Before Lucas could finish, Lady Tasya's demeanor visibly softened.
For the Naga, the ocean had always been their domain. For a long time, sailing ships made by land-dwellers were easy prey for the Naga.
Back then, they could easily chase down wind-powered ships in the sea.
They could hide underwater to avoid cannon and crossbow fire and attack the vulnerable ship bottoms. If the sailors didn't want their ships to sink, they had to pay tribute to the Naga.
For centuries, the Naga controlled the sea routes, living a very prosperous life.
But in the past century, the continent entered a period of cultural renaissance and industrial revolution.
Each year, the volume of maritime trade surpassed the records of the previous year, and the nations of the continent began to recognize the importance of sea power.
In the last few decades, ocean competition became particularly fierce. New ships were launched, sparking another wave of maritime exploration.
The Naga, who saw themselves as the rulers of the ocean, soon found that... Chasing steam-powered ships was not as easy as it used to be.
And even if they caught up, they couldn't just drill into the ship bottoms, as they might be sucked into the propellers and shredded.
Even the bravest Naga who managed to reach the ship bottoms were powerless against the metal hulls.
On the contrary, land-dwellers, driving their new ships into Naga-inhabited waters, used nets and crossbows to capture Naga at will, slaughtering or selling them.
Fishbone Island, ruled by Lady Tasya, was a Naga settlement, and the harsh living conditions there were worsening.
Their alliance with the Mad Axe Gang had allowed them to obtain supplies from the mainland, which is why Lady Tasya had rushed to help upon hearing of Jumu's death.
Now that the Mad Axe Gang had been swallowed by the Seawall District Secret Intelligence Bureau, collaborating with the bureau was Fishbone Island's only way out.
However, Lady Tasya hadn't expected Inspector Meteor to understand the Naga's plight so well.
This left her without leverage in the negotiation.
Facing Lucas, Lady Tasya had to lower her stance even further: "Honorable Inspector Meteor, Fishbone Island is home not only to my people but also to many who have nowhere else to turn. We lack medicine, food, wood, iron... even clean water.
We lack everything. If you can provide us with these things, Fishbone Island will undoubtedly become your most reliable ally at sea."
Lucas, with a meaningful tone, said, "I can provide all those things, and I can offer some level of safety for you at the docks I control. But I don't think those are the things you need most."
Lady Tasya asked, "What do you think we need most?"
"Ships and legitimacy!"
"Inspector, please forgive me, but I don't understand your meaning."
Lucas took a big gulp of ale and continued cutting his steak.
"Ships should be easy to understand. I know you have four sailing ships, but they're all outdated models from decades ago.
Too outdated! Soon, you'll find that even the slowest merchant ships will be faster than yours.
I currently have four cargo ships, powered by both steam engines and sails. They're in good condition, built according to mainstream designs from the past decade, and can be easily converted to full steam engine power. With the addition of ten cannons, they can serve as armed merchant ships. Are you interested?"
"Yes!"
Hearing that Lucas had ships for sale, Lady Tasya's eyes lit up.
She was well aware that her ships were outdated and couldn't keep up with steam-powered vessels. With fewer and fewer purely sail-driven merchant ships at sea, the "business" was becoming increasingly difficult.
She had thought about buying new steam-powered ships, but had no way to do so.
The major shipyards were fully booked and wouldn't accept orders from unknown sources.
Even the Mad Axe Gang couldn't help.
Now the Intelligence Bureau wanted to sell four steam-powered ships. She had to buy them!
Seeing how eager Lady Tasya was, Lucas asked with a smile, "If I sell them to you... do you know how to operate a steam engine? If the ship breaks down, can you repair it?"
Seeing Lady Tasya's confused expression, Lucas chuckled and quickly took a swig of beer to wash down his food.
"Cough, cough... Steam engines and sails are two completely different propulsion systems. Even if I sell you these four steam-powered merchant ships, you wouldn't be able to sail them out of port.
Even if you managed to leave the port, you wouldn't be able to repair them on Fishbone Island. To solve this problem, we have to talk about identity."
Lady Tasya said earnestly, "Please enlighten me, Inspector."
"The times are changing rapidly, and with the land-based blockade, you have fallen significantly behind the era.
An island cannot provide the maintenance parts needed for a steam-powered ship. You can't even secure a stable supply of fuel.
Traditional pirates will soon find themselves obsolete, even if they aren't eradicated, they'll disappear on their own.
For Fishbone Island to survive, buying some supplies from me won't be enough. To survive, you have to keep up with the times..."
"How do we keep up with the times?"
"Leave the isolated island and come to the expansive mainland!"
Tasya immediately became agitated, "No, impossible, the Naga belong to the ocean, I will never give up my territory!"
Lucas tapped his knife on his plate to calm Tasya down. "You lack understanding. I am comparing your living environment to an isolated island, not asking you to abandon Fishbone Island for the mainland.
You should see the changes on the mainland. About twenty years ago, Seawall District was still an important district of Storm City, but since it became isolated, it has decayed into its current state.
The Seawall District is an isolated island within Storm City, and Fishbone Island's situation is even more severe.
I have a plan to restore the Seawall District to its former prosperity and wealth. You should consider changing Fishbone Island's predicament. Think about giving up the pirate identity and connecting Fishbone Island with the Seawall District.
You will have the land to keep up with modern developments; we will have the ocean, gaining safe and convenient routes."
Lucas' words were highly persuasive and attractive to Lady Tasya.
As pirates, they were acutely aware of how rapidly the land was changing.
Moreover, with the development of ships, countries were intensifying their efforts to combat piracy. Pirate ships were not updated quickly enough, and it was not uncommon to hear of pirates being robbed during their heists.
There were fewer and fewer fellow pirates at sea, and the demise of traditional pirates was imminent.
"Inspector, you are right. Fishbone Island doesn't have the capability to maintain a steam-powered ship, nor can it ensure a stable fuel supply. We need a safe landfall point to connect with the civilized world, but as wanted pirates, even if we are willing to give up our pirate identity, imperial law will not spare us."
Lucas said, "Imperial law is sitting right in front of you."