At night, William carried a lantern as he patrolled the ship. First, he checked the crew's quarters to ensure the candles used as light sources were extinguished, inspected areas prone to fire hazards, and covered any blankets that had slipped off the sleeping new crew members. He even tucked them in thoughtfully.
Naturally, this action often "inevitably" woke them up. When they stirred, William would smile and gesture for silence, exuding an air of altruism that left the new, nervous crew members feeling deeply moved.
After leaving the cabin, he greeted pirates on night watch along the way, occasionally reminding the newcomers not to expose light unnecessarily or tossing a cigarette to veteran pirates while exchanging lighthearted banter.
Interestingly, William's largest expense during his time on the ship had been cigarettes. On long voyages, the ship might not reach port for extended periods, and while alcohol was stocked as part of the ship's supplies, cigarettes were self-provided. Pirates inexperienced with stocking up or those prone to lavish spending would run out of tobacco early. Whenever he saw someone suffering from withdrawal, William would hand them a pack. Onboard, cigarettes and alcohol were often more effective for earning goodwill than Berries.
Due to the psychological pressure of being in enemy territory, William avoided drinking to cope and instead relied on smoking, which eventually led to him developing a nicotine habit.
Some of the younger crew members admired how William, with his easy-going demeanor, appeared to be friends with everyone on the ship, from the stern to the bow.
However, this was merely an illusion. Despite gradually dropping his facade and returning to his more sociable nature, not everyone liked him. After all, he wasn't a bag of money.
At the bow, in a sheltered area, several figures were playing cards by the dim light of a lamp. One of them, hearing footsteps, glanced up. Upon seeing William, the man lowered his head and refocused on the cards in his hand.
William frowned slightly. The man who looked up was short and stocky, with a brutish face and messy black curls—none other than Felton, the newly appointed vice-captain.
The others gathered around the lamp were all close confidants of Felton, except for one young, fresh-faced crew member who still carried an air of naivety.
Among the seasoned pirates on the ship, most were skilled in various vices, including gambling, which was a common means of deception. New crew members with little experience at sea often became easy prey, as was evident with the young man Felton and his group were targeting.
Gambling of this sort, especially when deceitful, only fueled conflicts among the crew and increased the cost of maintaining order.
In the past, with Reiss and Heileding onboard, gambling was tightly controlled. Reiss, as the ship's steward, managed all affairs meticulously, while Heileding's bad temper discouraged anyone from openly gambling. At most, it was done discreetly, never as brazenly as now.
However, with Barbarossa's increasingly hands-off leadership, order aboard the ship had begun to slip. The current vice-captain, Felton, was nothing like Reiss. He lacked intelligence, failed to lead by example, and even indulged in public gambling.
Although Felton ignored William's presence, the young crew member, Nadal, immediately became uneasy. William was not only the ship's navigator but also a capable and resourceful man who had once captured the infamous "Red-Leg" Zeff in Kalmar City.
On a pirate ship, strength was currency. William's position onboard was second only to Captain Barbarossa, making him someone Nadal, as a new recruit, could not compare to.
As soon as William arrived, Nadal quickly stood, collecting his cards, which drew the attention of Felton and his group.
William glanced at them and spoke calmly to Nadal, "Go to bed."
"You're not leaving!" Felton barked at Nadal, then turned to William with a mocking grin. "He still owes us money."
Nadal looked helplessly at William, who scanned Felton and his group before repeating, "Go to bed."
Felton strode up to William, his short stature forcing him to look up, which made his attempts at intimidation ineffective.
"Don't think you can meddle in everything just because you're the navigator, Stolte!" Felton snarled bitterly.
"Should I call you clever or foolish, Vice-Captain?" William responded, his gaze sweeping over the pirates gathering around Felton. He looked down at Felton and continued, "We both know the captain put you in this position to counterbalance my influence onboard. But must you immerse yourself so deeply in the role? A method actor, are you?"
Felton's hostility toward William was partly genuine, but much of it was performative, aimed at pleasing Barbarossa and the crew. Unlike William, who had the skills of a navigator, Felton relied solely on Barbarossa's favoritism for his rank.
Felton didn't understand terms like "method actor," but he caught the sarcasm in William's tone. Embarrassed, he flushed. Yet, as William had pointed out, Felton's animosity was partly an act, and he wouldn't risk escalating matters.
William saw through Felton's act immediately. Pulling out his wallet, he said, "Do you think a rookie, who hasn't participated in any plundering and hasn't received any spoils, has money to pay you? How much does he owe? I'll cover it."
Felton named a sum, inflated beyond the truth. Nadal hesitated to speak, but William handed over the money without protest.
After taking the payment...
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