We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 151: A Reward for the Crew, Ann's Secret

Chapter 151: A Reward for the Crew, Ann's Secret
To Shane's surprise...

In the days that followed, Mr. Heller actually did not cause him any trouble.

Moreover, Shane's process of selling his spoils and buying equipment went exceptionally smoothly, with no foolish pirates even coming to him to loot gold coins.

Of course, the deterrent effect of wanted notices and bounties also plays a role.

But after making inquiries, Xia En learned that this was because...

Heller has publicly stated on several occasions that the captain of the Black Swan is his honored guest, and anyone who dares to make things difficult for Shane is making an enemy of him.

Upon hearing this news, Xia En's feelings were rather complicated.

Although he wasn't particularly fond of the Deep Cult, Heller's goodwill was genuine.

It's like incurring a debt of gratitude without even realizing it.

Fortunately, Heller's overtures were quite measured; he didn't offer Shane any gifts, nor was he so obsequious as to be annoying.

In any case, take advantage of these few days.

Shaen successfully sold several escort ships and their crews, clearing out a large portion of his inventory and converting useless loot into gold coins.

He even attended an auction in the Chaotic Sin Islands and purchased a batch of valuable equipment and props.

That day, after the auction ended.

Shane returned to the port where the Black Swan was docked.

As soon as he stepped onto the deck, he smelled a rich aroma of meat.

Turning my head, I saw that Joey had set up a large barbecue grill on the deck, and various kinds of food were being grilled on it.

There was meat caught on the giant's island, as well as large fish caught regularly, and several kinds of vegetables, fruits, and drinks were also laid out beside it.

In front of the barbecue grill, Joey was busy and sweating profusely. She was forced to tie her long, silvery-white hair into a ponytail, which gave her a neat and refreshing look.

But she still managed to pull her hand away and greet Xia En, saying, "Captain, you're back!"

"The victory celebration banquet is almost ready, we're just waiting for you, Captain!"

That's right, a victory celebration!

Since the Black Swan left the Siren Islands, the crew members, including Shane, have been in a state of combat readiness.

The attacks on Duke Island and Silvermoon Island were even faster than the "Blitzkrieg against Poland," leaving the crew quite exhausted.

They only had time to catch their breath and rest when they arrived at the Chaos Islands.

After much deliberation, Xia En organized a celebration banquet, both to reward the crew members for their hard work during this period and to hold a special team-building event.

On other ships, the best way to "team build" is to give out money!
If you pay them enough, both ordinary sailors and pirates will become loyal, and the team's cohesion will naturally improve.

However, the situation with the Black Swan was different.

Each of them stayed with Shane for their own reasons, with money being the least significant factor.

Needless to say, Joey and Ann have very low material desires; they wouldn't know how to spend money even if given to them.

Feiya has her own little savings and has no other hobbies besides steam-powered machinery.

The only one with a strong desire for money was Bronze Dragon String Song.

Driven by the instincts of an ancient dragon, this little dragon was fascinated by treasure, not because it wanted to spend it, but simply because it enjoyed the feeling of rolling around in piles of gold coins.

But you can't always spoil a child.

In addition to Xiange's personality, Xia En also came up with a way to train it.

"Chichi..."

The sizzling sound of the grease dripping from the grilled meat onto the charcoal fire pulled Shane back to reality.

He snapped out of his daze and realized that all the crew members were looking at him, so he smiled and said...

"What are you all standing there for? Dinner's ready!"

String Song cried out excitedly, "Awoo, Sister Joey, I want this one!"

Fei Ya opened a bottle of fine wine, took a sniff, and revealed a look of intoxication, saying with a touch of nostalgia.

"It's been a long time since I've had a drink. Come to think of it, the first time I met the captain was also in a tavern."

Joey pricked up his ears and asked curiously, "When did this happen? How come I didn't know about it?"

"..."

Soon, Shane also picked up his plate and joined the banquet.

Don't be fooled by the fact that it's just a barbecue; this dinner isn't cheap, thanks to the vegetables, fruits, spices, and wine.

It is no exaggeration to say that on most islands, fruits, vegetables, and spices are as valuable as gold!

As for the wines served in Shane, they are from Duke Nova's private collection, so their quality goes without saying.

Expensive as it may be, he's worked so hard to earn so much money, shouldn't he be able to enjoy it a little?
However, Shane's purpose was not just to eat.

After eating about half his fill, he addressed the crew.

"Actually, I have a few more small gifts to give to everyone."

“Joey.”

Joey jolted awake: "Here!"

Shaen took out a staff and a robe and handed them to the girl.

"These are two decent spellcaster items; they should be very useful to you."

【Sea Mist Staff/Robe】

[Quality: Epic]

[Type: Equipment]

[Description: The "Sea Fog" set, crafted by the legendary artisan "Master Sea Fog".]

[Effect 1: Cleanliness - This robe is resistant to dust and dirt, will not get wet from seawater, and comes with a daily cleansing ritual.]

[Effect 2: Affinity for the Mystic Sea - This series of equipment makes it easier to draw upon the power of the Mystic Sea.]

[Effect 3: Focus - Greatly increases focus during spellcasting, and significantly increases the speed of mental and magical energy recovery!]

This is the equipment that Shane bought at the auction.

Just looking at the term "Secret Sea Affinity" is enough to demonstrate its extraordinary nature.

It would be the perfect gift for Joey.

Joey's pretty face was full of surprise, and she couldn't help but ask, "Captain, can I put it on now?"

Xia En nodded: "Of course."

Not long after, the girl wearing the [Sea Mist Robe] appeared before everyone.

This robe is already quite beautiful.

The background is white, with blue magical patterns that resemble ocean waves or mist, seemingly flowing gently.

It appears both ethereal and elegant.

Moreover, it is not an old-fashioned oversized style, but a fitted style that hugs the body.

When worn by Joey, it accentuated her slender figure while also exuding the unique elegance and mystery of a traditional sorceress.

Add to that her transformed appearance, her silvery-white hair like a waterfall, her ruby-like pupils... the beautiful scene looked like a painting.

Even Xia En was somewhat mesmerized by what he saw.

Noticing the captain's gaze, Joey's face flushed slightly, and she asked in a low voice.

"How is it? Is it suitable?"

Xia En nodded seriously and said, "It's very suitable."

"I thought this robe would suit you, but I never expected it to suit you so well!"

Hearing this sincere praise, Joey's face burned even hotter, and she could feel her earlobes turning red.

"but……"

Xia En asked curiously, "Joey, have you grown taller?"

Joey paused for a moment, then said, "It does seem a bit like that."

Xia En seemed to be deep in thought, suspecting that the transformation of the siren's bloodline had caused Joey to experience a second growth.

but……

His gaze fell on the girl, a hint of sympathy in his eyes. Perhaps some things are simply simply not there?

Then, Shane looked at Feiya, who was watching the commotion, and took out a huge rotary machine gun from the [Ring of Apocalypse].

Upon seeing the large, metallic-looking gun, Faia's eyes lit up.

Kepler-197!?

"My God, Captain, where did you get this thing?"

Xia En smiled faintly: "There are indeed quite a few good items at the auction in the Chaotic Sin Islands."

"Now, it's yours."

"There are other little trinkets too, I'll bring them to your room later."

This heavy machine gun, named Kepler 197, was a standard weapon developed by the Federation in its early years.

However, due to its terrifying weight and recoil, even ordinary secret travelers could not use it, which ultimately led to it remaining only in the experimental stage.

The "197" in its name represents that there are only 197 such firearms in the Seven Seas.

Furthermore, the fact that some of the machine guns were damaged makes the Kepler 197 a highly collectible weapon.

Of course, having collectible value does not mean that this weapon is not powerful.

In fact, its power is enough to easily kill a second-tier Mystic, and even a third-tier one should be careful.

However, those who can wield this giant spear need to have a physique of at least Tier 2.

As it happened, Shane knew that Feiya had a hobby of collecting firearms, and the bloodline of the "Holy Bloodline" also made it possible for him to use this weapon, so he spent a lot of money to buy the [Kepler 197].

Besides value, the most important aspect of a reward is that it caters to the recipient's preferences.

It now seems that Xia En's efforts were not in vain.

Feiya excitedly hugged him tightly: "Thank you, Captain, I will cherish it!"

Xia En hadn't expected Fei Ya's reaction to be so strong, and immediately hugged her tightly.

I must say, the texture is quite unique.

Small, soft, and fragrant.

Wait, where's that smell coming from?

It was only then that Xia En noticed that Fei Ya had a unique body fragrance.

'Is this also a unique characteristic of the Holy Bloodline?'

Xia En's mind raced, and he silently repeated to himself, "He's a man... he's a man... he's a man..." before forcing himself to calm down.

Fortunately, before Joey could pull Faye down, he let go of her arm and began to play with the heavy machine gun with great affection.

Firearms are a man's romance!
And then.

Xia En glanced at Xiange, who was staring at him expectantly, tossed her a spatial ring, and said.

“Xiange, let’s play a game.”

"There are 100 gold dragon coins in here."

“From now on, every time you complete one of my orders, I will put 10 gold dragon coins into it.”

"But once you make a mistake, I will deduct 100 gold dragon coins, and the game will end when you run out of them."

"If one day you accumulate 1 gold dragon coins, you can manage all my assets."

Xian Ge's eyes widened slightly: "Really?"

Xia En nodded solemnly: "Absolutely true."

Xian Ge asked cautiously, "Why do I only earn 10 gold dragon coins for completing a task, but lose 100 for each mistake?"

Xia En said earnestly, "I want to tell you that some mistakes we can only make once in our lives."

After pondering for a long time, Xiange finally replied, "I'll do it!"

One reason Xia En proposed this game was to strengthen Xian Ge's sense of obedience.

—Although it is much more obedient than when it first hatched, it is still somewhat undisciplined and lazy.

It's necessary to stimulate its enthusiasm.

On the other hand, Xia En thought, wouldn't it be very appropriate to have Gu Long as the financial accountant in charge of the money?

He's been counting money from all these transactions lately, he's tired of it!

The captain can't always have to do these small things himself.

Because of her greed and love of money, she will meticulously calculate every income and expenditure in order to maximize her profits.

The best part is that it only saves money, it never spends it.

Anyone who dares to steal this property will undoubtedly incur the wrath of the String Song.

It's like putting a "guardian dragon" on Shane's vault—a huge win!

As for the game, the original "Shane wanted to appoint Xiange as the financial accountant" was changed to "Xiange herself strives to become the financial accountant".

If you take a closer look, you'll understand its subtleties.

Finally, Xia En looked at An, who was not far away.

From the celebration banquet onwards, An's presence was not very noticeable.

It wasn't that Xia En and the others were neglecting him, but rather that the written expression ultimately fell short in this lively environment.

The armor also prevented An from eating heartily and allowed her to eat small, careful bites.

It made it seem somewhat out of place at the banquet.

Xia Enxuan chose An as the last recipient of a gift, but she also had her own ulterior motives.

"An, this is a gift for you."

Shane handed over a special little box made of jade.

【Soul of the Holy Armor】

[Quality: Epic]

[Type: props]

[Description: An essence extracted from the special magical potion "Scarab," used to enhance armor-type equipment.]

[Without increasing or decreasing the weight of armor-type equipment, unconditionally increase its sturdiness, durability, and other attributes by a moderate amount.]

This can awaken 3 to 5 traits in this type of equipment, with random direction and quality.

This is the prop that Shane found at the auction, and it's the most suitable for Ann.

The best option would actually be to simply change into a more powerful new suit of armor.

But perhaps because she had grown attached to the clothes after wearing them for a long time, or for other reasons, An had expressed strong opposition to them.

Since we can't replace the old with the new, we can only strengthen the existing armor.

Since Ke'an was unwilling to remove her armor for enhancement, she had no choice but to use special artifacts and materials to directly apply them to the armor.

After careful selection, Shane finally chose the [Soul of the Holy Armor].

Despite its small size, it's actually the most expensive of these gifts!
Ann took the small box, bowed respectfully, and wrote on the cardboard.

Thank you for the captain's generosity.

There's no need for thanks between us.

Xia En stared intently at An and finally asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

"Now, can you tell me why you insist on wearing this armor all the time?"

Ann seemed to have anticipated Xia En's question, and after a slight hesitation, she began to write.

It's all because of...

I am an unlucky person.

This armor isn't just a tool to protect me, but to protect those around me.

Xia En frowned: "What do you mean?"

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