Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 463 The Shadow of Fallen
Toscate Island, port.

A large group of people had gathered here, but for some reason, there was no noise. The people were roughly divided into two groups: one group consisted of people recruited by Anderson's propaganda, and the other group consisted of pirates who had been driven over by Luzer from places like the Moulin Rouge, casinos, and bars.

The two groups looked at each other, their expressions strange. They couldn't help but glance at the red figure in front of the harbor and the pirate captains in front of him.

"Our ship is 55 meters long, has two masts, a top speed of 10 knots, and a total of 18 cannons."

A pirate captain, with a wry look on his face, pointed to his ship and said, "It sounds good, but it's actually quite old."

“Ours is smaller, only about thirty meters.”

Another pirate captain also introduced the situation with a forced smile.

The pirate captains were terrified of Luze. Though their hearts were bleeding, they forced themselves to smile and surrender their ships. But fearing that Luze might actually covet their vessels, they could only offer ambiguous statements.

Until a young captain came up.

"This is our regiment's sailboat. It's fifty meters long, has three masts, and a top speed of 13 knots. We bought it from the underground shipyard in Bayam only six months ago. It has twelve rapid-fire cannons on board, and plenty of ammunition."

Walter Gaunt, captain of the Black Shark pirate crew, smiled as he introduced the ship to Luzer.

His ship was unusual in appearance. Unlike cargo ships that focused on cargo capacity or passenger ships that prioritized passenger comfort, this ship was streamlined and looked light and swift. When the windows on both sides of the hull were opened, rows of black cannon muzzles were exposed to the air.

"It's really good."

Anderson whistled, leaped lightly onto the boat, and inspected it. He performed his duties as first mate with ease and appeared very enthusiastic.

Lu Ze was still a novice in this area, so he only glanced at the ship briefly before turning back to look at its original owner.

What's the name of this ship?

"It's called the Doe, and it's perfect for your flagship."

The sea serpent's smile remained unchanged as it continued speaking.

He was a Sequence 8 Extraordinary, one of the strongest among the pirates. But precisely because of this, he was acutely aware of the gap between himself and Luze—a chasm that seemed insurmountable.

Seeing that even their powerful leader had this attitude, the pirates behind him became even more obedient, each of them shrinking their heads like quails.

"The ship is fine and can be sailed at any time."

During this time, Anderson had finished his general inspection of the cabins and returned to the deck.

It took them almost an hour to recruit crew and find a boat, and with preparations for setting sail, they really needed to hurry.

"Okay, let's decide on this one as our flagship."

Lu Ze turned to look at the people at the port, his expression thoughtful.

Next, we need to consider the crew.
"Sir, since you are going to form a fleet, why not take my pirate crew with you?"

Just then, the sea serpent, who had been very cooperative throughout, suddenly stepped forward and said respectfully, "You are currently short of manpower. We are very familiar with this ship, and the crew members are all ready-made sailors. We can definitely meet your requirements!"

The other pirates were taken aback, but then they understood what this guy was thinking.

This guy "Sea Serpent" offered up his ship, intending to take advantage of the situation and join a pirate crew with a very promising future!

After all, this captain is a demigod, and could very well become the fifth king of the sea!
Is being a leader under a king of the sea more valuable than being the captain of a small pirate crew?
"Sir, we'd like to join too!"

The other pirate captains hesitated for a second before jumping out and shouting. Lu Ze smiled, neither confirming nor denying. His eyes could see clearly, and his ears could hear clearly; the pirates reeked of blood, and the cries of the dead filled the air—these men were covered in blood.

On the other side of the harbor, the locals who had come with Anderson became uneasy and began to stir. After all, they were no match for these sailors who were familiar with the sea, and their hopes of boarding the ship were fading.

"Damn it!"

Amidst the crowd, Philia thought anxiously, "No, I have to get on the ship no matter what, even if I have to sneak in."

He was lost in thought when he heard Lu Ze speak.

"Anderson, do you know anything about these people?"

"Know!"

Anderson stood on the ship's railing, pointing down at the captains, "'Goldfinger' Sulu, never leaves a survivor after robbing a ship; 'Black Flag' Hook, after every robbery, he always fires a cannon to sink the ship before leaving; 'Lame' Flint, a 500-pound bounty, this guy is the most ruthless, he likes to force the passengers on the robbed ships to fight each other for his own amusement."

He was a hunter not long ago, so he naturally knew a lot about the pirates.

Under Luze's seemingly calm gaze, the pirate captains couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

"Gentlemen, my fleet is specifically targeting the Luen government and other pirates; it will not attack civilians," Luze said with a smile. "You few don't seem to meet my requirements."

"We can change it!"

"Lame" Flint felt uneasy under Luzer's gaze and quickly shouted, "I am willing to obey your orders and from now on be a principled pirate who will never harm the innocent!"

Of course, this was just a temporary excuse.

Flint thought to himself, how could a pirate not kill civilians? Don't be fooled by his noble appearance now. Once he truly takes command of the fleet and kills too many people, he will eventually fall into depravity and become a villain no different from the other pirates.

At that point, I wouldn't need to keep my promise. So, I just need to keep fooling him here for now.
A glint of gold flashed in Lu Ze's eyes, then he smiled and looked at the other pirates, "You think so too?"

"That's right!"

"Yes Yes!"

The other pirates joined in the chant, though it was hard to say how many were truly sincere. Only "Sea Serpent" Walter's expression changed slightly, as if he had sensed some kind of danger.

"Do you really believe that from the bottom of your hearts?"

Lu Ze then asked, "Once you're actually on board, it'll be too late to back out."

"No backing out, we're serious!"

"That's right, that's right!"

The pirates were all habitual liars, and when Luze repeatedly questioned them, they assumed he was easy to fool and nodded without hesitation.

However, Lu Ze sighed.

“But your shadows say otherwise.”

The next instant, the pirates noticed something was wrong.

The shadows beneath my feet came to life. These shadows seemed to have their own will, emanating a dark and decadent aura!

(End of this chapter)