Chapter 76: Chapter 54:1, the Great Pirate, Retreat Without a Fight? (Seeking Recommendations)

“Captain, we’re almost there.”

In the darkness of night, as dawn gradually rose, a pirate squinted into the distance. Shate shook his head dismissively and pulled out a beautifully crafted telescope.

“Captain, what is this?”

“Haven’t seen one before, have you!”

Shate laughed and said, “Found it among the loot from that last crew we plundered. It’s called a Lookout Mirror, a treasure that the merchant captain got from the Kingdom of Mountains.”

“The Kingdom of Mountains produces these too?”

The pirate exclaimed, “If we could raid the waters of the Kingdom of

Mountains, we’d really strike it rich.”

“What are you thinking about!”

Shate scolded, “Those waters belong to that monster. Even my big brother wouldn’t dare to provoke it. Do you have a death wish?”

“I, I just…”

The pirate trembled with fear, and just then, the first mate approached, “Boss, how long will we stay on the island?”

“Let’s rest for half a month. It’s still at least three months until the old man’s birthday, and we need time to prepare.”

“If we’re going to give a gift, it has to be the best, and it cannot be inferior to what my brothers will bring!”

Soon, they drew closer.

Suddenly, Shate sensed something was wrong. He peered through the telescope repeatedly at the port and fishing village but saw neither smoke from cooking fires nor any people. This was quite strange to Shate.

“What’s going on?”

Normally, the pirates should have spotted them by now, then lit black smoke, using the changes in the smoke to signal the situation on the island.

But this time, there was no signal, nothing at all.

“Something might have happened on the island.”

Putting the telescope away, Shate turned to his first mate, “Could someone have laid hands on this island?”

“How could that be? Don’t they know whose territory this is? To snatch our island within the old man’s waters, could it be someone from the Iron Eagle Kingdom?”

“The Iron Eagle has always stayed out of sea affairs.”

Shate said, “Moreover, the Spring Water Marchioness has constant business with His Majesty the Pirate King, so an attack would be unlikely.”

“As for Count Thorn, he never even leaves his own castle. How could it be him?”

“Then, could it be someone’s got fat-headed, thinking they could challenge the authority of the East Sea Overlord in the Eastern Waters?”

The first mate was genuinely baffled. Were there really such fools in the world?

This was the Master of Miracles, Pirate King Morgan after all!

Aside from the gods themselves, who were also Masters of Miracles, who would dare to anger him?

“No matter what, we must go and see.”

Shate was a pirate who lived on the edge of the knife, and indeed, the island had changed hands several times over the decades.

But without exception, the pirates had recaptured it, delivering the most fierce and bloody reprisals.

The last time trouble befell the island was ten years ago, when the merchants of Thistle Province banded together, hoping to develop it.

Well, the outcome was clear—they failed.

Not only that, but the merchants faced targeted attacks by all of Morgan’s pirate groups on the high seas.

In just over a month, their ventures sank, and they were ruined due to the destruction of their ships and loss of their crews.

To this day, the merchants dare not show themselves at sea and can only traverse mountains and valleys to scrape by with difficulty.

“If that’s the case.”

A vicious look crossed Shate’s scarred face, “Then this time, I will make them know who they can mess with and who they cannot!”

Without hesitation, Shate conveyed the news that the island might have been taken to the other pirate ships.

Immediately, the crews were enraged.

“Kill them!!”

“Take back our turf!”

“Ha ha ha ha, kill, we get to kill again, oh oh oh!!”

“Very good.”

Bailuo couldn’t hear the pirates’ shouts, but Sherri could, and she perfectly relayed Shate’s and the first mate’s conversation.

Seeing the pirates’ uproar, Bailuo was very pleased—this was exactly the attitude he wanted!

Bailuo had Sherri and Lilith scout already, and on the 33 pirate ships, there was not the slightest ripple of Miracle Power.

This showed that all pirates were ordinary humans.

Even if their strength was far greater than the pirates they had encountered before, without miracles, they were still inferior.

Were they powerful? Could they really be stronger than the Yatun Clan and the Tree Elves’ Descendants?

Impossible!

If it weren’t for the concern over casualties, even without Bailuo, with nearly 100 Miracle Descendants under his command, Bailuo would dare to directly challenge this fleet of 2000 pirates.

Although it would comeat a cost, the winner would undoubtedly be Bailuo’s side!

“There are no ships in the harbor!”

“Excellent!”

Shate’s basic judgment couldn’t anticipate that this was a trap set by the enemy.

He couldn’t imagine that Bailuo actually had a way to know their whereabouts half a day in advance and set up such a scene.

Watching them sail towards Yatun Island, Bailuo murmured to himself, “Hell is right before your eyes, step into it.”

Soon, the pirates arrived at the sea area less than 1 kilometer away from the island.

From afar, Shate could already make out some details of the island with his telescope.

At the same time, the elder sister and old uncle made their preparations.

The old uncle had the women and the elderly among them act as bait, solidifying the pirates’ determination to attack after seeing them.

“Women and children, all women and children!!”

Shate didn’t see any male descendants of the Tree Elves; they only saw the Yatun Clan’s females and the Tree Elves’ Descendants’ women, who covered their heads with scarves to hide their pointy ears.

“Damnit!”

“They don’t take me seriously at all!”

Enraged, Shate exclaimed, “They stole my island, didn’t station people to defend it, and left only the weak!”

Is this tolerable, or intolerable?

For decades, others have feared Shate. Has he ever been subjected to such humiliation?!

“We can’t be careless, Captain!”

The first mate hurriedly held Shate back, “We haven’t left any ships behind, which in itself is a warning to the enemy that the main force is outside, ready to retaliate if they strike the island.”

“They can’t be that stupid!”

“So, is it a trap then?”

Shate pointed ahead, wanting to be skeptical, but his habitual arrogance made it impossible for him to take his opponents seriously.

Having dominated the seas for twenty years, Shate had never encountered a worthy opponent; he was also unaware that someone in the Eastern Sea dared to oppose him.

“Something’s not right, really not right!”

The first mate continuously advised, “Our men are nowhere to be seen, where have they gone? That’s over 1200 people, are they all dead?”

“How could the other side kill so many pirates and only have seventy or eighty people left?”

When things deviate from the norm, there must be demons at play!

This saying doesn’t exist in this world, but similar proverbs do.

II II

Shate calmed down, his first mate was his strategist, and though not a grand master of strategy, he had his share of wisdom.

After being repeatedly advised, Shate began to hesitate, “Then what do you suggest we do?”

“Would I, a captain under the Pirate King’s banner, a great pirate with a bounty of tens of thousands of gold coins, flee without a fight?”

If Shate knew of the ‘Empty Fort Strategy,’ he might have spoken the term right now.

The Empty Fort Strategy, scaring oneself.

If indeed there were only a handful of women on the opposing side, and they scared away 2000 fierce pirates…

Could Shate have the face to live on in this world?

He wouldn’t be able to get tofu, and if he could, he would have to smash his head on it right there and then!

“That’s not difficult to solve!”

The plan was his own, and the first mate quickly said, “Captain, you can dispatch two pirate ships to land and search. If the number of enemies is small, we directly attack, and if there are many, we retreat.”

” Even if you are brave and fearless, knowingly walking into a trap is like putting one’s neck on the gallows, isn’t it?”

Shate was very unhappy with the first mate’s strategy because it felt as if he was afraid of Yatun Island.

Pirates are not much stronger than thugs and hooligans.

They are all uneducated, and without the presence of the first mate, Shate would have led his men ashore to fight the moment the island was taken.

However, the old uncle considered that a pirate group that had been on the high seas for so long couldn’t possibly be all idiots.

Success is not just a coincidence, but often ‘inevitable,’ coupled with some luck.

‘Shate’s subordinates are incapable, he’s doomed to die.’

‘What if he does have capable people? How should we proceed then?’

Bailuo recalled his previous conversation with the old uncle. The ship came to a stop, Bailuo frowned slightly, his hand already resting on the Cross Sword, ready to fight at any moment.

His current position was right beside the pirate flagship, maintaining a distance of about forty meters from it, quietly trailing alongside.

‘If the ship simply stops and doesn’t retreat, don’t make a move.’

‘What if the ship turns around?’

‘If the enemy leaves without even knowing the situation, Xiao Luo, do you think that’s likely?’

The enemy would run away without any evidence, disgraced, and then seek others to attack.

In the world of pirates, this is enough to be labeled a coward, a complete failure, and it would mean the end of one’s career.

‘If the enemy retreats without sending even one person to check, it must be a feint.’

The old uncle had almost considered all possible scenarios. Bailuo removed his hand from the Cross Sword, stretched lazily, and continued to observe.

He could act now, cutting down all the masts of the ships and then slowly cleaning up.

But alone, he would be too slow.

Thousands of pirates, if they scattered and fled, would truly be a hassle.

Therefore, caution, caution, and more caution!

For the sake of Yatun, Bailuo had to choose the most reliable and safe plan to ensure that not a single pirate could escape from their hands.