blogombal Chapter 91 The Eight Great Leaders
Chapter 91 The Eight Great Leaders
Chapter 91 The Eight Leaders
Islands and ships are both landmasses on the sea.
The difference between the two is that the former has existed since time immemorial and remains unchanged, while the latter will migrate, be destroyed, and eventually sink and decay on an island.
The bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the starlight shines brightly.
Henry sat in the Crow's Nest aboard the Two Gold Coins, leaning against the mast, and studied his books carefully by the light of his lantern.
Now, he has mastered almost all the content in "Stars, Moon, Night, and Enchantment," and his enchanting success rate has become extremely high.
It also makes it easier to use.
Enchantment magic brought convenience to his life and greatly enhanced his personal and ship combat capabilities.
However, there was one thing that troubled him.
One section of the book, no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to put into practice.
Stargazers say that stars can give consciousness to inanimate objects.
However, despite Henry's attempts to construct the enchanting circle according to the book's instructions and choosing a night when the stars were clearest and brightest, he never succeeded in imbuing the objects with consciousness.
Perhaps, as the curator said, the stargazers' theory has its flaws.
So, is it possible for Henry to fully grasp this book only by clarifying the theoretical framework of the stargazers and correcting the errors within it?
But this is a bit too difficult for Henry.
Suddenly, Henry heard a noise; someone wearing hard-soled leather boots was climbing up the crow's nest.
Henry immediately put the book away and picked up the lantern.
The person had barely poked their head out when they eagerly shouted:
"Boss!"
"Benson, is something the matter?"
"You should leave the jellyfish's job to the shrimp below."
"A broad view can make one's thinking clearer," Henry said, hanging the lantern on the nail above his head.
Benson nodded, then immediately reported:
"We have news. The last leader has also sailed into the Scorching Heart Islands with his fleet."
"Specific time?"
"This afternoon."
"The pirates are only efficient at plundering," Henry replied, "but they can never prioritize anything else. There will certainly be a grand welcoming banquet on the Burning Heart Isles tonight, and the formal meeting should be held tomorrow."
"Then let's—"
After a night of indulging in wine and women, don't expect those pirates to wake up early after a hangover.
The meeting can only be held in the afternoon, so there's no need to rush.
Henry leaned on the railing, and as the Tempest disembarked from the fleet, he gave the order:
"Notify all octopuses to rest tonight and set sail tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir," Benson nodded. "But those people are so slow. It's been over a year since I last left the Burning Heart Isles, and the leaders have finally gathered together."
In response to Benson's exclamation, Henry said:
"As pirates, we know better than anyone how cunning and fickle pirates can be. The other leaders must be worried that this is a conspiracy or trap set by Raymond and Riley, and they dare not easily go to the appointment. Therefore, they choose to wait and see. No one wants to be taken advantage of, which is why it has dragged on until now."
"Yes, we've been waiting for several months since we arrived at Flameheart Sea."
Benson sighed, then suddenly worried, "But boss, the place we're staying is only a few dozen miles from the Burning Heart Islands. Did they really not find us?"
'
"We're to their southwest; no ship will easily approach this area. And when we came, we stayed as far away from the mainland as possible, so no ship should have been able to track us. Benson, not all pirates have the same extensive ocean-going experience as us."
After saying that, Henry straightened up.
"Let's go, Benson. The two of us are the ones who need rest the most. Tomorrow is the war between the leaders."
They climbed down the comb pole, and Benson said goodbye to Henry before returning to the Eagle.
Henry immediately went into his captain's cabin and lay down on his goose-feather bed.
When he woke up the next day, Benson had already organized all the ships, arranged them in formation, and prepared them for battle.
Henry smirked; Benson's foul mouth could indeed be annoying at times.
But he also cannot deny Benson's growth over the years.
Benson was already capable of commanding the fleet independently, and sometimes he could even anticipate some of Henry's thoughts and prepare in advance for Henry, thus saving Henry some trouble.
Henry ordered the ship to set sail, and the jellyfish immediately waved its flag to communicate with the other ships.
Thirty longships began moving on the sea almost simultaneously, heading northeast.
Henry deployed more than half of his forces this time, but his opponents were six pirate leaders, and they were on Raymond and Riley's territory.
Therefore, in terms of overall combat strength, Henry does not have the advantage.
However, no one could have predicted Henry's sudden appearance; this element of surprise was the greatest advantage of Henry's fleet.
If Henry can land on the island quickly before the enemy can react and take control of the key figures, he can control the entire situation.
The Zhuoxin Islands possess the pericardial atoll, a natural barrier that makes it difficult for outsiders to pass through.
This is why most of the pirates on the island were complacent and thought that any ship that could enter the island could not be a warship belonging to those respectable people.
Their idea may not be wrong, but pirates' enemies are not just good people.
This psychological misconception will greatly facilitate Henry's implementation of his plan.
Henry's Two Gold Coins and Benson's Eagle will each lead half of the ships, taking two separate routes through the Pericardium Atoll.
The meeting place is most likely to be on Left Heart Chamber Island, so their two fleets will meet on that island.
The remaining half of the ships patrolled off the island to prevent other ships from getting too close.
The remaining half entered the port, and the crew was responsible for controlling the pirates on the island.
Of course, Henry could only exert a temporary suppressive effect.
Once the people on the island realize how many men Henry has brought and organize a counterattack, Henry's defenses will likely not last long.
But his strategy was to win quickly and decisively, and he had to resolve everything before the enemy could make any move.
Moreover, he came to negotiate. If he wanted to start a war, Henry would undoubtedly have a much greater chance of winning by waiting in the Joker Islands.
In the afternoon, the fleet finally arrived near the Scorching Heart Islands.
Henry and Benson, as planned, led their ships separately.
Everything went smoothly; they encountered no obstacles and seemed to arouse no suspicion.
The two met on the island of the left heart chamber, and Henry immediately sent out most of his men to control the pirates scattered throughout the island and prevent them from gathering together.
He and Benson, along with only about twenty men, headed towards the meeting place of the leaders that they had just learned about.
It was a relatively luxurious wooden house, with about thirty or forty people gathered outside.
These people were gathered in several groups, likely subordinates brought by different leaders.
Henry walked toward the cabin, and immediately someone came up to him and asked what he was there for.
Benson immediately organized his men to separate those people, so Henry's pace did not slow down at all.
Through the wooden door, Henry could hear the arguing inside.
"Bang!"
Benson kicked the door open with a loud bang.
The noise inside the room vanished instantly, and everyone inside turned their gaze toward the doorway.
Henry glanced around briefly. In the center of the room was a long table with six chairs arranged around it.
Four people were sitting in chairs, while two others stood up, leaning forward and supporting themselves on the table with their hands, looking ready to argue.
These six men were clearly the six pirate leaders. Although Raymond and Riley looked much more weathered and different from ten years ago, Henry recognized them at a glance.
Behind each leader stood two or three attendants.
Looking at Henry and Benson who had suddenly barged in, his eyes initially showed anger and confusion, but after recognizing them, they immediately turned into surprise and panic.
One of them immediately stood up and roared, "Rieley! What's going on? Didn't you say we leaders were discussing important matters? How come Benson is here?! What else are you hiding from us?!"
Raymond and Riley did not immediately respond, because they knew that in addition to Benson, there was an even more troublesome and troublesome figure.
Henry strolled into the house, followed by Benson and five other pirates who closed the door behind them.
When those people saw Benson bring a stool for Henry, the remaining pirate leaders all showed expressions of surprise.
Benson was a pirate of equal renown to them, yet the man before them was able to enjoy Benson's service with such composure.
It's hard not to be curious about Henry's true identity.
Henry simply smiled and offered no explanation, just as he had expected. From the moment he entered, he had intimidated the pirates with his presence.
After Benson was seated, Henry finally spoke:
"They are not deceiving you; this is indeed a meeting of the leaders—however, there are more than just the six of you leaders."
The man who had stood up to question Riley earlier squinted and asked:
"Who are you?"
Benson answered for Henry: "This is my master, Mortimer."
A short leader frowned: "You're the Navigator?"
"I think I should introduce myself," Henry said, leaning back in his chair. "I am Henry Gijano Panza, son of Joachim."
Then, the other pirate leaders also announced their names.
These four leaders, whom Henry had never met before, were named Mortimer, Elvis, Jer, and Nelson.
Raymond demanded, "Henry, what are you doing here?"
"I should be the one complaining about being impolite, my old friend," Henry chuckled. "Since it's a leaders' meeting, why weren't Benson and I invited? Is it intentional exclusion, or—is it that you want to discuss something that Benson and I can't know?"
Silence fell over the room after these words were spoken.
The short Elvis said, "We're just discussing future developments, Navigator. In recent years, being a pirate in any sea has been tough. We all want to expand our influence into the Sea of Despair."
“The ocean has no master or navigator; you’ve just found a new continent first,” Nelson added.
“You’re right, and I’ve always been in favor of mutual benefit,” Henry replied calmly. “If you all wish to come to the Sea of Despair, Benson and I would welcome you without hesitation.”
Benson paused for a moment, but then immediately nodded.
"Then you should give us free access to the Clown Islands," Jell seized the opportunity to make his demand.
Riley also said, "Like the Burning Heart Islands, it was open to all pirates, allowing the islands to develop freely."
"When have we ever occupied these islands?" Raymond nodded in agreement.
"Because you are not qualified," Henry said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Raymond's face contorted with rage, veins bulging, and he slammed his fist on the table, rising to his feet and roaring:
"What did you say?!"
This obese man, despite the obvious signs of aging on his face, still has such a volatile temper.
However, Henry didn't want to advise him to control his temper. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and said dismissively:
"The Scorching Heart Islands have a long history as public territory for pirates. Even when Joachim dominated the area, he never claimed ownership of the islands, so you naturally have no right to do so."
"Then open up the Clown Islands!" Jer immediately interjected.
“But the Clown Islands are not the Burning Heart Islands,” Henry said. “It was I who, piloting the Black Goat, discovered those islands and spent many years developing them into what they are today, instead of you reaping the benefits without effort.”
At this moment, Benson shouted, "Do you want us to sacrifice ourselves for nothing and become your stepping stones?"
After that, there was another silence, until Nelson spoke up, "Two leaders, I remember you just said that you agreed to cooperate with each other and seek mutual benefit, didn't you?"
Henry nodded: "That's what I think."
"Then, can't you do us a favor?" Nelson quickly added.
"Convenient?" Henry chuckled. "Oh! Of course! I assure you, I will not take advantage of your misfortune while your ships are in distress."
"What kind of cooperation is this!" Mortimer shrieked. Benson shrugged smugly. "For pirates, this is a rare act of kindness."
Riley then spoke up, "Henry, even for the sake of our past relationship, you should at least give us some tangible benefits."
"Hahaha!"
Hearing this, Henry couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Yes, past friendships. I remember when I was besieged by the Kingdom's allied forces, I asked you for help, but you and Raymond each only sent me one ship. Oh! Of course, even one ship is a favor, and I, Henry, am by no means an ungrateful person. So, each of you may designate one ship, and I will grant them permanent free access to the island."
"Are you trying to get rid of the Qixi Festival spirits?!" Raymond said, spitting as he spoke.
Elvis seemed to have lost his patience and at this moment spoke up with a threat:
"Don't forget, we're all pirates, and pirates are best at plundering. You're just two families at best, but we..."
But there were six pirate leaders!
"I can still count numbers up to ten," Henry said with a smirk. "However, after your fleet takes several months to reach the Clown Islands in the middle of the Sea of Despair, I'm really worried about how much strength your crew will have left to wage a breathtaking naval battle."
"Hmph!" Riley sneered. "I don't need to remind you, Henry, you're not on the Clown Islands right now."
“Then you shouldn’t need my reminder either,” Henry replied with a smile. “The fact that Benson and I are here at this time to sit down and talk with you means that my men have already taken control of the island.”
Upon hearing this, a look of horror flashed across the faces of the other six leaders.
After a long silence, Raymond asked:
"Since you're unwilling to compromise, why are you willing to sit down and waste so much breath on us? You don't have that much free time, do you, Henry? What exactly are you up to?"
Upon hearing this, Henry clapped:
"Raymond, I never expected that you would be the one to discover this first."
No one spoke; they simply gazed silently at Henry.
Henry continued, "I've said from the beginning that I'm here to discuss cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Mortimer repeated.
"That's right, you want to develop your business in the Sea of Despair, but do you even know what those waters are like?"
Henry Dow,
"With the advent of the New World, countless nobles and merchants set sail to explore new avenues of wealth, and naturally, we pirates were among them."
Do you know how many shipping routes there are?
“Five,” Jer said. “Three of them are in the hands of the righteous, and the remaining two have to pass through your Clown Islands, which is why we’re sitting here negotiating with you.”
Henry said, "I will not back down on the issue of the Clown Islands, but why don't you turn your attention to the other three sea routes?"
"No pirate crew wants to keep fighting warships," Nelson shrugged.
"But what if the battle could be ended once and for all?"
As soon as Henry finished speaking, everyone tensed up, like a pack of wolves that had caught the scent of blood.
Elvis hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"
"In the Sea of Despair, there is an island called Goddess Island, located northeast of the Clown Islands. That island is not a necessary stop on the other three routes, so it has little strategic significance for righteous people, and therefore it is not heavily guarded."
Riley's eyes darted around, and he quickly noticed the problem:
"Since it has little strategic significance, why should we need to take it?"
"The island is located about a third of the way across, so starting from there is still quite risky, but it's undoubtedly much safer than sailing the entire distance in one go."
Henry Dow,
"Besides, pirates make a living by plundering, and they can profit simply by occupying the middle of the route."
Pirates and upright people have different needs; what is useless to the latter may be an ideal place for pirates to survive.
Rather than living under someone else's roof and borrowing Henry's Clown Islands, they naturally preferred to find a territory where they could have a say.
But Mortimer remained distrustful of Henry: "What good would this do you? Are you trying to use us to take over that island for you?"
"I'm not asking for the right to use that island, and neither is Benson,"
Upon hearing this, Benson immediately nodded, and Henry continued...
"I will not participate in the attack on the island, but I am willing to provide the specific location of the island and even provide guidance for your attack."
"And of course I won't help you for nothing. Henry and I will each take one-eighth of what you gain from the Sea of Despair."
Raymond roared, "You want to take a quarter of the money without doing anything?"
"The Sea of Despair is far more vast than you can imagine," Henry said. "Without my help, you newcomers would undoubtedly have been sent to your deaths in vain."
In my opinion, this is a fair trade.
For a long time afterward, the room was completely silent.
The leaders were undoubtedly considering Henry's proposal, which showed that they were indeed somewhat tempted by his idea.
Finally, Jer spoke first:
"I'm willing to give it a try, since the Weeping Gorge and the Despair Sea are adjacent anyway."
"Then count me in," Nelson immediately said.
Mortimer and Elvis also expressed their interest in participating.
As the hosts, Riley and Raymond considered the matter the longest.
Riley slumped over and shook his head at Henry:
"You're completely different from your father. He'd rather use his hands than his words. Are you really his son?"
Henry shrugged: "You'll have to ask my mom, provided you can dive to the bottom of the sea and find her bones."
“I can’t even provoke you,” Riley shook his head helplessly. “Okay, Henry, include me and Raymond too.”
"Then let's sign the contract," Henry said with a smile. "Although it doesn't mean much in the lawless pirate world, let's commemorate the first collaboration between the eight pirate captains!"
"Hopefully this isn't the last time—," Nelson muttered to himself.
Henry naturally drafted the contract and wrote eight copies.
After everyone had reviewed the document and confirmed that it was correct, they all signed their names, except for Benson, who chose to put his fingerprint on it.
With the agreement reached, all the leaders beamed with joy.
They left the room together and headed to the harbor to board their ship.
Just then, someone ran up to Riley and Raymond and reported something.
Raymond suddenly shouted, "Henry! You want us?! You have so few men, you can't possibly control all of us!"
"Relax, old friend," Henry chuckled, "we're partners now, there's no need to worry about these details!"
Henry boarded the Two Gold Coins, and Benson followed.
He ordered everyone to board the ship and immediately depart from the Burning Heart Islands.
The fleet began its return voyage, and night fell once more.
Benson exclaimed, "Boss, I thought you just wanted to prevent them from teaming up, but I didn't expect you to be trying to make a quick buck too!"
"Hahaha!" Henry laughed uncontrollably.
Seemingly sensing something odd about Henry's laughter, he couldn't help but ask:
"Boss, what are you laughing at?"
"Benson, you've been with me for so many years, when have I ever cared about gold?"
"You are indeed without desires, and even women cannot move your heart."
"But other women can no longer move me," Henry thought.
"If that's the case, Benson, why would I deliberately facilitate a collaboration that I'm not interested in?"
Hearing this, Benson finally understood what Henry meant:
"Perhaps you have other plans?"
"Those on the Sea of Despair are undoubtedly all vying for a share of this huge pie of the New World."
Henry Dow,
"This includes those upright people, who, although far more 'upright' than us, are just as greedy."
Benson nodded in agreement: "Absolutely stingy!"
"And how could they tolerate us pirates sharing this pie with them?"
"You mean, they're planning to attack us?" Benson's eyes widened. "During the ten months you were gone, there were reports of ships appearing in the distance of the archipelago, but not approaching and leaving immediately. I immediately guessed that these were spies sent by the righteous people to gather intelligence on the archipelago. Therefore, I concluded that they would be sending warships here soon."
Benson asked, puzzled, "But if that's the case, why did you incite those leaders to provoke righteous people?"
Henry smiled. "The Clown Islands are far from their shipping lanes, so they'll have to plan carefully before attacking them. However, if a pirate stronghold suddenly appeared in their shipping lanes, do you think they'd just sit idly by?"
Upon hearing this, Benson understood Henry's intention and exclaimed in realization:
"Boss! I understand! As long as we send our men to deal with Goddess Island, they won't have the resources to spare for us!"
Henry simply smiled and nodded, without saying anything more.
It's better to guide than to block. Henry had been routed by the kingdom's fleet, which made him realize that the pirates' strength was insufficient to deal with the fleet of respectable people.
Therefore, if they insist on confronting the enemy head-on, they will likely suffer the same fate.
The evening breeze was refreshing, carrying a slightly salty taste.
His curly hair was already waist-length, and it would spread out in the air when the wind blew.
He remembered that this strategy was called "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," and the curator had told him this story before.
Thinking of this, a nostalgic smile spread across Henry's face.
Even after thirteen years apart, the curator's teachings continue to influence his life.