Gunpowder Plate Armor and the Magic Revolution

"What's our situation now? More than twenty officers, several of them wounded. If everything goes smoothly, it will take another day or two to sail back to Monsoon City. If things don't go smoothly, it will take even longer. If we are really surrounded at sea by a group of desperados, do you think we can escape unscathed?"

Bilkin's brow furrowed even more. He was clearly swayed by Monet's words, but stubbornly insisted, "But he's still a pirate captain. If we let him go, are we just going to watch him continue plundering the seas?"

"This coastal waters will always be occupied by pirates because the Orentia Navy is useless. We capture Jeffrey today, but tomorrow even more unscrupulous people will take his place. Who knows, the shipping routes will become even more chaotic, more merchant ship crew members will die, and those incompetent naval officers will be even more uncontrollable."

"Jeffrey at least has some humanity left; he's not too rotten."

"Of course you can think I'm making excuses, that I'm cowardly and afraid of trouble. You can also report me for dereliction of duty to the Army Headquarters when you return to Monsoon City. It doesn't matter. I will take full responsibility for this."

"Hey, Monet, we've worked together for so long, do you think I'm the kind of person who snitches?"

"It doesn't matter to me whether I take responsibility or not, it doesn't matter what the result is, you know... I have nothing left to lose."

Monet looked at Bilkin very seriously, his bright eyes filled with a complex emotion. "I'm just worried about these Orentia officers, and that little magician named Noze... They have a much brighter future than us, don't they?"

Bilkin fell silent, his expression shifting several times, clearly still hesitant.

But every word Monet said addressed the most pressing issue at hand. With wounded soldiers in their ranks, there was no need to create unnecessary trouble at sea.

Monet looked at him, sighed, and added, "Besides, catching pirates is the navy's job. What does it have to do with our Orentia army? Why should we clean up the messes of those good-for-nothings?"

"This is not a problem we should be responsible for. There is no need to put ourselves in danger for something that even their navy doesn't care about. To me, even the slightest potential danger is unacceptable."

These words instantly struck a chord with Bill King, and also gave him a way out.

He already disliked the navy, and what he hated most was cleaning up their messes.

He glared at them, then spat out another mouthful of blood. "You're right! Why should the credit for all the army's hard work at sea go to those good-for-nothing naval officers?"

He tucked his command sword into his waistband, strode back to the deck, looked down at Jeffrey who was still kneeling on the ground, not daring to breathe, and cleared his throat.

Jeffrey's heart leaped into his throat. He stared intently at Bilkin's mouth, afraid that the word "cut him" would slip out.

"Jeffrey Kane".

Bilkin's voice remained loud and clear, carrying the unique authority of a soldier: "As a pirate who plundered merchant ships, you should be brought back to Monsoon City for trial and, according to the law, hanged."

Jeffrey's body trembled instantly, and his face turned ashen.

"But you have redeemed yourself this time by persuading the Fangs to surrender, which can be considered as atonement for your sins."

Bilkin abruptly changed his tone, "I'll make the decision today and spare your dog's life."

Jeffrey looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with unbelievable ecstasy, almost thinking he had misheard.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, he frantically kowtowed to Bilkin and Monet, his forehead pounding against the wooden board with a loud thud, his voice choked with emotion, "Thank you, Major General! Thank you, sir! Your kindness is immeasurable! I, Jeffrey, will never forget it in my lifetime!"

"I'm letting you go, not so you can continue your evil deeds at sea. I'm giving you two rules. From now on, you're not allowed to touch any Orentia Army supply ships, and you're not allowed to harm any Orentia civilian. Understand?"

"I understand! I understand!"

Jeffrey nodded frantically, his head bobbing like a rattle-drum. "I would never dare to touch the warships, and I would never dare to kill people indiscriminately!"

"Secondly, you'd better keep an eye on this coastal area."

Bilkin continued, "If another scumbag like Red Wolf, who indiscriminately slaughters innocent people, appears, I'll be the first to settle accounts with you. We'll settle both old and new scores together. Even if you hide at the ends of the earth, I'll drag you out and hang you at the port of Monsoon City!"

Jeffrey repeatedly assured him, his tone full of sincerity, "I, Jeffrey, always keep my word. I swear on my life to the sea god that if I break this oath, may I encounter a storm at sea and sink to the bottom to feed the sharks!"

Bilkin snorted, which was taken as acknowledgment of his guarantee.

"I, Jeffrey, will remember your kindness for the rest of my life. I owe you all my life, and I will definitely repay you when I have the chance."

"Don't remember me, I find it disgusting. You should thank me..."

Bilkin scanned the group, then fixed his gaze on Nozer and his companions. "Remember those three. They're the ones who brought you out. If I had run into you first... humph!"

"Yes, yes, thank you, young man, thank you, sir."

Jeffrey smoothly thanked Nozer, Lucas, and Andrew.

At this moment, Nozer was deep in thought and had no idea about Jeffrey.

Andrew turned his head to the side, ignoring him, and was also pondering something.

Lucas, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. He leaned close to Nozer and whispered, "Just let him go like that? He's one of the top twenty most wanted pirates!"

Noze looked at Monet, who was standing silently to the side, and then at the vast sea in the distance. He finally realized, "I finally understand why Jeffrey deliberately revealed his weakness."

"What flaw?"

"He deliberately talked a lot to make others realize that he couldn't possibly be a kidnapped captain, because for him, having his identity discovered was the most advantageous thing."

"Then why didn't he just tell us?"

"Do you know Jeffrey, or do I know Jeffrey? Or does Andrew know him? What if he claims to be a famous pirate and we just chop him up?"

"That makes sense..."

"Now that our men are wounded, he used us to get rid of Red Wolf, eliminate the rebels, and take down the Fang."

"As a result, we will probably have to give back his ship and let him go back because of his influence."

"So that's how it is... No wonder he was so proactive, leading us to clear out the pirates!"

"Yes, don't be fooled by his current disheveled state as he kowtows and confesses. He's actually the real winner. The 'win-win' means he won twice."

"You mean... he was faking his fear?"

"I don't know. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Who can say for sure? Anyway, he's definitely not as useless as he seems on the surface."