Captain – Chapter 81 – Map of Unknown Waters

What good could there be?

Bivis blinked a few times, finally understanding the captain’s meaning. He smiled apologetically and said, “Oh, of course, Captain. After all, for pirates like yourselves, profit is the strongest oath, isn’t it?”

Satisfied with the scholar’s perceptiveness, Roy nodded, “Yes. Rather than negotiating with pirates, why not engage in a transaction that satisfies us both? So tell me, what can you offer me?”

The scholar deliberated for a moment, staring at those dark golden pupils, and probed, “Since you’ve suffered Edward’s curse, you presumably need to find his remains to discover a method to break the curse?”

“Remains?”

Hearing this, Roy was briefly stunned, but quickly understood what the scholar meant.

Generally speaking, for anyone suffering from a curse without a definite method to break it, the first thing to do is to find the source of the curse. Waiting for you there might be useless mockery, but it could also be guidance left by the caster before their death.

Annisdora’s Box was like this, and the Pirate King’s bones were the same. This wasn’t difficult to understand.

“No, Mr. Scholar, I know the method to break the curse, so I don’t need to search for that fellow’s bones. I just need to see him once more. And to be honest, his appearance…”

Roy recalled that powerful man seated upon the throne, revealing a troubled expression, “…doesn’t seem like that of a dead person.”

Rеαd оո ΚatReaⅾіnɡСafе

If that devil were truly dead, she would have long ago claimed all the treasures on Devil’s Island and inherited the supreme reputation of the Pirate King, rather than being as she was now—not only having lost the Mermaid, but also reduced to a young girl.

Hearing the captain’s description of that man, the scholar suddenly stepped back, stumbled and fell to the ground, his face as white as paper, his brown eyes filled with terror and surprise.

“Cap…Captain Edward… is still alive?”

Bivis’s voice trembled slightly. Roy could even detect a hint of madness and hysteria suppressed beneath the fear.

The captain explained with some uncertainty, “Actually, I don’t know if he counts as alive, but from what that fellow said, he shouldn’t be able to leave that island. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have to search for him my entire life?”

Although the girl’s explanation was somewhat unclear, the scholar seemed to deduce something from those fragmentary clues. His lips twitched a few times, forming an ugly smile as he whispered with relief, “So that’s it, that’s it. I knew he would face retribution. This is the consequence of abusing the power of the Box.”

Unable to understand Bivis’s muttering, Roy could nonetheless hear his boundless hatred, and so curiously asked, “Do you have a grudge against him?”

The scholar’s smile froze. Trembling as he got up, he looked at the girl’s fair face and asked darkly, “Captain, if you suffered hundreds of years of misery because of someone, could you not hate them?”

Considering that possibility, Roy nodded in sympathy, “That fellow is indeed detestable. It seems our views are quite consistent. Now, let’s continue our conversation, Mr. Scholar.”

Rеаd οո КаtReaԁinɡСafе

Taking a deep breath, Bivis finally calmed down from his previous emotional fluctuations. He proposed to the young woman, “Although I don’t know Captain Edward’s whereabouts, I can take you to where the Box is buried. There, you might be able to find some clues.”

“The burial place of the Box? Didn’t you say it was an island unknown to anyone?”

Facing the captain’s distrustful gaze, the scholar nodded in acknowledgment, “In principle, that’s correct, but as one chosen by the Lady, I’ve dreamed of that place more than once, and even…”

Pressing against his left chest, feeling the cold touch of the goddess statue, the scholar’s face gradually radiated a strange brilliance, “I can feel her guidance, so take me with you, Captain.”

Roy pondered briefly, feeling that what the scholar said didn’t seem false, but still didn’t agree. Instead, she calmly inquired, “You say you’ve seen that island in your dreams, so tell me, what’s on that island that’s worth this captain exploring?”

Roy wasn’t a fool. Even if what the scholar said was true—that he could lead her to the island where the Box was buried—whether there truly existed clues to Devil’s Island remained an unknown.

So the mere possibility of clues was far from enough. She needed more direct rewards, such as gold and silver treasures, or… the Box itself.

The brilliance on the scholar’s face gradually faded. He recalled, “On that island, there’s a hall specially built for Captain Edward. The Box is hidden in a secret chamber deep within the hall, and there lies another treasure that accompanied him throughout his life.”

“That is… the Map of Unknown Waters.”

Reаⅾ оո KаtRеаԁіոɡСаfе

Roy’s eyes brightened slightly as she smiled and asked, “So the clue you speak of refers to this map?”

“Yes, but I’m not certain whether it depicts the island you wish to visit,” the scholar explained the reason for his use of the word “might” in his previous statement.

“Very well. Captain Edward’s mysterious map does hold a certain attraction for me, but this alone isn’t enough.”

Roy clapped her hands. The crisp sound of applause spread slowly throughout the spacious room, accompanied by Alfie’s hoarse mocking laughter. The captain said expressionlessly, “I want everything, sir. Both the map and the Box.”

The scholar clearly hadn’t anticipated this. He pointed at the girl with trembling fingers, “You… you can’t be so greedy. The sealed Box has no function whatsoever.”

“But it would be valuable, wouldn’t it?”

Roy’s face broke into a malicious smile, revealing her long-hidden fox’s tail, “No need to spend money, no need to provide a ship. You just need to guide the way, and you can break the curse and regain your freedom. This is already a very profitable deal.”

The scholar’s face alternated between pale and flushed for a while before he gritted his teeth and said, “No, I cannot give up the Box. It’s the ultimate pursuit of my life.”

“Since that’s the case, it seems we can’t reach an agreement.” Roy smirked, walking step by step toward the scholar. Each step was heavy and powerful, resonating like a sacred bell in his heart.

Reαԁ on ΚаtRеadіnɡСаfe

“What… what are you doing?!”

Bivis instinctively retreated, saying fiercely, “You can’t kill me, Captain! I am a Death-Fearer chosen by Lady Annisdora. You will surely regret your evil actions!”

Knowing the scholar was merely putting on a brave front, Roy smiled sweetly, “Indeed, Mr. Scholar, I can’t kill you. But that’s not a bad thing, is it?”

Hearing these words, the scholar shouted, his face ashen, “You… you’re even more shameless than the Pirate King! You pirates should all go to hell!”

Having cornered Bivis against a desk, Roy flexed her fingers, producing a crisp sound, “Thank you for the compliment, Scholar—no, Mr. Bivis. Now there are two choices before you. One is what I mentioned earlier.”

“And the other?” the scholar asked, suppressing his fear as he found himself with nowhere to retreat.

“As for the other…”

The smile disappeared from Roy’s lips, her dark golden pupils flickering with terrifying radiance like magma.

“I’ll break your limbs and tie you to the mast, where you’ll endure scorching sun and pouring rain day and night, until you’re willing to accept my conditions.”