Lord: I can see loyalty.

The village of Tal, located by the sea, at the pier.

Everything seemed as calm and peaceful as usual, but upon closer inspection, several figures could be vaguely seen moving around the house and the wooden barrel.

"Sir, why haven't those pirates shown up yet..." a figure couldn't help but ask.

"Quiet!" another figure beside him shouted in a deep voice; he was the leader of this group of bandits.

"What are you panicking about? This is the leader's decision. Those guys will be riddled with bullets the moment they get close." The captain sneered, then continued, "More importantly, there's that specially made magic stone thrown into the water..."

As if struck by a sudden thought, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up in a smile: "As soon as they get close, we'll detonate it, and those pirates will be blown to smithereens! We won't even need bows and arrows!"

"Captain, keep your voice down..." the bandit reminded him worriedly.

The captain coughed twice, still smiling, and said, "In short, the leader went to great lengths to obtain this magic stone, so we mustn't make any mistakes."

His words also gave the bandits beside him a lot of confidence, and they couldn't help but feel sorry for the good stuff on the bandits' ship...

"Zabalen! Come quickly to Ander Village to provide support! Those pirates and soldiers have all gone over there!"

A loud shout shattered everyone's illusions. Not far from the village, a bandit on horseback was panting heavily as he looked at the seemingly deserted dock.

The bandit leader was none other than Zabalun. After a moment of hesitation, he carefully stood up and observed the potential dangers within his field of vision.

"What's going on?! Why are you shouting so loudly? Don't alert those pirates!" Zabaron lowered his voice, somewhat displeased. This operation was a good opportunity for him to get promoted.

"I don't want to repeat myself a third time, those pirates and the soldiers from Bordeaux Village have all arrived at Ander Village!"

Upon hearing the other party's words, spoken slowly and deliberately, the captain froze on the spot, a fierce internal struggle beginning to unfold within him.

They only had fifty men on their side, while a hundred men were lying in ambush in Ande Village, and the remaining fifty brothers were with their leader...

If the enemy attacks as a whole, there are at least two hundred of them. Moreover, those Bordeaux soldiers and Black Pearl pirates are all top-notch warriors. Even if they go, they will only be throwing their lives away!

"Hey, Dao Tie, we only have about 150 men in total. That group of soldiers sent a hundred last time, plus the pirates..." The captain looked at the bandits on horseback in front of him, his voice a little dry.

"What are you trying to say?" The bandit on horseback glared at him and said, "We've already sent someone to deliver this message to the leader; he should already be on his way to Ande Village."

"If I don't see you then..."

"I, I'll call them right away!" The bandit captain trembled and nodded repeatedly as he turned around.

"Everyone, those pirates aren't coming! They've gone to Ander Village. Anyone who doesn't want to be skinned alive by the leader, come with me!"

With a cacophony of footsteps, about fifty bandits arrived at Ande Village, not far from Taer Village, within minutes.

"And there it was!"

The panting bandits pointed at the silhouettes of several boats in the distance outside Ande Village and shouted.

"Damn it!" The bandit captain's face also turned ugly, which meant that the leader's trap had been prepared in vain!

"And those Bordeaux soldiers!" The bandits spotted well-equipped militiamen on horseback not far away.

"Get on board! Don't give them a chance to disembark!" With the order, the bandits took out their bows and arrows and ran towards the black ship, trying to get within range.

On the black ship in the distance, Axel stood on the gunwales, watching the bandits in disarray, and couldn't help but sneer.

"These idiots, have their brains been pickled by seawater?" Masane, who was as big as a bear, shook his head as well.

Looks like Vio really did "guess" right! This Hunter is Connor's henchman; these bandits are incredibly stupid.

The speed of the Black Pearl was beyond the comprehension of these landlubbers.

Thinking this, Axel straightened up, looked towards the village of Tal, which was faintly visible in the distance, took a deep breath in the direction of the bandits, and laughed loudly:

"Hey! Everyone on shore!"

His voice was loud and clear: "Since you want Ander Village so much, then it's yours! But... I'll take Tar Village!"

"Men, turn around, full speed ahead—target: Tal Village!"

At the command, amidst the astonished gazes of the bandits, the sails of several black ships billowed instantly, disappearing in a flash.

"Hey, Dao Tie, what do we do now!" Bandit leader Zabalun hurriedly looked at another leader riding on horseback.

"Damn it, we've been tricked..." the bandit on horseback gritted his teeth, then said, "Don't worry, we're heading towards Delro Village. The leader should be here with those 50 elite men by now!"

Meanwhile, in the village of Delro.

"Those are soldiers from Bordeaux! Go tell the leader!"

"Count them, at least a hundred!" The bandit on the watchtower looked at the militia advancing in orderly formation not far away, his voice trembling slightly.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!

Before the sentry could escape from the tower, countless arrows flew in, one of which pierced his head.

Vio rode at the very front, wearing a white breastplate and a finely crafted iron sword at his waist.

Gina and Jimmy were beside him.

"My lord," a mounted vanguard caught up from behind and said, "we intercepted a messenger from Ander Village. He has confessed that he came to request reinforcements from Delro Village."

Vio nodded, it seemed things were going well with the pirates, and then spoke without hesitation.

"Send the order: Full speed ahead! Find that wolf, Connor!"

"All troops—forward!" Jimmy shouted the order to those behind him.

The sound of iron hooves and boots echoed throughout Delro village. The militia had a clear advantage in both numbers and quality, and the bandits' sporadic resistance was futile.

Vio led his elite troops straight to the stone house in the center of the village, the house of the former lord of Delro Village, which was also the hiding place of the wolf Connor!

In the open space in front of the stone house, the last few bandits who stubbornly resisted fell one after another under the attack of spears and arrows. Vio kicked open the last door, and there were no more ambushers inside, only one person.

Connor, the wolf, was standing in the hall, still wearing light armor that allowed for easy movement. His face, which was exactly the same as the portrait and even more handsome, still maintained a somewhat ferocious fake smile.

"Vio, is it..." He looked at Vio and slowly said, "You think you've already won?"

Vio stared at the other person, ignoring the danger he was in, and stepped forward.

The panel on the other side was very ordinary, just like that of an average person. The only outstanding attributes were [Exceptional Swordsmanship], [Handsome], and [Cunning].

"You understand too, you have nowhere to run, don't you?" Vio drew his sword.

"That's right... but I advise you to be careful lately, perhaps the people around you... hahaha!" Connor said, his face pale, making his final threat.

Vio merely tilted his head slightly, his expression indifferent: "You mean that over-the-top actor, Hunter Shaw... the Knight?"

"It is a pity that he died in the dungeon before sunrise today."

Connor's smile froze on his face, his pupils contracting almost imperceptibly, but he quickly suppressed his hesitation and laughed again: "Hunter? No, far more than that. You thought I only planted one person..."

As he spoke, he began to back up, attempting to approach the back door of the main hall.

But the next moment, a sword light so fast it was almost invisible flashed past, rushing out from beside Vio—it was Gina.

Without any unnecessary frills, the blade pierced Connor's throat, and his head flew off before he could utter a final word.

The hall was deathly silent, and the stench of blood quickly filled the air.

"Clean this place up. The rest of you, follow me to Ander Village to wipe out the remaining enemies." Vio's order broke the silence, and he couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Is he using the loyalty of his subordinates to intimidate himself...?

In less than an hour, the remaining bandits were annihilated in Ande Village by the combined attack of pirates and militia.

Axel was bent over, kicking over the body of a bandit with the tip of his boot to confirm his death, when he heard steady footsteps behind him. He straightened up and turned around.

"Greetings, Lord." He greeted Vio casually upon seeing that the visitor was Vio.

"Axel, Connor the Wolf has been beheaded." Vio waved his hand, and a militiaman beside him lifted Connor's head.

Axel sheathed his sword, took a few steps closer, and carefully examined the head: "Wow, congratulations, my lord, your operation went very smoothly!"

"Well then, Axel, our cooperation has come to a successful conclusion." Vio nodded, observing the pirate's reaction.

Axel did not answer, but simply looked back at Vio with his eyes that had seen it all, the smile on his face slowly fading.

"My lord."

Seeing that the other party did not respond for a long time, Vio was about to turn around and leave when Axel's voice came from behind, his tone no longer as frivolous as before.

Vio stopped and turned around. Axel was standing there, the sea breeze ruffling his clothes, and his weathered face held an unusual seriousness.

"And what do you plan to do next?" Axel asked, emphasizing each word, his gaze sharp as a hook.

Vio stared at him, a slight thought stirring in his heart. The other party's loyalty had not been reduced to zero despite the end of the cooperation.

On the contrary, it was throbbing incessantly, as if waiting for Vio's answer.

Loyalty: 30%

Loyalty: 40%

……

Meeting Axel's gaze, Vio remained silent for a moment, then spoke again after a long while, his voice low but clear and concise.

"I will wipe out the bandits in the south."

As soon as he finished speaking, Axel paused, his pupils trembling slightly.

Vio opened his mouth slightly, his gaze sweeping over the corpses and houses before him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I will clean up one place at a time, from Bordeaux Village to Carville Fortress, until the bandits no longer appear."

"I want to unify the entire southern region." Vio's eyes darkened; this was exactly what he was thinking.

Axel listened quietly, his face devoid of any joke or contempt, his gaze fixed on Vio, scrutinizing the young lord.

After Vio calmed down for a moment, he suddenly knelt down on one knee, raised the pirate scimitar above his head with his dusty hands, and came to Vio.

"In that case," Axel raised his head, his voice sincere and firm, "I, Axel Lance, captain of the Black Pearl and son of a knight, pledge my allegiance to you."

"My sword, my ship, and my men are for your use, until the sea swallows me up again."

The scene before them left the surrounding pirates completely dumbfounded. They stared at their leader in disbelief, and Massane's eyes widened, and he subconsciously took a half step forward.

Axel didn't turn around, yet he seemed to know everything about them. He maintained his posture and spoke in a deep voice to his brothers behind him:

"This is my own choice. You can decide for yourselves whether to stay or leave. Black Pearl never forces anyone to stay. If you want to continue to enjoy your life at sea, you can board the ship now and take what you deserve."

The pirates exchanged glances and whispered among themselves, their hearts wavering as they looked at Axel on the ground and the young yet imposing lord.

After only a few seconds of silence, Massane was the first to move. He muttered a curse in a language no one could understand, then strode behind Axel, knelt on one knee, and planted the large sword into the ground.

The remaining pirates exchanged glances, and most of them stepped forward, kneeling down in silence one after another. A few clicked their tongues softly and then turned to leave.

Vio looked at the pirates in front of him, then at Axel, who was still holding his scimitar. He slowly reached out, but instead of taking the weapon, he pulled Axel up.

"Axel, you should wield your own sword." Vio's gaze swept over all his loyalists: "From this day forward, the Black Pearl is no longer a pirate ship; you are the first fleet of the Southern Territory."

Axel stood up, gripped his scimitar, glanced at Vio one last time, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes vanishing, then turned to his men and called out:

"Did you all hear that? From this day forward, put away your pirate attire!"

His response was a low growl, the emotion of which was hard to discern. Masane slightly raised his eyes to look at the leader who had followed him for nearly ten years. Although he was still puzzled, he stopped thinking about it.