Debuff Master

Chapter 803

“Sam… Barnacle Village… sold by the Black Seagull Pirates…”

Burke muttered while flipping through the pages of the old ledger, and his hands trembled slightly as he searched for the name. The silence stretched, broken only by the soft rustle of paper.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally stopped and jabbed at an entry with his finger.

“Ah! Here it is!” He spun the ledger around and presented it to Siegfried like a peace offering. “Sam was sold as a laborer for the mines… to Captain Baroque.”

Siegfried narrowed his eyes and asked, “Who’s that?”

“Y-You don't know Captain Baroque?” Burke asked in response, blinking in disbelief.

“Do I have to know who that is?” Siegfried growled, his voice turning ice-cold.

Realizing that he was treading on dangerous ground, Burke quickly backpedaled while waving his hands frivolously. “N-No! Of course not! You do not have to know! Absolutely not at all! Hahaha!”

Then, he swallowed a hard lump in his throat before rushing to explain, “Captain Baroque is one of the four Pirate Lords ruling the Green Isles. He is the leader of the Swordfish Pirates and, well… quite the connoisseur of art and beauty.”

After Burke was done explaining, Siegfried finally asked, “So, if I want to find this Sam, I need to go to Captain Baroque’s territory?”

“Yes, yes, South Island. That is where you will find him, captain,” Burke replied, nodding eagerly.

“Then I guess I’ll pay Baroque a visit,” Siegfried said nonchalantly before turning around without another word.

“W-Wait! Captain Baroque is a Pirate Lord! You can’t just waltz into his—!”

Before Baroque could finish, he ended up choking as if something was strangling him.

“Guuhhh!”

He grabbed his throat as if there were an invisible noose tightening around it. Before long, blood poured out from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.

The slave merchant’s fate was sealed. The radiation microbes Siegfried had silently released were now ravaging Burke’s body from within, spreading like wildfire and causing irreversible fatal damage.

“S-Sir!”

“What’s happening?!”

The shop workers rushed to help, but they also writhed and convulsed. As they clutched their throats, blood spilled from their every orifice.

“Aagh! Ghhk!”

“Guhhh! H-Help!”

“Aaack! I… don’t want to… die–!”

It was pure chaos. The staffers of Muscle & Might collapsed in a gruesome manner, with their blood pooling on the floor beneath them.

Siegfried watched without a shred of pity. After all, he had a reason for killing them. If word spread that he was searching for Sam, then it would complicate things.

Pirates were not the kind of people that could be trusted, and if Baroque realized Sam’s value, he would, without a doubt, use him as a hostage.

Siegfried was not willing to take that risk.

“Better to wipe the slate clean.”

Of course, it was not just out of necessity that drove him to kill these slave traders, as a part of him just wanted to kill them.

Siegfried crouched beside the dying men and feigned ignorance in a mocking voice, “Oh no! What’s happening here? Did you guys eat blowfish for lunch? Somebody call a doctor!”

The other slave traders gathered at the Muscle & Might, drawn by the commotion.

“Burke’s down!”

“What’s going on?!”

Siegfried smirked and slipped away into the chaos, knowing exactly what would come next.

Moments later, the slave traders turned into vultures.

“Oh! They’re dead!”

“Hahaha!

“Those slaves are mine now!”

Siegfried paused in the shadows, watching the slave traders. It turned out that he was mistaken. He thought the slave traders would go wild looking for the perpetrators, but instead, they—the supposed comrades of Burke—ransacked the Muscle & Might and took whatever was valuable.

“So much for loyalty…” he thought, shaking his head in disgust.

The Green Isles was basically a den of hyenas, a place where the weak were devoured without mercy by the strong. This was the law of this place, and one could only rely on one thing to survive—trust no one.

In the Green Isles, mercy was weakness, and weakness was death.

“Fine. Die together, then,” Siegfried muttered with a shrug. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he unleashed even more radioactive microbes, sending them slithering through the air toward the ravenous mob of looters.

The screams resounded once again as he walked away, sealing the fate of the slave traders.

***

After leaving the slave market, Siegfried made his way to a tavern in Kraken Harbor to take a break.

The atmosphere inside the tavern was surprisingly lively–until it suddenly died down.

“W-What?! Isn’t that—?!”

“It’s Captain Drake!”

“It’s the Pirate Butcher!”

Panic spread like wildfire before every patron in the tavern went silent. Their eyes darted nervously to each other after they recognized Siegfried—no, Francis de Drake.

“Damn it…”

“Welp, there goes the mood.”

“Guess I’ll be calling it a night.”

Even those who had just arrived, eager for a drink, suddenly turned on their heels and left the moment they saw him.

With the tavern now nearly empty, the tavern keeper was left with no choice but to serve Siegfried personally. His trembling hands poured drinks while he remained quiet, too scared to utter a word.

However, the worst was yet to come.

Creak…

The old tavern door creaked as it swung open.

“H-Huh?!”

The tavern keeper’s eyes shot wide open as he froze in horror.

Claaack!

The glass in his hands slipped, shattering on the floor. His eyes remained locked on the patron who had just entered the tavern, a woman capable of sending a chill throughout the room with her mere presence.

She was Captain Bellatrix, the leader of the infamous Medusa Pirates, and one of the four Pirate Lords ruling over the Green Isles.

She casually walked into the tavern, and her every step exuded confidence.

“Martini. Neat,” she ordered softly to the tavern keeper before making her way to Siegfried’s table.

“Mind if I sit?” she asked.

“No room,” Siegfried replied flatly.

“What? Do you even know who I am?” Bellatrix asked, blinking a few times. She was stunned by the blunt refusal. Without looking up from his meal, Siegfried grumbled in response, “Do I have to know who you are? Quit bothering me and go away.”

Bellatrix looked visibly shocked by the response as she stared at the young pirate, who was so engrossed in devouring his steak that he didn't even spare her a glance.

A tiny hamster-like creature chirping happily was next to him.

“This steak is great.”

“Kyuuu! Yes! The walnut pie is delicious, too!”

Siegfried continued on devouring his stick, unbothered by Bellatrix’s rising anger.

‘W-Who the hell does he think he is?’

Bellatrix was unsure whether to be furious or laugh right now. This upstart greenhorn, who had only recently started gaining fame upon becoming a major pirate, was blatantly ignoring her—one of the most feared pirates in the world, a Pirate Lord.

Still, she kept her composure and introduced herself, “I’m Bellatrix, the Captain of the Medusa Pirates. One of the four Pirate Lords of the Green Isles.”

She purposely made sure to speak as slowly and concisely as possible just in case the young pirate would accidentally misunderstand her.

Siegfried continued eating, not sparing her a glance.

Bellatrix clenched her fists. Every cell in her body screamed at her to strike—to cut this insolent whelp down and teach him a lesson.

However, she held back.

She came to Kraken Harbor for a reason, and it was not to kill him.

Why?

It was all because she needed him.

‘If she’s here in person, then she must need something from me.’ Siegfried knew that, too, so he smirked, savoring not only the steak but also the shift in power. There was no urgency for him, so she would have to wait.

And wait she did…

Bellatrix sat next to him in silence. The mighty Pirate Lord was forced to wait for an upstart greenhorn pirate to finish his meal.

‘Hmm… She must be really desperate,’ Siegfried thought, finally wiping his mouth clean and turning to her for the first time since she entered the tavern.

“Speak fast if you’ve got something to say,” he said curtly.

Bellatrix twitched, and her hand reflexively brushed the hilt of her sword. She almost drew it out of frustration and even pondered whether she'd go for her musket on her other hip.

In the end, she reined in her urge to kill the greenhorn and replied in a low growl, “Don’t test my patience, Captain Drake. There’s a limit to how much insolence I can tolerate.”

Siegfried leaned back, unfazed. He dug his ear and asked, “Yeah, yeah. So what do you want?”

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, and a vein bulged from her forehead. Then, she exhaled sharply and said, “Join us. I want you to enter into a blood alliance with us.”

“A blood alliance?”

“I’m asking you to join our faction. The West Island Faction.”

Siegfried tilted his head, feigning ignorance. “Are we at war or something?”

Bellatrix rolled her eyes in response. “You’re as clueless as a rookie, aren’t you?”

Siegfried smirked and said arrogantly, “I’d like to think I know more than just a rookie. Like how you’re on the losing side of the war.”

The jab struck Bellatrix where it hurt, causing her to clench her teeth.

“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t desperate,” Siegfried sneered further.

Bellatrix stayed silent while glaring at him with eyes full of murderous intent.

On the other hand, Siegfried looked as carefree as ever.

“So, what’s the situation?” he asked, his tone of voice sounding as casual as he looked.

With a reluctant sigh once again, Bellatrix began explaining the current state of the power struggle waging within the Green Isles.

***

The Green Isles was not originally a place shrouded in secrecy. In the beginning, it was a place inhabited by ordinary people with ordinary lives, and it was rather peaceful with no power struggles.

Due to its extreme scarcity of resources, however, a culture of plundering rose naturally, just like how the Nordic Tribe once relied on raids for survival. Unfortunately, piracy was regarded as a heinous crime on the continent, and this inevitably attracted the attention of the naval forces from the surrounding nations.

The Green Isles endured countless invasions as a result—an outcome they had arguably brought upon themselves.

Then, centuries ago, the Pirate King, Freydlief, emerged. He entered into a contract with a Silver Dragon, severing the Green Isles from the rest of the world, effectively transforming it into a true pirate’s haven.

However, Freydlief wanted more.

He envisioned the evolution of the Green Isles from a haven for lawless pirates into a formidable maritime kingdom. To achieve this, he pursued trade, cultivated farmlands, and initiated various reforms.

However, his vision was short-lived.

Upon his sudden mysterious death, the Green Isles fractured into four regions, each ruled by a different Pirate Lord. After that, the four lords waged endless battles that spanned for centuries over the supremacy of the Green Isles, and the dream of the maritime kingdom Freydlief once envisioned faded into a distant mirage, forgotten by those that followed.

Today, the centuries-old balance of power that maintained the status quo in the Green Isles was shattered, plunging it into a state of crisis.

Captain Baroque of the Swordfish Pirates and Captain Joshua of the Great White Shark Pirates formed a secret alliance. Together, they ambushed and eliminated one of the four Pirate Lords, and now, they set their sights on their next target, Captain Bellatrix of the Medusa Pirates.

“So you’re asking me to join your side?”

“Yes.”

“Why should I?”

“I am a direct descendant of the Pirate King, Freydlief.”

“Hmm?”

“My family is one of the most prestigious lineages in the Green Isles.”

Siegfried could not help but scoff at the remark.

‘A lineage built on generations of piracy? Is that something to be proud of?’ Siegfried sneered inwardly.

“They only care about plundering to enrich themselves, but I’m different.”

“And how are you exactly different?”

“I want a maritime kingdom.”

“Interesting…”

“If I become the Pirate King, I’ll free the people of the Green Isles from the chains of endless plundering. Then, I’ll fulfill the dream of my ancestor, Freydlief. The dream of establishing a maritime kingdom, something he could not see to fruition—”

It was then.

Creak!

The door swung open abruptly, and a slender man dressed in luxurious attire stepped into the tavern.

“H-Hiiik!”

The tavern keeper shrieked and recoiled in terror after seeing the new patron.

The slender man was wearing a white mask, lavish clothing, a peg leg for his right foot, and a hook for his left.

It was Captain Baroque, the captain of the Swordfish Pirates.

“Well, well… It seems I’ve arrived a little late,” Baroque said, his voice sounding smooth and casual.

“Baroque…” Bellatrix growled, and her face twisted into extreme displeasure at the sight of him.

“Bah! I’ve seen that fierce cat enough times to skip the pleasantries,” he balked, ignoring Bellatrix. Then, he turned to Siegfried, bowing gracefully in the manner a noble would, and greeted, “Greetings. Ah, you must be the famous Captain Francis de Drake.”

“Yes, I am Francis de Drake,” Siegfried replied, offering a respectful nod, unlike he did with Bellatrix.

This courtesy was not due to fear or admiration, but rather, it was a part of his strategy. Siegfried knew that Mischa’s father, Sam, was enslaved in one of Baroque’s mines, so he decided to play along for now.

“May I sit?”

“Of course.”

“I appreciate your kind hospitality,” Baroque said with another bow. Then, he gracefully took his seat.

“Tavern keeper!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Bring me a cup of tea.”

“I-I will prepare it at once!”

Baroque crossed his legs and sat back leisurely, turning his gaze to Siegfried.

“Captain Francis de Drake, the Pirate Butcher. I like it. I like it a lot,” he muttered.

“It’s just an exaggerated title,” Siegfried replied with a shrug.

“No, no. I’m particularly fond of your business model. Thanks to you, I’ve profited quite a bit,” Baroque said, smiling and shaking his head.

“Pardon…?” Siegfried asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Baroque smiled slyly and explained, “You see. Most of the major pirate crews you’ve hunted down and handed to the navy for bounty were once under this cat’s command.”

“Oh…”

“That’s why I can’t help but like you, Captain Francis de Drake, the Pirate Butcher.”

“Thank you for the compliment. But what brings you to such a humble place?” Siegfried asked.

“Why, to meet you, of course!”

“To meet… me?” Siegfried widened his eyes, feigning surprise, though inwardly, he relished every moment of it.

“Captain Francis de Drake,” Baroque leaned in. Then, he continued in a voice silkier than silk itself, “Would you consider working under me?”

Before Siegfried could even respond—

Creak!

—the tavern door swung open once again, and another figure entered.

“Well, looks like I’m the last to arrive.”

This time, the newcomer was Captain Joshua, the Captain of the Great White Shark Pirates.

With Joshua's arrival, every Pirate Lord, except for the late Captain Oswald of the Manta Ray Pirates, had finally gathered in a shabby tavern somewhere in the Kraken Harbor.