At the naval base, surrounded by rocks and tidal waves, the navy soldiers were preparing for the upcoming storm by securing all loose equipment and battening down the hatches.
They knew that the storms in Dark Waters had the power to sweep through even a sturdy forest; therefore, they didn’t slack off while putting up the heavy-fortified walls that encircled the base.
On the top floor of the naval base, the hundred-strong officer crew looked at the blank board, waiting for the rest of their higher-ups to join them for the safety briefing.
Soon, the door swung open, and a few high-ranking officers entered the room, causing the crew to stand at attention.
“At ease.” The highest-ranked office saluted and said. He wore a high-ranked navy uniform with gold braiding and a row of medals adorning his chest.
Among the soldiers seated at the meeting was the navy captain, who had returned from New North, and was the one who reported the dire news.
“Today, a new threat has arrived on our shores.” The high-ranking officer said solemnly while three of his subordinates put wanted posters of ten individuals on the blank board.
“They are Black Heart Pirates, and their captain, Mars Ares Godfriend, had said to be sighted near Borneo Island only hours before its destruction.”
The navy soldiers gasped and shared a few hushed whispers with each other.
“Among them was a new face.” The high-ranking office turned around and pointed at the wanted poster with a sketched image and an astonishing bounty reward. “Ambrose, the Black Demon!”
The navy soldiers gasped again, as they had heard his name recently in newspapers and rumors of his acts from other soldiers.
Among them sat a new face with a fresh-looking outfit, as if she had just recently graduated from the Navy Academy.
She sat upright with proper posture, and on her waist was a sword.
As soon as Ambrose’s name was mentioned, her eyes turned cold, and she touched the hilt of her sword.
‘The Black Demon, the demon that terrorized Hightown and is said to be the secret disciple of the World’s Strongest Swordsman, Reinhardt!
‘I’ll bring him to justice, and then I’ll focus on my final goal—Reinhardt!’
“His bounty is 111,111 silvers, and Inquisitors specially gave him the nickname—Black Demon.” The high-ranking navy officer said.
“There is a chance that he might’ve joined the Black Heart Pirates.
“There is also the possibility that Reinhardt is somewhere in Dark Waters. This is an unprecedented threat to the safety of those we promised to protect.
“If the Black Demon has joined the Black Heart Pirates, the threat to the whole pirate crew has increased!
“But do not underestimate other members of the Black Heart Pirates—they are as big monsters as the Black Demon, some even bigger—to keep you on your toes, today we’ll show their bounties. Keep your eyes wide open and ears perked up!”
The navy soldiers gulped and turned to the board.
“First, the newest recruit of the Black Heart Pirates!” He shouted and pointed at the sketched image of a lifeless-eyed young man with a tattoo of the number “zero” on his cheek.
“Only recently have we heard of his name—Zero!” The high-ranking officer glanced at the bounty and said, “Since he hadn’t done a lot and is often staying on the sidelines, the Sacrarium of Inquisitorious had decided to give him a bounty of 50,000 silvers.
“He is a complete mystery—even his background is an empty slate. But, because he is such an enigma, the inquisitors made a statement to keep a close eye on him!”
The navy soldiers nodded and then turned to the second wanted poster.
“This one is Ors from the Anti-Christ Cult.” The high-ranking officer said, and even he looked disgusted by looking at the sketched image.
Ors was infamous murderer, after all, but because he was sheltered by Anti-Christ Cult and now by the Black Heart Pirates, no one was able to catch him.
“Since he is a loyal follower of “The Revered” his reason for joining the Black Heart Pirates is a mystery.
“However, this could mean that the Black Heart Pirates are in alliance with the Anti-Christ Cult. This is a very dangerous matter.
“Therefore, Ors was given the bounty of 99,999 silvers!”
After moving onto the third wanter poster, the high-ranking officer straightened his posture and looked intensely at the face of the teenager-looking young man.
“This is Jake—his age is unknown, his background is unknown, and even his race is unknown. However, we have tracked him to a small island in the backdrop of Dark Waters.
“He was known as a child monster from a folk tale—the folk tale spoke of a child with monstrous strength who was able to overwhelm an adult grizzly bear with a single blow.
“This is the child from that folk tale!
“He managed to defeat an entire army of trained soldiers with his bare hands. Not a single weapon could cut him—the sharpest blades felt like butter against his skin.
“Therefore, his bounty is 202,500 silvers. He is a monster; do not underestimate him!”
The navy soldiers gulped at the sight of the somewhat innocent-looking young man. They didn’t expect him to be such a scary individual.
The high-ranking officer moved onto the other wanted poster and said, “This is Damian Black, one of the main fighters of the Black Heart Pirates. His race was thought to be vampires, but he had been seen eating human food.
“Therefore, Sacrarium of Inquisitorious changed his race to half-vampire.
“He is a monster that managed to defeat one of the Brown Inquisitors in a duel. Their battle at sea resulted in the sinking of several ships.
“He is very powerful; therefore, his bounty is 150,000 silvers!”
After moving onto the other wanted poster, the atmosphere in the meeting hall turned tense and serious.
“This is Loki Gunnarson.” The high-ranking officer said coldly. “He raided one of the naval bases near the Pirate Battleground. No one died, but somehow he was able to turn every soldier blind with a single spell.
“That spell hasn’t yet worn off.
“He has shown extremely powerful control in magic, earning him a reputation as one of the most formidable sorcerers in the sea.
“His bounty is 225,666 silvers.
“He is considered a major threat, and he is still young, only 21 years old. This person might be Mars’ successor in the future, and he might even be a greater threat!”
The navy soldiers inhaled a cold breath.
The navy captain of New North anxiously tapped his foot on the floor, frightened that he was on the same island as those monsters.
“Henri Ragnar?k, the youngest member of the Black Heart Pirates!” The high-ranking officer looked serious. “This is another serious threat for the future. Black Heart Pirates is so threatening because they have many talented young pirates among them.
“In the future, they might be strong enough to battle for the supremacy of Pirate Battleground.
“He is an expert user with a dagger and is a very agile and tricky opponent to fight against.
“However, he is still thought to be a lesser threat for now.
“His bounty is 77,867 silvers.”
There were only three wanted posters remaining.
The high-ranking navy officer glanced at the picture of the cold-looking man with silver hair and shouted.
“This man is Leon Feux Lambard and is considered the left-hand man of the Black Heart Pirates.
“He started as a wine brewer in his father’s company before, one day, he disappeared like a fart in the wind. His family was looking for him everywhere, but then, one day, his bounty appeared in the newspaper.
“His family sought us out, still clinging to his hope that their son was a righteous person.
“This is a piece of shit that abandoned his family to seek a life of piracy. He is a man with a dark heart, but unfortunately, he has deadly skills with a sword.
“His bounty is 331,000 silvers!”
After throwing Leon’s wanted poster away, the high-ranking officer pointed at the sketched image of a smiling man.
“Apollo De La Fountaine, the first mate of Mars. He started as an aristocrat from a respected family and was thought to be kind and charming. He had aristocratic ladies line up from one side of the room to the other, hoping for a chance to be in his presence.
“However, his dark nature eventually revealed itself as he joined the Black Heart Pirates—his skills with bow and arrow are said to be second to none, making him a formidable opponent in battle.
“It is said that you don’t want him as your opponent in the sea. You might die by getting an arrow through your head, and you won’t even know where it came from.
“Sacrarium of Inquisitorious acknowledged his danger, giving him a bounty of 444,567 silvers!”
The navy soldiers gulped, as with that much money they could retire and live a life of luxury, get a beautiful wife, and build a big mansion on the outskirts of Sun Paradise.
“Last, but not the least.” The high-ranking officer glanced at the wanted poster with a hint of fear and smashed his palm on it.
“The backbone of Black Heart Pirates, one of the great pirate captains with a murder count too high to be counted. He is also a rare red-ranked outlaw, wanted only alive by the Sacrarium of Inquisitors.
“With a single punch, he could decimate a city—with a single sentence, he could bring pirates with over a hundred thousand silver bounties to their knees.
“He is the pirate captain of all those people I just told you about. He is the captain of all those monsters!
“Mars Ares Godfriend!
“A bounty of 11,777,999 silvers!”