Chapter 44: A Landlord's Solid Foundation
*Clang!*
On the deck, a cold gleam flashed, swiftly piercing the air, heading straight for Sag who was standing in front.
Sag smiled, quickly extending two fingers, and pinched the cold gleam.
The approximately two-finger-wide rapier was firmly held between his index and middle fingers.
"Too straightforward."
Sag looked at Lily, who was trying to retrieve her sword, and said, "You can use *Soru*, but this level of attack is only useful against small fry. You're a swordswoman. Just being fast isn't enough. While increasing your speed, you also need to enhance the power of your swordsmanship."
"Dynamic Impact!"
On the other side, a huge sheep-horned hammer came smashing over. Sag pinched and flicked with two fingers, sending the rapier, and with it, Lily's body, staggering backward. At the same time, he easily jumped up and landed, squatting, on the hammer's surface.
"I don't have much to teach you about your abilities. You're more familiar with dynamic force than I am. Just develop your ability more. Also, when will my gun be ready, Renetti?" Sag looked down at Renettia.
"It's already ready! I'll give it to you!"
Renettia shouted back, grumbling, twisted the handle of the hammer she was holding. The enlarged sheep-horned hammer quickly shrank, turning into an ordinary tool hammer, causing Sag to fall.
As soon as he landed, he heard whistling sounds. He saw Gin charging from the other side like a leopard, his staff powered up and spinning, smashing towards Sag with great force.
"Your intentions are too obvious."
Sag simply shifted his body to the side, and his two fingers pointed at Gin's head.
"Kami-e!" Gin's pupils contracted, and his body began to move, like a willow swaying in the wind.
"You're also very greedy. Being a pirate is acceptable, but swordsmanship still needs to be done step by step!"
Sag directly kicked out a leg, like a whip, hitting Gin's waist, sending him flying and crashing into the railing of the ship.
Then, he retracted his leg and walked towards the trembling figure behind him.
"I, I... I am the invincible Pearl-da!"
The remaining Pearl trembled, but seeing Sag approaching, he closed his eyes and shouted, "Tekkai!"
*Bang!*
Sag's fist struck his abdomen, sending him flying a foot off the ground. His body became shrimp-like, his eyes bulged, and he knelt, clutching his stomach.
"You still need to strengthen it, but... you're not afraid of pain anymore. That's worth encouraging."
Sag glanced at Pearl on the ground and turned back towards the throne placed on the deck, sitting down on it. Then a tray was brought over.
"Please enjoy."
Marika's gentle smiling face appeared beside him.
Sag glanced at her, reached for the glass on the tray, swirled the wine inside, took a sip, and said, "It's well-mixed, Marika. Wouldn't you like to try?"
Marika smiled. "Ah, I'm good at cooking, but I'm not good at fighting."
"Is that so..."
Sag narrowed his eyes and shook his head with a smile.
This woman, in his eyes, was hiding a lot of strength.
As for the others, it was mainly because he had said earlier that they needed more practice, which led Lily and the others to want to challenge themselves, resulting in today's scene.
It was also a good way to test the progress of these people.
As a result...
It was neither good nor bad.
Lily's progress was probably the best. She used *Soru* very well and could even combine it with her swordsmanship initially, but apart from speed, her swordsmanship was useless.
Sag didn't know swordsmanship. He understood martial arts but not swordsmanship. He only knew a term called 'the breath of all things', which was said to allow swordsmen to cut steel.
The current Lily could only cut stone, still a long way to go.
Renettia was too young to start training. Besides, she was a mechanic and an ability user. She should focus on her own specialties first. For example, the tool hammer in her hand had a very complex structure. Without her own ability to support it, it would be impossible to develop so many forms.
Gin was a bit greedy. He obviously added traces of 'Tekkai' and 'Soru' to his attack, but he obviously failed. 'Kami-e' was used well.
As for Pearl...
*Tekkai* needed to be strengthened.
"Sag..."
Lily walked to Sag's side at this time, standing slightly behind the throne to the left, took out a telescope to look forward, and then took out a nautical chart to compare. "We should be there."
"Oh?"
Sag took Lily's telescope and looked.
In front of the sea, there was a thick fog. Looking through the telescope, he could see the outline of a huge bridge within the fog.
One section of the bridge to Bridge-Top Kingdom had been reached.
Gin shook his head, left the railing of the ship, and walked to the front of the deck.
Pearl stood up, punched his fists together, and followed behind Gin. Behind them were the remaining pirates, holding their weapons tightly.
Further back, on the empty deck steps, Sag finished the wine in his glass and put it back on the tray held by Marika standing in front of him to his right. At the same time, Renettia, who was in front of him, tinkered for a while, and handed over a beautifully decorated flintlock pistol inlaid with jewels.
"Here, it's ready. It's been modified to hold six bullets, and it can be fired normally on rainy days, it won't be affected by rain."
Sag grinned, took the flintlock pistol, and inserted it into his left waistband. He didn't speak, just quietly waiting for the huge black ship to break through the thick fog and gradually approach the bridge's outline.
Until he could see the bridge itself, Sag stood up and said, "Our pirate crew is about to expand!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped on the air, as if there were stairs in the air that could lead to the huge bridge. After two or three steps, he quickly ascended into the sky, passed through the fog, and landed on the edge of the bridge.
*Pa!*
A whip cracked on the bridge. A guard wearing a security uniform was whipping the laborers carrying building materials, leaving a bloody whip mark on their bodies.
"Faster! Don't delay the work!"
Then, the guard seemed to sense something, looked to the side, and saw a man standing at the high edge of the bridge, looking down at him...
"Yo."
Sag raised his hand, smiled slightly at him, and greeted him.
*Bang!*
Then he quickly pulled out the flintlock pistol and pulled the trigger. A bullet hole appeared on the guard's forehead, carrying his stunned expression as he fell to the ground.
*Bang bang bang!*
Sag stepped forward onto the wide bridge, casually firing three more shots, killing the guards who hadn't reacted yet. Then he said to the people dressed as workers, who looked surprised,
"My name is Norton Sag. I'm a pirate, and I'm currently recruiting members. You..."
The smoke from the muzzle gradually dissipated. Soon, the fog that had permeated the bridge also dissipated.
"Would you like to join my pirate crew and become pirates?!"
This was a place where many non-affiliated country citizens and criminals were sent to be slaves. The structure of the country was all these people, including the guards who were once criminals.
Rather than saying it was a country, it was better to say it was a prison used to detain enemies.
Whether they were civilians or not, as long as the people living here, they would have enough endurance, tenacity, and plenty of vitality under harsh environments and beatings.
And some were even battle-hardened warriors. At least Sag could see at a glance more than ten talented people with strong physiques on one section of the bridge.
Such talents, rather than being used as slaves, were better used to fill his pirate crew!
This was the solid foundation for him to become a landlord in the future!
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