Barbarossa tossed the musket to the first mate, glanced at the young man whose crotch was slowly seeping wet, and said with a smile, "One messenger is enough."

High atop the clock tower, listening to the reports from his subordinates, Rutledge, consumed by rage, nearly fainted.

"That treacherous scoundrel! That audacious bastard!"

Rutledge slammed the maps and clutter off the table and roared, "I'm going to personally lead the troops and drive those filthy pirates into the sea to feed the sharks!"

Dawson's old butler, seeing the furious Rutledge, gently reminded him, "Young master, now is not the time to lose your temper."

Rutledge, panting heavily and gritting his teeth, looked silently at the Twilight City under the night sky.

"We have completely taken control of the camps of the Twilight Knights and the security forces; the nobles have taken control of the city's main roads; the city hall, the cathedral, and the Knights' Council building have all been captured; although the battle with the North Island Knights is not going well, the resistance of more than two hundred people has not caused any major impact."

Listening to the old steward's analysis, Rutledge breathed a sigh of relief: "You're right. Giving those pirates a little treat now might not be a bad thing. Let them take over the port now, and I can always take it back later!"

The old butler nodded: "Right now, there are two most troublesome things. First, the 'riots' in the city have alerted those cabinet members. Most of the men we sent to make arrests have returned empty-handed..."

Rutledge said in a low voice, "This is not a big problem. We now control all the roads leading out of the city. No matter where those cabinet members are hiding, they are definitely still in the city. Once Muxi City is completely stabilized, I will have plenty of time to turn the city upside down and search it thoroughly. They definitely won't be able to escape!"

The old butler said softly, "Then, young master, there is only one thing left."

Rutledge raised his head, looked at the palace atop the distant mountain, and sneered, "That's right, there's only one last thing left."