Chapter 117: A Generation of Pirates 4 Going alone into the dragon's den and the tiger's cave.
Hearing this plea, Jian Ziyan was stunned for a moment, thinking he had heard it wrong.
Go in and take a look? Who to see? Don't tell him that you want to see him. Maybe you want to see if he is dead, so that you can make sure he can't take revenge on his own traitor?
Jian Ziyan sneered in his heart. He had to use all his strength to control himself and not rush forward irrationally to let this traitor bathe the earth in blood.
However, after seeing Qiao, Jian Ziyan, who had originally planned to leave, changed his mind. He lay in ambush on the side and listened to their conversation.
"I think I've given you a clear enough response, soldier." Lunn's voice was very cold. "For the heavy criminals imprisoned in the water dungeon, no one has the right to visit, let alone you with a special identity."
“But…but…”
Qiao Qiqi Aiai, thinking, General, can't you go? And you let those ugly rumors spread without stopping them... But when he saw Lun's cold and majestic eyes, he still lowered his head.
"Give up this idea, soldier, unless you want to be charged with conspiracy to piracy." Lunn's voice was cold, but his words were very instructive. "You finally got rid of your pirate identity and officially became a member of the Royal Navy. Your future is immeasurable. Do you want to ruin your future for the master you have already betrayed?"
Hearing those words that he emphasized, Joe's expression became panic. He didn't dare to say anything more and watched Lun walk into the dungeon.
Jian Ziyan avoided Lun En. He knew that Lun En would soon know that he had escaped. The wisest thing to do now was to find a way to escape from here immediately, but...
He stared at Joe's somewhat lonely back as he left, and clenched the dagger in his hand.
…
Joe left the dungeon in a daze, and walked on the street. Everyone looked at him with respect and envy because of his navy uniform. However, these looks on him did not bring him the glory he had imagined. Instead, they felt like thorns in his back, making him very uncomfortable.
Is this the life he got in exchange for betraying the captain and the first twenty years of his life?
He asked himself.
He thought that a stable life, a life where he would not be chased like a rat by others and would not have to endure the strange and fearful looks from others, was what he was pursuing.
But when he really got this kind of life, he could never forget the look that Jian Ziyan gave him.
Jian Ziyan said to Lun En at that time: You bribed my second mate.
He had dreamt of that scene and that look many times, and these words echoed in his ears countless times in his dreams.
He had been his second mate, but he had betrayed him and delivered him into the hands of those demons.
When he thought of this, Joe became dazed and dizzy. He couldn't even see the road clearly and had to walk by holding on to the wall beside him.
Joe was immersed in this trance until he passed a dark alley. He was suddenly dragged in and a cold dagger was pressed against his neck.
Then a voice so familiar that it made his blood rush backwards rang out.
"Long time no see, my second mate."
Joe looked at the thin, pale face with undiminished eyes and eyebrows in disbelief. He shuddered suddenly and said in a dreamy tone: "Ship...Captain?"
"I don't deserve to be called captain by you." Jian Ziyan's voice was hoarse, mixed with some hissing. "Selling out for fame and fortune, reporting my itinerary to the navy, this is what you do for your captain, I don't dare to be your captain."
"captain……"
Upon hearing his hateful words, Qiao's eyes turned red. He looked at Jian Ziyan pleadingly, not caring at all about the dagger against his neck, and said in a trembling voice.
"Captain, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong."
Jian Ziyan was not moved at all. He looked at Qiao's tears coldly and said, "Qiao, you and Kelly are both pulled out of the sea by me. I let you be my second mate because I never thought that one of you would betray me."
If Qiao could barely control his emotions before, as soon as Jian Ziyan said this, his tears burst out and his eyes revealed genuine regret.
He remembered the day when the boat he was on capsized in the storm. His father, brother, and everyone else died. He was the only one who clung to the last piece of driftwood, waiting for death in despair.
At this time, a ship with a bloody skull flag arrived. When he saw the young man standing on the bow, it was like he had seen the redemption of his life.
That was the turning point of his life. It was Jian Ziyan who saved his life and gave him the chance to live. How could he forget it?
He should have been grateful and dedicated the rest of his life to Jian Ziyan, but he couldn't resist his yearning for a peaceful life and made the most despicable choice.
"I'm sorry..." Joe cried, "Captain, I am sorry for you, please kill me. I haven't had a good sleep for a single day during this period, please kill me..."
Jian Ziyan had a blank expression on his face, only his slightly shaking pupils showed that his heart was not as calm as he appeared to be on the surface.
"Joe, how many years have you been with me?" he asked suddenly.
Joe choked up and replied, "Five...five years."
"Then I want you to swear on these five years."
Jian Ziyan approached Qiao's face, and on his pale face, a pair of dark pupils burst out with a shocking light.
"Tell me, did you say...those things?"
He spoke cryptically, but Joe understood. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Captain, I didn't tell them, but Admiral Lunn seemed to have other ways to get the news among the pirates... Based on what I heard, he should know about this."
Even though he had prepared himself to be exposed, when he actually heard the news, the last bit of color faded from Jian Ziyan's face.
Joe couldn't bear to watch this, and he said quickly and quietly: "Captain, we were too independent before, and it's not just the Royal Navy that's targeting you..."
"I know." Jian Ziyan's voice was as light as a whisper. "Is there any movement on the Pirate King's side?"
Qiao didn't expect that Jian Ziyan already knew about this. A struggle flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly made up his mind and said, "Captain, give up those people. You can't protect yourself now, and you can't protect them anymore..."
Facing Jian Ziyan's sharp gaze, his heart trembled, and he continued to speak with a stiff upper lip: "...This is their fate. You have protected them for too long. Even if something happens in the future, it can't be blamed on you."
"Why do you say that suddenly?" Jian Ziyan keenly grasped the deeper meaning of his words and asked, "What else do you know?"
Joe just looked at him sadly: "Captain, this is not our era. Penorma's minions are everywhere in the world. All pirates who don't surrender will die, not to mention those who are destined to become slaves..."
"What do you mean by 'people who are destined to be slaves'? People are people. Why should others decide and judge what kind of people they become?" Jian Ziyan suddenly became furious. His hands trembled and he cut a bloody mark on Qiao's neck. "Tell me, what are they going to do?"
Joser shook his body but did not dodge: "I am just a soldier and I don't know Admiral Lunn's specific plan. I just heard that they thought you hid those 'resources' and the large amount of looted treasure on that island. They plan to launch a joint attack to seize the treasure. The Pirate King will announce this news at the next Pirate Conference."
Jian Ziyan's blood ran cold from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.
His pupils contracted, his heart trembled, and he was dazed for a moment.
He had tried to imagine the worst possible consequences, but he never expected that Lunn would be so greedy and cruel.
He was wrong.
"Kill me and run away quickly, Captain." Joe said, "Don't go back to the island, and don't contact Kelly and others again... Staying away from these is your only chance to survive."
Jian Ziyan looked at him without saying a word.
Qiao Gang was about to try to persuade him, but suddenly his eyes widened. He didn't even care about the dagger on his neck and just hugged Jian Ziyan, then turned their bodies over!
Jian Ziyan quickly retracted the dagger, preventing Qiao's body from being torn apart on the spot, but then he was stunned.
The sound of a sharp arrow piercing flesh was heard, and Joe held him in his arms, with sticky blood flowing from his mouth.
"Joe...?"
Jian Ziyan subconsciously hugged Qiao's body, but felt something wet and sticky on his hand.
Through Joe's shoulder, he saw Lunn's grim face not far away, and in his hand, he was holding a bow and arrow.
"captain……"
Qiao stared at Jian Ziyan steadily. The arrow had pierced his lung. He was bleeding profusely and had difficulty breathing when speaking.
"I'm sorry... You, hurry up, my horse is at the post house behind this alley..."
"Hurry...go."
After saying this, he kept his eyes open and didn't move.
In his eyes, there is a sense of relief and liberation.
Jian Ziyan watched him until he had no breath left. Apart from his increasingly dark eyes, there was no sign that someone close to him had just died.
He raised his eyes and saw Lun walking towards him quickly, with an air of determination to catch his prey.
Jian Ziyan took a deep breath and suppressed all the emotions in his heart.
Then he pulled out the arrow that was stuck in Joe's back.
Blood spurted out, splashing half of his face. He turned around expressionlessly and climbed over the wall.
Before Lunn caught up, he quickly found the black horse with Joe's name on it, grabbed the reins, and jumped onto the horse's back with his long legs.
He looked at Lunn who was chasing him and his expression finally changed, with only coldness in his eyes.
Len Alva.
He repeated the name in his mind, with hatred sticking like venom.
Then he leaped on his horse and ran away amidst the screams of surprise.
…
As the sun sets, on a secluded coast, Kelly sits on a rock. The salty sea breeze blows his soft curly hair, revealing his gloomy eyes.
This was the secret place he and Jian Ziyan had agreed upon. Ever since he escaped and came back to life, he had been staying here every day, looking at the blood-red tide under the setting sun, and he almost never left.
With him were the crew members who were rescued by Jian Ziyan that day. They waited here day after day, from being full of hope to gradually becoming silent.
"Kelly, maybe the captain can't escape." A crew member said, "You've also heard the rumor that the person that Lunn Alva has his eyes on..."
"You can go on your own if you want to leave." Kelly interrupted him, "I will continue to wait here for the captain. I will wait forever."
The crew members didn't dare to speak. They looked at each other and could only exchange sad expressions.
They also wanted to wait for the captain, but judging from all the signs, even if the captain was not dead, there was absolutely no chance that he would ever have another chance to come out.
The atmosphere fell into silence, and just as the light gradually dimmed, the sound of horse hooves broke the silence.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then stood up at the same time in disbelief and looked towards the place where the sound came from.
Soon, a tall and handsome black horse came running slowly, and on its back...
It was Jian Ziyan, whose body was covered in blood and whose thin body was shaking slightly.
"captain!"
Kelly was the first to jump out and ran quickly towards Jian Ziyan, just in time to catch Jian Ziyan's falling body.
Seeing his injuries, Kelly's eyes were bloodshot and he didn't know where to put his hands, because no matter how he hugged him, he would touch Jian Ziyan's wounds.
The wounds were stacked one on top of another, with new blood still flowing from the scabs, making the clothes stick to the wounds, which looked horrifying.
The crew members who followed behind saw this scene and fell into shocked silence.
Jian Ziyan was exhausted, but his consciousness was not completely gone. He forced himself to stay clear-headed and said, "Go and investigate the time and location of this pirate conference."
After saying this, he couldn't hold on and fainted in Kelly's arms.
Faintly, he seemed to hear Kelly's sad roar.
…
The moonlight was cold, a whale oil lamp was burning in the captain's room, and Jian Ziyan was sitting on the bed, looking out the window.
The waves outside were surging, and bandages were crisscrossed around his body, barely covering up his wounds.
There was a knock on the door, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Come in."
Kelly walked into the captain's room and saw Jian Ziyan at a glance. The dim and swaying light outlined his young and calm eyebrows. He was still as calm as ever, but less fierce, which made him reveal a bit of pitiful fragility.
Of course he knew that this was just an illusion caused by appearance. Although his captain was young, he never showed any signs of weakness no matter how desperate the situation was or how serious the injury was.
"Captain, news of the Pirate Conference has come back." Kelly stood in front of the bed. "The Pirate Conference will be held in Bayit Port in five days. The Pirate King has specially contacted all the famous captains to attend. It seems that there is something important to announce."
Jian Ziyan raised his eyebrows: "Everyone who is famous? Did he send anyone to look for us?"
Kelly was silent for two seconds and answered truthfully: "No."
Jian Ziyan sneered.
"He didn't call me because he thought I was unworthy, or because he felt guilty about trying to steal my things?"
Kelly's face changed. This equally smart young man sensed some terrible message in the captain's short words: "Captain, are you saying that the Pirate King knows..."
"Not only him, the Royal Navy also knows about it." Jian Ziyan said calmly, "They call our 'home' a treasure and want to unite and annex it."
Kelly's eyes were dull for a moment, then filled with hatred: "It's Joe - that traitor -"
"No, that's not what he said." Jian Ziyan looked at his hands. Even though he had washed them, the sticky, wet and hot feeling seemed to linger on them. "Joe is dead, Kelly. He exchanged his life for mine. He has redeemed himself for the sin of betraying me."
Kelly's words got stuck in his throat. Too much information suddenly filled his mind, leaving him stunned.
"This matter has passed, and we need to deal with the next matter."
When he raised his eyes again, Jian Ziyan had completely concealed that trace of vulnerability.
"The situation is serious now and we have to make a decision."
Kelly looked at him, opened his mouth several times, and then stopped hesitantly.
Jian Ziyan noticed: "What do you want to say?"
“Captain, maybe you don’t like to hear this, but at this point, I have to say it.” Kelly gritted his teeth, not daring to look at Jian Ziyan’s expression. “You’ve done your best for those people. You saved their lives, but you can’t protect them for their entire lives. This is the choice of the times, and it’s not something you can change alone…”
He thought that with the captain's temper, he would be furious when hearing him say this, but the captain's room was quiet, with only the sound of waves and the sound of the whale oil lamp burning slowly.
Kelly raised his head uneasily and saw Jian Ziyan just looking at him quietly, with no disappointment or anger on his face.
"captain……"
"I know, Kelly, I know."
Jian Ziyan leaned against the head of the bed, a hint of fatigue showing on his usually calm face.
"I know I am just trying to stop a chariot with my bare hands. How can I fight against the combined forces of the Royal Navy and the Pirate King with my own strength?"
Kelly's eyes moved: "Then Captain..."
"But I have no choice." Jian Ziyan looked at him. There was no determination of a lone hero in his voice. There was only a calm narration, just stating a fact.
He said: "If even I gave up on them, they really wouldn't have any chance of survival."
Kelly's eyes turned red: "But Captain, they are not your responsibility."
"If that's the case, then you are not my responsibility. In this world, who is responsible for whom? It's good enough if I can ensure my own survival." Jian Ziyan said, "Most of my crew members were rescued by me. The reason I saved them is the same as the reason I saved you. I just don't want to bow to this disgusting fate."
Kelly stared at Jian Ziyan in amazement, as if he was looking at a real giant.
"It doesn't matter, Kelly. This is just my personal decision. It has nothing to do with you or the Giant's Ghost." Jian Ziyan said, "From today on, you are the captain of the Giant's Ghost. What I do has nothing to do with you."
"What?" Kelly was stunned. Anxiety and bewilderment appeared on his face at the same time, forming an expression as if the sky had fallen. "Captain, you... don't want us anymore?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Jian Ziyan said, "It is precisely because I care about you that I cannot bring you into this mess."
Kelly said without a second thought: "I don't care about others, but I will follow the captain. No matter if you have to go through fire and water, I will go with you."
He had followed Jian Ziyan for a long time and knew that beneath his cold and fierce appearance was a soft heart. As long as he begged him, he would always soften his heart.
However, this time Jian Ziyan did not show any mercy.
He looked at Kelly calmly and said calmly: "In that case, you are no longer a member of the 'Giant's Ghost'."
Kelly was stunned.
It took him two seconds to realize what Jian Ziyan said. He immediately showed an extremely horrified expression and even trembled when he spoke: "Captain, you want to... drive me away?"
"Kelly, you should know that the decision I made will not be changed for anyone." Jian Ziyan said mercilessly, "Since you don't want to be the new captain, then go find another way out."
Kelly bit his lips tightly, intense pain and fear swept over him. He looked at Jian Ziyan pleadingly, and after seeing his determined brows, he let out a weak sob.
"I, I understand." He said weakly, "I will listen to you, Captain, please don't chase me away."
…
Bayit Port is an independent island where pirates gather. It is chaotic, dirty and disorderly. It is a paradise for pirates and various criminals.
Even the famous pirates had to bring a few more crew members with them when they came here. After all, if they were killed here, there would be no way to seek justice.
Jian Ziyan came to the port of Bayit alone without any followers and in a small boat.
At this time, the Pirate Conference had been held and the big pirates gathered together. In the deepest part of the hall, there was a leopard skin curtain, which blocked the true appearance of the pirate king inside.
A burly man with a bald head, a strange tattoo, a golden nose ring, and his mouth sewn up stood in front of the curtain and spoke.
"Now that all the invited captains have arrived, let's start..."
"Are all the invited ones here? Then I think you missed someone."
A slightly hoarse young boy's voice drowned out the big man's voice, causing a commotion and uproar.
Amidst all kinds of gazes, Jian Ziyan walked in slowly in pirate costume.
He was wearing an eye patch, and the eye that was exposed was sharp and beautiful, with a clear and cold light. He glanced at the entire room indifferently, and all the voices were suppressed.
"Why," he said, "Pirate King, did you miss an invitation? Or is there something you want to discuss that I can't listen to?"
He arrogantly broke into the Pirate Conference and directly challenged the authority of the Pirate King. Even though he had always behaved in a bizarre and unruly manner, this was too much of a suicidal act.
The Pirate King didn't say anything. A pirate captain looked at him with an ambiguous gaze and let out an ambiguous laugh.
"Look who this is? Isn't this the famous Captain Jane?" He showed a mouthful of unpleasant yellow teeth. "Why, have you escaped, or are you here to gather information on behalf of your general?"
The people around him broke the silence and laughed, and all kinds of meaningful glances were focused on Jian Ziyan.
Jian Ziyan had a stern expression, as if he was not affected at all by these words. He just stared at the person behind the leopard skin and raised his voice.
"Pirate King, do you have the guts to hold a meeting here to rob me? Do you have the guts to tell everyone what agreement you have reached with the Royal Navy?"
Hit the deadly point.
If there was one mortal enemy of the pirates, it would be the Royal Navy.
And now Jian Ziyan actually said that their pirate king had some unknown deal with the Royal Navy?
The burly man narrowed his eyes, revealing a strong murderous intent in his pupils. His hand was already on the knife at his waist, ready to cut Jian Ziyan's neck at any time.
This news came like a bolt of thunder, and the noisy pirates stopped in shock, not knowing what was going on.
In this silence, a soft sigh came from behind the leopard skin.
The moment he heard the voice, a familiar feeling flashed through Jian Ziyan's heart. Before he could think about it, a voice that he treasured in his heart and would never forget even until his death came out.
"You still know it."
The voice was gentle and soft, and it stunned many people present as soon as it appeared.
The Pirate King has always relied on the people around him to pass on messages and rarely shows up in person, so most people here don’t know that the Pirate King who controls the entire pirate society is actually a woman!
Upon hearing this voice, all the calmness and sharpness on Jian Ziyan's face collapsed. He looked at the curtain with a look of horror.
As the leopard-skin curtain was drawn aside, a face that had not changed much even after thirteen years appeared before his eyes.
"Zi Yan, I told you long ago that your character would bring you disaster sooner or later." The Pirate King sighed and said, "Now it has come true."
*
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The theme of this world is almost out.
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