“Gerald.” The burly man spoke up before Kede could introduce him. “I heard you’re planning to team up against that fat pig? That takes guts.”

  Charles didn’t respond, turning his gaze to Kede.

  “Ha ha, we’re a bit outnumbered against the ‘King,’ so I brought Captain Gerald here. His strength can help us,” Kede explained.

  “He swallowed my cargo! He even took my ship! I’ll never forget that bastard!” Gerald's face, full of muscle, was tinged with anger.

  Charles nodded knowingly; it seemed Kede had brought in an enemy of the “King” to assist them, which was a good thing—more people meant more strength.

  “Let’s skip the small talk. I know this place better than you do, so I’ll make the plan,” Gerald asserted, taking control of the conversation.

  “Five days from now, Sodom will approach a new island. Most of the King’s ships will head out to raid the docks. This is our opportunity. My men will lure the King out, Kede will have the followers intercept his subordinates, and as for you…”

  “I’ll go to the King’s residence and distract some of his subordinates while searching for the items that Kede and I need.”

  “But I’m a bit skeptical about your strength. Are you really useful for this? You don’t even have the smell of blood on you; I doubt you’ve killed anyone,” Gerald said, crossing his arms with skepticism in his eyes.

  Charles calmly looked at him. “Even if I’m just going to die, it will still serve our purpose.”

  Gerald shrugged. “That’s a fair point. It doesn’t matter; you’re just a sidekick. Kede’s men are what I really need. That pig has been sitting on his throne for too long.”

  Kede, ever the peacemaker, stood up and laughed. “Great, everyone gets what they need. It couldn’t be better.”

  However, as soon as Gerald left, Kede’s expression changed, turning serious as he looked at Charles. “That guy isn’t the King’s match; you’d better find the sea chart before he gets killed.”

  Charles internally scoffed; even if he was missing a few marbles, this old fox wasn’t easy to deal with. He was sending others into danger while he reaped the benefits.

  “Do you have any help for the infiltration? For example, a map of the King’s residence? Or the locations of important items?”

  “Sorry, I can’t help much with that. No one truly understands the King, and no one who has sneaked into his residence has ever come back alive. All I can tell you is that it’s very dangerous inside.”

  “Hmm…” Charles frowned. Charging in like this was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

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  “You have a few days to prepare and gather intelligence. I hope you succeed, and I genuinely hope what you said is true. The followers of Sodom will pay a heavy price for this operation.”

  Three days later, fully equipped, Charles stood on the deck, speaking to the first mate. “I’ll be back in two hours at most. If I’m not…”

  “Then… we’ll… come looking for you…” the bandaged man said, handing over a backpack.

  Charles smiled and said nothing more, taking the backpack and giving the bandaged man’s shoulder a pat as he walked off the ship. At the same time, a bat shot up from the deck of the Narwhal.

  Today, Sodom was bustling. Walking through the crowd, Charles overheard pirates discussing how much loot the King’s ship would bring back. They were like jackals feeding on the remains left by lions.

  Charles walked leisurely. When he reached the massive ship, he saw the “King” being pushed out from within.

  Checking his pocket watch, Charles waited, repeatedly checking the artifacts on him. These were all he could rely on now.

  “Boom!!” As the explosion lit up in the distance, Charles closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the clown mask was already covering his face.

  Charles moved through the crowd drawn in by the explosion, making his way to the back of the giant ship. He quickly pulled out a grappling hook and threw it upwards.

  The moment he climbed onto the deck, he was stunned by the lavish decor. The deck had been transformed into a small garden, with exquisite flowers contrasting sharply with the chaos outside.

  Carefully observing and finding no one in the garden, he quickly made his way to the nearby cabin door.

  The interior was even more exquisite, with crystal chandeliers illuminating everything. The dominant colors were gold and red, accented with silver and jade decorations. Every corridor and room showcased a sense of understated luxury.

  “Wow, this pirate leader lives better than nobility. Does that fat guy have such high taste?”

  After his sarcastic remark, Charles climbed the stairs to the lower levels of the ship, clearly the kitchen and living areas. He didn’t bother to check those; if there was any chance of finding the sea chart, it would likely be in the captain’s quarters.

  At first, he was cautious, fearing he might be caught, but after prying open several doors and finding no one, Charles let loose. He rummaged through boxes and cabinets quickly.

  In stark contrast to the quiet rooms, Charles’s keen hearing picked up on the increasing chaos outside. He knew this was a critical moment; things were getting out of hand outside, and he had to find the sea chart before the “King” returned.

  Just as Charles opened a drawer, he suddenly felt warmth on his neck, as if someone was leaning over him, blowing air.

  “Swish!” He reflexively drew his knife and flipped backward, landing on the table.

  The disheveled room was empty.

  Confused, Charles slowly turned around and continued searching through the drawers.

  “Creak~” A nearby wooden chair moved for no apparent reason.

  This time, Charles acted as if he hadn’t heard, focusing on his task.

  Without warning, the door slammed shut, and the lock clicked loudly, trapping Charles inside the room.

  “Oh? Is it haunted? In such a dangerous place, even ghosts dare to join in the fun??”

  Holding a drawer, Charles turned to look at the tightly closed door. He pulled out some explosives from his bag, lit the fuse, and threw it over.

  The explosives flew halfway before inexplicably curving back.

  With a swift motion, Charles sliced the bomb in half. In that instant, every sharp object in the room floated into the air, rapidly flying toward him.

  “Thud thud thud!” These objects were blocked by the upturned wooden table. Charles pushed the table aside and lunged toward the door, quickly twisting his black blade around the lock. He burst through the door and into the opulent hallway.

  In that moment, the lavish ceramics in the corridor shattered, and sharp shards floated up.