Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 554 Captain! Captain! (First Update)

The infamous Kree pirate Alex felt he would never forget that raid, the one that sparked his passion for boarding maneuvers. It was an operation early in his career, nothing particularly special. Like now, a dilapidated ship, a stinking crew wielding a motley collection of weapons, smugglers, mechanically modified robbers—they'd steal anything and everything. But unlike now, Alex, then a first mate, had a very special captain. "Back then I was a smuggler," a drunken Alex said to his crew, patting the mechanical prostitute beside him, "He was a legend, we all called him Captain! Haven't you heard the story?"

The oddly-looking crew members shook their heads, and the big guy with two heads was utterly hopelessly stupid. Alex angrily took a sip of his drink and began to tell the story.

"Get up and move your lazy asses, you rats in the gutter! You've been sleeping for hours! First mate, give them the medicine!"

"Captain, what is a rat?"

"Shut up! Don't ask questions while I'm talking!" Salomon slapped the Kree first mate Alex across the face, then kicked over a thug trying to steal more addictive drugs, tossing the thug's dose into his lap. He wiped his hands. "One dose per person, no more! You damn useless bastards! How's the weapons team's readiness?"

"The slaves have already prepared the laser cannon on the bow!" Alex replied hastily. This was an armed merchant ship, but the previous owner seemed to have not anticipated that this short smuggling voyage would be robbed, thus saving the money to purchase naval cannons. Besides the laser cannon on the bow, the ship only had some small machine guns available. As live ammunition, their performance outside the atmosphere was not excellent, but they were barely usable.

"Excellent!" Salomon sat back in his chipped captain's chair, the faint glow of the deep starry sky visible through the reinforced glass before him. "Helmsman, hard to port! Let's teach that son of a bitch a lesson!" he said. "Quartermaster, issue the weapons!"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Salomon watched as the numbers on the radar screen, indicating the coordinates of his ship and the target ship, steadily narrowed. He glanced at his watch, estimating the first attack would take another fifteen minutes. During that time, he had to constantly monitor his crew; if he didn't keep an eye on them, they might start fighting at any moment. So he drew his sword, and everyone fell silent, for they had all witnessed how many men their captain had killed with that sword. It was a terror akin to shoving ice cubes into the brain, a merciless slaughter. Even the crew members, already on addictive drugs, shut their mouths and stood obediently behind their captain.

Suddenly, a firelight appeared beside the captain. Accompanied by a melodious tune, a large golden-red bird emerged from the firelight.

“He was a wizard,” Alex said slowly to his crew. Even the most ruthless pirates gasped at the word, as if it were a haunting nightmare. “It was a bizarre journey, though none of us knew it at the time.” Alex sighed, looking at the terrified expressions on his crew’s faces. “We thought he would bring us riches. He did, but with death. Both his enemies and his friends. But that’s another story. Let’s talk about that naval battle. I can’t deny that I learned a lot from that captain.”

First Mate Alex, enduring the intense heat emanating from the golden-red bird, cautiously peeked into Salomon's notebook. This period was a welcome vacation for Salomon, giving him time to contemplate the future organization of the army, its weaponry, communication methods, and tactical manuals, including how to maintain efficiency in inter-departmental coordination. He glanced at the first mate peeking out, and suddenly, the first mate felt he could understand the captain's writing. He could read all languages, including Xandar. First Mate Alex knew it was the captain's handwriting. He carefully suppressed his curiosity, avoiding any offense, and quietly studied the notebook as much as possible.

"Keep it safe." Salomon rose from his captain's seat, handing the notebook to the first mate, leaving behind the large, golden-red bird. The crew was beginning to feel the gravitational pull of another planet; this was the battle zone Salomon had designated. He wanted more than just a ship; he wanted a fleet—all this circling had been to make this planet's gravity his trap. He drew his longsword, herded the crew to the bow, and shut them inside with a large door. First mate Alex watched helplessly as Salomon, glowing with light, passed through the pressurized compartment and floated into space without using any equipment.

"Alex!" The captain's command drilled straight into the first mate's mind, pulling him back from his shock. "Accelerate, you bastard!"

"Yes, Captain!"

"He stood atop the spaceship, brandishing his longsword, commanding the ship to ram into the enemy!" Captain Alex would tell this story to every new crew member who boarded. Whenever he recalled this experience, he felt his veins pounding in his ears. Enemy fire swept past the reinforced glass, but none landed on the dilapidated ship. The first mate, realizing what was happening, cheered and pushed the thrusters to maximum power, charging towards the enemy ship at unparalleled speed. The laser cannons at the bow fired first, piercing the enemy ship's thin armor hull. The smaller, faster smuggling ship plunged into the enemy's interior. The pirates, still under the influence of drugs, shouted, shoved, and coughed as they rushed out of the smoking hatches. They saw their captain, who hadn't been with them before, now charging ahead, sword in hand.

If the lights had been brighter or the fire sprinklers had been weaker, they would have seen the menacing scar above the bow.

Nothing could stop him—neither thick steel doors nor mechanically modified warriors could withstand two rounds from Salomon. He stepped over pools of blood and wet limbs, raising his longsword before the pirates. "Long live the captain!" the pirates roared, charging forward in Salomon's wake, their weapons firing wildly. The first mate's machine gun roared deafeningly through the ship's hold. They didn't care who they killed or who killed them; they wanted to vent their violence!

"That's the day we captured this ship! We captured this fleet!" Captain Alex slapped the armrest of his chair, his voice trembling with emotion. "He led us to this, and we are proud of him! You scum, trash, and cowards of civilization, your luck has come!" He extended his pale prosthetic arm and pointed to the crimson banner hanging above the captain's throne. A large golden bird with long tail feathers was painted on the precious natural wool, and a longsword ran vertically through the banner. On the other side of the captain's cabin, a portrait drawn from Alex's memory hung there.

Salomon in the portrait holds a longsword, and light emanates from behind his head.

"You will be under the captain's gaze, bathed in his glory! This is an honor you could never attain in your lifetime! You unwanted bastards! Rejoice, whatever you were in the past, you are now our family! We will bestow upon you glory and wealth! Drink, friends! Let us cheer for Captain Salomon! Long live the captain!"

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Is the joke we're using this time too old?

(End of this chapter)