When disaster struck, I became a big shot surviving in the ocean.
Chapter 35 The So-Called [Traitor]

Chapter 35: Chapter 35 The So-Called [Traitor]

Whether Chen Qing had really discovered the surveillance creature or had unwittingly put the surveillance creature into use,

in any case, Jerome’s plans had been foiled.

Jerome had become extremely vigilant regarding Chen Qing; at the same time, his suspicions about Daliya had significantly deepened.

He felt that the child with Chen Qing must be Moana’s daughter.

But... the inherently skeptical Jerome couldn’t help but wonder, had Chen Qing intentionally left Daliya out in the open, allowing her to come and go at the docks, as a deliberate decoy?

Jerome wouldn’t act rashly without absolute certainty.

While he was keeping an eye on Chen Qing, there were also many people watching him.

He could kidnap Daliya, but once he did that, all the forces of Moana’s camp would turn their weapons against him.

His own "allies" would also trip him up.

Though Jerome was one of the strongest pirates in the Deep Blue Sea territory, it had taken him decades to achieve what others accomplished in just a few years.

Among the younger pirates, he seemed a bit out of his league.

This was the main reason for Jerome’s hesitation.

He was getting old, and if he missed this chance, he didn’t know if he would still be alive to see the next one.

Old age brought indecision; if it had been any other young pirate, they wouldn’t care whether she was Daliya or not, they’d just capture her first and ask questions later!

However, this was probably also due to Jerome’s own personality; he wasn’t the only old pirate around.

Yet there he was, still vying in the Deep Blue Sea territory after all these years, tsk.

Jerome’s uncertainty was unknown to anyone, while Chen Qing was busy inquiring about the Black Blade Pirates with Tang and the others.

Speaking of the Black Blade Pirates, their notoriety was unmatched in the Deep Blue Sea territory.

Their reputation stank.

Tang and the others disdained any association with the Black Blade Pirates.

If Chen Qing had kept their bodies, they could have fetched quite a bounty.

But, having looted Skill Books and Profession Scrolls from them wasn’t a loss either.

"The Black Blade Pirates, huh? I doubt anyone would seek revenge for them."

Tang frowned. They were all pirates, but compared to the Black Blade Pirates, they had at least a little bit of a moral compass.

At the very least, they wouldn’t harm their own relatives.

Of course, there were quite a few pirates like the Black Blade Pirates among them, just as detestable.

Those people were even less likely to seek revenge for the Black Blade Pirates; they’d probably be happy to have one less competitor.

"Black Blade... I remember he had a son, but he sold him."

"Not just that. I heard that his entire family—mother, brother, wife—no one was spared."

"You’re all wrong; I know the inside story! I used to be with the Black Blade Pirates!"

A disabled pirate curled his lip, recalling the village where Black Blade had grown up. The entire village was drugged by him, including his relatives, and all were sent onto slave ships.

That’s how he funded his first ship.

"???"

Everyone looked at the disabled pirate in shock.

"What do you think happened to my leg? Isn’t it from an injury I got while escaping from his ship?"

The disabled pirate’s face was full of disgust, lamenting his bad luck, as his seafaring journey had been ruined by Black Blade.

The sailors of the Black Blade Pirates were constantly changing, but only those three ever remained invincible.

"So they have no friends or partners?"

Chen Qing received some roasted meat from the Superpower Vine, seemingly asking casually.

"Friends? Partners? Haven’t heard of any."

The disabled pirate shook his head.

"But I know Demong, the ship’s medic from the Black Saber Group, you all know him, right?"

The disabled pirate’s tone shifted, and he suddenly chuckled mischievously.

"That old coot always coveted the Black Saber Pirate Group, trying to usurp the position,"

"There was a time when he teamed up with other pirate groups to take down Black Blade, but alas, they failed."

"He was in contact with that man just as I happened to overhear them,"

"Black Blade actually thought that old coot was something of value, serves him right to be duped."

"Black Blade nearly choked with rage at the time but could never find evidence or a suspect."

Lame Leg looked inscrutable, just waiting for them to continue asking.

"What did he get duped of?"

Qiao Zhiyu very obligingly asked hurriedly.

"He buried all of his looted savings on an island, where only he knew the location, but someone wiped him clean!!"

Lame Leg slapped his lame leg and laughed heartily, chugging a large swig of liquor!

Tang, off to the side, seemed to have thought of something, his eyes lighting up.

"The one who teamed up with Demong couldn’t have been Jerome, could it?!"

As Tang put it that way, the other pirates remembered as well.

"Weren’t Jerome and Demong once crewmates on the same ship?"

"Right, I remember that too, there’s always been rumors that they killed their former captain!"

"What rumors, it’s true."

"Really?!"

"After they killed the captain, Demong lost to Jerome, and that’s why he later became the ship’s doctor for the Black Saber Pirate Group."

"Hisss—Is your pirate world really that chaotic?"

He Congrong drew a sharp breath, truly terrifying, betrayal and backstabbing everywhere.

"That’s nothing, hahaha—"

One-eyed threw his arm over He Congrong’s shoulder and laughed uproariously, that’s pirates for you.

Not to mention those from Black Blade, even among these folks, how many had their hands unstained by the blood of innocent civilians?

However... One-eyed looked somewhat forlorn, heaving a long sigh as he gazed at the moon and began to drink.

The free booze was just too good.

Chen Qing ate his grilled meat quietly, offering no opinions.

The one likely to have planted surveillance creatures on the ship was probably Jerome.

His relationship with Demong was complex, they were both enemies and allies, and the two had a special way of communicating.

Jerome, huh...

So who could his paid spy be?

Grandma Taozi’s recycling plant seemed full of leaks, but when Chen Qing had gone there, he noticed that the large machines in operation were guarding the place watertight.

Unless Jerome himself or an important member of the crew took action, it would be difficult to sneak past those behemoths and place the surveillance creatures inside.

And even if they did manage to get them in, he couldn’t guarantee that they would definitely be transported to the ship.

A more likely problem lay in the transportation process.

But after the initial shipment, all the materials were transported by Grandma Taozi’s crew via the water route, delivering the parts to her ship by boat because of their immense size and weight.

Therefore, the problem could only lie with these "own people," there must be a traitor on board!

No, traitor might not be the right word, for they were never really that close from the start.

Chen Qing’s gaze swept across the deck, anyone seemed possible.

However...

His eyes settled on one person, deep and dark.

From beginning to end, it was only him who remained silent, quietly drinking without partaking in any of the discussions about Jerome.

A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Chen Qing’s eyes.