We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 17 Steam Technology, Kid!
[Sturdy single-barreled cannon *3]

[Quality: Ordinary]

[Type: Component]

[Description: This is an old-fashioned cannon, not too old, and its sturdiness and durability are reliable, but don't expect much in terms of accuracy or range.]

[Equipping this item on a ship will increase its "Firepower" attribute!]

Truth exists within the range of cannons!

These three cannons were, of course, plundered from the Blood Wolf.

It took Shane a lot of effort to pull them out of the sea.

But it's clearly worth it.

Like many Chinese, Shane also suffers from "fear of insufficient firepower"—he believes that there can never be too much artillery.

Poor precision can be compensated for by increasing quantity!

On the other hand, Xia En hadn't forgotten that the ship's attributes were also linked to him.

Upgrading a ship's equipment is like upgrading yourself.

However, simply placing it on the ship does not seem to be considered as being in an "assembled" state.

Shane planned to wait until they dried before mounting them on the ship's side.

As for the peculiar machine next to the cannon, it's even more impressive!
A steam turbine that's been around for a while.

[Quality: Rare]

[Type: Component]

[Description: Steam-powered machinery, once considered one of the most advanced technological products of the previous era, is now widely used in navigation.]

[When equipped on a ship, it increases the "Speed" attribute!]

[Steam technology, kid!]

This peculiar machine is called a "steam turbine".

But after looking at it carefully for a long time, Shane felt that it was completely different from the steam engine he remembered.

The precision gears, the extremely complex cylinders, and the brass-colored pipes, valves, and connecting parts... just looking at them is enough to give you a headache.

Compared to ordinary steam engines, they seem more like creations that sprang from some kind of fantasy theme, filled with a bizarre and contradictory beauty.

This must be a product of the world's bizarre technological development.

This is truly a cutting-edge steam technology!

If it were auctioned on an island, I wonder how many silver snake coins it could fetch.

This is the most valuable loot on the Blood Wolf.

At this moment, Shane also understood why the Blood Wolf was able to catch up with the Black Swan.

The two are not powered by the same level of technology, so their speeds are naturally incomparable.

"But how do I install this thing?"

Like a complete novice building a computer for the first time, Xia En studied it for a long time and finally came to a conclusion—

To install this steam turbine on the ship and use it as a reliable power source, certain modifications to the hull are required!
This task is clearly not something that Shane alone can handle.

"It seems I'll need to find a reliable shipwright when I get back to Duke Island."

After taking stock of all the spoils, Xia En was in a good mood, and he couldn't stop smiling.

"Captain Hansen, you are truly my benefactor!"

Not only did they offer up their own head, but they also delivered all the assets from the Blood Wolf, directly resolving Xia En's debt problem.

"Being a pirate is still the most profitable. After all that hard work salvaging shipwrecks, the profits are not as good as this one raid."

Gradually, a bold idea suddenly popped into Xia En's mind.

"How about... I just change jobs?"

"hiss……"

Xia En was initially surprised by her own idea, but upon further reflection, it seemed to have some merit.

Given his current moral compass, directly plundering merchant ships is unrealistic, but...

It's perfectly reasonable that the pirate ship came to seize the Black Swan, but the ship turned the tables and destroyed the pirate ship, right?
They could not only seize the pirates' bounty, but also plunder the entire ship's wealth.

Kill two birds with one stone!
Wouldn't it be nice?

Now, it's time for fantasy! "Ahem."

Xia En shook his head, trying to calm himself down.

He also knew that his current strength was far from enough to dominate the seas, and he would still have to kneel down when he encountered truly powerful secret cultivators.

But this is indeed a way to get rich.

"We still need to plan this carefully and not rush into it."

Excitement gleamed in Xia En's eyes, but he suppressed his distracting thoughts and waved his hand.

"Set off, then return!"

……

……

Having already made a fortune, they urgently needed to sell their ship's spoils (including heads), and their fresh water and rations were running low...

Xia En had no reason to stay in this area any longer; returning to the island to resupply was the most urgent task.

To be honest, although the crabs and fish in the sea taste good, Xia En couldn't stand eating them every day. He needed to change things up with land-based food.

this day.

Shane and Joey were cleaning their spoils on the deck and sorting them into sacks.

Beep—

A long, drawn-out whistle sounded from afar.

Xia En looked up and saw a huge three-masted sailing ship slowly passing by on the sea.

The ship, painted scarlet, was four or five times the size of the Black Swan and large enough to carry hundreds of people on a voyage.

The sails were painted with a beautiful pattern of roses, the coat of arms of the Nova family and the symbol of the Duke.

"It's the Blood Duke!"

Joey gasped softly, a hint of awe in her eyes.

That was the largest and most magnificent ship near Duke Island, a testament to Duke Nova's military power and authority.

Shaen's gaze also fell on the Blood Duke, but his heart was burning with excitement.

If one could command such a massive ship, how high would one's attributes soar?

Second-order? Third-order?
Or stronger?

Although the Blood Duke was large and powerful, it didn't consider a small ship like the Black Swan a threat.

We're not too far from Duke Island now, and we can still see many ships on the sea.

The boats varied in size; some had just set sail, while others were returning.

It has a sense of a hundred boats racing and a thousand sails setting off.

And this is just a small ducal island.

It's hard to imagine how many ships are setting sail across this entire sea area.

This was the Age of Exploration!

Seeing this scene, a raging fire ignited in Xia En's heart.

He patted the mast beside him and thought to himself, "Little Black, you'd better step up your game and level up quickly. Let's work together."

"One day, all the people of the sea will look up to us!"

The sails on the mast swayed gently, as if responding to Shane's expectations.

Shortly afterward, as the Black Swan was about to enter the harbor, a sailboat of similar size approached.

"Hey, isn't this Captain Shane?"

On the opposite deck stood a well-off, bald man.

Xia En had a vague impression of this person; he seemed to be a fishing boat captain named "Jani" who had some grudge against the original owner's father.

Previously, Jani had tried to buy the Black Swan from the original owner, but was refused.

And so began the feud between the two.

Xia En was eager to sell the spoils on the ship and didn't want to waste too much time on him, so he asked casually.

"Captain Jani, is something the matter?"

(End of this chapter)