Pirate Kingship-Chapter 631 - 447 Title Special Effect: The Key to the Treasure Ship!

As the Golden Deer took advantage of the lull at the turn of the month to depart the Hundred Beasts Paradise and begin its return voyage, hordes of adventurers' ships, warships, pirate ships, whaling ships, slave ships, and merchant ships—which had been blocked behind the Living Hatch for a full month—were swarming in.

"It's open! The Living Hatch is open!"

"Weigh anchor, full sail! Let's charge ahead!"

"Time is money! If we transship via the Great Bear Archipelago's warehouses using the West Wind, just a few extra voyages will earn us more than an entire year's usual profit!"

"Intelligence reports have arrived. The eastern coast of the Southern Continent is occupied by a Deep Sea Clan, the western coast by a Native Empire ruled by a Pseudo-God. However, the northern rainforest belt only contains Totemic God Tribes. If we land from the north, slaughter them, and plunder everything, the vast lands and endless gold and silver will all be ours!"

"Where the sword and Cross point, glory be to the Creator!"

The Colonizers roared with excitement, frenzied as if on stimulants. A vast virgin land awaited their exploitation, and countless opportunities would allow many to strike it rich. Whether they could change their destinies hinged on this very moment!

Especially prominent were seven or eight Wonder Battleships at the vanguard, shining with a dazzling Divine Light. To the Spirit Vision of other Transcendents, they resembled scorching suns descending upon the sea. Some shone due to their ships' extraordinary quality, but most did so because they carried a Fifth Order captain who made no attempt to conceal their Spiritual Radiance.

They were all the top-tier Legendary Adventurers from various factions, having forsaken routes they had explored for years to converge here. Previously, they had been outmaneuvered by the Pirate King, Barbarossa Hailiding of the Ocean Throne. They missed the initial opportunity and wasted an entire month. The Centaur Archipelago had a twenty-year protection period under the Wilderness Development Decree, meaning the most lucrative part of the whaling grounds was already lost to them.

Now, simmering with resentment, they were all eager to reclaim the lost time. Sparks practically flew between the adjacent warships as they jostled for position, none willing to fall behind in the upcoming explorations.

But no matter how fiercely they competed, none dared to overtake the uniquely designed, massive warship at the very front. The mainmast flew the long commissioning pennant of the Kingdom of Castile's Navy, the bowsprit was adorned with the gold castle banner of the Trastámara Royal Family's nobility, and the stern gallery bore a line of gilded letters.

This was the flagship of Louis, the Puppet King of the Kingdom of Castile—the Quasi-Legendary Warship, Castle of Dreams.

Unlike the Golden Deer's flush-deck design, this warship was a large Carrack, its forecastle and sterncastle towering high. Both structures were built to resemble fortresses, adorned with lavish gold and gemstones. The vast warship resembled a fantastical kingdom floating on the sea. Its interior space was far larger than its exterior suggested, as if a Prince's grand castle had been moved onto the sea. Attacking this ship would undoubtedly be an incredibly arduous, true naval siege.

CLOMP. CLOMP. CLOMP.

A group of life-sized "toy soldiers" in uniform, shouldering Firearms, patrolled the entire warship diligently. Another group of toy soldiers meticulously maintained the cannons. At a glance, not a single living, flesh-and-blood person could be seen.

The master of the Castle of Dreams only stirred from his hundred-square-meter bed when the sun was high in the sky and the Living Hatch had opened. He sat up, extricating himself from a tangle of smooth arms and slender legs.

The dozen or so captivating beauties beside him also awoke. They silently shuffled backward on their knees across the large bed, and not one dared to offend her master by turning her back to him as she exited the room, naked.

Simultaneously, dozens of Maids in uniform entered the bedroom, carrying silver platters laden with various necessities. Some attended to his ablutions, others dressed him, while still others offered him fine wine and brunch.

In that moment, Louis, the Puppet King, was the undisputed, supreme monarch. Without leaving his bed, everything was arranged for him. What most humans could only imagine as the pinnacle of luxury was merely Louis's daily routine.

Soon, this noble personage regained his dignified composure.

The velvet curtains were drawn, and warm sunlight filtered through the enchanted glass full-length windows, illuminating the Puppet King. His strong, square face bore a peculiar wooden texture. His slightly upturned mustache was meticulously groomed, and his age was indiscernible. His attire, a nobleman's formal suit embellished with various gemstones, featured a prominent golden castle insignia, signifying his noble lineage.

The hundred-square-meter bed automatically transformed into a spacious throne. Another group of a dozen or so exquisitely beautiful women, dressed in extremely revealing attire, replaced the previous ones. They were there for him to embrace and caress, offering him fine wine and fruit with intimate gestures.

Compared to the impatience of other Legendary figures, the Puppet King was clearly far more composed. This was the confidence befitting the foremost Leading Maritime Power.

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

He clapped his hands and commanded with an indifferent expression, "Play music! Dance!"

On the stage outside the full-length windows, a professional orchestra began to play Louis's favorite composition. A troupe of young women in colorful dancing gowns glided in. Curiously, numerous translucent threads descended from the empty space above their heads, connected to their joints.

Then, as the music swelled and the Puppet King's fingertips twitched, the beautiful young women were lifted by the invisible threads and began to dance with ethereal grace. Every step landed precisely on the beat, each woman's movements utterly flawless, enacting a uniquely brilliant puppet ballet.

However, an outsider witnessing this would only find it eerie and grotesque.

In fact, it was just as Louis's creed dictated: To reside high upon the throne, to revel in power, to wantonly control the destinies of the weak with the strings in one's hands, and to permit no one to defy oneself.

He pursued the perfect control of everything and abhorred any deviation from his command. Upon careful observation, one would notice that every person living on this ship had, to varying degrees, translucent threads attached to them. These were regarded as a "boon" from the Puppet King. These threads could help them "correct" their destinies, ensuring every step they took perfectly followed the script written for them by the Puppet King.

The people on the ship had grown accustomed to this. Some, afflicted with Stockholm Syndrome, even felt they could not endure a single day without the threads' control, finding their lives under the Puppet King's dominion to be exceptionally blissful and secure.

However, even the Puppet King himself was, in the end, merely a mortal, not the supreme Creator. He was incapable of controlling all the variables in the world.

As a group of dancers finished their piece and began to exit sequentially, the lace of a dancing shoe on a blonde girl in the front row suddenly snapped. She stumbled badly, causing the previously orderly line behind her to dissolve into disarray.

Silence!

The entire stage fell deathly silent. The lead dancer's first reaction was not to clutch her ankle and cry out in pain. Instead, she knelt on the ground, her face deathly pale, cold sweat smearing her makeup. Anywhere else, this would have been a minor mishap, but on the Castle of Dreams, it was an unpardonable, grave error.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort emanated from above. The five or six threads connected to the blonde girl abruptly turned blood-red, and her entire body began to tremble violently. It was as if something was being extracted through the threads, while something else was being injected.

CRACK! CRACK!

Soon, eerie grinding sounds, like wood against metal gears, emanated from within the girl. After a mere half-minute, when the blonde girl rose to her feet again, she had completely transformed into... a puppet!

Her fair skin now showed a wooden grain, her joints had become ball-sockets, and her features, though still delicate, would never again laugh or cry. Only her eyes, now transformed into glass, twitched faintly, still holding the residue of the girl's terror. Evidently, her soul remained imprisoned within this puppet shell, unable to live, yet denied death.

The others who witnessed this scene fell silent as cicadas in winter, recognizing this as the Puppet King Louis's unique Fifth Order Strange Art: Flesh Is Futile! This art could transform a human into a puppet, entirely under his dominion. The soul would be imprisoned within, and even the abilities of a Transcendent would be preserved.

Clearly, the "toy soldiers" serving on this warship had all once been living human beings!

In the silence, punctuated only by the thudding of many hearts, the communication crystal in the bedroom suddenly lit up. His mood soured by the interruption, Puppet King Louis suppressed the oppressive aura emanating from him and accepted the long-distance communication from his homeland.

"Good day, Your Highness!"

The figure appearing in the crystal ball's projection was none other than Mordent Gray, the Sailboat Collector. He had previously failed in his attempt to steal the Blue Dragon King and the Golden Deer, consequently losing his physical body and a Virtual Ship Spirit. Although he had failed to acquire his "beloved beauties," he dared not violate his agreement with the Puppet King. He had obediently returned to the Kingdom of Castile to serve as the director of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Aided by various Extraordinary Materials provided by Castile, he had already begun preparations for his Fifth Order Ship Spirit Promotion Ceremony.

Sensing the Puppet King's displeasure, Mordent dared not prevaricate and stated his purpose directly, "Respected Your Highness, the Treasure Fleet is prepared. It will soon set sail from the homeland, laden with goods from the Old Continent, bound for Havana Port. After loading special products from the Bantaan Archipelago, it is scheduled to begin its return voyage at the end of October.

His Majesty the King believes that the security in the Bantaan Archipelago is currently volatile and requires reinforcement. For this voyage, His Majesty intends to activate the Treasure Fleet's Title Effect, 'Treasure Ship's Lock Key,' and wishes to appoint you as one of the three Keepers of Secrets.

What are your thoughts..."

As a treasure fleet renowned throughout the nations, it naturally possessed a legion-level Title Effect called "Treasure Ship's Lock Key." Once information such as the departure time, estimated time of arrival, primary route, fleet size, and cargo manifest are established, and three Keepers of Secrets have fully memorized these details, an Information Black Box can be generated. As long as the Keepers of Secrets do not divulge the information they hold in any form, no one, even if in close proximity, can detect the Treasure Fleet—often comprising over ninety ships laden with gold and Spices.

Consequently, these three Keepers of Secrets are crucial for every voyage. Each year, they attract the covetous attention of ambitious individuals, leading to espionage, and even assassination or kidnapping attempts. If anyone successfully obtains this information, they could potentially plunder the Treasure Fleet. If all three Keepers of Secrets are eliminated, that Treasure Fleet, along with its crew and cargo, would vanish from the world forever, its treasures lost to everyone.