Having a sniper was an enormous advantage for a pirate crew.
In an encounter at sea, when the distance between the two sides was considerable, the only weapons capable of engaging the enemy were firearms and the cannons mounted on the ships.
But cannons were notoriously difficult to aim accurately, and their killing power dropped considerably over long distances.
That was where a sniper’s advantage came into play.
If one side’s sniper could successfully kill the enemy commander or another key figure, it could lay the foundation for victory in the boarding battle that followed.
And during a retreat, having a sniper providing covering fire could also greatly increase the chances of successfully escaping.
The nine pirate ships raised their sails, the flag of the Overlord Pirates fluttering proudly from the masts.
The sea breeze gently brushed against Lance’s face.
Thanks to his exceptional archery, he had directly become one of the officers of the Overlord Pirates, and nobody had objected.
Lance found life aboard the ship incredibly fascinating.
It was now afternoon.
The sun was no longer as scorching as it had been at noon, yet the coolness of evening had not arrived either.
This was the training time for the officers of the Overlord Pirates.
Adrian was doing weight training.
He was performing squats with a five-ton barbell.
Lance came over and stood beside Adrian.
After Adrian finished his set, Lance asked, “Adrian, can I try?”
Adrian picked up the towel resting nearby and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Of course.
Uh… but I’d recommend starting with a lighter weight to get the hang of it.”
“Haha, I couldn’t possibly lift something that heavy right from the start.”
Lance first chose a 200-kilogram barbell.
He imitated Adrian’s movements, took a deep breath, and squatted down before standing back up.
But his movements weren’t smooth, and his entire body was trembling.
Adrian hurried over to correct his form.
“Push your hips back.
Your knees are too far forward.
Don’t hold your breath.
Adjust your breathing.”
After hearing the advice, Lance immediately corrected his form.
To his surprise, he managed to complete ten repetitions in a row.
“Not bad, not bad.
That’s impressive for your first time, using more than twice your body weight for a full set.”
Lance’s face was flushed, and his body was still trembling.
“Haha, it’s nothing.”
He was still finding it extremely strenuous, but the pride of youth made him grit his teeth and persevere.
After saying goodbye to Adrian, he left.
Lance headed toward the stern of the ship and found Kweiv practicing with his blades there, since the area was close to the kitchen.
Kweiv was creating his own sword techniques.
Because he had never had a teacher since childhood, the only way he had been able to learn swordsmanship was by secretly observing and imitating techniques during battles with his enemies.
However, he had realized that many techniques shared common principles.
For example, the knife techniques he used while chopping vegetables could also be applied in actual combat.
His previous “Blade Tempest” had been developed in exactly this way, relying on extremely rapid blade techniques.
Kweiv sat cross-legged at the stern, staring out at the sea.
Four blades rested across his legs.
Several of them were already somewhat chipped and bent, their edges battered and uneven.
The sea breeze brushed across his face.
He seemed to be sensing something…
Lance glanced at him from a distance.
He didn’t disturb him and quietly left.
Lance made his way to the second level of the Nautilus.
This was where the Captain’s quarters and Ford Quans’s bedroom were located.
Above the Captain’s quarters was a third-level deck.
A wooden pillar thick enough for a person to wrap both arms around stood there.
At the top of the pillar was a small lookout platform, just large enough for one person.
Above the lookout was where the pirate flag was mounted.
Quans stood beside the railing on the third level, looking down over the sea.
This was the highest point on the entire Overlord Pirates’ fleet.
From here, Quans could oversee everything and constantly monitor the condition of the other ships.
When he saw Lance come up, Quans turned to look at him.
“I want to take a look up there.”
Lance pointed toward the lookout above him.
Quans nodded and turned back around.
So cold…
Lance climbed up the ladder.
It took only a few dozen seconds to reach the top of the pillar.
The lookout was tiny, only about two square meters—just enough room for one person.
There were no railings or glass barriers.
There wasn’t even a roof.
The platform was fifty or sixty meters above sea level.
If I jumped from here, I’d either die or be crippled.
But why am I even thinking about jumping down?
Lance stood at the top and gazed out across the sea.
“Beautiful…”
“The scenery here is truly… completely different.”
Lance stared in a daze.
After the scorching midday sun had faded, the sunlight became mellow and golden, like honey pouring through an opening in the sky and coating the waves below.
Billions of golden scales glittered across the sea.
The distant ocean stretched out like the brightest mirror, unbroken by the silhouette of any sails, save for a few wisps of cloud.
The entire afternoon, the sky and sea seemed to be engaged in an ancient exchange—
The sky paid with golden coins of sunlight to purchase silver ingots of waves, while somewhere in the distance, a red arrow on a navigation buoy quietly kept the ledger.
Lance came back to his senses, turned around, and climbed back down the ladder.
He returned to the ship.
Lance then made his way toward the bow.
This was where the Captain often stayed.
Elik and Lucas were there as well.
Valsa was teaching the two of them physical conditioning and some basic combat techniques.
The main problem was that the two idiots didn’t really use weapons.
Or rather, their weapons came from their own bodies.
During their previous battle with the Mountain Demon, Valsa had noticed that neither of them had any real structure to their attacks.
That didn’t matter much when fighting a brute like the Mountain Demon.
But if they encountered other Marines or pirates in the future, their chaotic attacks would leave them full of openings that an experienced opponent could easily exploit and use to defeat them.
That said, the “Whirlwind” Elik had used last time was quite powerful.
Its recovery time was simply too long.
It could only be used as a trump card, or when there was a good chance it would kill the enemy in a single strike.
“Hmm?
Lance is here.
Perfect.
I have something to discuss with you.”
Valsa stopped his instruction upon seeing Lance arrive.
He turned toward the Captain’s quarters.
“Elik, notify the other officers.
Have everyone gather in the Captain’s quarters.”
“Yes, sir!”
There was a railing outside the Captain’s quarters, allowing the deck and the coastline ahead to be seen clearly.
The ship’s wheel was positioned between the door to the Captain’s quarters and the railing, perfectly visible through the glass of the Captain’s quarters.
Valsa led the two inside.
A long black solid-wood table stood in the center of the Captain’s quarters.
A huge nautical chart covered its surface, with countless lines and markings drawn across it.
Various spoils of war were displayed along the right wall.
The king’s sword from the Kingdom of Lenk.
An exquisite gold pocket watch.
Silver coins from an Ancient Kingdom.
And navigation logs.
A row of flintlock pistols hung on the left wall.
Every one of them had been polished until it gleamed, reflecting a cold light beneath the whale-oil lamps.
At the very back of the Captain’s quarters was another door.
Beyond it was the Captain’s bedroom.
The two rooms were connected, allowing the Captain to immediately enter the main cabin and respond whenever an emergency arose.
Valsa walked to the head of the table and sat down in a high-backed armchair.
A coiled sea serpent was carved into the back of the chair.
Before long, the other officers arrived one after another.
Kweiv was the last to enter.
The wooden door closed heavily behind him, shutting out the sound of waves striking the hull and the cries of seagulls.
The smell of rum and a faint trace of gunpowder dominated the room.
This was Captain Valsa’s territory.
The most dangerous, yet also the most sacred place aboard the ship.
Valsa swept his gaze across everyone present.
Then, slowly, he pulled two wooden chests out from beneath the black table.
One was trimmed with gold.
The other was engraved with ancient patterns.
The moment Quans, sitting in the first seat to Valsa’s left, saw the two chests, he knew exactly what the Captain was about to do.
◇ THE STORY DOESN’T END HERE…
◇
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