Debuff Master-Chapter 795

The branch of the Pirate Confederation was hidden beneath the run-down tavern that looked nothing special. Once inside, however, the place opened up into a bustling underground marketplace spanning at least one thousand square meters.

“Don’t you dare mess with the deck! I’ll chop your hand off if I catch you!”

“The Grand Barracuda Pirates are recruiting new crews!”

“Rum! Cheap safe rum for sale!”

The branch was a hub for commerce, pirate recruitment, gambling, and getting drunk.

Ironically, it was no different from a normal lively night market.

Who would suspect there was a secret lair of pirates right underneath a quiet port town where pirates were rarely seen?

‘Well, I guess it makes sense. Pirates can’t spend all three hundred sixty-five days at sea,’ Siegfried thought.

The sea was a harsh and unforgiving force of nature. Pirates were adept at seafaring, but they were still humans in the end, so they needed to occasionally come ashore for rest and leisure.

Thus, it wasn't a surprise that a place like this existed.

The pirates were truly impressive in a sense, as they had their own ecosystem, their own way of survival, and their own community. Of course, the problem was their occupation, which was crime.

“How do I register a pirate business?” Siegfried asked the tavern keeper.

“Over there,” the tavern keeper pointed to a shabby shack in the corner. Then, he said, “Not yet a pirate, huh?”

“I will be one starting from today.”

“A rookie, eh? You look young.”

The tavern keeper chuckled, not recognizing Siegfried. In his eyes, Siegfried was just another greenhorn trying to make it big at the seas.

Well, it was not his fault, as Siegfried was currently in disguise courtesy of the Metamorphosis Mask.

Siegfried was not foolish enough to step into such a place with his real face, as his face was known far and wide now thanks to the statues of him erected all over the continent.

“Let’s say that I’m a young entrepreneur instead,” Siegfried replied with a smirk.

“Ha! What a funny kid you are,” the tavern keeper said with a scoff.

“Was that a compliment?”

“Hardly. Being a pirate ain’t easy, kid. Rookies like you don’t last a year. Either they end up as shark food or swinging from a noose.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m aiming to become the Pirate King.”

“...What?”

“Thanks for the help.”

The tavern keeper watched as Siegfried headed toward the shack after spouting a bunch of nonsense.

***

“Hmm? A rookie?”

Wilson, the head of the Pirate Confederation branch, snorted after seeing Siegfried.

“What brings you here?” he snarked.

“I’d like to register my business,” Siegfried replied.

“Register a business?” Wilson asked, his brow twitching. Then, he asked again, “Did you just say you want to register your business?”

“Yeah, is there a problem?”

“Bwahaha! You? Registering? Pfft! Hahaha!” Wilson burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“...?”

“Hey, everyone! Listen to this! This kid wants to register as a pirate! Hahaha!”

The pirates roared with laughter after hearing Wilson's words, and some of them even mocked Siegfried.

“Hahaha!”

“Hey, kid! You still have some milk on your face!”

It was natural for them to laugh, as pirates were usually hardened criminals with very rough demeanor. Life at sea was rough and dangerous, so most young people like Siegfried would not survive such a life.

Wilson smirked and sneered, “Hey, kid. Go home and suck on your mother’s—”

Bam!

Siegfried’s hand shot out like a bolt of lightning and grabbed Wilson’s head before slamming it into the table.

“Kuheok!”

Wilson flailed his arms as his face was pressed against the wood. Blood dripped from his broken nose, and his front teeth lay shattered on the table.

“Stop yapping and hand over the paperwork,” Siegfried said icily.

One pirate lunged at him, “You little bastard!”

Shwiiik!

An ice shuriken cut through the air and pierced the pirate’s forehead.

The pirate collapsed to the ground and remained still, never to move again.

“...!”

The room fell silent.

Nobody expected such ruthlessness from someone who looked so frail and young.

“Hey, the paperwork,” Siegfried said icily.

“H-Here you go!”

Still pinned to the table, Wilson scrambled to pull out the Pirate Business Registration Form from a drawer and handed it over to Siegfried.

Ding!

A quest message popped up in front of Siegfried.

[Alert: You have received a new Quest – Startup! Pirate Crew!]

***

The quest details were as follows…

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

[Startup! Pirate Crew!]

[Fulfill the following conditions to establish your own pirate crew!]

[Type: Standard Quest]

[Progress: 0% (0/5)]

[Requirements:]

Pirate Ship x 1

Crew Members x 20

Pirate Flag x 1

Membership Fee x 2,500 Gold

Pirate Hideout x 1

“Hmm… It’s not complicated at all,” Siegfried said after skimming through the list. Then, he casually picked up the paperwork and called out, “Hey, you.”

“Y-Yes, sir…?”

Wilson’s voice trembled. He was still pinned, his face pressed against the desk.

“Where’s the nearest communication center?”

“At… the town hall… sir.”

“If you mess with me again, I’ll make sure that your head and neck will go on their separate ways. Got it?”

“Y-Yes! Understood!”

“Alright, I’ll be seeing you around.”

Without sparing the pirates another glance, Siegfried left the Pirate Confederation branch and headed to the communication center at the town hall.

Who was he going to call? It was none other than the King of the Nordic Tribe, Lionbreath.

The reason he called Lionbreath was simple. The sea-hardened Nordic Marines of the North Sea had a long history of plundering at sea. In essence, their roots were no different from pirates, and many across the continent even considered them to be pirates.

So what was the plan? He will recruit the Nordic Marines as members of his soon-to-be-formed pirate crew. The Nordic Tribe’s signature Aqua Runners were unmatched in agility and speed, so they'd serve as a perfect pirate fleet.

— Hello, brother! What’s the occasion?

Lionbreath, a war hero celebrated for his heroic feats during the war against the Zavala Kingdom, answered the call with absolute delight.

“How have you been, brother?”

— I’m doing well, of course! And you?

“Doing great, as always.”

— Glad to hear that! But where are you right now? Doesn’t look like you’re in the Proatine Kingdom.

“I had some business near the southern seas, and I am calling because I have a favor to ask.”

— A favor? What do you need? Just name it, and we, the Nordic Tribe, will always be ready to help.

“Well…”

After explaining the request to Lionbreath, Siegfried also contacted the Proatine Kingdom to summon Hamchi and Seung-Gu.

***

Siegfried had assembled a formidable pirate crew in just two and a half days.

For the flagship, he refurbished an aging warship from the Proatine Kingdom’s navy. The warship was due for retirement, so it was the perfect camouflage thanks to its weathered look.

The crew? He disguised the Nordic Marines, and twelve Aqua Runners were subtly modified and repainted to avoid getting recognized.

The pirate flag? He commissioned Gringore to design one.

The hideout? He took over the Black Seagull Pirates' lair.

“Kyuuu! Arrr! I’m a pirate! A pirate!” Hamchi shrieked, leaping excitedly at the ship’s bow.

“Hey, this isn’t a game, you know?” Siegfried grumbled.

Hamchi was wearing an eyepatch despite having both eyes intact and a pirate hat over his head, and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself dressed up as a pirate.

“Haha! We are pirates, hyung-nim!”

“And adventure with my brother again? What joy!”

Seung-Gu and Lionbreath seemed to be enjoying the experience too.

“Good grief…” Siegfried muttered, shaking his head at his overly enthusiastic companions. With a long sigh, he made his way back to the Pirate Confederation branch to submit his application.

Wilson, his face still bandaged, nervously examined the paperwork that Siegfried had handed over to him. Then, he asked, “Excuse me… May I ask for your good name, sir?”

“Hmm?”

“I need your name on the form, sir.”

Realizing he had overlooked it, Siegfried rummaged through the documents the Proatine Kingdom had provided. His fake identity, created specifically to become a pirate, was listed in the proof of identification.

The document read…

[Name: Francis de Drake]

[Pirate Crew Name: Golden Rat Pirates]

[Ship Name: Temeraire]

***

After submitting the application…

“Your registration is complete,” Wilson said, handing over a pirate business license and a magical gold coin, which was essentially an ID card for pirates, to Siegfried.

[Alert: You have obtained Pirate Gold Coin: Francis de Drake!]

And then…

“Oh, you might not be aware, but for pirate crews registered with the Pirate Confederation, meeting certain conditions will allow you to become a major pirate crew and gain access to the Green Isles,” Wilson said cautiously.

“What are these conditions?” Siegfried asked.

Ding!

A quest window appeared.

[I’m the Pirate In Charge Here!]

[Hunt down three existing major pirate crews and rise as a new major pirate crew!]

[Type: Standard Quest]

[Progress: 0% (0/3)]

[Reward: Green Isles Access Pass]

“So, I just need to hunt down three major pirate crews to get into the Green Isles?” Siegfried asked.

“Exactly, Captain Drake. Of course, hunting major pirate crews isn’t exactly going to be easy, but—” Wilson mid-sentence.

Why?

It was all because Siegfried was already walking away with his business license in hand.

After leaving the Pirate Confederation branch, Siegfried returned to the former base of the Black Seagull Pirates, which had been claimed by the Golden Rat Pirates.

The Temeraire immediately set sail. Siegfried wasn't a true pirate, so looting was of no interest to him. His sole focus was hunting major pirate crews to earn the Green Isles Access Pass.

Just like that, he began to sail the seas in search of major pirate crews to hunt down.

“Hey, is something bothering you lately?” Lionbreath asked while gulping down a bottle of rum, a staple pirate liquor.

“Hmm? Me? No, nothing really,” Siegfried replied, tilting his head at the unexpected question.

“Oh, I thought your wallet was getting lighter these days or something.”

“Huh?”

“I figured you must be taking side jobs to make ends meet.”

“...!”

“Or maybe there’s some other special reason, eh?”

Lionbreath’s offhand remark sparked an idea in Siegfried’s mind.

The words "side job" struck Siegfried like an arrow.

‘It’s true that I’ve been bleeding gold lately…’

He suffered a huge financial blow during the process of enhancing his Vanquisher’s Grasp to +15, as the guaranteed enhancement had drained his wallet. His once-plump wallet was now frighteningly thin.

‘Right, I have to squeeze every last bit out of this opportunity,’ Siegfried thought.

Determined, he resolved to earn back the gold he lost by doing some pirate work.

“Enemy pirate ship spotted ahead! But it’s not a major pirate crew!” a Nordic Scout shouted, having spotted a pirate ship through his telescope.

“Pursue them,” Siegfried ordered.”

“Huh? But that is not a major pirate crew, sir?”

“That doesn’t matter. We’ve already started, so let’s sweet away every pirate we come across. Clearing out these bandits from the seas is the right thing to do, don’t you all agree?” Siegfried said firmly.

His "pirate crew" was deeply moved by his words.

“Ooooh!”

“You truly are a hero, hyung-nim!”

“Hah! You’re truly a hero among all heroes, brother!”

Everyone except one person—or rather, except for one tiny creature, was moved by his words.

“...You’re just trying to make some extra cash, aren’t you, owner punk? Kyuuu…” Hamchi muttered. He knew Siegfried better than anyone, so the little—yet gigantic—critter easily saw through Siegfried’s "noble" facade, and he was not buying it at all.