Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 129 Your boat is good, it belongs to me now

Off the coast of Castres.

Jeremiah was standing at the bow, holding a small brass telescope in his hand, looking around intently.

"Everything seems normal, but why do I always have a bad feeling in my heart?"

He had just returned from Gem Bay, and the process of getting the authorization letter was extremely smooth. He had just finished talking to his superiors about the authorization letter when he dropped it down. It was said that several forces in the Pirate King's Court were fighting each other to the death recently, and a peripheral pirate captain like him would only be wooed.

In addition, he successfully obtained nitroglycerin from Castel, and Jeremiah felt that his future was bright.

Perhaps he could become a great pirate in the future, with a fleet of dozens of ships under his command, unlike now, when he only has the Black Pearl.

Thinking of this, Jeremiah became a little excited. He patted the mast happily and said, "Don't worry, even if I become a big pirate, I will let you be the flagship."

The boat had been on the sea for many years and was an old maid, but Jeremiah was confident that it was definitely strong and durable.

"Captain, Castel Island is just ahead. The weather is good today. We will be there in another hour."

Jeremiah glanced at the sails. Sailing is a technical job that requires the cooperation of skilled sailors to make a boat move. And if you want to cross the ocean, an experienced captain like him is indispensable.

This is also the value of a captain: a pirate captain may not be the best fighter, but he must be able to bring the entire ship back from storms and battles.

Jeremiah smiled with satisfaction. There were not many excellent captains like him.

Not long after, Castel arrived, and Jeremiah ordered the sailors to dock the pirate ship directly at the port.

In the past, he had to stay farther away to prevent the island's lords from suddenly turning against him. Now that the two sides have formed an alliance, Jeremiah is relieved.

How could such a big ship be lost?

Arriving at the port, Jeremiah handed the sheriff who came up to register to the first mate, and then swaggered towards Hughes's manor.

It was already morning and there were few people on the island. Instead, the factory in the distance was very busy. Jeremiah picked up a fried fish from a roadside stall, stuffed it into his mouth, threw down a few coins and walked away.

The fried fish on this island is so good that he wants to stay here and eat it all the time.

After walking to the door of the manor and wiping the grease on his hands on his clothes, Jeremiah was led by Connor into the study.

There were quite a few people queuing up, but Jeremiah was taken in directly.

As soon as he entered the room, Hughes came up to him and brought him a cup of tea.

"Jeremiah, you came at the perfect time."

After a while, Jeremiah's face turned pale, while Hughes, who was sitting behind the desk, looked at him with a smile.

"You mean, you want my boat?"

"No, no, no, it's just a lease."

Loan? Sounds like a synonym for robbery. Jeremiah is a pirate, don't try to trick him with this.

So Jeremiah slammed the table and stood up suddenly.

"Do you know how important the Black Pearl is to me? She's everything to me! Look at it! It's only been launched a few days ago. It's a brand new ship! How dare you want to take it away from me? Impossible, absolutely impossible, no matter how much money you offer!" "I even went to the trouble of getting five letters of authorization for you. Do you know how much effort I put in? The Pirate King Court almost skinned me alive. I already gave up all the benefits you gave me!"

"And you're still planning to take my ship! This really makes me feel disheartened!"

Jeremiah snorted coldly, staring at Hughes, but didn't move an inch.

He was not lying. To a pirate captain, nothing was more important than his pirate ship. With a ship, he could form a team, and no matter what kind of loss he suffered, he would have hope of making a comeback.

If you lose your boat, getting back on board depends on luck, as not everyone can happen to encounter an empty boat.

——But that was a long time ago.

There are not many fat sheep to rob in the Storm Ocean now. After the coastal Principality of Tis was destroyed by the Empire, the Queen almost gave up maritime trade in order to blockade the Gem Bay. The pirates did roam the entire Storm Ocean, but they could only make a living by collecting maritime taxes.

As for Jeremiah. If it was the Jeremiah before, he might not be able to accept it, but now, Jeremiah can represent the Pirate King Court stationed in Castel. He does not have much free time to go out to sea to plunder, let alone make a lot of money.

Maintaining a ship costs money, and so does maintaining a crew. So, if they can't make any money, the pirates will split up and disband on the spot. Countless pirate groups have vanished in this way, leaving only dilapidated, empty ships.

The golden age of pirates has long passed, and the entire Gem Bay is just barely surviving.

Now, as long as you have money, you have ships, people, and everything. The problem is that you don’t have money.

Jeremiah is a pirate captain. He was a little confused at first, but he recently realized that the Black Pearl could no longer carry him further. He needed to board a bigger ship, even if it meant giving up his past.

The Castel is a larger ship.

Jeremiah's tone softened, his eyes were no longer aggressive, and his hand dropped from the scimitar at his waist.

"But then again, we are friends."

He sat back in his chair and said in a low voice, "I'm willing to help my friend."

"I think you have some misunderstandings."

Hughes pulled a piece of paper from the file but didn't hand it over.

——It’s no use handing it over. Jeremiah can’t read.

"I'm planning to hire your ship. You can choose between profit sharing or a fixed income. Regardless of your choice, you can withdraw at any time and sail with the ship—after all, I don't have anyone new qualified to be the captain."

Can I quit at any time? Can I still go out to sea with the ship?

Jeremiah blinked. He must have heard it right. What was the difference between this and asking him to help transport some goods?
Although pirate ships are different in shape from cargo ships, they still have large cargo holds - they also need to carry spoils.

If so, the contract is quite loose.
Jeremiah narrowed his eyes.

Hughes naturally knew what the other party was thinking. He put the contract on the table and said, "Of course, there are some other requirements. You will need to train our sailors and teach them how to sail, read charts, and use sextants. In addition, you will also need to protect the cargo. Although I don't think anyone would mess with pirates in the Storm Ocean."

"I don't quite understand. If you need sailors, why don't you just hire them? If you need them, I can help you hire some sailors. They are all experienced and won't cost much."

(End of this chapter)