Pirate Kingship
Chapter 85 - 84: The Ineffable Punishment

Chapter 85: Chapter 84: The Ineffable Punishment

Flames erupted in a bright flash.

For a moment, the sky and earth were filled with fluttering pieces of "Red Beard."

Gus’s thrown knife, however, unexpectedly missed its target, whizzing past Byron’s body.

"What did I say?" Byron began, shading his eyes with his hand. "Leaping into the air amidst battle and forsaking one’s original ability to dodge is the gravest of mistakes. Why won’t you people ever listen? Besides, no one ever said that you can’t use a warship’s main guns when backstabbing, right?"

He watched as the Captain, who had been riddled with holes and shattered by five hundred rounds of bombardment, had the largest piece of his remains carried away by an animated rope.

He quickly dispelled Bill’s Cognitive Revision, downed a cup of "Flying Grasshopper," and casually took a large bunch of iron-plate squid tentacles from Bruh. He activated "Mountain Goat Steps" and followed.

In the midst of the chaotic battlefield, with the Third-Rate Ship, the "Goddess of Vengeance," swarming with Heroic Spirits in between, the Bayfolk, who were on the losing side, seldom noticed why the desperately fleeing Redbeard Edward had suddenly exploded in mid-air.

However, several Great Pirates among the Bayfolk saw everything clearly. Seeing Byron, who had blue eyes and obvious Bayfolk lineage, come aboard, they quickly ordered their subordinates not to attack. It was only because of the influence of Cognitive Revision and the "Storm Sigil Ring." Though they felt this young man seemed familiar, they couldn’t connect him with any identity in their memories.

"Mr. Good Citizen!"

"Miss Artist!"

Violet, dressed as a woman, had already pushed aside those elders with strange looks in their eyes and warmly greeted him. This was the first time the two had met in their true identities, though Byron, true to his cautious nature, still wore his last layer of disguise.

The Orphan’s Alliance, who had carefully planned and ultimately perfectly executed their plan, smiled at each other and exchanged a courteous bow. Violet’s ladylike curtsy was elegant and appropriate, whereas Byron, still holding a batch of grilled squid, was anything but.

He had drunk three cups of Blood Brew today and had truly overdone it. The side effects were gradually becoming overwhelming, and he had to eat a couple more squid tentacles to calm his nerves.

"Come on, it’s time we finally sent this monster on his way," Violet said, pulling Byron by the hand to the side of Red Beard’s remains.

Red Beard’s misfortune today wasn’t just about taking the hit for Byron; it was also their test of the "Soul-hiding Casket’s" resurrection rules. Having seen him die and resurrect so many times, they had confirmed using the "Miracle: Two-Faced Dice" that this Black Sorcery only affected the largest piece of his remains.

The sea outside was littered with "Red Beard" fragments, but only this piece before them—containing most of his spinal column and half his skull—was the key to his resurrection! Moreover, after being backstabbed by Byron this time, Red Beard’s recovery speed had significantly slowed compared to the beginning, not even a tenth of his prior speed. This allowed them the leisure to chat here.

[Heartfelt Trouble Effect: The more outstanding your abilities and the more exceptional your achievements, the more trust and recognition you gain from superiors, the closer you appear to the role of a ’close confidant’ in the eyes of others. When you launch a backstabbing attack on a superior, the stronger the ability bonus you gain. Moreover, by rising up against a superior, you are exempt from legal punishment within the system.]

The persona of "Close Confidant Bill" had made a deeper impression than the previous "Cook" persona, its influence reaching much wider. The additional bonuses obtained on top of the 32-pound carronades were naturally much stronger. More importantly, this attack on Red Beard differed from the regular physical or energy attacks by the other Great Pirates. It was a special ability on the level of rules, which could be called—True Damage!

"Is everything ready?"

Assured they had plenty of time, Byron shared his squid skewers with Violet, and they ate and talked. She naturally took a bite and praised its delicious taste. Then, looking into Byron’s eyes with excitement, she replied, "The "Lawbreaker Stone" can’t be processed using Transcendent abilities, but we managed to make what you requested using the simplest manual water-powered methods. The craftsmanship is absolutely impeccable."

Saying so, she patted the traveler’s knapsack at her waist and placed what appeared to be an oddly shaped object on the deck. It was a stone cabinet nearly a man’s height, its main body consisting of hinges, numerous nails, and two door panels that formed a roughly humanoid shape. Its two front doors, covered in long stone spikes, swung open to reveal a narrow space inside, barely half a person tall.

Without a doubt, it was an Iron Maiden crafted from "Lawbreaker Stone"! It was the notoriously brutal torture device from the Old Continent Nations. If a convict was placed inside the cavity of the Iron Maiden and the doors were then shut tight, they would be impaled by the spikes on the door. Unless their bodies were as flexible as an octopus, there would be absolutely no chance of survival. Moreover, the material used to construct the Iron Maiden was exceptionally special. The powers of the Silver Law, the Pirate Code, and even one’s own Spirituality would all be nullified by the "Lawbreaker Stone." Any Transcendent abilities, including Black Sorcery, could not be activated. A Transcendent imprisoned within was nothing more than a relatively strong ordinary person.

"Not bad, not bad, truly befitting a Third Order Artisan, identical to the design on my blueprints. I’m quite satisfied. I just wonder if our Mr. Red Beard is pleased with his new home."

Byron and Violet looked down at the battered corpse on the ground, their faces revealing identical malicious smiles.

KEKEKE...

One could only say that opposing someone as ruthless and vicious as Byron was truly a complicated ordeal. Red Beard, as if sensing a bone-chilling crisis, began to move his remains faster and faster. Within its hollow eye sockets, a bloodshot eye had formed, staring intently at the young man and woman before it. Mad ambition, deep-seated hatred, endless resentment, and a regret so profound it was as if he’d been blind... The myriad extreme emotions erupting from its pupil seemed to morph into a blaze, intent on burning them to ash. But he never had the chance while alive, and now, even less so.

Byron kicked the corpse, sending it flying into the Iron Maiden’s cramped space. He slammed the doors shut, and the "Lawbreaker Stone" spikes once again pierced its battered body from all directions. Then, he secured it with seven heavy locks, also made from "Lawbreaker Stone."

From then on, every time Red Beard recovered, he would be impaled by the spikes, die, revive, and be impaled again. He would be perpetually kept in a state of "death."

Moreover, his Undying Body was not absolute or eternal. The "Soul-hiding Casket" required an annual Blood Sacrifice—not of one or two individuals, but a number that had to double each year. In theory, as long as he was confined in a place he absolutely couldn’t escape from, and prevented from performing the ritual for the coming year, he would eventually fade into nothingness!

Of course, to prevent any accidents in the upcoming year, merely an Iron Maiden of "Lawbreaker Stone" was not enough. They also lacked the energy to constantly guard this fiend.

Byron took off the "Whale Oil Lantern" that had always hung at his waist. He used a tinderbox to light the wick. A faint, eerie green light shone from the crystal lens shaped like an eye, projecting outwards. It opened a massive portal on the sea’s surface leading to the third layer, the "Land of Night."

The information left by the Whale Hunter described the "Land of Night" as a true realm of slumber. Anyone entering it would feel extreme drowsiness; once asleep, they would never awaken. One had to use immense willpower to fight off the drowsiness and find the entrance to the next spatial layer before succumbing to sleep.

"Off you go!"

Byron and Violet together lifted the heavy stone Iron Maiden and threw it far into the third layer, the "Land of Night."

PLOP. It sank to the ocean floor.

Unless Violet gave the word, no one could enter to rescue him. They didn’t know when Red Beard last performed the Blood Sacrifice ritual. For the foreseeable future—whether a few months or up to a year—he would oscillate between being impaled to death and drowning in the sea. Only true death would bring him release. It certainly wouldn’t be a pleasant experience.

Perhaps due to Violet, the Bay Citizen Princess, being present, the Heroic Spirits who had attacked the "Goddess of Vengeance" ceased their assault and had already retreated on their own. The great battle thus concluded.

At that moment, THUD THUD THUD...

An unusual sound suddenly arose aboard the ship. Byron turned his head. His Man-Eater Shark, while feasting heartily, had retrieved the pitch-black Miracle, the "Echo Conch," from the sea and was now gently tapping the ship’s hull with its head. He took it, placed it to his ear, and heard several echoes from the recent past:

"The Strait Fleet has arrived ten nautical miles outside Iron Anchor Bay."

"Red Beard, the agreed-upon time is almost here. Why haven’t you replied immediately?"

"It’s now 15 minutes past the agreed time. Where are you? Didn’t you boast that the position of Military Governor was as good as yours? Why isn’t the Maze Lock of Iron Anchor Bay open yet?!"

"Worthless! Utterly worthless! We even eliminated the Child Guardian for you, and this is how you repay His Majesty?"

"Failures have no right to make demands. Daylight will be over by three this afternoon. Tonight, we will directly summon Calamity to launch a full-scale assault on Iron Anchor Bay. You’ll be on your own then!"

Although Red Beard’s own voice wasn’t preserved in the conch, everyone understood it was a conversation between him and a liaison officer from the York Family. Hearing the increasingly stern messages and the final ultimatum, the expressions on the Great Pirates’ faces turned grim once more.

Compared to the true enemies outside Iron Anchor Bay, Red Beard was merely an inside traitor. The sun had set. Calamity was imminent. They still faced their most difficult trial.

Success or failure hinged on this moment!