Lord: I can see loyalty.

Frido Port, at the dock.

Nearly twenty warships were lined up neatly, their huge sails casting long shadows on the sea.

The sails were already raised, billowing slightly in the sea breeze and making a dull sound.

On the deck, the knights were conducting final equipment checks, while the militiamen were carrying arrows and giant crossbow bolts.

On the other side, the pirates of the Black Pearl were rubbing their hands together by the ship's side, their faces filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Although the count forbade them from plundering civilians, he did not forbid them from plundering the Western Pirates.

Vio stood at the bow of the largest warship, behind him were Jimmy, Ansquie, and several captains of militia and knights.

"Any news from Cohen?" Vio asked without turning his head.

Jimmy stepped forward: "The news came half an hour ago that the fishing village leading to the pirate Derek's territory has been occupied by the militia. Even if Philip had wings, he couldn't get through there."

Vio nodded, then asked a question.

"What about Timothy?"

"As you instructed, only a small number of people were deployed in the open, while the real elites were hidden in the shadows. Even if Philip's men went to scout, they would only think that the defenses on that side were relatively weak."

Vio's lips curled up slightly.

"Then that's it."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone on the deck.

"Everyone, let's go! Destination... Port of Mali!"

"Set off!"

The captains on each ship repeated it aloud.

The fleet slowly departed the dock, sails billowing, cutting through the waves, and sped towards the depths of the western border.

…………

Port-e-Mali, Martinburg.

Philip paced back and forth in the hall, his steps hurried, his ornate boots making a dull thud on the floor.

His meticulously groomed mustache was now a mess, and his clothes were wrinkled, clearly having not been tidied up in a long time.

Where is even a trace of the "Lord of the West"'s prestige?

Finally, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

"My lord! My lord!"

A pirate stumbled in, his face pale and his lips and hands trembling.

Philip stopped abruptly and stared intently at him.

"Say it!"

The pirate knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling: "My lord... the elite troops you sent to Frido Port... they've all been wiped out!"

Philip's pupils contracted sharply.

"What?!"

"It's all those mercenaries' fault! Most of them ran away! None of our men... have returned!"

Philip slammed his fist on the table with a loud bang.

"Bastards! A bunch of bastards!"

He was breathing heavily, his face was flushed, and the veins on his forehead were bulging.

Those hundred pirates were the elite who fought under his command when they first started out, and they're all gone just like that?

And those mercenaries… he paid a fortune to hire them, and they actually deserted in the face of battle?!

"Damn it... I should have sent someone to keep an eye on them..."

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.

That's right, he was too hasty and negligent.

Those mercenaries were greedy and cowardly to begin with. Without enough manpower to supervise the battle, it would be strange if they didn't run away when they were at a disadvantage.

But the premise that they escaped was that they didn't expect the Earl of the South to have left so many people in Frido Port!

"My lord! There's more..." The pirate looked up, his voice trembling even more, "The Earl of the Southern Border is personally leading his team, heading towards Port Mari! They should arrive in no more than an hour!"

Philip's expression changed drastically.

An hour?!

He walked quickly to the window, opened it, and looked out at the distant sea.

The sea was calm at the moment, and no ships could be seen yet, but he could almost see those black southern warships approaching!

"Get the boat ready... quick!"

He turned around, his face contorted, and roared at the pirate.

The pirate didn't move; he simply knelt on the ground, his face even more grim.

"Sir... there's one more thing..."

"What else... is there? Speak quickly!"

"Those fishing villages that were originally planned to lead to Derek's territory... have already been occupied by the people of the Southern Territory!"

Philip was completely stunned.

"What did you say?"

"Our men who escaped from the fishing village say that the village is now overrun with militia from the southern border, and it's impossible to get through! Sir, we...we're trapped here!"

Philip's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Derek can't get through...

A different direction suddenly popped into his mind: "What about Timothy? What's the situation there?"

The pirate looked up: "Well, I didn't find any obvious ambushes, but there were a few men patrolling..."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Philip's eyes.

Timothy's side...maybe there's still a chance!

Although he knew that Timothy, that woman, had always been at odds with him, he even suspected that she might have connections to the Southern Territory.

But now, he had no other choice; the other pirates were too far away.

"Prepare the boat! Take the supplies and head to Timothy's!"

He strode towards the door, and the pirate quickly got up and followed.

"Sir, what about the people we left behind...?"

"Have them hold off the Earl's army!" Philip shouted without turning back. "For as long as they can!"

At the dock, a medium-sized speedboat was already ready.

It was covered with countless gold and silver treasures. Philip was prepared to use these treasures to appease the woman if she still held a grudge.

Philip, with a dozen or so close associates, jumped onto the ship and glanced back at Port-Marie, the second richest stronghold under his control, which now looked particularly desolate in the setting sun.

"Walk!"

His face darkened, his eyes filled with resentment towards the Earl of the Southern Border.

The speedboat departed the dock and sped off in a northwest direction.

…………

On the seas of Gaza, a fleet from the southern border.

"My Lord!" shouted a sailor from the lookout tower, "A speedboat has been spotted ahead, heading northwest!"

Vio squinted and looked in that direction.

"Is that Philip's ship?"

Axel leaned closer and whispered, "Your Excellency, aren't you afraid he'll run away again? Last time in Frido, he slipped away faster than anyone else."

Vio's lips curled up slightly.

He can't escape.

He turned around and looked at the nautical chart behind him.

"I've already had Glenn and his men garrison the fishing village leading to Derek's territory. If he dares to go that way, he'll just walk right into our encirclement."

Jimmy nodded: "What about Timothy's side..."

"I've planted an ambush over there, not an open interception." Vio's gaze turned gloomy. "Philip's men shouldn't be able to find out the truth. They'll just assume there's less defense over there. Knowing his personality, he'll definitely run that way."

He paused, then gave a cold laugh.

"Even if he did detect the ambush, he had nowhere else to go but to take a gamble."

Axel nodded with an exaggerated expression.

"So, no matter which way he runs..."

"It's all a dead end," Vio chimed in. "Doing nothing and remaining trapped in Port-Marie is also a dead end."

His gaze fell on the fast ship that was getting smaller and smaller in the distance, while the warships from the Southern Territory were already chasing after it.

"This time, he can't escape."