The news of the Immortal King Agalito's five fleets being devastated had only just begun spreading across the seas. Naturally, the members in Backlund were unaware, and the Sun in the God-forsaken land understood even less.
"What happened?" Audrey's eyes widened slightly, nearly breaking her poker-faced demeanor as a Spectator.
Ever since becoming a Beyonder, what she most desired was to witness firsthand the legendary figures and events she had only heard about in noble circles.
Similarly, the Magician Fors blurted out in excitement, "Which Pirate Kings and Pirate Admirals—"
She stopped herself mid-sentence, realizing it was inappropriate to press the Hanged Man, who appeared to be a leader of sorts, and promptly shut her mouth.
Alger didn't mind. He scanned the table, focusing briefly on the composed Tower, before solemnly explaining:
"After the Pirate Conference I mentioned at the last Tarot Meeting, the Immortal King Agalito led his five fleets to encircle and eliminate the Admiral of Pale, Maria!"
The Immortal King going after the Admiral of Pale? That duel during the Pirate Conference must have been Agalito testing Maria's strength, Klein thought as he pieced together the events.
Audrey, unburdened by Fors's hesitation, asked with keen interest, "Did the Immortal King succeed?"
"No. In the end, Maria successfully escaped. Agalito's five fleets were severely damaged, with three commanders killed and another captured. Only the third fleet's Venomfire Buzz managed to escape, but he was executed by Agalito himself upon return," Alger said gravely.
The Hanged Man sure knows how to keep people hooked, Ebner thought, stifling a chuckle as he speculated about Alger's intentions. He's likely trying to gauge my reaction or perhaps the Fool's…
Maybe he even thinks the Fool has put together some sort of "Avengers" team in secret!
Shaking his head inwardly, Ebner maintained a neutral expression, pretending to hear the tale for the first time, much to Alger's quiet disappointment.
"How did Maria manage that?" Audrey asked, her tone reflecting her astonishment.
Beside her, Fors was just as wide-eyed, her excitement palpable. She could almost feel inspiration brewing.
Judgment Xio joined in with a pointed question: "What were the capabilities of the fleet commanders? What kind of forces were involved?"
She suspected Ebner might have been involved in this incident, so her inquiry was intentionally detailed.
This question put Alger in a tight spot. Although he had considerable knowledge of the seas, Agalito's fleets were notoriously ruthless, leaving no survivors. Reliable intelligence was scarce.
After some deliberation, he replied hesitantly:
"The first fleet was commanded by the Cursing Speaker, Verlanders. I don't know his exact Sequence, but his abilities were undoubtedly at the level of Sequence 5. His bounty alone reached 10,000 pounds. His flagship, the Blood Horn, was a ghost ship equivalent to a powerful Sequence 5 on the seas.
"The second and third fleets were commanded by Firesword Prewus and Venomfire Buzz, respectively. Both were Devils with bounties of 8,000 and 8,200 pounds. Each fleet consisted of five large sailing warships. Their actions were audacious, but until this incident, they had never been caught. After learning about the danger-sensing abilities of Devils, I now understand why.
"The fourth fleet was led by the Gray Giant Gravena, a Dawn Palain at Sequence 6 with a bounty of 7,500 pounds. His fleet had only three ships, but his flagship, the Blade of the King, was another fearsome ghost ship. With his coordination, their combat power rivaled that of a Pirate General.
"The fifth fleet was commanded by Louis, whose Sequence is unknown but who specialized in ice spells. His bounty was 7,200 pounds, and his fleet relied on steam-powered warships with overwhelming firepower."
Sequence 5 and 6 Beyonders, with other powerful crew members likely aboard… yet all five fleets were severely damaged, and their commanders killed or captured? Klein marveled, sensing something extraordinary must have tipped the scales.
His thoughts turned to Tower. Considering the mysterious liquor bottle Tower had offered for divination after the Pirate Conference, combined with the peculiar midnight "delivery" of a cloak, Klein couldn't help but wonder if Tower had been involved.
Similarly, Xio had her suspicions. Pressing her lips together, she felt a sense of urgency. Ebner has already grown so powerful. I can't afford to lag behind.
"How did Maria accomplish it?" Audrey repeated, echoing everyone's thoughts.
"It wasn't just Maria's doing," Alger clarified, abandoning any further suspense.
"The Immortal King's first fleet was intercepted and annihilated by Admiral of Iceberg, Edwina Edwards. Cursing Speaker Verlanders was killed on the spot.
"The second fleet was ambushed by Admiral of Stars, Cattleya, aboard the Future. Firesword Prewus was captured, and the remaining ships fled.
"The third fleet had an unfortunate run-in with the Black Death and Admiral of Affliction. Venomfire Buzz reportedly made some crude remarks, which earned him a severe beating. He abandoned his flagship to escape but was executed by Agalito upon his return.
"The fifth fleet blocked the Pale Admiral's escape route from Agalito's Death Announcer. Maria, wielding the Blade of Pale Justice, destroyed the fleet and killed Louis. None survived."
The four female Pirate Admirals teamed up against the Immortal King? All of them are rumored to be beauties. Could Agalito have harbored inappropriate ambitions, provoking their retaliation?
Fors felt inspiration surge, lamenting the absence of pen and paper to capture her ideas.
Audrey, equally enraptured, found herself marveling at the epic nature of the confrontation. But a lingering question prompted her to ask, "And the fourth fleet?"
Alger hesitated, casting a cautious glance at the Fool and Tower. Seeing no objections, he took a deep breath and revealed:
"The fourth fleet was stopped by a single individual!
"He had no fleet, no crew—just himself. Yet, he singlehandedly decimated the Gray Giant Gravena and destroyed his ghost ship.
"This man bore a striking resemblance to the Doctor Strange depicted in the illustrations of Roselle's Heroes series.
"And he called himself—Doctor Strange!"
Doctor Strange? What's that? And who is this Roselle they keep mentioning? The Sun, Derrick, furrowed his brow, wondering if he should exchange for more information about this figure.
Doctor Strange! Following Iron Man and the Hulk, is Doctor Strange making his debut? Does he use a magical ring to create fiery portals and traverse space? And what's his connection to Maria, to intervene on her behalf? Fors's mind raced with questions she dared not voice, leaving her to imagine wild scenarios.
Doctor Strange… as expected. Klein and Xio confirmed their earlier guesses. Both had encountered the custom outfit—a purchase and delivery, respectively—that matched Alger's description. Their gazes naturally turned toward Tower.
Doctor Strange… Could it be…? Audrey recalled the Hanged Man's furtive glances at the Fool and Tower earlier. She immediately formulated a hypothesis: Could the one who stopped the fourth fleet be a member of the Tarot Club? Didn't Tower and the Hanged Man meet and conduct a 3,900-pound transaction privately?
Is Tower Doctor Strange?
Could the Iron Man of Backlund also be an ally under the Fool's command?
Noticing the subtle yet probing glances from Justice, Judgment, the Hanged Man, and even the World, Ebner's lips curled into a faint smile.
He surveyed the group and finally declared with a calm yet confident tone:
"There's no need to speculate…
"I am Doctor Strange!"
(End of Chapter)