[Support me here:- https://bmc.link/punisher87 ]
"We can't fly!"
Jin shouted reflexively.
But the ship was already rushing towards the sea like a cannon.
"Don't worry, this won't be caught by magic of the Imperial force!"
The ship had no wings and wasn't a living organism. Furthermore, Cosmos knew that Order 7 didn't register on the enemy's barrier since it didn't actually "fly."
Riding on a flying ship was not something commonly experienced.
Jin was Runcandel, and Kashmir had been a part of the imperial family, Alisa was a former special task force member, Syris was the heir of Hidden Palace, and two dragons who had lived for thousands of years, but none of them had experienced something like this.
Kwaaah!
It was just a temporary flight due to the water blocked by the walls, but Jin and his companions couldn't close their mouths.
Goodness, can a mere pirate prepare something like this?
That's what Jin and his companions were thinking. Cosmos had pre-installed the ship underground on the island, ensuring they could escape in case of an emergency.
"Hahahaha! That’s why I love to create these ships!"
If there's Order 7, then there must have been Order 1 through 6 served in the same way.
Jin and his companions couldn't even hear Cosmos' carefree laughter. They were experiencing the overwhelming water pressure that shot the ship like a cannonball, draining their spirits.
On the other hand, it seemed familiar to the pirates. They were all shouting like excited monkeys, enjoying the unbelievable speed of the ship.
Their cheeks were pushed back by the wind. If they tried to open their eyes against the wind, their eyelids would flip inside out, and their hair would become disheveled in an instant.
Looking down, they could see other ships.
It was the Bellado naval fleet, which had surrounded the island. Those standing on the deck of the fleet seemed dumbfounded, raising their heads in disbelief.
Order 7 flew past them like a bird. Even after passing them, it continued to fly for a while, descending towards the distant sea.
It was an unreal scene. The commanders of the fleet couldn't even order to fire cannons or magic at Order 7.
They just stood there, momentarily stupefied, with faces asking, "What is that?"
"Hahaha, now we're descending, hold on tight!"
Before Cosmos could shout, Jin and his companions were already clutching their fingers in the gaps of the deck.
They had doubts about whether the ship could withstand the impact. If the sea didn't embrace it, Order 7 would be shattered into pieces.
But only Jin, his companions, and the naval fleet of the Bellado harbored such doubts.
Boom...! Crack...!
Water surged in all directions as if a tsunami had occurred.
The result was the ship crashing into the sea, accompanied by the sound of something breaking. It was the sound of the ship shaking and its components breaking apart.
Debris scattered in all direction. Countless wooden fragments flew around, and the deck broke apart and flew up.
Yet the pirates were busy laughing and chatting. They even said, "This is much better than last time.”.
It was truly smashed to pieces.
Surprisingly, as the surging water subsided, Order 7 smoothly and leisurely moved forward. The structure of the ship remained intact.
"Phew..."
Jin unintentionally sighed. When he turned around, the island and the fleet looked as tiny as beans.
"Do you know how our pirates survive in the midst of monsters like you? It's because of things like this. Even the Empire's fleet can't chase us in the sea, not just the Bellado’s."
"The ship seems pretty damaged, and I heard cracking sounds from the hull. The deck is completely destroyed. Can this ship really shake off the pursuit?"
Cosmos chuckled, patting Jin's shoulder.
"Well, the sea loves us. Don't worry, once the urgent repairs are done, they'll be dots within 30 minutes, and in an hour, they won't even be visible. Repair crew, get to work. Navigation crew, get your spirits together and hold the course!"
At Cosmos' words, the pirates who were chuckling obeyed without a fuss, finding their respective positions. There were only Jin and his companions, as well as Cosmos, standing there with nothing to do.
"Amazing. How did you do it?"
"It would be troublesome if you found out our trade secret."
"But if anyone goes through something like this, they can't help but ask me."
"Hahaha, even Runcandel couldn't replicate this. That's why I'm not just any pirate king."
The rest of Jin's companions were still unable to recover from the shock.
‘Why on earth does someone with such abilities choose to be a pirate?’
He wanted to ask that, but he held back. They seemed to take great pride in their profession as pirates, and now it was time to express gratitude.
"Anyway, thank you. Thanks to you, we were able to escape the island comfortably."
"Hmph, isn't that a bitter thanks? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have escaped. I know you promised, but I can not trust you."
"If my companions and I can safely reach the mainland, then I won't have any issues with fulfilling the promise. What about the route?"
"We'll go straight to the Zahn Kingdom without any detours and replenish supplies from the islands of our allies nearby. It will take exactly two weeks. Once we arrive, you can disembark and find your own way. How much money are you going to pay?"
"More than you can imagine. What you earned at each arena will feel like pocket change compared to that."
Even more than that wouldn't be too much.
In the midst of escaping on Murakan or Cuicantelle, the worst possible scenario, the situation had escalated due to the red barrier. Despite being prepared to lose several of his companions while escaping through swimming, Jin was fortunate enough to encounter Cosmos.
But that wasn't all. Thanks to participating in Cosmos' arenas last year, Jin met Veradin and Dante, and obtained the map of the Colon Ruins.
In essence, Cosmos was nothing short of a great benefactor to Jin.
Cosmos chuckled with a smirk.
"I had no other choice but to take you onboard... But compared to other Runcandels, you are a different breed. Doesn't Runcandel’s method just kill us once you get to safety? We're not even contractors, just mere pirates."
"Do you want me to do that?"
"I'm just saying. Unlike us, you take your oaths seriously, so don't go changing your mind now. Hehe, it's exciting. Don't forget to pay my debt and pay the reward separately."
"Of course, you've done something worthy of it."
***
Jin’s valuable benefactor, Pirate King Cosmos, remained undaunted.
Even when Jin told him that not only the Bellado fleet but also powerful forces like Vermont special task force and Zipfel could be after them.
"They'll always be chasing after us. And they never catch us, just like now."
"They might have to send out the dragon this time. Even if Order 7 is fast, it can't shake off a dragon."
"Do you think we're fools? With the money you promised, we'll hide and live for several years at least. How many islands are there in the world? How could they search them all? So don't worry, just send the money."
June 18, 1797.
When all his companions gathered in Tikan once again, Jin's first action was to send gold bars to the Cosmos.
He also wrote a letter, advising him to consider rebuilding their lives someday, as long as they didn't engage in depraved acts. If they lived modestly, there would eventually be a place for them in Huphester.
"Young master."
Gilly's eyes reddened as soon as she saw Jin. His departure to the Mitra Desert and his participation in the Compass Heist Operation upon his return were all painful periods of waiting for her.
However, she didn't show any signs of complaint. She was a martial artist, even before she became his nanny. So, she can tell in one glance that Jin had truly become strong.
"You've grown. You've also achieved what you wanted."
Gilly smiled as she handed Jin the golden compass.
"So, because of this tiny thing everyone had a hard time."
"While you were away, I learned how to use it along with the Seven-Color peacock agents. Just like any other artifact, it functions by infusing it with mana. There are many other things to tell, but would you like to examine this first?"
"Yes, I want to check it quickly, and I miss the food Gilly prepares after such a long time."
"I'll prepare it as soon as you are done."
Jin, holding the compass, calmly began infusing it with mana.
Ching, chichiching, krik...!
Components within the compass started moving, and the next moment, the reflected mana on the surface of the compass drew a map in the air.
‘This is... the continent?’
At first glance, it didn't seem much different from a typical travel artifact map. Except that the map was slightly larger and had stronger colors.
But there were red dots scattered throughout the continent.
It amazed the group.
The red dots were concentrated in the lands of Vermont and Zipfel, Lutero Magic Federation. The Huphester Alliance had hardly any visible dots, and they were sporadically distributed in other regions.
"Could those all be the contractors...?"
"It seems so, Sir Kashmir. They are mostly gathered around Zipfel and Vermont."
It didn't precisely pinpoint the location of the contractors. The red dots were mere markers indicating the number of contractors, and they were all shining from the central regions of each area.
It didn't reveal the appearance or status of the contractors. However, the presence of red dots meant that there were contractors, and that was enough for forces as significant as Zipfel.
By utilizing resources and manpower, they could gradually narrow down the search range. Particularly, if there was only one red dot in a small land like the Mamit Lawless Zone shown by the compass, it would be very easy to search.
On the other hand, searching the giant continents with few shining red dots seemed difficult even with the compass.
"I've examined it several times before your arrival, young master, but the positions of the red dots change subtly every day. It's probably because the contractors are on the move."
A shiver ran down Jin's spine.
"Enya, Euria, and I made the right decision to leave Tikan half a year ago. I can't imagine what the Zipfel bastards would have done if we had stayed here."
Zipfel must have realized from the beginning that there were "three" contractors gathered in Tikan.
Tikan Free City is an island. Therefore, unlike other continents, there was no need to narrow down the range if there were distributed red dots. Whether there were one or several, it would be the same.
"If we had stayed, there would have been three red dots shining brightly in Tikan. Just like now... Hm?"
Jin paused as he examined Tikan on the map.
For some reason, there was not a single red dot shining in Tikan, even though Jin, Euria, and Enya, all three contractors, were present in that location.
"Could it be... is this a fake? Why are there no red dots in Tikan?"
Upon Jin's words, his companions also stared at the same spot.
"That's strange. It seemed like there was a function to locate the contractors. Three days ago, after a red dot appeared near the Schutzeron Kingdom, a small article came out this morning saying that someone made a contract with the God of Clams in the Schutzeron Kingdom..."
"The God of Clams? Was its name Olmango or Olongo? Anyway, you're saying that even such a minor god was marked with a red dot? That guy is too incompetent to be called a god."
Murakan chuckled, but the others wore stern expressions.
"...Something's strange. If Gilly's words are true, then the item seems genuine, but why does it show no contractors in Tikan?"
Cuicantelle, who had been observing quietly, looked at Jin and Murakan as if something had come to mind.
"Both of you, go out for a moment."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"Just go out."
"Where to?"
"Outside Tikan."
Amazing