The year 1506 in the East Blue. 18

The peaceful, quiet life of a small town was easily shattered by a group of outsiders. At the dock lay a battered, multi-masted pirate ship flying a skull flag. In the dark of night, the pirate ship rose and fell with the waves, like a sea monster with life, watching the town filled with screams and clashes. Perhaps it had long grown accustomed to it. 

The outskirts of town bore the signs of a pirate raid—scattered fires from battles lighting the streets, and pirates hurrying along. At an open tavern door, one of them suddenly stopped, and the three companions following him halted as well.

The lead pirate turned around and asked, "What's wrong?" 

The one who stopped was a boy of about sixteen or seventeen, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and a faintly youthful appearance. Unlike his shipmates, who wore looks of excitement in anticipation of looting, his face showed no hint of joy.

"I'll stay here," he said, glancing at the tavern. "The supplies on the ship are low. I'll bring some wine back before everything is ruined."

The older pirates, unlike the boy, were eager to loot as they heard the sounds of pillaging around them. The leader laughed, giving the boy a thumbs up. "William, you're a good lad. You don't need help for that. We'll be on our way."

The others burst into the town, leaving behind mocking comments that reached William's ears: "Idiot. What a rookie." 

William, unphased, showed no reaction. He was different from them. He was a "transmigrator," a stranger from another world who looked down upon these pirates' actions. 

In the 21st century, he was Sun Bo, a white-collar worker on the verge of success. But fate had dealt him a blow, and he tragically crossed over to this world as a pirate. Accepting this reality, he adapted rather than wasting energy on complaints.

This world was unlike Earth, with varied customs, cultures, and even races. His current body resembled that of a Germanic person, but his crew contained a mix of Mediterranean and East Asian features, all speaking the same language.

Not wanting to reveal he was a transmigrator, William, formerly Sun Bo, decided to keep a low profile. His new name: Morgan William. His primary task was to adjust to the pirate lifestyle. After months, he had secured a position on the ship and even gathered a small group of followers.

One of them, a dark-skinned, skinny pirate named Ajin, scowled at the mocking older pirates and prepared to attack. William stopped him. "Leave it, Ajin," he said.

Ajin had once been saved by William in battle, and since then, he followed him loyally. Though angered by the older pirates' words, Ajin respected William's wishes.

Inside the tavern, William and his group found only wreckage and the smell of spilled liquor. William instructed Ajin and another pirate to guard the doors while he searched further with Aramis, a young pirate with a friendly face and a pair of dimples.

As they approached a back room, William drew his flintlock pistol. Aramis kicked open the door, finding the room empty. Aramis shrugged, "There's probably no one here."

"Better safe than sorry," William replied, relaxing his stance. He didn't fear enemies—he feared finding civilians.

Aramis, however, grumbled. "You're not even an officer on the ship, so why worry about supplies? You could be out looking for treasure instead of hauling wine!"

William replied, "What's the point of more loot when we're close to death?" 

"What do you mean?" Aramis asked, surprised.

"Think about it. Even if our ship was undamaged, the navy would catch us eventually. Now we have a broken mast, yet the Navy isn't catching up? Don't you think they might be herding us towards this island?"

Realization dawned on Aramis. "You mean the navy might still be after us?"

"Possibly. Or maybe the navy had some misfortune and lost us. But our officers seem wary. Haven't you noticed? They haven't strayed far from the ship, unlike some reckless fools rushing towards the center of town."

William spat. "If the navy shows up, those fools won't even make it back."

After a moment of contemplation, Aramis nodded heavily. He led William toward the wine cellar. "Fine. Let's grab some barrels and head back to the ship. If the navy does come, we'll see who's really the fool."

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