abnabooks Chapter 262 Two by Two%@++*Gold Gold Coins hhh
Chapter 262 Two by Two%@++*Gold Gold Coins hhh
Chapter 262 Two by Two%@++*Gold Gold Coins hhh
The waves are as turbulent as a mother dog giving birth, hating everything it can perceive.
The wind, carrying the last chill of winter, swept across from east to west.
The sky was as blue as the sea, and the white clouds were blown away by the east wind.
The warm sun was still shining, but it was gradually setting.
A seabird soars through the sky.
Suddenly it swooped down, intending to use its sharp beak to catch the fleshy scales on the water's surface.
Just as it was about to plunge into the sea, several strange fish with fangs leaped out from underwater.
The seabirds were swallowed up in an instant, leaving only a few grayish-white tail feathers that slowly drifted down.
The ship was covered in patches, but it remained sturdy.
The three poles of the gardenia tree still stand straight, their sails taut and billowing.
Jellyfish peered from the crow's nest, while shrimp busied themselves on the deck.
Meanwhile, around the nautical chart table in the Octopus Cave, several people were sitting.
"There's no mistake, the boss is on this ship!"
"The leader is dead. Don't be so talkative. You and Si saw him fall into the sea with your own eyes."
"But this ship is taking us to the Clown Islands. Unless it's the boss in control, no one could know the way. We're already quite close to the islands!"
"So far, the ship has sailed very steadily, a skill that mediocre pirates could not possess. But we think we can trust Miko to steer the ship."
"Miko, what do you think? Is the boss in control of this ship?"
"His skill in sailing isn't as good as Miko's before, but Miko thinks he's about the same level as Henry."
"Listen! It really is the boss!"
"Stop talking nonsense. Even if what you say is true, so what? This ship has been carrying us on the Weeping Narrow Sea for so long, which means that the leader is no longer the same leader. He has at least lost most of his self."
"Shut your mother's stinking mouth, Cyril! If the boss has no self-awareness, why send us to the Clown Islands?"
"No one can understand a ship's thoughts. Besides, the Two Gold Coins only started changing course after Casey and her group boarded the ship."
"That's because Casey is the boss's son! Of course a father would send his son anywhere!"
"You've never been a father, how would you know? Besides, in my opinion, it wasn't Casey who made the ship move, but the young gentleman traveling with him."
"Now that you mention it, I remember now. That man was indeed suspicious. He was clearly boarding this ship for the first time, yet he seemed to know everything about it very well."
"Don't talk back. Didn't you notice that man had a calm and collected air about him, as if he had everything under control? He's probably very powerful, even more so than we imagined, and he might even know the leader."
"Know each other? That's impossible! You've only been at sea with the boss for a year, while I've been making a living at sea with him for sixteen or seventeen years. And that man looks no more than twenty-one or twenty-two. According to you, he must have known the boss since he was five or six years old!"
"Perhaps he is bigger than he looks."
"Even if he's ten years old, what difference does it make? What kind of deep connection can the boss have with a child who's not even ten?"
"Besides, the boss is Joachim's son, and I've never heard of Joachim having any other children."
"Alright, Benson, you called us here just to say this?"
"Victor, Cyril is a newcomer, so it's understandable that he doesn't care about this matter, but why are you taking the same attitude?"
"This matter isn't urgent. There will be plenty of opportunities to discuss it in the future. Besides, we're not pirates. But you've gathered us here in such a hurry; there must be something else you want to talk about, right?"
"Hmm—you old man, still so stubborn, but you're not wrong. I do have something to say to Victor, Cyril, Miko. The four of us were the four people the boss trusted most when he was alive. Right now, I can only talk to you about it."
"Don't be so talkative. If I'm not mistaken, you want to talk about Goddess Island, right?"
"You're the one who sees things best. That's right, on our way back, we encountered quite a few of our own ships."
And they were all saying that the Clown Islands were attacked by those bastards from Goddess Island while we were away.”
"And they were defeated. The Clown Islands were not lost. In my opinion, they do not have the determination to launch another attack for the time being."
"They suffered heavy losses, as did the Clown Islands. More than half of our ships were lost. I heard that if it weren't for a righteous fleet suddenly intervening in the battle, the Clown Islands would probably have fallen by now."
"But 'if' doesn't exist."
"That's right, Cyril. But I suspect that Riley and his gang are cunning and shrewd. Since they chose to launch a sneak attack, they must not have been prepared for a desperate fight. I predict that they must have realized the cost of the battle was too high and the outcome was unpredictable, so they ordered a retreat in time. They must still have the resources to fight now."
"Your analysis is correct. If they find out that their leader has been killed in action, their ambitions will surely be rekindled."
'
"It won't be long before they find out that the leader was a navigator, the most famous pirate in history, and that his death was top news across the entire sea."
"So, you've come to discuss with us how to build a defensive line for the Clown Islands?"
"Yes, in the past, the boss handled this job all by himself, but now it's up to us. We're about to arrive at the Clown Islands, so we need to discuss things first."
"But in my opinion, there is no need to rush. Even if a strategy is set, it will be difficult to implement. Pirates have always been undisciplined, and there is no longer a leader to restrain them."
"That's why I want to tell you, Cyril, the Clown Islands need top-down control; my power alone is clearly insufficient."
"Shut up? What do you mean?"
"The boss is dead. Although he may still be alive on this ship, he can no longer be the navigator, no longer be a pirate. In the past, the Clown Islands had two leaders, but in reality there was only one master, and that was the boss."
"Therefore, my prestige is not enough to make all the pirate ships obey my orders. I need a helper. Besides, if a second pirate leader cannot step forward immediately in the Clown Islands, the islands' influence among pirates will be greatly reduced. You know, there are six pirate leaders on Goddess Island."
"Ha! You want me to become the pirate leader? I would be more than happy to do so, but this matter is not as simple as you think."
"That's why I've come to discuss with you what we should do."
"No one can replace you, Master, Benson. You know that better than anyone."
"Of course I understand that the one who should inherit the Clown Islands is Casey. The blood of Gihano in his veins is enough to convince most people, just like back on the Black Goat, when he made half of the shrimp on the ship kneel down in the name of Joachim's son."
"Back when we were on the ship, it was Master who beheaded Smiling Edwin to make the pirates submit. Pirates are cowardly scum who bully the weak and fear the strong, but Cassie is clearly not as tough as Master, and no one will acknowledge Cassie's bloodline as having inheritance rights."
"I haven't finished speaking, Victor. What I meant was that it would be much easier to rule the Clown Islands again if someone with the right bloodline were to do so. But right now, none of us are qualified, so it's more difficult than we imagine."
Therefore, it must be discussed before landing on the island.
In my opinion, there is only one way.
"explain."
"We must make use of the leader's prestige one last time."
"What do you mean?"
"The news of the Navigator's death may not have reached the Clown Islands yet. Even if it has, we can pretend it's a misreport."
"and then?"
"In the name of the leader, summon all the captains of the fleet to a meeting. Of course, we must guard the meeting place and confiscate everyone's weapons. Only you and I may be armed. Then, ask them to recommend the next leader."
"And you are undoubtedly the best candidate to be the leader, after all, you are the leader of half of the ships. As for the leader of the other half of the ships, whether you are willing to recommend someone else is another matter."
"We have knives; why should we be afraid of them electing others?"
"Pirates have no integrity, let alone honor. They are better than anyone at saying one thing to someone's face and another behind their back. The real danger is that they might pull some dirty tricks behind my back, which would put my safety at risk. Therefore, we must win their heartfelt submission."
"So what do you plan to do?"
"After all, I am a smuggler. As you know, pirates call smugglers 'ducks,' and ducks don't belong to the sea. Therefore, most pirates look down on me. So this matter is basically unsolvable. They are even less likely to actively recommend me, even though I have been sailing with the leader for nearly two years. So, we can only take a gamble."
"How do we gamble?"
"Give those people enough power, but bet they can't elect anyone other than themselves."
"But as you just said, they can't possibly nominate you."
"This requires seizing the moment. Before they speak, you must preemptively recommend someone. Your prestige will surely be enough to make them wary of you, and they may not be able to come up with the best solution in a short time."
"Furthermore, even if they want to unite and nominate other candidates, they at least need to make eye contact. You must urge them to reach a conclusion before that."
"In that case, they'll most likely have no choice but to agree! And this isn't a choice I forced them to make! Ha, Cyril,"
You're just as cunning as the boss; no wonder he chose to bring you along!
"If the chief heard you say that about him, he'd definitely kick your ass."
"Then I'll definitely beg him to kick harder. It's been so long since he kicked me, I kind of miss it—"
"However, I'm being nosy. Even if this matter is over, the future won't be easy. According to the scattered intelligence we've gathered so far, the massive fleet that surrounded the two gold coins has already entered the northern sea route. And their destination is very likely Goddess Island."
"Yes, even if Goddess Island has six leaders, they are certainly no match for them."
"I have a bad feeling that the most glorious era of piracy is about to end with the death of its leaders. Those six leaders will likely all die in battle soon, and even if they escape, their foundations will be shaken. As for the Clown Islands, there can be no second leader, and it will be difficult for the pirates to have a prominent figure again."
"The worst-case scenario is that after Goddess Island falls, that fleet might turn its attention to the Clown Islands."
"Since you've brought up this possibility, I'd like to discuss it with you. It's a solution I've thought of a long time ago. But I know you definitely won't agree, so I haven't brought it up yet."
"What plan?"
"Open up the Clown Islands and make it the second pirate home after the Burning Heart Islands."
"Impossible! This is land the boss discovered. He's been developing it for over ten years, and now you're telling me I have to hand over all his hard work?! You bastard, what nonsense are you spouting!"
"Calm down, Benson, let Cyril finish."
"Hmm—I'm being nosy. In my opinion, what you've said is a poor strategy. First of all, the leader is dead. Even if you and I jointly take over the Clown Islands, they will no longer belong to the leader. And we alone are simply no match for that fleet."
"The Two Gold Coins escaped from their grasp!"
"The ship can escape, but the island cannot. Moreover, if Goddess Island is attacked, the pirates on the island may fight to the death and seek a way to survive in the Clown Islands."
"I guarantee they won't come back alive!"
"I'm afraid they were already determined not to return - and once war breaks out, the Clown Islands will inevitably suffer losses as well, and when they face the fleet of the righteous people, they will be doomed to defeat."
"Hmm—so what do you mean?"
"Send people to persuade them to welcome the pirates from Goddess Island. Without their navigator, the pirates are like small fish without their bats; if they fight alone, they have no future."
"Go on."
"Therefore, it would be better to open up and welcome all pirates, so that we would still have a fighting chance against the fleets of upright people. However, this is only a private, middle-of-the-road strategy."
"A middle-ground strategy? Do you have a better strategy?"
"Yes, brother, yes."
"The middle strategy can provide temporary peace, but if we want the pirates to prosper for a hundred years, this is the best strategy."
"Once the Clown Islands are open, we need to proactively contact respectable people and reach an agreement with them."
"You want to kneel?"
"Making money is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Simply sign a contract with the righteous people, so that they will not invade the Clown Islands, and we will also stop attacking their warships and allow them to rest and recuperate on the islands."
"I surmise that the purpose of these upright people setting sail for the Sea of Despair is definitely related to the New World; they actually have no interest in the tiny Clown Islands."
"If a peaceful resolution can be reached, they are likely willing to compromise. After all, they can call themselves 'honest people' and will not plunder ships. Sailing and war will only burn the gold in their pockets for nothing."
"Dream on! Cyril, don't bring this up again! As long as I'm alive, I will never agree to this plan!"
"I see. Okay, then let's pretend I didn't say anything."
"Knock knock knock!"
"Come in! What is it?"
"The jellyfish says it can see the Clown Islands."
"Understood. Have the crew prepare for landing. Close the door."
"yes!"
"Benson, there's something else I need to remind you of."
"explain."
"The shrimps on this ship all know that Casey is the chief's son."
"So what?"
"Having lived on land for twenty years, I know very well how much those nobles value lineage. If word gets out that Kathy is the navigator's son, it will likely damage Kathy's reputation and affect his position. If the leader—"
"He would rather never acknowledge Cathy as his daughter than let her be in Cathy's best interest!"
"That's how it is. The four of us are extremely loyal to the leader and value Casey, but it's hard to say about the others."
"Indeed—Cyril, do you have a plan?"
I've always believed that there's only one type of person who can absolutely keep a secret—
"It's quite a suggestion you came up with, Cyril. I'll leave this to you."
"no problem·
"Alright, get ready to log in, things are about to get busy."
"No, let's not go down."
"Are you kidding me, Victor? The Clown Islands are in a crisis right now, they need you there!"
"The Two Gold Coins need us more. If this ship gets damaged, someone will have to repair it."
"Victor, have you thought this through? Until just now, you claimed you weren't a pirate. Are you sure you want to stay on this ship?"
"I'm a shipwright, and this ship represents my life's work. I can't bear to part with it. Besides, the master said that if this ship is scrapped, it will belong to us, and we have to watch over it."
"And what about your Black Goat Restaurant?"
"Benson, I'm leaving this to you."
"Hmm... Viktor, are you sure?"
"Yes—Benson, what are you doing? Get up."
"Victor, I'm counting on you for these two gold accounts, boss! I'm counting on you!"
"Boat and master are both our friends, you don't need to say that."
"Wow! The boss and I knew we weren't wrong about you, Viktor! We'll send you supplies, materials, and gold!"
"Yes, we need to hurry. You never know when this ship will leave port."
"No problem. So, what about you, Miko? What are you planning to do?"
"Mico can't sail the boat, and Henry is gone. Mico has no reason to stay here."
"Then come with me, Miko. I won't treat you badly!"
"Thank you, Benson."
The islands emerge from the sea.
It first appeared as small as a few tiny peas, then it grew larger.
When they came to their senses, it had become several vast expanses of land.
pier.
springboard.
The sound of hurried footsteps.
Goodbye, Victor!
Goodbye, brothers!
Goodbye, boss!
Goodbye, Chief!
Goodbye, Henry!
Goodbye, Two Gold Coins!
"."
"Aww—."
"Farewell, my friends—Well, sir, now it's just the two of us."
You probably never would have guessed that the one who would stay with you until the end would be me.
"But we haven't forgiven you. Even now, we still resent you for kidnapping us. What did you say back then...?"
"Oh! You said something about 'rewriting tradition,' haha, back then we thought you were a bit off."
"But now that I think about it, pirate leader, navigator, the most famous pirate in history—--hmm, it seems like I'm the one who's crazy."
"Aww—."
"Awooo—"
The wind was fierce.
A torrential downpour struck.
Thunder roared down.
"Charge! Two gold coins!"
"Damn it, charge, sir!"
"Who cares about the corrupt sea!"
"Hahaha!"
"pirate!"
"Hahaha!"
"I'm the pirate Victor!"