"Ahhhhh!"
The pirates screamed in terror.
Beneath them, pitch-black shadows crept upward, swallowing their bodies inch by inch.
Their faces twisted in agony and madness.
Gradually, they lost all human shape, merging with the darkness, sinking into the shadows.
"Your shadows reflect your true selves," Silas said softly amid the chorus of screams. "If your hearts are full of sin and utterly unrepentant, it will show in them."
"All I have to do is give a slight push, and they'll drag you down into the abyss."
"I'll keep my promise and let you join my fleet too, just in a different way."
The other pirate ships, he also planned to take them all.
The pirates would serve as his flesh puppets, operating these vessels.
"Thump thump!"
Sea Serpent Walter's eyes widened.
Almost instinctively, he retreated several steps, distancing himself from those pitch-black shadows.
He saw that the vast majority of pirates were being devoured and assimilated by their own shadows, no longer retaining human form.
Only a handful, like himself, hadn't been consumed by their shadows.
"Heh heh, you're a lucky one, kid."
Anderson rested his hands on the ship's rail, looking down at Walter with a smile.
"I heard that when you plundered, you followed the Five Seas Code—no killing, no harming women?"
As first mate, he was already getting familiar with his captain's crazy style.
"Because I see it as business."
Sweat seeped from Walter's forehead as he answered instinctively.
"Reducing killing makes the victims more cooperative, and there's less chance of being hunted by official navies..."
His voice trembled somewhat as he saw that most of his crew had died along with the others.
He could only maintain appearances on the surface, unable to completely control his crew members' private actions.
"Not bad, very wise. I'm starting to think well of you."
Anderson nodded approvingly, then shouted to Silas, "Captain, let him board?"
"Fine."
Silas's voice came steadily.
Most of the pirates in the port had already been swallowed by darkness, slowly gathering beneath him and merging with his thick shadow.
The port instantly became half empty, with only a sparse dozen or so pirates standing in place, their faces deathly pale.
On the other side, the locals Anderson had recruited were even more frightened, scattering and fleeing in a rush. Only a few people hadn't run away.
"O Sea God Kalvetua..."
Filia's legs were trembling, cold sweat soaking through the clothes on his back.
Honestly, he wanted to run too. The scene just now had been too terrifying.
That Blood Reverend in the red robe had been speaking perfectly normally one second, then effortlessly killed a large number of pirates the next.
It was just that he was too scared, his legs wouldn't obey him, frozen in place.
He looked around and discovered that the surging crowd from before had already receded.
At this moment, only a few people remained.
Their eyes were filled with hatred, each one someone with deep blood feuds against Loen. They no longer cared about life or death.
Filia suddenly realized that besides the locals, among those remaining was actually a scruffy-bearded Loen old man.
"Sigh, what a shame. I went to all that effort and only recruited this many people..."
Anderson said with a sigh, jumping down from the ship.
"Alright, everyone who's left, come over here."
Filia had missed the best opportunity to escape.
His mind was buzzing blankly, and he instinctively followed the flow of people, walking before that Northern Continent man who'd thrown money.
The remaining pirates and locals who hadn't fled gathered together, adding up to just a small handful.
"Captain, just over twenty."
Anderson counted and said, "Should I go recruit another batch?"
"No need. I'll fill the gaps with my puppets."
Silas answered, turning his head to look at the "Sea Serpent" who'd voluntarily come to pledge loyalty.
"What position do you want?"
He asked "Sea Serpent" in what he thought was a gentle voice.
"...Please let me be boatswain. I'm confident I can do it well."
Walter's tone was as soft as could be.
Initially, he'd thought about at least becoming second mate.
But after seeing how ruthlessly Silas acted, he felt it was better to be more restrained.
"Fine."
Silas couldn't be bothered to guess his thoughts and strode forward to stand before these people.
Anderson examined them.
"Anyone been a sailor before?"
He asked.
All the pirates and one local raised their hands.
"Anyone know how to cook, do carpentry?"
He asked again.
A fat man timidly raised his hand and said quietly, "I can cook."
"Then from now on you're the ship's cook. If the food isn't good, watch out or the captain will eat you."
Anderson joked with him.
After successfully scaring the fat man, he continued asking:
"Anyone know how to steer a ship?"
After a moment of silence, one hand rose. It was an aged arm with a blue anchor tattoo on it.
"I used to be a helmsman."
The middle-aged man who looked Loen said, reeking heavily of alcohol.
Silas gave him an extra glance.
This was the drunkard he'd seen at the inn that morning. He was at least a Sequence 8 Beyonder.
"Hmm? That tattoo of yours, you served in the Loen military before?"
Anderson raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
The man's expression was dispirited.
Being exposed didn't produce any panicked look, and he answered frankly, "I used to be in the navy."
Anderson glanced back at Silas.
"It's fine, let him board first."
Silas said softly.
From his appearance, there seemed to be some hidden story, and besides, he was only Sequence 8.
After boarding, they could investigate further.
"Alright then, let's leave it at that for now."
Anderson asked, "Captain, we're all set. Should we be going?"
"Board the ship, hoist the sails, depart."
Silas said curtly.
"Yes!"
The Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea, no, former Strongest Hunter, now professional pirate Anderson shouted excitedly.
Then he called out to all the crew and boarded the "Doe." This ship had now changed owners, becoming the flagship of Silas's pirate crew.
"Whoosh!"
Under Anderson's command, the handful of experienced sailors struggled to operate the three-masted sails, preparing to set sail.
"Whoo..."
They'd just raised the anchor and pulled up the sails, preparing to adjust the sail direction, when they felt a strong wind blow at just the right moment, instantly filling the sails and smoothly steering them out of the harbor.
Filia was dizzy with busyness. He had no idea what to do, just being ordered around to do various odd jobs.
It wasn't until this gust of wind came that he truly realized he was leaving.
Turning his head, he saw the port rapidly shrinking behind them.
Toscarter Island, which had raised him, looked as small as a reef compared to the ocean.
I've really left Toscarter Island!
After a brief moment of terror and unease, excitement and exhilaration gradually welled up in Filia's heart.
His legend was about to begin at this moment!
Bathed in the sea breeze, feeling the lively atmosphere on the ship, he thought so from the bottom of his heart.
Behind their ship, several other pirate vessels also followed.
Many pirates were likewise operating the sailing ships aboard them, their movements stiff, like walking corpses.