularly fertile land. For these reasons, the first batch of colonists named the seaside city they built the "City of Generosity." They believed it was a land of treasure promised by the gods, where it flowed with milk and honey.
A man with dark blue hair and bronze skin walked along the road.
As he walked, his mind raced. 'What a massive shit show the hunt for Qilangos turned out to be.'
He let out a tired sigh. Before Alger asked Miss Justice for help in finding out what Qilangos was doing in Backlund, the pirate admiral tracked him down and threatened him.
A couple of days ago.
Two massive ships were sailing side by side.
"A ghost ship from the Tudor era, huh?" Qilangos asked with a slight smile. He stood on the deck and watched the ancient vessel visibly repairing itself.
"Offering the Blue Avenger to the Church of Storms should be enough to get you the Sequence 7 Seafarer potion, along with the additional intel I am looking for."
The Pirate Admiral Qilangos had a distinctive broad chin, brown hair tied into a bun at the back of his head like an ancient warrior, and green eyes that seemed to constantly hint at laughter.
"Qilangos, our deal was to only meet in the City of Generosity," Alger replied. He turned his head to look at the pirate admiral. "What if our cooperation gets found out?"
Instead of answering, Qilangos suddenly smirked. A split second later, the Church escort ship sailing alongside them blew up in a massive burst of fire.
Alger instinctively took a step forward and stared at the towering plume of flames in shock.
"Like I taught you when you were young, Alger," Qilangos said. His calm voice easily cut through the roar of the fire. "Dead men tell no tales."
Qilangos leisurely strolled to the side of the ship. He leaned his forearms against the railing to watch the wreckage burn, then cast a smug glance over his shoulder at Alger.
"The Mandated Punishers hit one of my ships last week in a premeditated ambush," Qilangos stated. "Got anything to say about it?"
"I spend more than half my time at sea now," Alger replied with a perfectly straight face. "I cannot obtain intel that quickly."
"Alger, I have treated you like a brother ever since we were young." Qilangos turned his attention fully back to the burning ship. "Back then, you refused to follow me and became a spy for the Mandated Punishers.
"While I discovered that by chance, I still took a risk keeping it from the pirates.
"I also resisted the allure of a big, golden reward. I never exposed you to the Church of Storms."
He pushed off the railing and slowly paced back toward Alger.
"But you? I just wanted you to reveal some official intel," Qilangos continued. "You need to understand, Alger. The Church of Storms is not where you belong. A half-blood like you will find it difficult to climb the ranks."
Qilangos closed the distance between them and placed a hand heavily on Alger's shoulder. The black glove of Creeping Hunger visibly twisted on his fingers. He offered a slight smile.
"But if we work together as brothers, we can look down on this world from above."
His grip tightened.
"Of course, if you are unable to carry out your role as a double agent..." The flesh of Qilangos's hand started to squirm and shift wildly.
"...I can also help you. After all..."
In the blink of an eye, Alger found himself looking at an exact duplicate of himself.
The fake Alger stared back with cold eyes and spoke in a menacing voice. "The world does not need two Alger Wilsons."
With a loud laugh, the duplicate turned around and casually walked toward the edge of the deck, leaving the real Alger alone to watch the roaring flames of the destroyed escort ship.
Walking absentmindedly, Alger realized he was more familiar with this port city than his own tiny hometown.
Out on the ocean, pirates shared three iconic common interests: liquor, women, and gambling. Alger merely took out his silver pocket watch, flipped it open, and knew exactly where he needed to go first.
The Amyris Leaf Bar.
He proceeded without stopping and navigated the streets with ease. He smoothly turned at every corner until he reached his destination.
Today, there was supposed to be a Beyonder gathering happening at this place.
He walked through the crowded bar's lobby and stepped into a card room. Under the watchful gaze of several bouncers, Alger gave the predetermined signal and descended a flight of hidden stairs to a wide underground area.
As he walked down the steps, Alger sighed once more. 'You are right, Qilangos. Dead men tell no tales.'
'You wanted to kill me and then replace me, so I only had one option left.
'The Tarot Club. The Fool.
'And it turned out to be that my faith in Mr. Fool wasn't misplaced.'
It was beyond terrifying how Mr. Fool's Blessed dealt with Qilangos.
He still felt a chill whenever he remembered that melting face. The pirate admiral had been reduced to nothing in an instant, like an insect casually crushed beneath the Blessed's hand.
Not long afterward, the authorities found the suspected Devil responsible for Duke Negan's assassination dead with a sword wound through his chest.
Alger couldn't help but suspect that Mr. Fool's Blessed had been responsible for that as well.
He reached the other end of the underground market and knocked on the closed door with two long knocks and four short knocks.
A low voice answered from within before the door slowly opened.
Behind the door, the place was lavishly decorated. A thick carpet from the Southern Continent covered the floor. The walls were decorated with shining lampstands.
The hall had been divided into several areas. Different factions occupied their own sections, each furnished with sofas and chairs arranged around a low table.
Some groups had already displayed sealed artifacts, mystical ingredients, and rare materials on the tables for interested buyers to inspect.
Unlike official Beyonder gatherings, there was neither a Notary to witness transactions nor a powerful Seer to verify the authenticity of potion formulas. Whether an item or formula was genuine depended entirely on one's own judgment.
Fake formulas were common, and even if they were exposed, it was difficult to prove the seller had acted maliciously. After all, they could simply claim they had been deceived themselves. That was one of the main reasons Beyonder potion formulas remained so scarce outside the Churches.
Alger glanced around, found a brown leather sofa, and sat down on it.
Time slowly passed in the quiet environment, as he leaned back, crossed his right leg, and started to think.
'The Mandated Punishers questioned me repeatedly about Qilangos and the Devil responsible for Duke Negan's assassination. Thankfully, my preparations were sufficient.
'Pallas Negan's death was too significant an incident. The Church only released me after I swore a binding oath never to disclose anything related to the case. Breaking that oath would mean facing the Lord of Storms' punishment.
'Backlund has become far too troublesome. It was better to leave as fast as possible and lay low in Bayam until the situation settles.'
About seven or eight minutes later, Alger stopped thinking and looked around, and an old man sitting on a reclining chair straightened his back and crossed his hands. He chuckled.
"Everyone, let us begin."
His white hair was sparse due to his age, leaving only a thin layer. However, his light brown eyes were not turbid. They remained bright and sharp.
This was the organizer of the gathering, Strongman Ozil, a famous pirate in the past and the current secret boss of the Amyris Leaf Bar.
As the gathering began, Alger looked around the room. A lot of people occupied the space. Some wore hooded robes, while others left their faces uncovered. Not everyone attending was a Beyonder. The crowd included spokesmen for various factions, adventurers, pirates, and mysticism enthusiasts hoping to step into the Beyonder world.
A short distance away on another sofa, a familiar face caught Alger's attention. He recognized the man immediately. It was Danitz. The famous pirate had messy yellowish-brown hair, sharp eyebrows, and a distinctly rugged face.
'I can recognize that face anywhere.'
A young man sat right next to the pirate. He had dark black hair, deep brown eyes, and a scolder and sharper face. His expression was completely cold and indifferent.
Alger observed the strange dynamic between the two. Danitz looked absolutely terrified sitting next to the cold young man.
'Should I go over and ask him what is going on?' Alger thought as he watched them.
---
On the other side, Danitz complained about his dogshit luck on the inside and could not decide if it was good or bad.
After going with Gehrman to the bounty office to turn in the heads of Steel Maveti and his henchmen, the bounty hunter received 10,000 pounds as a reward.
That massive sum of money was entirely with Danitz at the moment. Gehrman did not ask for the money even once.
Now, Danitz was absolutely fearful of leaving this terrifying killer's side.
'This crazy guy is good in every way other than making me do what servants do. There's only one thing, he doesn't like to talk. There's a communication barrier with him. If this goes on, I'll definitely go crazy...
'What if I go somewhere to drink and the man thinks I stole all the money and ran away? He will use his terrifying ability to teleport right to me and cut me in half.'
Danitz felt a cold shiver go through his spine just thinking about it.
After leaving the bounty office, Gehrman ordered Danitz to take him to a hotel. Danitz was too fearful to refuse and decided to follow the instructions immediately. He hurriedly led the terrifying bounty hunter to the Wind Azure Inn.
Once they settled into their room, Gehrman asked him about the current situation of pirates in the area. Danitz felt an intense pressure and had no choice but to answer all of the questions truthfully.
The next day, the madman simply commanded Danitz to take him to a Beyonder gathering.
And that was exactly how they ended up here at the Amyris Leaf Bar.
Sitting next to him now, Danitz felt like he had no choice but to follow this man like a servant. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his terrified heart down.
He gathered his courage to tell the terrifying bounty hunter to take all the money and leave him alone. Right at that moment, two men appeared in front of their booth.
One of the men was in his forties and bound to a wheelchair. He wore a jacket and had a blanket draped over his knees. He had a shaved head, a slightly green beard on both sides of his face, and calm, collected dark brown eyes.
Next to him, pushing the wheelchair, was a bare-chested man with a hideous blue sea serpent tattooed on his arm. Short streaks of red paint decorated the sides of his cheeks, chest, and abdomen, with each group formed out of three streaks. The man had thick, messy eyebrows and cold-blooded eyes.
The man sitting in the wheelchair glanced at Danitz and slowly smiled.
"Blazing."
Danitz was stunned for a moment. He quickly scanned the immediate area to see if anyone else noticed them.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he swallowed hard before forcing out a dry laugh and turning his attention back to the men in front of him.
"Kalat, you have a good eye."
'Dogshit! They let people from the Resistance in here?' Danitz complained inwardly.
The Resistance sought to overthrow Loen's rule over the Rorsted Archipelago and establish an independent nation. They frequently cooperated with pirates and received secret support from Intis and Feysac.
"I heard that you killed Steel and Blood Brambles?"
"How else would they be dead?" Danitz retorted without hesitation.
Kalat narrowed his eyes and slowly shifted his gaze to Gehrman, who remained perfectly still and unbothered by the sudden interrogation.
He knew very well that Blazing Danitz alone would have a hard time killing Blood Brambles Hendry, much less Steel Maveti. His success was rumored to be due to the help of a powerful adventurer, a seasoned bounty hunter.
'Is it the person beside him?' When he looked into Gehrman's eyes, he did not see any nervousness, worry, or vigilance. Those eyes were like a deep ocean.
'It could very well be... At the very least, he is stronger than Blazing!' He signaled to Edmonton with his eyes, secretly informing him to be on his guard.
"What are you doing here?" Kalat did not pursue the subject.
Danitz subconsciously looked at Gehrman and did not notice any reaction from him. He gulped and replied to Kalat, "Here to see what good things this gathering can offer."
Kalat pointed at the table they came from and said, "You can look at our stuff... it is all placed there."
From here Danitz can see that there were many strange and different items laid out, including a whistle made of bone, a simple and crude bagpipe, an iron-black leaf, and a rock stained with blood.
Without waiting for Gehrman and Danitz to examine the items, Kalat clapped his hands and said, "I have a mission.
"If you can complete it, you can freely choose an item from these at no additional cost."
He laughed and added, "By the definition of you foreigners, they are not mystical objects, but they all have some supernatural power. It will slowly, yes, slowly weaken until it disappears."
"What mission?" Gehrman opened his mouth for the first time and asked calmly, having no intention of hiding the fact that Danitz was only a follower.
Kalat reached into the blanket that extended to his knees and took out a stack of white paper.
"Find out where they are.
"If you can catch them directly, you will get even more."
He raised his arm and began to display lifelike portraits. One portrait showed a lady with greenish-gray eyes dressed in a man's shirt.
Danitz noticed Gehrman seemingly think for a moment before giving a perfunctory reply. "I will keep an eye out."
Kalat nodded. "Follow us."
He gestured for both Gehrman and Danitz to follow. When they arrived at the table, Kalat pointed at the spread of items. "Take a look first and see if there is anything you want."
Gehrman walked over and was just about to make a selection when he suddenly sensed something. He subconsciously looked toward the right side of the pile.
His gaze intensified. Danitz followed his line of sight and looked at the object on the table. It was a short sword made of thin bone. It was slightly longer than a forearm and had a milky white body decorated with a few deep, dark red stripes.
Gehrman stretched out his right hand and picked up the sharp bone sword to examine it carefully.
Holding the weapon, Gehrman tested the grip and balance. His expression did not change one bit as he looked it over.
Noticing his interest, Kalat exchanged a glance with Edmonton and smiled. "This bone sword is capable of draining an enemy's blood. A rather good weapon. Do you want it?"
Kalat crossed his hands and rested them on his lap. "It is not expensive at all."
"How much?" Gehrman asked.
"Three hundred pounds will suffice."
Gehrman simply glanced at Danitz. And Danitz suddenly felt the urge to do as he said.
'Dogshit! He is really treating me like a servant!'
Gritting his teeth, Danitz took out a small bundle of cash containing three hundred pounds from the sealed artifact bag that transferred the heads of Steel Maveti at his hip and handed it to Kalat.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you," Kalat said with a light laugh.
Gehrman nodded and calmly started to walk away from the Resistance group, heading toward a more private room upstairs. Danitz followed right behind him.
---
A short distance away, Alger watched the trade with interest. He suddenly felt a strange sensation as he gazed at the sealed artifact Danitz and his companion had just bought.
'Why do I feel some sort of greed toward it?
'It feels as if I am looking at something that would make a great delicacy.'
Alger shook his head, forced his gaze away from the white bone sword, and scoffed inwardly. 'Or more accurately, I would make a great snack for it instead.'
Alger decided to go upstairs, introduce himself to the duo, and give them a little warning about the ominous feeling he just experienced.
He followed them to a secluded room. As he walked closer, he saw the man in glasses preparing a ritual altar on a table. Alger blinked and stopped near the door to watch. Danitz received instructions from Gehrman and took out a candle, herbal powders, and essential oils from the special bag on his hip.
Danitz could not hold back his curiosity. "Ahem. Mr. Gehrman, what are you doing with this?"
"I am praying," Gehrman answered calmly.
Danitz gulped and went completely silent. Gehrman placed the bone sword in the middle of the altar. He lit the candle, dripped a few drops of essential oil onto the flame to create a soothing scent, and stepped back into a praying stance.
Alger decided to step through the entrance. Before he could say anything, the man named Gehrman lowered his head and started praying in ancient Hermes.
"The Fool that does not belong to this era;
"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog;
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
Alger froze in his tracks. His eyes widened in absolute shock.
Gehrman continued, "Honorable Mr. Fool, I am in need of some assistance."
Alger stood quietly outside the door. He felt his ears ring from the massive revelation.
'He is a believer of Mr. Fool!' Alger thought in pure shock.
Before Alger could process the situation further, his vision suddenly blurred. A thick, endless expanse of gray fog appeared in his mind. High above the gray fog, a mysterious figure sat quietly inside a grand palace.
A dignified, ethereal voice echoed directly into his soul.
"One of my Blessed is with you. Assist him, and it will clear the price you owe for Qilangos."
The vision vanished as quickly as it came, leaving Alger standing by the door with a racing heart.
Alger blinked in surprise. 'A Blessed?'
He gulped heavily. 'Just how many Blessed does Mr. Fool have? And does this man possess the same level of terrifying strength as the Blessed who killed Qilangos?'
---
Danitz's ears rang.
'This... This is a secret existence at the level of a deity?'
Due to Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina's strict education, Danitz was not illiterate when it came to mysticism. He had a very good foundation. He confirmed one of his theories.
'Gehrman Sparrow really does belong to a powerful and highly secretive organization! And this organization consecrates an existence known as The Fool, a godlike existence!
'Indeed, such a powerful and crazy fellow cannot appear out of nowhere. They do not just sprout out of the ground...'
As Danitz's mind raced, he suddenly heard a gentle knock at the wooden door frame.
Danitz snapped his head toward the sound.
A man with dark blue hair and bronze skin stepped into the private room.
Danitz recognized him instantly. It was Alger Wilson. The man was a seasoned pirate who navigated these waters. Danitz instinctively tensed up.
Alger walked in and completely ignored him. He stopped a respectful distance away from the makeshift altar, placed his right hand over his chest, and gave a deep, polite bow to Gehrman.
"Mr. Gehrman," Alger spoke in a low, incredibly respectful voice. "I am Alger Wilson. I sensed your presence and came to offer my assistance."
Danitz almost choked on his own saliva.
'What the hell?' Danitz screamed internally. 'Why is a proud pirate bowing to a bounty hunter like a lowly servant?'
Gehrman slowly turned his head. His dark brown eyes locked onto Alger, and a small smile appeared on his face.
"I have heard about you," Gehrman said. "I am Gehrman Sparrow, a lowly Blessed of Mr. Fool."
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Gehrman. I..." Alger stopped talking and looked hesitantly at Danitz.
"Do not worry about him," Gehrman replied calmly.
Danitz felt a vein throb on his forehead.
'Do not worry about him? What am I, a dogshit?' he grumbled in his mind. However, noticing the deadly serious atmosphere between the two men, Danitz wisely kept his mouth shut and tried to make himself look as small as possible on the sofa. He suddenly realized Gehrman did not care if he heard these massive secrets. In the eyes of this lunatic bounty hunter, Danitz was already a complete servant who could never escape.
Alger nodded, his posture straightening with a hint of pride. "I see. Then allow me to speak truthfully. Mr. Fool has given me the task to assist you. What do you need me to do?"
Gehrman opened his mouth to speak when they suddenly heard another knock on the door frame.
When they looked over, a head of bright pink hair peeked into the room from the side of the door.
A woman's voice rang out. "I knew I recognized that voice from somewhere. It is you!"
She stepped into full view. Instead of wearing her dark pink captain's vest, she wore a white off the shoulder ruffled blouse tucked beneath a tight brown leather corset. A wide red sash was tied around her waist over a pair of fitted white trousers.
She wore tall black leather boots laced all the way up to her thighs. A black eyepatch rested over her right eye, partially covering a jagged scar across her face.
Seeing the unique pink hair and the eyepatch, both Alger and Danitz recognized the person instantly.
'What kind of dogshit luck do I have!?' Danitz panicked inwardly. 'How did I come across her!'
It was the pink haired menace, Francis, The Feared Drake.
She had hundreds of titles on the sea, but the most important one was the Voyager of the Storm.
She was a certified madwoman of the Dawn Pirates. There were famous rumors that she successfully escaped a massive encirclement made by the Mandated Punishers of the Church of Storms and the Loen Navy while only navigating a tiny rowboat. Because the rumors claimed she stole a highly important mystical item from a hidden island that the Church of Storms was desperately looking for.
"What a coincidence we meet again here," she said with a grin.
Gehrman was silent for a moment before answering. "...Such a coincidence indeed."
'And the madman knows her!? Dogshit!' Danitz screamed in his mind.
Behind her, another person hidden under light robes entered the room. Francis walked right in and sat down on an empty chair without any prompt. She crossed her legs and looked at Gehrman as if she had just found a fun new toy to play with.
Francis leaned back in her chair as she completely ignored the makeshift altar and the bone sword nearby.
"I did not expect to run into you in a place like this," Francis said with a wide smirk.
"What brings you to a place like the Rorsted Archipelago?"
Gehrman did not answer her question immediately. He calmly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and shifted his cold gaze to the heavily robed figure standing quietly behind her.
Noticing his attention, Francis chuckled. She reached up and casually pulled the hood back from her companion's head. A woman with light brown hair and tired eyes appeared from beneath the fabric.
"This is Leticia Dolera, an archaeologist," Francis declared proudly. "She is a new member of our Element Dawn."
'Dogshit! How come she is here? What kind of luck does he have?' Danitz complained inwardly.
This was the exact person the people from the Resistance had asked them to find.
"I am not..." Leticia tried to protest.
"Tut tut, do not worry about it," Francis interrupted with a casual wave of her hand. "You will be a member of our organization anyway. I will let you know, we are much better than the upright old men at the Moses Ascetic Order."
Francis shifted her posture and leaned forward with a confident grin. "Our new member here found an Elven ruin. So I came to look at what kind of text and treasures they left behind.
"What about you?"
Gehrman looked at them with a perfectly flat expression. "I have been tasked to kill Sea God Kelvatua."
Danitz and Alger's minds came to a complete halt.
'What?' both men thought at the exact same time.
Leticia's face also morphed into a shocked expression.
"I believe that Kelvatua lost control and went mad," Gehrman continued calmly. "And I think Miss Leticia knows what caused it."
Leticia's face lost all its color.
"I..." Leticia stammered.
She looked at Francis for support. The pirate just sat there with an amused smile. Leticia turned her attention back to Gehrman.
"I uh... only breached the central altar of the Elven ruin," Leticia explained. Her voice shook slightly. "I took a relic from it."
Danitz stared at the archaeologist in sheer disbelief. 'She actually caused a god to go mad?'
Francis tilted her head. She did not worry one bit about the revelation. "And? What is the big deal?"
"The believers of Kelvatua are looking for her," Gehrman said. He turned his head toward the bone sword on the altar. "That bone sword originated from Kelvatua's body, and it hides a bit of the power it projects. As long as the target is suitable, it will infiltrate the body of the person who touches it, corrupting the soul and establishing coordinates. It will then allow its spirit to transfer over before it dissipates."
Alger and Danitz both froze in shock as they stared at the terrifying bone sword.
"I see… It has become desperate enough to attempt possession." Francis raised a single eyebrow, and Leticia looked completely shaken by the revelation.
Gehrman stood up and grabbed the bone sword from the altar. He gripped it, threw it in the air, and caught it. He walked over to the door. A wide mad smile spread across his face as he looked back at the room.
"Would you like to join the hunt?"
AN: The hunt for Sea God Kelvatua begins!
There is already TWO chapter ahead available on pat-reon, your support would truly mean a lot to me.
Pat-reon: /DmonLord