After carefully weighing his options, Alger decided that with Nast, the "King of the Five Seas," overseeing the event, things should remain relatively under control. Thus, he steered Blue Avenger into the port at Twain.
The island of Twain, with its dormant volcano, boasted a natural harbor nearly on par with Bayam, but now the docks were crammed with ship after ship, their masts towering and sails billowing as pirates continued to pour in, filling the area with a cacophony of raucous songs, laughter, shouts, curses, and cheers—a veritable festival of revelry.
As Alger disembarked, his attention was drawn to Aarenheim, the small ship carrying "Hero Detective" Bryan, which had also just docked. Bryan was helping an elderly gentleman disembark, with three younger men and women in tow.
The surrounding pirates eyed this group, so different from their own rough crowd, with leering looks. A few noticed the two attractive women in Bryan's party and began to chuckle lasciviously. A handful of drunken pirates even took up the challenge to make a move, egged on by their rowdier companions.
But before they could advance, a wave of terror swept over them, freezing them in place. Their faces contorted in horror, and one particularly burly pirate who had just jeered at one of the tall women began sobbing hysterically, his pants dampening from a sudden loss of control.
"An Interrogator's Whip of Pain? No… it doesn't seem that simple," Alger mused from a distance. "That's likely a Whip of Pain effect combined with other abilities I don't recognize… The dossier in St. Samuel's Cathedral mentioned Bryan possessed a magical artifact that could simulate various pathway abilities. It seems that wasn't an exaggeration…"
In fact, Alger was correct in his assessment. Ebner had not only simulated Xio's aura to intimidate the pirates but had also subtly used Dragon's Might on the most insolent among them as a warning.
The stern presence served another purpose as well, boosting the morale and confidence of his companions. Gaston, an elderly and experienced figure, was unfazed, while Lydia, a proud and self-assured vampire, remained equally unshaken.
But Gwyn, who was encountering such a chaotic and fearsome scene for the first time, was not as composed. Her face was pale, and her fingers were tense around her pistol, betraying her nervousness.
As for the young Terrance, he was visibly trembling, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Fortunately, Ebner's quiet display of force helped put their fears at ease. Gwyn exhaled a deep sigh of relief, while Terrance managed to regain some composure, his face flushed from the thrill.
As they walked past the fallen pirates, Gwyn, who had seen one of the more notorious among them wet himself in fear, felt a renewed sense of awe toward Bryan. That pirate was none other than the infamous "Madman" with a bounty of 1,500 pounds—a captain of a three-ship fleet who had once spurned an offer to join Vice Admiral Hurricane's crew.
Just who is this Hero Detective, really, to be able to scare such a person so thoroughly? Gwyn mused, finally relaxing her grip on the trigger.
Ebner, blissfully unaware of the heroic myths that had somehow sprung up around him overseas, had already sensed a mental lock on him, a spiritual warning that suggested immediate retribution would strike if he dared to act violently. With Pure White Eye, he quickly deduced the source—a presence in the distant palace atop the cliffs.
The range of this effect without being detected by other Beyonders suggests a Demigod Imperative Mage, or perhaps a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact… Given that none of the Four Kings is an Imperative Mage or Chaos Hunter, it's likely the latter, Ebner concluded, easing off his intimidation.
They had barely begun climbing up the path to the volcanic cliff when a commotion erupted behind them. The once-bustling scene of carousing pirates abruptly scattered. Some ran inland, while others hastily set sail, distancing themselves from the dock as though avoiding a demon or plague.
From the nearby cliffs, Alger turned to see what had caused such a reaction. In the distance, he spotted a ship, painted jet-black, with a large skull flag—its eye sockets flickering with eerie blue flames—flying from its mast.
"The Black Death…" Alger murmured, understanding why the pirates had fled.
"Wherever Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy goes, sickness follows."
The black-hulled Black Death slowly drew into port, and a striking figure stepped onto the deck. She was beautiful yet exuded a palpable strength, her raven-black hair pinned high and wrapped with a white scarf. She wore well-fitted tan trousers that highlighted her slender yet shapely figure, and her piercing blue eyes, at once fierce and hazy, left an indelible impression.
As she stepped off the ship, a poet mingling on the cliffs sighed as he gazed down upon her:
"She will always be young…"
"Ah, she brings disease, and oh, I am ill. My mind is filled with thoughts of her."
The pirates, having regrouped, once again turned their attention to Vice Admiral of Ailment, some still infatuated.
Watching the scene, Alger snorted silently to himself: She may indeed be beautiful, but Tower speculated she might actually be a "Demoness of Affliction." And with a demoness, who knows what she used to be?
As Alger mused, Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy strode off toward the black palace on the cliffs, but once more, a ripple of fear surged through the crowd. This time, the pirates bolted even faster, nearly trampling over each other to escape the pier.
The cause was another ship gliding silently into the harbor—a sleek, silver-white vessel, its prow adorned with the statue of a sword-bearing maiden. Its flag bore an image of white feathers stained with a faint yellowish tinge.
"Vice Admiral Pale Maria… It seems pirates would rather face disease than the justice of her sword," Alger murmured with a nod.
Since the pier was already packed, Pale Maiden anchored farther out. From its deck, a magnificently woven carpet, embroidered with intricate patterns, flew out, carrying a young woman in old-fashioned Intis-style armor. She held a simple yet unassuming longsword, and her dark eyes scanned the gathering below.
Every pirate who laid eyes upon her sword blanched with terror. Only after she entered the black palace did they dare to breathe again.
"Pale Justice, that sword of hers… In just a month, Vice Admiral Pale has earned a reputation that rivals even the Blood Admiral. Now I understand how she climbed the bounty ranks so quickly," Alger thought, finally grasping the true weight of her power.
On a nearby cliff, the poet, who had gazed so ardently at Vice Admiral of Ailment earlier, began to sing once more. This time, his tone was one of reverence rather than infatuation:
"Justice is pale and humble,
But it is by no means weak.
Oh, Pale Justice,
You are the bane of all evil,
The punishment of all sin…"
Yet before he could finish, he was unceremoniously punched by a pirate, who, along with his drunken friends, proceeded to vent their fear upon the poet.
It was Alger who finally intervened, saving the poet from the vengeful crowd.
Meanwhile, on the horizon, a colossal ship adorned with a banner of ten unblinking stars emerged, marking the arrival of the "Admiral of Stars."
As it approached, the overcast sky brightened, and radiant starlight gathered to form a luminous bridge, connecting Future to the cliffside palace.
(End of Chapter)