"Hoist the sails and set sail!"

After the storm ended, with a command from Aiven.

The two ships sailed side-by-side into the sea, standing on the stern deck of the "Conch," Aiven watched the island gradually disappear at the horizon, fully calming the turmoil after choosing the wizard path.

Before departing, he instructed the sailors to completely destroy the exposed man-made structures on the island, and the wooden huts built by the "Shark Tooth Pirates" were all burned down. Considering the growth rate of the vegetation on the deserted island, it wouldn't take long for it to completely return to a barren state.

The forces of nature will help erase the last traces of human existence on the island.

Then, this island, which will alter his future, will silently await his return in the sea. At that time, he will reactivate the super giant rock golem "Mountain Giant"!

And alongside the "Conch," obviously, was the pirate ship "Big Thumb," which Aiven and the others captured as spoils of war.

Though not a formal model like the Level 6 Battleship, its size and the firepower of 30 shipborne artillery made it quite remarkable.

Though the ship sustained minor damage during the previous battle with the "Reef," and the artillery mainly consisted of small calibers like 9-pound, 6-pound, and even 3-pound, it was in no way less effective than the Level 6 Battleship "Conch."

With the principle of making the most out of resources.

Aiven sent Milan, the only school-level officer aside from himself on the "Conch," to serve as the temporary captain on the "Big Thumb."

He then assigned the crew members of the "Reef," who were inconvenient to have around due to his secrets, under Milan's command, along with a group of sailors transferred from the "Conch" to reinforce the pirates' ship combat capabilities.

Originally, he didn't want to act alongside others, one because of unclear merit division, and secondly due to the risk of exposing his secrets. Encounters like pursuing "One-Eyed Becky," where overzealous actions like those from "Warrior" were troublesome; having none would be better.

But now, having incorporated these sailors, the situation was different.

Though the personnel increase was not significant, their meager melee skills were insignificant to Aiven, but at least they doubled his warship's firepower!

Still, both warships faced severe ammunition shortages, and the urgent task was to restore their combat capabilities.

"Target: Saint Martin Island Naval Base, full speed ahead!"

....

Phaletis Kingdom, the largest military port "New Inn Port."

Inside the "Shadow Library" of Principal Princeton's Witchcraft Garden, Anthony forcefully penned the final character on the parchment in his independent research room.

"Whew—"

The young wizard apprentice let out a long breath.

"This paper is finally completed; Aiven's latest practical data arrived just in time. Without these data, who knows when the complete practical analysis of the 'Siren's Song' would be finished!

It finally has complete results that can be submitted to the school! This invention will definitely change naval warfare even overturn the sea monsters' domination at sea. Yes, only 'great' can describe it!"

Anthony swiftly reviewed it from beginning to end and, after confirming there were no issues, quickly sealed it in a robust envelope, stamped it with his witchcraft seal and placed it alongside a small brass ball encased in a small box.

"I wonder how that guy's brain works, to consecutively make world-changing creations like 'Scurvy Prevention Plan' and 'Siren's Song,' what's next? If it weren't for him, who would have thought sound waves to possess such power?"

Hahaha, I indeed foresaw this. Among the apprentices in the 'Alchemy Tools and Enchantment Engineering Branch,' if I didn't have a good relationship with this guy, how could such profitable auxiliary research fall into my lap?"

Anthony, with his research accomplishments, walked briskly out of the research room; the results were substantial enough to initiate emergency procedures and directly be conveyed to Principal Princeton!

....

On the vast open sea.

This voyage faced no unexpected events. After three days of uninterrupted navigation by two groups of sailors in turns, the two warships successfully crossed the high sea boundary, arriving at Saint Martin Island Naval Base.

Docked at this island with white sandy beaches, picturesque scenery and a well-protected harbor. Aiven even saw fields opened on the island, growing various crops as supplements to the island's supplies.

The First Mate, holding an action proof issued by the Third Fleet Headquarters, was about to head to the base for negotiations. The main tasks involved replenishing ammunition, fresh supplies, further maintenance and sail replacement for the "Big Thumb."

To be honest, having a navy warship and a Black Sail Pirate Ship together was truly conspicuous and likely to cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

"Take this!"

Aiven gave his "Black Iron Cross Medal" blessed by the Goddess, enclosed in a delicate box, to First Mate Borg, knowing Saint Martin Island is managed by Tulip Duchy, naturally involving personnel with dual roles.

As a "devout" follower of the Goddess, I must show some respect to this medal.

However, if the Goddess in the Divine Kingdom knew that her "favored one" has long equated her divine favor medal with discount coupons, taking full advantage of the Church, who knows what she would think....

Uh, she might not be too pleased?

In reality, Aiven hadn't thought about it that much.

After all, he was at a naval base controlled by another country.

He just wanted to complete the resupply smoothly, resume the hunting mission, and make sure to secure the "Golden Compass," with no interest in the possible tensions between kingdoms and all the intrigue.

At this point, being a bit high-profile, as long as it can slightly reduce the trouble beyond the mission, is not a big deal at all.

However, the base's emphasis on the "Black Iron Cross Medal" was clearly beyond his expectations. Borg had just left when a school-level officer responsible for the base came to meet Aiven in person.

"The Favored of the Goddess, Captain Aiven! Welcome to our Saint Martin Island Naval Base. Under the glory of the Goddess, we will provide you with the maximum convenience in this base....

By the way, congratulations on holding the first place in meritorious achievement! The 'Eagle Spirit' achieved three thousand Golden Lions and the 'Big Thumb' two thousand five hundred Golden Lions, totaling a bounty of five thousand five hundred Golden Lions.

Here's the latest battle report for you to review.....

I won't disturb you further, may the Goddess be with you!"

After exchanging courtesies, Aiven sincerely thanked him for his support.

Holding a brief report, he watched as his first mate left with the officer, personally directing the logistics staff to replenish supplies for his two ships.

The hunting operation had already been underway for over half a month, and the progress was being reported through naval bases along the main routes.

According to the report, the harvest for the deployed ships varied. Some, like the "Conch," had significant gains, while others, like the "Reef," nearly faced total annihilation.

Of course, many navies didn't even see a trace of the pirates, ending up empty-handed.

In this hunt spanning the entire Black Sea East Coast, the hardest part wasn't defeating the pirates. The pirate ships involved in large-scale massacres were many, but most were like "Blood Anchor Zack," less extraordinary small fry.

Pirate ships with extraordinary beings, even counting the direct line under the Pirate King, totaled only a few dozen.

Instead, finding those over two hundred pirate ships on the wanted list across the vast sea was the real challenge!

Even within the inherent domain of the Tulip Alliance, where there were numerous naval bases and a few patrol ships monitoring major routes, providing some intelligence to the mission-executing navy.

It's akin to searching for 200 beans in a lake; even if you're sailing a battleship capable of obliterating an opponent with one strike, it's all for naught if you can't find them.

Someone like Aiven, with "incredible luck," encountering and defeating two highly-bountied pirate ships in under a month, was currently unique.

However, beyond the temporary successes, he was more concerned about the names that followed him. Without the assistance of Milan and the Sea Bird Reconnaissance Network, their scores were still biting close, making them his formidable rivals!

First place, Aiven Galliot from Phaletis Kingdom, 16 years old, Official Knight Level, captain of the Level 6 Battleship "Conch." Total pirate bounty achieved: 5500 Golden Lions.

Second place, Thomas Gregory from Ilya Kingdom, 25 years old, Senior Knight Level, captain of the Level 5 Battleship "Snow Lake." Total pirate bounty achieved: 4200 Golden Lions.

Third place, Bertram Solomon from Tyrone Kingdom, 28 years old, Senior Knight Level, captain of the Battleship "Royal Guardian." Total pirate bounty achieved: 3500 Golden Lions.

"..."

The people further down the list might also be dragons in hiding, but the gap with the top three was somewhat significant.

However, with more than two months before the mission deadline, anything could happen in such a lengthy period. A temporary lead wasn't a reason to become complacent.

Information at sea travels with delays, and anyone might have just hunted down a Great Pirate now. If he carelessly got pushed out of the top six, there would be no remedy for his remorse.

Thus.

With the crew working overtime and with full cooperation from the base staff, Aiven's two battleships were fully resupplied, sails replaced, and simply maintained, quickly returning to their peak combat strength.

Without any hesitation, the "Conch" and "Big Thumb" returned to the sea with vigor!

Through Milan's divination confirming potential gains on the route to the neutral port "Atlantis," the two ships headed north, casting a wide net once more, waiting for the next prey.

Next is... hunting time!

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