Pirate Kingship-Chapter 822 - 504: The Mastermind, Bone Cathedral

"Deep Sea Leap, three, two, one! Launch!"

A large fleet, its pirate flag billowing, vanished instantly into the giant Blue Hole that suddenly opened on the sea surface, led by the Ghost Ship Fearless and five heavy cruisers.

The five heavy cruisers were all refitted from over a hundred large Garen sailing ships captured from the "Treasure Fleet," with their decks flattened and completely reoutfitted.

Though slightly inferior in performance, this greatly saved the time needed to build new ships.

Immediately after their launch, they were equipped into the fleet of the Pirate King, the Uncrowned King.

At the very end, the Golden Deer engaged its stealth mode via the National Border Lock, following behind the pirate fleet. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Onboard were pirate officers, all Third Order, a group of Wings of Death guardsmen, and Mother Heather, alongside cousin Saranthe, each wielding a Zero Level Holy Relic Fragment.

No one could discern the Golden Deer in its superposition state, nor connect it to the prototype of all heavy cruisers, thus no concern about linking them together.

As the world's top "blockade breaker" ship type, it complemented the pirate fleet perfectly.

When they strike back at Hightins next year, the Pirate King and his grand fleet will be the main force, taking this opportunity to train troops in advance.

Aboard the Fearless, Violet unfurled the First Overseas Development Command to obscure the entire fleet's presence, while anxiously sweating in the palm of Byron's hand.

Looking up at Byron beside her, she voiced her apprehension:

"Byron, is Mother really at the Malta Monastery too? What if we're wrong?"

Byron squeezed his fiancée's hand strongly, comforting her:

"Although I'm not one hundred percent sure, I'm about seventy or eighty percent confident.

Besides, whether or not the 'Iron Masked Man' is mother-in-law, as long as we forcibly break the Divine Domain and rescue everyone, we can naturally determine the truth.

After all, we have 'Outlaw Madman' and 'You Are Not the Murderer' bonuses on our side.

As long as we leave no direct eyewitnesses in the end, it just becomes a Barbary pirate raid on a monastery at the Inland Sea front, nothing to do with us Bay Citizens Pirates.

If all else fails, at most we switch to another monastery next time according to the intelligence until we find her."

As a Holy Spirit Follower, his title was yet to be realized, naturally lacking access to the Silver Law's fundamental permissions to directly pull church databases.

He could only continue commissioning Sister Teresa, Holy Hammer Oliver, and August Habsburg to help collect intelligence on mother-in-law Vanessa.

Deploying their connections to secretly hunt through all church-held prisoners.

Matching the tags: dated at least fifteen years ago, female, of great noble origin, mythical creature, fondness of water...

Delving into it shocked them; merely those found matching the conditions numbered five or six, unknowns remained.

Moreover, all shared similar habits: elegant behavior, book-loving, bath enthusiasts, invariably masked in metal, concealing exact appearance.

All suppressed by Divine Domains on coastal sites or islands.

Their code names varied diversely: Iron-headed Person, Iron Masked Man, Iron Chin, The Faceless One, Wall-facer, Lonely Soul...

"The church really went all out!"

Upon seeing the data, Byron immediately realized this was not to defend against a rescue operation by him.

Instead, it was a long-foreseen ruse intricately set up years ago, finding a group of devout nuns to impersonate Vanessa.

Defending against Fifth Order Pirate King and pseudo-god Whale Hunter Jack Harold, using forceful rescue of his wife, compelling him to obediently search for Noah's Ark for them.

The Whale Hunter doesn't have as many high-level church insiders as Byron, nor carries the "Saint" title that grants immunity from various Divine Domain severe rules, nor possesses two major "non-stick pan" conditions to depart with.

Only a single chance exists for action.

Even upon a coincidental Vanessa discovery, lacking absolute confidence, they'd dare not act recklessly.

Additionally, August Habsburg learned through his steadfast Traditional Faction believer status and royal family connections the vital Divine Domain-enforced watch rules directly in place:

"She cannot remove the mask herself, nor can others; anyone attempting will face death penalty.

She cannot voluntarily reveal her identity; uttering it leads to death penalty for her and the listener equally."

The condition triggering these rules is one and the same—"knowing."

Meaning, in whatever manner others learn her identity, once another knower appears before her, rules trigger, resulting in tragedy.

Rescue needed violence from outside the Divine Domain, not a secret gaslight rescue possible.

Despite a highly suspect Vanessa substitute "Iron Masked Man" residing next to Aunt,

Having learned the taboo, Byron no longer dared to visit the Malta Monastery heedlessly.

Neither would he test authenticity with secrets known only to Violet and her mother.

Otherwise, just like the Wizard's "Water Ordeal," false targets are executed by Byron, while the genuine is rule-eliminated, leaving only a corpse.