Me and countless me.

Chapter 494 Joseph, who was prepared

They both had a minor grudge against Jack Sparrow. Although they could sit together and have a good drink, they wouldn't mind sending that bastard to Poseidon if given the chance.

So things were decided in a pleasant atmosphere: they decided to send Li Ke, who seemed like a rather unusual guy, to the other side's ship when they arrived at the next island.

"After all, I'm a captain who hasn't had a single accident in ten years! I'm capable enough! My experience and skills are enough to ensure we meet Jack Sparrow safely and smoothly!"

Joseph was very confident about this.

However, Li Ke didn't care about certain things. What he cared more about was whether he could set sail smoothly. Although he had completely converted his divinity into power and changed his ship, whether he could evade the prosecutors was still an unknown.

But this time, he has more power, so even if he is discovered again, he should be able to escape.

After glancing at the location of the lifeboats on the ship, Li Ke stuffed the bread he had been given into his pack, preparing to escape if things went wrong the next day. Then he lay down on the not-so-smelling bed and drifted off to sleep with the breeze until the early morning of the next day.

Sleeping on the ship wasn't a pleasant experience. The fleas, various strange little insects, and the dampness made Li Ke regret not sleeping on land. So when Captain Joseph saw Li Ke wake up tiredly on the ship, he gave a mischievous smile and tossed Li Ke an orange.

"Oh, it seems our Hercules didn't adapt well to the sea last night!"

He was a little gloating, while Li Ke shook his head after catching the orange, because the Pirate King Li Ke's experience at sea was much better than his. The Navy's ships provided very good accommodation for the crew, and the food was not just bread and dried meat.

"It's alright, but I didn't expect there to be so many bugs."

Joseph simply smiled.

"There are far more sea bugs than you think. Alright, get ready to work, guys, pull up your pants! Don't let anyone see your weapons! We need to see the prosecutor!"

He kicked a crew member who was sleeping naked, then shouted for everyone to get ready and directed the sailors to head the ship toward the estuary.

The Thames was indeed a uniquely advantageous place. Because their boat had set off early in the morning, there were no other boats ahead waiting to collect taxes and conduct inspections. So, after handing over the money on board, the masked prosecutor boarded the boat with his guards.

The prosecutor wore an exaggerated white wig, his navy uniform was impeccable, and he didn't utter a single word throughout the entire inspection.

Hidden among the many sailors, Li Ke quietly observed the inspectors who were taking inventory of supplies and checking cargo, ready to escape at any moment.

However, his melancholy demeanor, robust physique, stern gaze, and slightly stubble made him stand out like a firefly in the night, instantly drawing the prosecutor's attention.

So the prosecutor walked towards Li Ke, and Li Ke then realized that the prosecutor who was inspecting them this time was not the gloomy man in the gladiator's memory, because the other party's uniform was bulging high, and he was also wearing women's silk gloves, and the perfume he was wearing was also softer.

The moment he saw the other person part the tide called Sailor and come to his side, and reach out to him, Li Ke wanted to draw the soft sword at his waist and kidnap him.

But he resisted the urge, because he sensed no malice, and things were indeed as he expected. The prosecutor had no intention of harming him; he simply pressed his silk-gloved hand gently against his chest and then made a strange sound.

"what……"

It was a sigh mixed with amazement, satisfaction, and joy. She even moved closer to Li Ke for a moment, as if to smell Li Ke's scent. Li Ke's body odor was not as strong as that of others in this world, so it created a special, alluring scent in the prosecutor's senses, causing her body to freeze for a moment and her expression to become somewhat dazed.

"Why would a man like you become a sailor? You should do something else, like be a soldier or something."

She felt a little regretful. If Li Ke were a young military officer, she could guarantee that she would have a go at him without any scruples. After all, it didn't matter what kind of background such a handsome person came from; she could even boast about it for a long time.

Because once she saw this man, everyone, even her own husband, would forgive her. But Li Ke felt as if she were being watched by something, a chill running down her spine, so she quickly spoke up.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I really need this job to support my family.”

Hearing the word "family," the prosecutor seemed relieved. Then, she instinctively tried to lift Li Ke's chin, but looking at his imposing figure, she felt that the action was too insulting and that she shouldn't do it. However, her desire made her want to get closer to Li Ke.

So, feeling guilty, she touched Li Ke's chest muscles again.

"Okay, but if you want to join the army, you can contact me when you come back. I'll recommend my husband's army to you. He... really likes handsome and tall men like you. Maybe we can even listen to your stories of adventures at sea together."

The intense gaze made Li Ke feel a little uneasy, because he always felt that the other person wanted to devour him whole, so he just nodded slightly.

"If possible, sir."

The prosecutor understood Li Ke's refusal, so she sighed helplessly, then reluctantly left Li Ke's body, and in front of Captain Joseph, who was approaching with a fawning smile, she resumed her aloof demeanor.

"Inspection complete, you are ready to set sail."

After saying that, she glanced at Li Ke again and quickly left, while Captain Joseph came to Li Ke's side with a smile on his face and spoke excitedly.

"I really can't bear to part with you... You're so useful, I thought my smuggled goods were going to be discovered!"

"Ok?"

Li Ke was stunned. Looking at the prosecutor who had walked less than five meters away, he couldn't believe that his captain would confess to smuggling at this moment!

However, Captain Joseph coughed lightly and spoke again somewhat hastily.

"I mean, I'm so lucky to have a crew member like you."

What is all this about? Aren't you talking about smuggling?
Li Ke was puzzled but didn't care. He simply boarded the ship and left. However, what made him somewhat uncomfortable was that as he and the other sailors tidied up the rummaged cargo, made the final supplies, and headed towards the dock, a thick fog suddenly appeared on the sea.

Everyone knew that encountering dense fog when setting sail was not a good sign, because they could no longer see the lighthouse at sea after only a short distance from the estuary.

The eerie fog made everyone tense. The first mate clutched a necklace of various symbols on his chest, including a cross, animal teeth, a statue of Mazu, a trident, a six-pointed star, and Zoroastrian symbols, and looked at Captain Joseph with a worried expression.

"Captain, let's turn back! We've encountered this situation before even setting sail; could it be that the sea god is angry..."

He glanced at Li Ke as he spoke, which puzzled Li Ke greatly, but Captain Joseph chuckled softly.

Because he was full of confidence in his own seafaring skills! He even dared to take so many newcomers on voyages every time, precisely because of his trust in his own seafaring skills and command abilities!
"I don't believe in God! Johnny! Don't forget I've been sailing for ten years without a single accident! Believe me, skill and preparation can overcome all problems. Death won't come after those who are prepared! Everyone, listen to my command!" He began to give orders with great enthusiasm, and led the crew around several reefs according to his memory, which greatly boosted the morale of the ship.

Li Ke had to admit that the captain's ship handling skills were indeed superb. Even in the world of One Piece, without entering the Grand Line, he would be considered a very good captain.

However, just when everyone, including him, thought the voyage would go smoothly, the lookout on the watchtower let out a piercing scream!
"There's a ship ahead!"

Li Ke also saw a dark figure at that moment, but it was too late. Their ship crashed into the side of the other ship, smashing a large hole in its hull. Even as the two ships separated due to the impact, there was the sound of a lot of cargo falling into the water.

Before the ship had come to a complete stop, the first mate shouted for everyone to check the structure of their ship. They were indeed very lucky, because their ship was not damaged at all, except for a few scratches on a few planks.

Li Ke had already started taking off her clothes, preparing to turn around and rescue the people and retrieve the goods, but Joseph had other ideas.

"Did you see the ship's markings clearly?!"

He shouted it out, and everyone shook their heads because it was too sudden. They hadn't even seen what kind of ship it was, and they only knew that the other ship was a little smaller than their own.

"No, Captain! No!"

Everyone shouted it out, and he asked it again.

"What's the situation with our ship?!"

"Completely intact, Captain!"

Joseph nodded and shouted it out.

"Great! Then hoist the sails high! Since we can't see who they are, they don't know who we are either! Let's hurry up and leave! Otherwise, we'll end up paying a huge sum in compensation and getting entangled with the insurance company! Don't worry about them, they have insurance too! We're also close to the port, so it's better if we just leave!"

Then Li Ke stared in disbelief as the veteran crew members displayed unimaginable enthusiasm and speed, raising the sails to full capacity within minutes and then rapidly moving forward amidst the shouts and curses of the ships behind them, quickly moving away from that ship.

Seeing the captain's smug look, Li Ke couldn't help but ask a question.

"Is it really okay?"

The captain simply smiled slightly, appearing very confident and capable.

"With so many people leaving the port, how could they possibly find us? Besides, the insurance company will be the one who suffers, so there's absolutely nothing to worry about. Trust me, I'm an experienced captain!"

Li Ke remained silent, but simply applauded the spirit of the people of Great Britain.

However, after this incident, the sailors were somewhat on edge. Fortunately, as the sun gradually rose, the fog began to dissipate, and they had also moved away from the dock during this time, so there was virtually no chance of them being caught.

The voyage then became unusually smooth, even to the point of being somewhat boring.

The experienced sailors were already discussing what was at the next dock, taking inventory of the cargo, and preparing lunch. Many even took out their musical instruments and started playing.

Amidst the singing and the awful sounds of homemade instruments, many sailors asked the captain for a light and began to smoke. The gentle sea breeze caressed everyone, and they even saw many fish leaping on the surface of the sea not far away. Li Ke, who was holding onto the mooring rope and watching all this, finally began to appreciate some of the joys of sailing and began to sigh with admiration.

"The sea breeze is so gentle, and the land is so full and abundant."

As he spoke, a whale leaped and tumbled from the sea, splashing water everywhere and eliciting gasps from the novice sailors. Even Captain Joseph smiled.

However, after the whale disappeared, two more whales leaped out of the sea, and countless schools of fish moved toward them, which looked spectacular.

"It is indeed an auspicious sight; it seems the gods are blessing us."

Joseph was also happy to see this beautiful sight, but then three, four, five or six more whales leaped out of the sea and sped away behind them, while the water grew increasingly gloomy and the wind grew stronger.

Then, just as Li Ke realized something was wrong, the lookout let out another shrill scream.

"A storm and huge waves are ahead!"

Almost the instant he shouted, countless thunderous sounds resounded in the sky. Li Ke clearly saw raindrops the size of Maltesers chocolate balls shooting towards the ship like bullets. He even felt the entire ship strangely lift up, as if a giant was lifting them up!
Upon witnessing this scene, Joseph let out a scream that sounded as if his father had died, immediately gripping the helm tightly and becoming completely serious.

"Everyone, get into position!!! Trust me! I haven't had a major accident in ten years! Trust my skills and knowledge! I can lead you out of here! Don't believe in superstitions! Praying to God at this time is useless! Li Ke, go grab the cable!"

His calm and composed demeanor gave many superstitious people the courage to fight against natural disasters, especially the sight of him drinking while steering his boat into the giant waves, which made people yearn for such an image.

Li Ke quickly obeyed the other party's orders and began to pull the mooring ropes continuously, helping the captain to overcome the raging wind and waves!
His agile figure outpaced the veteran sailors, and he even pulled a novice back from the brink of being thrown overboard, stabilizing everything.

Amid Joseph's loud laughter, the ship forged its way through the waves, charging fiercely like a knight facing countless attacks, knowing only to charge, charge, and charge again!

Huge waves dragged the ship toward the sky, trying to capsize it, but Joseph remained calm and composed, displaying the qualities of an excellent captain. He looked at the waves, which were more than ten meters high, without changing his expression, and then launched the final charge!

The ship surged forward, breaking through the topmost waves and bursting out of the oncoming rain clouds and storm. In the instant they emerged from the storm, they were greeted by warm winds and a relatively calm sea.

The heavy rain gradually subsided, and Joseph took out his wine bottle, raised his hands high towards the sun in the sky, and proudly shouted to his crew, especially Li Ke.

"I've said it before! Trust my skills and experience! I'm a captain who hasn't had a major accident in ten years!"

The crew couldn't help but cheer and lifted Joseph and First Mate Johnny, but before the first cheer had even ended, another ship burst out of the storm and, with unparalleled speed, crashed directly into the stern of the Sleeping Shark!

Because of the intense shock, Joseph and Johnny were thrown from the hands of the sailors. Johnny landed on the figurehead with his legs spread apart, his eyes widening instantly, and he fell stiffly into the sea. Captain Joseph, on the other hand, was entangled in countless previously cut ropes and fell into the sea. Unfortunately, these ropes had all tied knots while he was struggling, tightly binding his limbs and leaving him to writhe in the sea like a maggot.

But the worst thing wasn't either of those things; the worst thing was the ship that hit them—their flag wasn't quite right.

It's a black skull and cross flag.

(End of this chapter)