Above the mage!

Chapter 478 Gangs
The hunting ship's menacing ram cut through the waves, with the Columbus following behind, its sails billowing in the sea breeze.

The status of the hunting fleet is extremely high in the lawless Blue Flame Islands.

Because hunting sea monsters is inherently a very dangerous and challenging activity.

Those who dare to challenge and fight giant sea monsters in the ocean must possess both fearless courage and extremely formidable strength.

In lawless zones, might makes right.

The hunting fleet represents a powerful fist and boundless courage.

Therefore, with this hunting ship leading the way, it was like a silent deterrent, and during the rest of the voyage, no one dared to covet the Columbus.

Soon, the outline of the Blue Flame Islands became clear in the field of vision.

It's so clear that even without activating Mandora's Eye, Gaode Maps can see it clearly.

The Blue Flame Islands are mainly composed of a series of rugged rocky mountains covered with dark green moss. From time to time, a ghostly blue light flashes through the crevices, making the mountains appear eerie and strange.

It is said that deep within the island, in some fissures in the ground, there will be occasional bursts of eerie blue flames, which are called blue flames.

These blue flames are unlike ordinary flames; they are extremely cold, but they possess a sinister power that can burn one's soul, making them far more dangerous than ordinary flames.

Gao De stood on the deck of the Columbus, gazing at the bay that was gradually becoming clearer ahead, his vision being intensely impacted by the spectacular sight before him.

On either side of the bay entrance are two rocky mountains shaped like the jawbones of giant sea monsters, forming a "door frame" or a gaping maw.

The waterway in the middle is narrow and deep, with turbulent undercurrents beneath the surface, shimmering with an eerie light the same color as the blue flames.

The hunting ship ahead led the Columbus into the depths of the bay.

The full panorama of the Black Sails City was finally laid out before us.

The entire city was built against the mountain, with people carving out and piecing together the rocky mountain into a layered architectural complex.

Because the Blue Flame Islands lack the various natural resources needed for construction, the Black Sails City uses a wide variety of locally sourced building materials.

There are the enormous skeletons of sea monsters, the hulls of wrecked ships, and all sorts of stone carvings and discarded items.
Although the city's architecture is chaotic and lacks a unified style, its distribution is still orderly.

First, the lower level of Black Sails City consists of densely packed docks, shipyards, and warehouses.

On the dock, huge winches and rusty iron chains were scattered about, and the smell of sea animal fat mixed with sea salt was so strong that it made people dizzy.

Countless wooden piers stretched into the sea like the tentacles of sea monsters, and the workers on the piers had bronze skin and exuded a fierce aura.

The remains of sea monsters lay carelessly at their feet, the stench of blood and bones mingling with the strong smell of alcohol and the salty taste of the sea, creating a unique atmosphere for the Black Sails City.

The middle-level buildings were mostly commercial facilities such as taverns, black markets, and gladiatorial arenas built with sea monster bone armor and black sails.

The tavern's signboard crackled in the sea breeze, embroidered with all sorts of patterns.

The top floor houses the most magnificent buildings in Black Sails City, including the Blue Flame Auction House, which hosts the Anguish Festival auctions.

In addition, there is a Black Sail Council fortress perched atop the mountain.

A dozen flags were planted on the spire of the fortress, and huge chains hung all around, with several desiccated corpses tied to the ends of the chains.

Those were the losers who attempted to challenge the authority of Black Sails and covet control of Black Sails; their tragic fate became the most direct representation of the "order" unique to Black Sails.

Finally arriving at Gaode, he looked at the strange and bizarre scene before him and took a deep breath.

He had prepared for this trip to Black Sails City for a long time, and it took him a very long time to finally arrive at his destination.

However, the true purpose of this trip has not yet been achieved.

Barry is only half of 90.

He went to such great lengths to come to Black Sails City in order to acquire the Azus Feather Whistle seed that was about to be auctioned at the upcoming Anirtues auction in Black Sails City.

However, there shouldn't be much of a problem. Among the many items up for auction, the Azus Feather Whistle Tree is just an insignificant piece. It only holds special significance for him and for the North, so there won't be many competitors.

Moreover, even if there are competitors, he has brought a ship full of goods with him.

After making a move, they will inevitably have substantial resources and the confidence to face other competitors.

Gaode, who was still daydreaming about his next plans, suddenly changed his expression.

Just moments before, a message had flashed through his mind—a message he hadn't anticipated:
[After being in the Abaddon Blue Flame domain for an extended period, you have begun to adapt to this biological domain, and your tolerance to Abaddon Blue Flame energy has increased by 0.1%].

It's adaptive!
Just as we were about to arrive at Black Sails City, the [Adaptive] ability unexpectedly started to trigger.

Abaddon Blue Flame Energy. God slowly lowered his head, looking at the dark water, as if he could see through the surface and perceive the terrifying presence hidden beneath.

The legend was indeed true.

I just don't know what the purpose of increasing the tolerance to Abaddon Blue Flame energy is.

While Gao De was pondering, the hunting boat had already turned and sailed toward one of the small docks, where it slowly came to a stop.

The thick mooring ropes from the hunting boat were thrown onto the pier, and several strong men immediately surrounded them.

They were shirtless, their shoulders, arms, and backs covered in grotesque tattoos.

In the city of black sails, the tattoo culture is extremely strong.

However, their tattoos are rarely done by professional artists; they are mostly done by hand by old sailors using red-hot needles, soot, or plant dyes, a painful process that is prone to infection.

Moreover, most of the tattoo designs are related to their experiences. For example, sea monster hunters would tattoo their proudest achievements in their sea monster hunting careers on their bodies. The denser the tattoos, the more illustrious the achievements.

The burly men stared at the corpse of the strangler dragged behind the hunting boat, their eyes flashing with greed and excitement.

“Apache, you actually caught a garrote! This haul is enough to keep you from going out to sea for years to come!” One of the bearded men shouted at the lead harpooner, his voice rough and hoarse like sandpaper.

The other man looked at the Columbus, which followed the hunting ship into the dock, with an unfriendly gaze. His eyes swept over the sailors and crew on the Columbus's deck, who were clearly innocent bystanders, and he asked in a hostile tone, "Who are they? Your new cargo?"

In Black Sails City, the Slaughter Dock is an extremely important link in the sea monster hunting industry chain.

After the hunting boats drag the captured sea monsters back to the port, the area becomes a busy and bloody "battlefield."

Specialized butchers dismembered the sea monster immediately, taking its flesh, fat, skin, scales, and even bones and teeth.

Every part was put to good use, sold in the thriving dock market, turning the sea monster's carcass into considerable profits. The slaughter docks, which provided the "platform," were responsible for taking a cut of the profits.

It can be said that in Black Sails City, every dock is like a gold mine, providing its owner with a continuous stream of substantial profits.

In such cases, only the most successful and prestigious hunting fleets are qualified to have their own exclusive slaughter dock in Black Sails City.

Most hunting fleets could only follow the market and try to get the best price for their spoils.

Clearly, the hunting fleet that Gaode encountered did not meet the standard of having its own dedicated slaughter dock.

Apache's expression turned serious, serving as both an explanation and a reminder: "We encountered a slight mishap while capturing the gargoyle, and it escaped. In its panic, the beast ran into them, and they stepped in to help capture it. According to the rules of the sea, in such cases, the spoils must be split 50/50."

"So I let them come back with me."

Those who can survive in Black Sails City for a long time, apart from a very few ruthless individuals whose strength is so great that they don't need to think too much, are mostly shrewd and cunning.

Although Apache's words seemed like a routine statement, the man with the unfriendly tone instantly picked up on two key pieces of information in Apache's words:

They'll help take down the throat-locking badge and split the loot 50/50.

Both of these statements indicate that there was at least one mage of the third rank or higher on the Columbus.

His previously disdainful gaze softened instantly, and he suddenly shouted at the crew on the pier, "What are you all standing there for? Give me a hand! Secure the ropes tighter, don't let the wind and waves damage the ship's planks!"

After saying that, he stepped forward and took the thin rope thrown to him by the Columbus crew. His rough hands were surprisingly nimble, and with a few twists and turns, he made a non-slip sailor's knot on the post.

After doing all that, he turned to his companions without making a sound and shouted, "Quickly lay out the wooden planks so the guests don't slip and fall!"

Just moments ago he resembled a wolf poised to pounce, but now he seemed like a seasoned dock manager. Only his eyes, occasionally glancing towards the Columbus's cabin, betrayed his complex inner thoughts.

In Black Sails City, everyone knows that offending a mage who can easily obtain the Throat-Groothing Badge is an extremely dangerous thing.

After Columbus docked at the pier, under the man's shrewd and subtle gaze, the two of them were the first to disembark from the ship.

One was a young man who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, with a clear and bright look in his eyes that seemed somewhat out of place in Black Sails City.

The other was a much older, steady, mature, tall man with an expressionless face, exuding a sense of oppression.

Without a doubt, the two who disembarked first must have been the two highest-ranking people on the ship.

Judging from his appearance and age, the mage who took the throat-strangling seal must be the tall man who was slightly behind the young man by half a body length.

A mage of at least the third ring level had to follow closely behind the young man, never leaving his side, acting like a servant.

The young man's background was unacceptable... Hawke's mind raced with calculations, but his smile became even more obsequious.

Apache came over to greet them.

In fact, this was his first contact with Gao De and Lan Wen; previously, they had only been exchanging words across the sea.

"Gentlemen, this is Hawke, the person in charge of Rust Anchor Dock." Apache was surprised that the person in charge of the Columbus was a young man like God, but he didn't show it on his face and introduced him to Gode with great enthusiasm.

The name of this dock is Embroidered Anchor Dock.

“Hawk, these two distinguished guests are visiting Black Sails City for the first time. They have a shipment of goods on board and are looking for a reliable channel to sell them. My first thought was our Embroidered Anchor Gang. Do you think you would be interested in taking over their goods?” Apache turned to Hawk and said.

Hawke smiled and said, "Of course, but that's not something I can decide on my own. It needs to be reported to the leader, who will make the decision. Would it be convenient for you to tell me what the main cargo on your ship is, so that I can report to the leader?"

Gao De nodded slightly, neither cold nor enthusiastic, "It mainly consists of some ice-attribute minerals and extraordinary materials, most of which are at the third rank, with a small number at the second and fourth ranks."

Hawke's eyes lit up slightly when he heard Gao De's reply, knowing that the matter was most likely settled.

Ice-attribute extraordinary items are still very popular in places like Black Sails City.

"Then I'll go and talk to the leader for you. Can you wait here for a moment?"

Gao De nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Hawke waved his hand and said with a fawning smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing."

Before leaving, he shouted at the burly men around him, "Don't just stand around here, hurry up and take the throat-grabbing cap to the slaughter area for slaughter and processing."

"Roger that, boss!"*N. The underlings quickly responded.

After settling things here, Hawke hurried towards the upper levels of the city.

Watching Hawke leave, Apache quickly came over to explain to God: "Hawk is a minor leader in the Embroidered Anchor Gang, mainly responsible for dock management."

The Embroidered Anchors Gang is considered a prominent gang in Black Sails City, and its leader is said to be a fourth-circle mage.

"A gang?" Gao De asked with great interest.

Apache clapped his hands and laughed, "This is your first time here, so you may not know much about the situation in our Black Sails City."

"As we all know, the environment in Black Sails City is extremely chaotic, but beneath the chaos lies a complex, unique, and diverse system."

Although Apache is an indigenous person, he seems to have been "naturalized" very well, and he shows no dissatisfaction with outsiders in his speech.

"Diversity and complexity mean that, in our case, power is actually held by a variety of distinct forces, including gangs, pirates, bounty hunters, and sea hunters."

“Each faction has its own way of surviving, and gangs play an important role in this, connecting various factions.”

Apache counted on his fingers and explained in detail to Godland: "First of all, we are the sea hunters, mainly Abaddon people. We are the providers of sea creature resources and have a cooperative relationship with the gangs."

The gang will establish long-term cooperative relationships with the hunters, providing them with various resources and equipment needed for hunting sea monsters, ship repair services, sea monster processing and slaughtering services, etc., to help us improve the efficiency of hunting sea monsters, and in return, we will earn rewards.

"As for us, we will prioritize selling the captured sea monsters to gangs with whom we have long-term cooperation, and distribute the profits according to a certain ratio."

"Those sea hunters who do not cooperate with gangs and are not powerful enough to own their own docks will be suppressed by gangs, which will restrict the trade of the sea prey they hunt or significantly increase the fees they pay for using docks and related services."

In addition, many gangs are now forming their own sea-hunting teams.

At this point, Apache sighed deeply, "This line of work is getting harder and harder to do these days!"

Gao De smiled slightly, not taking it too seriously.

He knew perfectly well that this complaint was no different from the "business is not easy" that businessmen always say. No matter what the actual situation was, this was the answer whenever someone asked.

(End of this chapter)