Debuff Master

Chapter 794

‘Did their powder kegs blow up or something?’ Siegfried wondered. He assumed that the explosion on the Orca Pirates’ ship was due to a careless mishap in managing their gunpowder supply.

However, Siegfried was mistaken.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Cannonballs rained down around the Orca Pirates Fleet, creating pillars of seawater shooting up into the sky. However, the Black Seagull Pirates—Siegfried’s hosts—weren't the ones firing the cannonballs.

They were fleeing full speed ahead with a white flag waving high.

“Eh? What the hell is going on here…?” Siegfried muttered. He stood in silence, completely dumbfounded by the chaos. He observed the bizarre scene for a few minutes, and soon enough, everything became clear.

It turned out that a larger pirate fleet had appeared and had started bombarding the Orca Pirates. Thanks to this unexpected assault, the Orca Pirates lost interest in pursuing the Black Seagull Pirates and frantically turned their ships around to face their new attackers.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A full-scale naval battle broke out between the Orca Pirates and the newly arrived pirate fleet.

The captain snapped out of his daze and immediately barked orders at his crew.

“Row! Get us out of here!”

“Aye! Captain!”

“Row, you scurvy lot! Row for your lives!”

The pirates poured every ounce of their strength into the oars, desperate to seize this rare chance at survival. They rowed, rowed, and rowed as their ship rapidly distanced itself from the chaotic battle unfolding between the two massive pirate fleets.

“This is a disaster… Did they kill each other’s captains or what? Why are they fighting to the death?” Siegfried muttered, chuckling in disbelief as he watched the two pirate fleets exchange fire.

The captain overheard Siegfried’s musings and chimed in, “Well, it is only natural for a battle to break out when two major pirate crews cross paths.”

“Major? What does that mean?” Siegfried asked, raising a brow.

“Major pirate crews are the ones who operate on a global scale,” the captain explained.

“By global scale… Do you mean the whole world?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Ah, that explains their size, I guess.”

“Indeed! When major pirates meet outside the Green Isles, they fight to the death.”

“Green Isles? What’s that?”

“Hmm? You've never heard of the Green Isles?”

“How would I know what the hell is that?” Siegfried shot back, making his irritation obvious.

“Oh, right! You are not a pirate!” the captain exclaimed in response, smacking his forehead.

“Do I look like a pirate to you?” Siegfried glared.

“No, sir! Not at all!” the captain replied, laughing nervously. Then, he explained, “The Green Isles are—or rather, is the Pirate Kingdom.”

“Pirate Kingdom?”

“Yes, well… except the king changes frequently. Other than that, it is just like any other kingdom.”

“And?”

“Only the major pirate crews are allowed to enter the Green Isles.”

“Oh?”

“In fact, most of the major pirate crews you see operating globally are based in the Green Isles.”

“So it’s basically a giant pirate den?”

“Yes, sir, exactly.”

“That sounds like total chaos,” Siegfried scoffed.

He had no idea where the so-called Green Isles were, but he could imagine the kind of lawless anarchy over such a place crowded with massive pirate crews.

“Well, none of that concerns me. Let’s keep moving; I’m a busy man,” Siegfried said dismissively.

“Aye, sir! No complaints from us!” the captain replied with a grin.

Having avoided a dangerous situation, Siegfried continued his journey toward the Black Seagull Pirates’ hideout.

***

The hideout of the Black Seagull Pirates was unexpectedly close to the mainland. It was nestled within a large coastal cave on an island made entirely of cliffs, and it was truly the perfect hideout for a band of pirates.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“None of your business.”

As soon as Siegfried stepped off the pirate ship, he began "razing" the Black Seagull Pirates’ hideout. Well, saying that he "razed" them wasn't technically right, as all he did was stroll through their hideout while unleashing Eraser Swarm.

“Argh!”

“Kuheok!”

“Aaack!”

The pirates bled from their eyes, noses, ears, and mouths after being exposed to the deadly radiation energy before collapsing lifelessly to the floor. Within moments, dozens of them were either dead or dying, but Siegfried didn't even bat an eye.

These pirates preyed on the weak fishermen of Barnacle Village, and they were nothing more than a group of vile criminals. Siegfried had no room for compassion toward human filth.

“What… What in the blue seas is happening?!”

The pirate leader, who had been drinking deep in the hideout since midday, stumbled out only to be greeted by the sight of his slaughtered crewmen strewn across the ground.

“Are you the boss?” Siegfried asked.

“Y-Yes, that’s me…?”

The pirate leader truly lived up to his title, as he quickly understood the situation and knew that there was no point in resisting. Thus, he answered honestly without hesitation.

“You’ve been raiding near the Barnacle Village, haven’t you?” Siegfried asked.

“Well, that’s our territory, but…” the pirate leader muttered in response.

“And where are the people you captured from there?” Siegfried asked once again, but this time, he swung his +15 Vanquisher’s Grasp a few times threateningly.

“W-Wait! Please, wait!” the pirate leader exclaimed and rushed into the cave. Then, he came out a short while later, bringing forth the prisoners.

“Is Sam here?” Siegfried asked the captives, searching for Mischa’s father.

However, nobody responded to him.

“Anyone from Barnacle Village? A man named Sam with a daughter named Mischa?” Siegfried asked, his voice calm but loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Then, a frail old man stepped forward and answered, “Sam… was sold a few days ago.”

“Sold?” Siegfried raised a brow and asked.

“Yes, the pirates sold some of us as slaves to another pirate crew. Sam was among them.”

“Are you sure?”

“If he is the same Sam from Barnacle Village with a daughter named Mischa, then I am certain.”

“Thank you.”

Siegfried gave the old man a respectful nod and then turned back to the pirate leader.

“Where did you sell them?”

“W-Well…”

“Where?” Siegfried asked again, this time scratching his head with his +15 Vanquisher’s Grasp that emitted a faint ominous hum of mana.

“Hiiiik!” the pirate leader shrieked in terror and stammered, “T-They were sold as slaves to work on the construction site in the Green Isles—”

Bam!

Siegfried’s weapon struck the pirate leader’s head without warning, bashing his skull open.

“Tsk… Damn pests,” Siegfried grumbled, kicking the corpse aside in frustration. Then, he turned to the captives and addressed them with a softened tone, “I came here to find someone, but while I’m at it, I’ll make sure you all get safely back to the mainland.”

Huge relieved smiles spread across the prisoners’ faces as they expressed their gratitude.

“Thank you so much!”

“T-Thank you!”

“You’ve saved us!”

Then, the same frail old man who had spoken before asked, “Young man, who exactly are you? You don’t seem to be an ordinary young man…”

Siegfried smiled faintly and replied, “My name is Siegfried van Proa.”

The old man’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stammered, “Y-You mean… the King of the Proatine Kingdom? The hero who saved the continent from the demonic invasion? T-That Siegfried van Proa?!”

“That’s right,” Siegfried replied with a nod.

At those words, the old man dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, “I am unworthy to be in your presence! Thank you for rescuing this insignificant old man, Your Majesty!”

One by one, the other captives followed suit, bowing low to Siegfried.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“We are forever in your debt!”

Even the surviving pirates trembled with fear and bowed along with the captives.

‘Eh? Looks like my reputation has grown even more,’ Siegfried thought.

A year ago, neither he nor the Proatine Kingdom was known by many. Back then, they were nobodies, and the few who knew about them would treat them as a bunch of backwater rural people.

However, everything changed after he thwarted the demonic invasion and triumphed in the war against the Zavala Kingdom. Now, it seemed everyone knew his name.

“No need to thank me,” Siegfried said, motioning for them to rise. Then, he added, “Come now, let’s go back to the mainland.”

With that, Siegfried led the former captives away from the pirate hideout and brought them toward freedom.

***

As they sailed toward land, Siegfried turned to the pirate captain and asked, “How do I get to the Green Isles?”

Even the world map didn't show the location of the Green Isles, so Siegfried had to ask.

Mischa’s father was sold off to that place, so he had no other choice but to go look for it to bring him back.

The rewards for the quest "On a Mission! Hero to the Rescue!" were ridiculously small, but he had to clear it, as it was an epic-tier quest. Clearing it had become even more imperative, as he had to discover the secrets of his latest energy source, Divine Power.

“Unfortunately… I have no idea, sir.”

Surprisingly, even the pirate captain seemed clueless about the location of the Green Isles.

“Eh? How can you now? Aren’t you a pirate?”

“Well… small-time pirates like us have no idea where that place is located.”

“Then who does?”

“To enter the Green Isles, you will need a magical gold coin issued by the Pirate Confederation. Without it, entering that place is impossible.”

“What if I rob a major pirate crew or disguise myself as a prisoner?”

“That is impossible.”

“Why?”

“There is a magical barrier surrounding the Green Isles, and only real pirates and actual prisoners can pass through it.”

“Why such strict measures?”

“Well, since the Green Isles is practically the headquarters of all pirates in the world, it is only natural that it has such strict security…”

It was a reasonable explanation. The Green Isles served as the base for major pirate crews that ruled the seas, so it was only natural that they needed tight security to evade the navies of various nations on the continent.

“So, to get there, I need to become a major pirate?”

“Exactly.”

“How does one become a major pirate?”

“You must officially register as a business under the Pirate Confederation and meet certain conditions.”

“Why the hell are you guys so organized…?” Siegfried muttered, baffled by the fact that even pirates had their own kingdom, alliance, and even formal business registration.

“Hehe… no matter how rough we sea dogs may be, some form of order is necessary, don’t you think so, boss?”

“Can’t argue with that,” Siegfried replied with a shrug. Then, he said, “Alright, let’s head there.”

“Aye! Your Majesty!”

A few hours later, After reaching the shore, Siegfried freed the captives of the Black Seagull Pirates. Then, he asked the captain for directions to the nearest Pirate Confederation branch.

The first thing he had to do now was to register as a pirate, as becoming a major pirate was essential to entering the Green Isles.

The nearest Pirate Confederation branch was located in a shabby tavern in a port town.

Siegfried entered the tavern and was greeted by a tavern keeper, who was wiping a glass with a rag that could barely be called clean. He glanced at Siegfried with surprise and asked, “Hmm? A pale-faced kid like you drinking at midday?”

“Does it matter if it’s day or night for a drink?” Siegfried replied with a smirk.

“Hmm… I guess you’re not wrong,” the tavern keeper replied with a shrug.

“Just give me a drink, anything,” Siegfried said, tossing a gold coin. Then, he added, “And mix a little seawater in it.”

“Hmph!” the tavern keeper grimaced at the strange request but accepted the coin. Then, he turned and said, “Come this way.”

It turned out that the words "mix a little seawater" were a code phrase used by pirates to gain entry to a Pirate Confederation branch. Siegfried followed the tavern keeper through a hidden passage that led him into the Pirate Confederation branch.