As William ascended the stairs, he noticed a crowd openly drinking in the hall. "These drinks must have come from the Earl, right?" he asked, piecing the situation together.
"Exactly," Sherlock growled through gritted teeth. "The King trusts him deeply. It's said the King's prohibition order was due to his persuasion. It seems he's using the ban to monopolize the liquor trade, bringing all profits under his control. Our smuggling network must have caught his attention, leading to these attacks. No wonder we couldn't penetrate Kalmar City's market no matter how hard we tried."
Aramis handed an unopened bottle of red wine to William. Examining its label and packaging, William frowned. "This is ours?"
Aramis nodded grimly. Not only had Arcadio's faction stolen their business, but they had also seized their remaining stock and were selling it openly. The young men in their group were itching to storm Arcadio's mansion and tear him apart, but William held them back.
Sherlock was angrier still. Upon arriving in Kalmar City, his first priority had been to locate his father's body, only to learn it had been dumped into the sea.
For Sherlock, avenging his father—once a respectable merchant who had met a humiliating end in a foreign land—was now his sole purpose in life as the sole heir of the Sassarian family.
"With your skills and proper preparation, killing Arcadio isn't hard," Sherlock said, his eyes red. "As for Redbeard, you've already infiltrated his crew. Poison could work."
"And the navy?" William countered. "We still don't know the mastermind on their side. I've sent Akin to investigate; we should have news soon."
Leaning forward, William placed a hand on Sherlock's shoulder, locking eyes with him. "But let me ask you—do you think just killing them is enough?"
Sherlock was silent, so William answered his own question. "I don't think it is. Whatever they've taken from us, we'll take back tenfold. Their lives are just the interest. I want everything they have."
Sherlock's breathing quickened. Though he wanted to tear Arcadio apart immediately, he knew only William and his crew could ensure success. He had no choice but to trust William's plan, knowing William also had his own score to settle.
After a pause, Sherlock asked, "What's the plan?"
"Let them turn on each other first. We'll take out Barbarossa and seize the Redbeard Pirates," William replied.
Though Barbarossa appeared to be the strongest, William knew he relied solely on brute strength. With equal force and the trust of both Arcadio and the navy, replacing Barbarossa would be feasible. From his time infiltrating the Redbeard Pirates, William had devised a solid plan.
After finalizing their strategy, William and his companions left the tavern, returning to the streets. His calm demeanor betrayed no hint of the deadly plotting he had just engaged in.
A voice called out from behind. Turning, William saw the first mate, Reyes, striding toward him, accompanied by several seasoned pirates.
William tensed, his hand casually resting on the hilt of his saber. His mastery of iaijutsu allowed him to strike with explosive speed and precision, capable of cutting through anything. If Reyes entered his range unprepared, William was confident he could kill him in one strike.
Feigning confusion, William's body remained primed for action. However, Reyes stopped at a distance and called, "I've been looking for you."
"What's the matter?" William relaxed slightly. If Reyes knew his secret, he wouldn't be so casual or unarmed.
"There's a bit of trouble. Come with me." Reyes, visibly impatient, gestured for William to follow.
As they walked, an older pirate explained the situation.
With over a hundred crew members, the Redbeard Pirates consumed massive resources daily. While raids and extortions covered basic supplies, military equipment like cannonballs, bullets, and swords—essential in naval battles—required reliable sources.
Though Arcadio helped procure military supplies by diverting naval resources, Barbarossa also worked with a local arms dealer in Kalmar City. However, this dealer didn't exclusively serve the Redbeard Pirates; his clients ranged from secretive kingdom agents to infamous pirate crews.
Reyes had intended to purchase supplies from the dealer but learned another pirate crew, hostile to the Redbeard Pirates, was also there. Uncertain about the rival crew's numbers and unwilling to risk a confrontation alone, Reyes gathered a group of capable fighters.
"Who are they?" William asked.
"Barbarossa's bounty is 19 million Berries—low only because he shifts blame to other crews through his ties with Arcadio and the navy," William mused. "Few dare oppose him."
Reyes stopped abruptly, turning to William with a sharp look. "The Cook Pirates," he said, enunciating each word, "led by Red-Leg Zeff."
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