Freyr spoke softly. Naya hesitated, her stubborn nature struggling briefly against the strange feeling, but eventually, she gave in. The sensation was just too pleasant!
Naya obediently stepped back to stand behind Freyr. Once she broke eye contact with him, she felt a sudden sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted, and everything around her became clear again. She was confused…
What's wrong with me? Why am I obeying this guy?
Angry with herself, Naya wanted to step forward and question Freyr, but she couldn't muster any resistance. Defying his orders made her feel extremely uncomfortable, while standing behind him and listening to him brought her pleasure.
This feeling was too strange.
Naya's expression was odd, but Freyr didn't give her time to ponder. He smiled and said, "Naya, if you keep fighting… with your skills, you could probably kick everyone on this ship into the sea. That wouldn't help us much though. We still need some sailors to help us navigate this ship!"
Strange… why do we need sailors? I could fly back on my own tomorrow.
Naya thought, but she nodded involuntarily. "Alright."
Freyr picked up the captain's fallen hat and placed it on his own head. With this, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing his horns.
"Listen up, you filthy scum!" Freyr raised his voice, looking at the fearful pirates around him.
They were indeed afraid! Naya's strength was beyond their ability to resist.
"You are all a bunch of dirty scum! Parasites! Worthless creatures!" Freyr glared at them. "You rob, kill, and plunder… you deserve to be hanged on the gallows! Now, you are my prisoners! I wasn't wrong! This ship, and every one of you, belongs to me now!"
Freyr kicked a man lying at his feet, one of Naya's victims with a broken leg. Freyr stepped over him without mercy, ignoring the man's screams as he spoke clearly to the pirates:
"As my prisoners, your fate is in my hands! I could throw you all into the sea right now and let you fend for yourselves! Or, I could hand you over to the local militia at the nearest port and watch you all get hanged!" Freyr smiled slightly. "But I am merciful! I will spare your lives. From now on, you are no longer filthy pirates. You are my slaves, my servants! According to Imperial law, as a noble, I have the right to do whatever I want with my prisoners! Now, I pardon your crimes and take you as my slaves and servants! Do you understand?"
The pirates were silent.
"I'll ask again! Whoever doesn't answer this time can jump into the sea to join your captain!" Freyr looked at them. "Do you understand?"
"Understood!!" they all shouted desperately.
Freyr nodded in satisfaction. "Now, clean the deck! Throw these injured men into the sea!"
Without hesitation, the pirates obeyed!
These men, ruthless killers, turned on their former comrades without mercy to save themselves.
One by one, the injured were thrown into the sea with cries of pain. Freyr issued his second command: "Lower two lifeboats into the water."
Over twenty pirates were already floundering in the waves. Seeing the lifeboats being lowered, they swam desperately toward them.
"Listen! I should kill you all! But I am merciful." Freyr stood on the deck, looking down at the pirates in the water. "I am giving you a chance to live… These two boats will keep you from drowning. As for the rest, you're on your own!"
There were cries of pain, curses, and pleas from below.
In the vast ocean, with no food or fresh water, just two small lifeboats… it was a desperate situation!
"Of course, I can be even more merciful…" Freyr pointed to the distance, smiling slyly. "In that direction, there's an island. If you row hard, you might reach it by noon tomorrow! Go, this is my final act of mercy!"
Ignoring the desperate pirates below, Freyr turned to his stunned "servants" and smiled. "Food and water… quickly! Did you understand?"
The new servants scrambled to obey.
"Freyr… aren't you… too, too, too…" Lilith stammered, looking at Freyr with pity.
"Too cruel? Too ruthless?" Freyr said calmly. "These men are all scum. They don't deserve real mercy! They are pirates, Lilith. Do you know what pirates do? They sail the seas, attacking merchant ships, killing the crews, stealing their cargo, even raping the women on board! They are sea vermin, murderers with blood on their hands! Do you think I should be merciful to them?"
"But…" Lilith tried to argue.
Freyr sighed, looking at the overly innocent girl. "Do you know… if they had encountered three ordinary people instead of us… you two women would have already been raped by dozens of filthy pirates!"
Even Naya glanced at her sister and coldly added, "He's right."