Lord: I can see loyalty.

On the vast ocean, the three large ships appeared exceptionally small, each bearing the insignia of the Ross family.

Vio was standing at the bow of the ship, holding a map and looking ahead. After receiving the intelligence from Cohen, Vio quickly set off.

"The Western Territory..." Vio frowned as he looked at the location on the map where the Black Pearl might appear.

He had explored every possible location in the southern region, and all the remaining intelligence indicated that the pirates were in the western region.

Although Bordeaux village doesn't look far from the western border on a map, Vio knows that by the time he reaches the western border and comes back, Connor will probably have already conquered the village.

Since things have come to this, we have no choice but to turn back.

"Sir, are you sure about returning?" Jimmy asked, somewhat surprised, as he looked at Vio holding the map.

“That’s right.” Vio put away the map and shook his head. “Those pirates should also know about the banditry in the south, and they’ll probably spend the winter in the west this year.”

Looking at the seemingly calm sea, Vio withdrew his gaze and turned his eyes toward the village of Bordeaux.

"My lord, an unidentified vessel has been spotted ahead!"

But as soon as the boat turned around, a shout came from the stern of the militia.

At the edge of their field of vision, several slender ship shadows were rapidly approaching them, surrounding a large ship!

The militiamen quickly raised their round shields and bows and arrows, wondering: What are those? Connor's bandits?!

"I knew Axel wouldn't let this go!"

"You know nothing! Weren't you so worried about the village those days that you wanted to run away?"

On several black ships, pirates were discussing the bandits of the southern border. Axel stood on one of the large ships, his gaze fixed ahead.

"Time to get to work, men," he said, staring at the ship's silhouette in the distance.

"We just returned to the Southern Territory and ran into them?" The pirates stood up and gripped their weapons.

Massane, standing next to Axel, chimed in, "Is that Connor? He doesn't seem that fast."

"They're just a bunch of bandits, what can you do about it?" a scarred pirate scoffed. "What else can they do besides burning, killing, and looting?"

"We pirates are the same," Axel rolled his eyes at him, and the other pirates surrounded Scarface and burst into laughter.

In the blink of an eye, the black ships had already approached Vio's three large ships and began to disperse.

"My lord, we're within attack range! Shall we fire?" Jimmy held up his sword, ready to release the archers at Vio's command.

"etc."

Seeing that the enemy was about to surround them, Vio stopped his men. He stared intently at the black ships and the large ship in the middle, as if he had thought of something.

Looking back at the militia, Vio glanced at the panel and his eyes lit up as he picked out a militia member with a loud voice.

"Ask as I say." With that, Vio led him to the bow of the ship.

"Are you the Black Pearl pirates?!"

The pirates were puzzled when they saw a figure emerge from among the enemies, and at the same time they raised their bows.

"Wait a minute." Axel waved his hand.

"These guys have heard of us?" Scarface stared at the figure in leather armor. "Those bandits who used to hide in the mountains are dressed like this now?"

Seeing that Axel was hesitant to give the order, Massane couldn't help but say, "Boss, why aren't you firing? This is the best opportunity yet."

"Don't worry, they're just a bunch of landlubbers," Axel said casually.

The emblem on that flag... seems somewhat familiar? He frowned; it appeared to belong to a family in the Southern Territory.

Ignoring his noisy subordinates, Axel stepped onto the bow of the ship and shouted back.

"That's right! And who are you? Bandits?"

Seeing that the other party had confirmed the answer, Vio's eyes lit up: "Answer him truthfully."

"We are under the command of Lord Vio, Lord of Bordeaux!"

After these words were spoken, the other party did not reply, and the leader of the group returned to the ship.

After thinking it over, Vio drew his sword and ordered his men to approach the large ship and fire arrows if anything went wrong.

The large ship that Vio was on began to move slowly, and after a moment it came to the side of the black ship.

What came into view was a group of fierce-looking pirates, dressed in a jumble of equipment and carrying a variety of weapons.

Axel stood on the larger black ship, looking down at Vio and the others, and their eyes met.

Are all these Bordeaux soldiers so spirited?

This was Axel's first thought: Could it be that those bandits were nothing special after all?

Name: Axel Lance

Race: Human

Age: 39

Hobbies: Sword practice, fine wine, fishing from a boat

【Characteristics: Captain (leadership, high navigational skills), stealth, scouting, ability to identify people, strong willpower, high endurance, outstanding swordsmanship, adept at changing techniques】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

"So you are Lord Vio?" Axel asked, staring at Vio before anyone else could speak.

Vio raised an eyebrow and retorted, "So you're the captain of the Black Pearl, and Axel, the leader of the Black Pearl Pirates?"

"Hmph." Axel sneered, gesturing for his menacing subordinates to raise their weapons. "Since you understand, you still dare to approach us?"

Vio, however, showed no fear of his threats, his gaze remaining fixed on the other man: "Of course, after all, I'm here to discuss cooperation."

"cooperate?"

The pirates were stunned for a moment, then looked at each other and burst into laughter. One of them spoke up.

"Lord, it's winter now. You're teaming up to deal with those bandits, right? That's not cheap!"

"Shut up." Axel waved his hand, and the pirates around him immediately fell silent. He then asked, "What do you want to cooperate on?"

"As he said, I need to cooperate with you to deal with the bandits, Border Wolf Connor, who has several hundred men under his command," Vio replied earnestly.

Axel's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled, "50 gold coins, and we can help you eliminate the enemy."

Upon hearing the amount, not only the militiamen but also the pirates beside him stared at each other with wide eyes, while Vio's expression remained unchanged.

50 gold coins, although the price was obviously increased slightly, was still acceptable to him.

After Vio retrieved his family's savings, he now has 500 gold coins. The village spends about 50 gold coins a month, including the militia's pay.

With his meager income, it's probably enough for him to live on for a year, more than enough to cover Connor's expenses.

"No problem, I can accept that."

Upon hearing this, the pirates around Axel exchanged glances, their hearts filled with shock and elation. This was a huge order!

Axel's expression remained unchanged; he simply turned to look at the sea and said, "A good deal. So, what are your plans now?"

Vio finally smiled and said, "In that case, let's talk in Bordeaux village first."