Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 221 Pirate Crew Plan
Thor was prepared; he had already been searching for Ludwig's logbook while Roger was looking at the nautical charts.

At this moment, the captain of the "Obsidian" was holding a notebook with a cowhide cover. This notebook was much larger and thicker than the original logbook of the "Mad Blade".

Roger took the notebook, placed it on the long table in the captain's cabin, and then opened it.

It must be said that Ivan Bratov did a very good job of keeping secrets. Ludwig’s logbook hardly mentioned the messages he conveyed to Roger during his psychic encounters. Instead, he only recorded the important events he encountered and only began to record the landmarks he passed by some time later.

Furthermore, this second mate of the "Twilight Fleet" would even deliberately lead his subordinate ships in circles when the operation was not particularly urgent, in order to deliberately obscure their understanding of the route.

The advantage of doing this is that the contents of the logbook will not become completely untraceable, but information related to the main course of the "Twilight Fleet" will be lost.

In other words, all that sensitive information was stored only in Ludwig's mind. If Roger hadn't enslaved Ludwig's soul, he wouldn't have been able to obtain any useful information simply by reading these nautical logs.

However, the reason Roger asked Thor to look at the logbook together was that although the logbook did not record the earliest record after the "Wave Ridge" and its accompanying ships separated from the "Twilight Fleet" each time, it did record their course when returning to the fleet after each mission, and then there would be a period of time when no records were made.

Roger believed this was because Ludwig had rejoined the main fleet, and he would not write any information related to the main fleet in the logbook.

However, even so, it was very valuable to Roger.

Because Ludwig's return to the "Twilight Fleet" course, although varying with time and place, allowed him to analyze Bratov's behavioral habits from this seemingly chaotic information.

This is very important because a cautious person like Blatov usually has a set of strict rules of conduct that he follows.

On the other hand, although these codes of conduct will be constantly adjusted according to the actual situation, the core contradiction will not change.

That is, what exactly is Bratov's greatest fear?

With the help of both the "Decipherer's Glasses" and the "Secret Insight," Roger quickly summarized several unchanging habits and characteristics of this "Twilight General."

First of all, this "Twilight Admiral" disliked open seas and preferred to move back and forth between the islands in the archipelago, especially between neighboring archipelagos, in order to conceal his whereabouts.

This can be confirmed because, in most cases, Ludwig began recording his logbook in open waters, and the records were rather vague, while the return voyage always led towards the archipelago.

This actually reflects a certain subconscious idea of ​​the "executioner," namely that "open seas have few reference points and are not easy to pinpoint the exact location," while "archipelagic waters have many reference points and are easy to locate the exact location," so it's better not to record anything.

Based on the fundamental assumptions that Bratov would not stop his activities when Ludwig set sail, and that there must be a certain distance between the departure point and the return point, Roger summarized the trajectory of the "Wave Ridge" during several missions and quickly confirmed his guess.

As for the specific reasons, Roger analyzed that there are two main considerations. First, the archipelago is generally inhabited and has administrative functions, so it also has military bases. Therefore, compared to the vast ocean areas that obviously require a larger military force, it is easier to hide here and not be detected.

On the other hand, the archipelago not only offers a variety of locations to stay in, but also has complex ocean currents, allowing for covert resupply and trade, or retreating to rely on the islands to shake off pursuers—a win-win situation.

Roger's second conclusion was that Bratov would never personally lead a fleet near Pasu Island.

Pasu Island may not be a large place, but the water is incredibly deep.

Not for any other reason than that this place was once the location of the "Storm Abyss," the earthly kingdom of the "Lord of Storms," ​​and is now also the location of the headquarters altar of the "Lord of Storms" church and the Thunder Church.

The Church of Storms has many mid-sequence masters and saints at the altar, not to mention that His Holiness the Pope Garde II spent a great deal of time here. He was a Sequence 2 angel of the "Sailor" pathway who had presided over the Council of Cardinals for nearly a century.

Roger deduced that either Bratov was avoiding contact with the higher-ups of the Storm Church due to his sensitive identity, or he had offended a certain saint of the Storm Church and did not want to operate under their watchful eye.

As for which specific situation it is, Roger is not yet clear, but even if he obtains information in this regard, it will not be of much value at present.

The third discovery is that "Twilight General" Bratov seems to be avoiding another force while avoiding the Church of Storms.

Although there is no conclusive evidence, Roger could deduce some of this from the possible contradictions in motivation that might exist in Ludwig's several returns to the "Twilight Fleet" and the changes in his departure course.

While it's uncertain whether Bratov was hiding from the "Immortal King" Agarito or someone else, this is undoubtedly an important variable.

Based on the above information, and considering Bratov's possible reaction after Ludwig's fleet was intercepted, Roger basically identified two of the most likely locations where Bratov might go.

The first option is to take a snake-like route from the Cargas Islands, bypass the Sea of ​​White Whales, and then, under the cover of Toscate Island, head towards the north coast of East Bayon.

The advantage of this plan is that it allows for a quick escape, but the disadvantage is that there is only one supply point along the way, in Toscate, and then one has to cross a large ocean without the protection of islands, and it will take at least twenty or thirty days to reach a safe area.

The second route is from the Gargas Islands down, from the south coast of Oláwi to the southern waters of the Rothschild Islands, and then around to the eastern waters of Tiana Island from Delineus Island.

While this approach carries greater risk, the benefits are also significant. It allows one to encounter numerous pirates and maritime intelligence brokers in the archipelago region, facilitating the investigation into what exactly happened to the "Wave Ridge" and helping Bratov identify his potential enemies.

This is a more likely scenario, because Roger was not a natural enemy of Bratov, and his encounter with Ludwig was largely accidental.

Although this may be influenced by the "Judgment Star" pathway in the Fate realm, the result is the same.

Besides the Church of Storms and "Undead King" Agarito, who else has their eyes on him? This is undoubtedly something that "Twilight General" Bratov, who has always wanted to keep a low profile, wants to find out.

Otherwise, if you were to encounter an enemy in the future and still be completely unaware of this, wouldn't you be at risk of being caught off guard and suffer a humiliating defeat?
Of course, if he confirms that the enemy is not as strong as himself, there is a high probability that Blatov will directly take action and kill the people who killed his second mate.

That said, Blatov probably never imagined that one of his most capable assistants' three fleets would be destroyed by the people on a civilian passenger ship. It was simply a case of not checking the almanac before going out and kicking a hornet's nest.

After confirming this information, Roger removed the nautical chart pinned to it, had Zeus help carry the useful documents, including the ship's log, and then headed back towards the Obsidian.

On the way, Roger stopped by the other room Thor had mentioned that couldn't be opened and used his ability to control inanimate objects with "Little Duck" to unlock the door.

According to Ludwig Sergei's logbook, the room contained some weapons and more valuable items looted earlier, which were of higher value than the supplies and fuel that Thor and his crew had found earlier.

Roger considered it for a moment and decided to temporarily use a small portion of cash or other currency to reward the brave crew members who had worked hard at sea that day to fight pirates. He would then leave the majority of the cash, gold, and personal belongings on the "Wave Ridge" and make further plans later.

Thor naturally had no objection to this, and the four people and the cat returned to the Obsidian.

It was already eight o'clock at night. "Pleasure Witch" Lindsay Louise and "Sheriff" Philip Hoover were already sitting in the dining room, waiting for Roger to return.

"Good evening, Mr. West."

Philip Hoover stood up and politely shook hands with Roger.

"No need to be so polite, please have a seat, Philip."

Roger had a very good impression of this baby-faced young man; he was not only witty and decisive but also very reliable, making him a good partner.

Lindsay Louise, on the other hand, was nonchalantly smoking a cigarette, no longer the gentle and charming woman she had been with her "boyfriend," but instead exuding a more thuggish air.

When Roger returned, she parted her red lips slightly and exhaled a puff of smoke at him as a greeting.

However, this act of blowing smoke rings left Thor and Zeus stunned, seemingly completely captivated by it.

Even Philip, who had been charmed by Lindsay several times before Roger returned, was once again staring blankly.

However, Roger, who possessed "secret insight," was completely unaffected by Lindsay, because he could clearly see the mystical mechanisms behind "charm."

The so-called knowledge is the same as control, so the reaction was not as strong as that of the other three people who were in an "unknown" state.

"Stop trying to seduce me, that won't work on me."

As Roger spoke, he released "Adeline's Spider Silk," which wrapped around Lindsay's arm.

This action clearly startled Linssaya, and the "Pleasure Witch" struggled for a while before Roger finally loosened the "spider silk."

"Are you the 'shepherd'?"

Linssaya looked at Roger in disbelief. She had not witnessed the full fight between Roger and Ludwig, but knew that the other party was most likely a Sequence 5 Beyonder.

"Ah."

Roger nodded, acknowledging Lindsay's hypothesis.

"You killed a 'Pain'?"

Linssaya asked again, tentatively.

"Correct."

Roger nodded: "If you mind this..."

"No, I don't mind."

Linssaya looked intently at Roger.

"To be honest, before I just wanted you to do something for me, but now it's different, I've started to like you."

Roger shuddered upon hearing this and shook his head repeatedly:

"Don't talk nonsense, what conflict do you have with the 'Witch Cult'?"

Linssaya stared at Roger for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

"I cannot tell you now... but as you can see, I am adrift at sea."

Roger was once again baffled by this, but he didn't press the matter further.

"Mr. West... are you a member of the Aurora Society?" Philip asked tentatively after overhearing Roger and Linseria's conversation. As a former military extraordinary, he naturally knew that "Shepherd" was Sequence 5 of the "Mystic" pathway and that this pathway was mainly controlled by the "Aurora Society".

“I have a grudge against them… Suddenly I feel that I might be somewhat similar to Lindsay.”

Roger chuckled and shrugged.

Philip gave him a deep look, and in the end could only nod.

He had previously suspected that Roger's true identity was that of the kingdom's famous musician, and if that were the case, then he could still believe what Roger said.

After all, with the minds of those crazy people in the "Aurora Club," they couldn't have written those pieces of music that were either positive or deeply moving.

Although it's unknown how Roger managed to overcome the madness often associated with the "Mystic" path, he doesn't seem to be acting abnormally at the moment.

"Alright, enough talk, let's get to the meeting."

Roger sat down, placed Bandit on his lap, and then had Zeus place the nautical charts and data he had obtained from the Waveridge on the table.

He explained his analysis and judgment to the three of them in detail, and sure enough, many of the details were confirmed by Zeus, who had long followed Ludwig's group.

Philip couldn't find anything wrong with it either. The former retired naval officer pondered for a moment, then looked at Roger:

“Mr. West, according to your analysis, if we allow the Obsidian to rashly enter the Rosed Island with the Wave Ridge now, I fear the Obsidian will be in extreme danger.”

The logic is obvious. Even if the flag of the "Wave Ridge" is taken down, its striking black paint and cannons alone are enough to make people think of it as a pirate.

For "Twilight General" Blatov, this was certainly high-value information, easily linked to the assassinated Ludwig.

"It's ok."

Roger shook his head: "What does our 'Wave Ridge' have to do with the 'Obsidian'?"

"what?"

The other three were stunned for a moment, but Linseria was the first to react:

"You mean you want to take the 'Wave Ridge' for yourself and become a pirate?"

"That's right."

Roger nodded slightly and answered with a smile.

Yes, just as Lindsay guessed, Roger now has a bold idea.

He wanted to possess the "Wave Ridge," develop the ship into his mobile sphere of influence at sea, and then gradually expand his power.

This has many advantages, because if he wants to find the cores of meteorites scattered around the world, or to search for what is hidden on Blackwing Reef and Koske Island, he will need his own navigational force.

According to his recent plans, he will lower the twilight flag once he arrives at the Rothschild Islands, but even so, the distinctive sloop will be enough to attract a lot of attention—just as Philip feared.

But this played right into Roger's hands.

He would deliberately present himself as having a small but not insignificant group, which would easily attract the attention of Blatov, who had obtained relevant intelligence, and make a move against him.

The reason for having just the right number of people is that he couldn't find that many, and even if he could, it would make Bratov hesitant to act rashly. If there were too few people, it would make the other side worry that there were high-ranking experts in his team who could fight against overwhelming odds, which would also arouse the other side's apprehension.

So having just the right number of people is the most suitable situation.

On the other hand, he also had certain plans regarding the remaining assets on the "Wave Ridge".

His plan was to use some of the cash and gold and silver to purchase supplies for the "Wave Ridge" after arriving at the Roosevelt Islands, and then find an opportunity to return the personal belongings to the victims' families.

Faced with this idea, the other three reacted in different ways.

Lindsay remained nonchalant and indifferent, while Philip was somewhat worried about the arrangement.

In his view, Roger, though strong, had a very low chance of winning against "Twilight Admiral".

Not to mention that Philip now knows that the "executioner," Ludwig Sergei, holds a very prominent position in the "Twilight Fleet," being a second mate. Therefore, Blatov will certainly not let his death go unpunished and will take every opportunity to vent his anger on himself and the others who killed him.

After all, there must be many powerful mid-sequence extraordinary individuals within the Twilight Fleet's main body. Based on the information he had gathered when he was in the Royal Navy, there were at least two more sequence 6 extraordinary individuals like Ludwig, and there should be more than fifteen sequence 7 extraordinary individuals.

As for the first mate Julius Kruger, who was second only to "Twilight Admiral", he was also a Sequence 5 Extraordinary who possessed a sealed artifact.

As for Zeus, he was a completely different person.

On the one hand, he was grateful to Roger, because following the latter not only meant he could have enough to eat, but he also wouldn't be beaten or scolded, which was much better than when he was following Ludwig Sergei.

On the other hand, compared to the other two, although he couldn't understand the middle sequence, he had witnessed Ludwig's actions several times more directly.

Once upon a time, Julius Kruger and Ludwig fought, but to the surprise of Zeus and the rest of the crew, the two ended up fighting to a draw.

It was on that occasion that Ludwig secured his position as the second-in-command of the "Twilight Fleet," on par with Julius.

How long did it take Roger to kill Ludwig? Was it five minutes? Or ten minutes?

No matter how long it takes, the fact that Roger was not injured at all shows that his strength far surpasses that of Ludwig and Julius, and he is likely to be able to compete with "Twilight Admiral"!
In other words, as long as he sticks to this "Mr. West" and stays alive, he has a good chance of making it big.

Zeus Newman seems to have already seen his bright future.

"I might become a first mate, or rather, a second mate, I'd be content with that... If not, I'll become a boatswain or gunnery officer or something."

So, under Roger's somewhat surprised gaze, the "sailor" with only Sequence 9 asked with a longing look:
"Mr. West, what should we name our fleet and flagship?"

Fleet? Flagship?
Philip looked at the male servant Roger had just captured with an expression of utter disbelief, completely unable to understand what the man was thinking.

It's important to know that this small group currently consists of only four people, barely enough to form a captain, a first mate, a steersman, and a sail and cable officer.

As for sailors, boatswains, gunners, carpenters, and fleet doctors, they are completely absent from existence.

However, Roger laughed heartily and patted Zeus on the shoulder with great pleasure:

"You've got some big ideas, just like me."

"We don't have a fleet right now, only one ship... Let's tentatively designate the 'Wave Ridge' as our future flagship."

"From today onwards, the 'Wave Ridge' will be renamed the 'Star Lord,' and any new ships that join the fleet will be named after a star."

“Who’s for it and who’s against it?”

Roger stood up and looked at the other three.

The reason it is called this is because the "Judgment Star" Geherus can control the trajectory of the stars and put them on the right track.

This authority was like that of a lord of the stars, and Roger similarly wanted all his ships to be "on the right track" and safe and sound.

This name is both powerful and auspicious; it is an excellent name.

"Star Lord... Star Lord..."

Zeus's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, expressing his support.

"...Let me state first that my purpose is only to get rid of Bratov, so I am only joining temporarily."

"After all, I am a retired navy officer, and joining pirates would go against my principles."

“Mr. West, I also want to advise you that being a pirate is a very dangerous and inhumane thing.”

Philip said with a solemn expression, fearing that Roger would become a new pirate leader who would cause headaches for governments around the world.

In fact, judging from Roger's current fighting ability and imagination, this seemingly gentle and refined young gentleman has the potential to achieve such a feat.

"Freedom to come and go."

Roger had no objection to Philip's request.

In fact, he was not short of money at all and did not need to plunder ships like other pirate captains. What he really wanted was to have his own mobile base at sea so that he could easily explore treasures all over the world.

On the other hand, he also planned to enter the Forsaken Lands, and having his own fleet would definitely make things much easier.

"So, Linseria, do you want to join us?"

Roger then looked at the last member of his team, the eccentric "Pleasure Witch".

(End of this chapter)