Chapter 83: Dark King Rayleigh's Big Question Mark!
Bubbles slowly floated up from the Ground. The moment they completely detached, they drifted into the air propelled by the wind, passing through the lively crowds and slowly flying over the ship masts. When they reached the top of the Yarukiman Mangrove, they would instantly release high heat and burst open.
This is Area GR53. Shipyards and Coating Shops extend along the coast in both directions. Seaships of all sizes, with their Sails furled, lay like injured Whales, being worked on by the Humans around them.
Compared to the Shipyards, the Coating Shops were much quieter.
Master Craftsmen, accompanied by young Apprentices, carried Buckets filled with Mangrove Sap. While carefully performing the Coating work on the Ships they were responsible for, they would occasionally explain the techniques and experience involved.
However, recently, an anomaly appeared among them, and this anomaly became an interesting topic of conversation for the Coating Craftsmen.
Some Apprentices closer to that anomaly would occasionally glance over.
The white-haired Falkner was a Master Craftsman who had been doing Coating work for nearly forty years. He skillfully flicked the Slime from the Bucket.
Then, using the air, he expanded it into a Bubble, and carefully integrated this newly formed small Bubble into the large Bubble on the Ship.
This so-called Coating is essentially this process: gradually combining small Bubbles to create a large Bubble that can cover the entire Ship.
So, theoretically, the larger the Ship, the longer it takes. And don't be fooled by the seemingly simple process; there are many intricate details involved.
Take the first step, for example: turning the Slime into a Bubble requires an Apprentice to practice for one or two years. After that, they must maintain the Bubble and prevent it from bursting easily, which further tests their feel for the work.
"Don't mind their stares. Study hard. Once you learn this, you'll have a Skill to support yourself."
Such heartfelt words were naturally spoken to the Apprentice standing behind him. However, this Apprentice looked much older compared to the other Apprentices around him.
This was a man nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a broad chest, muscular build, beautiful golden hair, and Glasses. The wrinkles around his eyes were quite noticeable, indicating he was clearly forty or fifty years old.
"Don't worry, old man, I don't mind them," Rayleigh, using the alias Old Lei, said with a cheerful laugh, while carefully observing the Master Craftsman's movements.
"That's good, that's good," Falkner nodded happily.
"Hmm?"
But just as he was about to continue explaining, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distance, attracting the attention of everyone nearby.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"
"All of you, make way for me!!"
A middle-aged man wearing a Black Coat and a black Captain's Hat rushed over with a group of Sailors armed with various dangerous Weapons.
They kicked away any passersby who were in their way along the route but didn't pursue them further, instead continuing to approach rapidly.
"Hey, isn't that Captain Gols?" Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "I remember, we agreed to deliver the Ship in a week, right?"
"That's right. We received half the Deposit upfront. When we deliver the Ship, they'll give us the remaining money," Master Craftsman Falkner nodded.
While they were Speaking, Gols and his group had already arrived. Captain Gols didn't even glance at the two of them, leaping onto the Ship's bow. At this point, the Bubble Coating had only just covered one-third of the Ship.
"Quick! Hurry up! We're setting sail immediately!!"
Seeing this, Master Craftsman Falkner showed no Reaction and had no intention of going forward to negotiate. Having worked here for so many years, there wasn't any Situation he hadn't encountered.
This group of Pirates was clearly being pursued by someone, making communication impossible. As for demanding the remaining payment, that thought didn't even cross his mind. After all, he hadn't finished the Bubble Coating, and getting half the Deposit was already a good deal.
If he had finished the Coating and this group of Pirates chose to leave without paying, he would notify the relevant personnel to handle it. The Coating Industry isn't unregulated.
But no matter what, it wasn't something for him, a mere Coating Craftsman, to handle.
Rayleigh on the side also had no Reaction, simply watching them lower the Sails and rush out of the Dock. He was more curious about the Situation on the other side, wanting to know what exactly was happening.
Because at this moment, it wasn't just their Ship escaping; over a dozen Pirate Ships that were being Coated were scrambling to leave, plunging this Zone into chaos and noise.
"Search!"
"Lower all the Sails! Any Ship flying a Jolly Roger is to be seized!" Rear Admiral Aven shouted his Orders to the Marines behind him.
"Yes!!"
Teams of Marine Soldiers scattered like ants, completely disregarding the obstruction of some Shipwrights or Coating Craftsmen, forcibly boarding Ships to inspect them.
Since Rayleigh's Ship had already sailed out, the Marine Soldiers just glared at them and ordered them to stay put temporarily, not allowing them to move around.
Suddenly, the entire Area 50 was thrown into chaos by the arrival of the Marines. The atmosphere was incredibly tense, and Gunshots and Battle Cries occasionally rang out. This clearly meant that some Pirates who hadn't managed to leave had been captured by the Marines and were attempting to resist arrest with force.
"Master Craftsman, do the Marines come here often?"
Rayleigh leaned in and whispered to Master Craftsman Falkner. He felt that if this kind of Matter happened frequently, he would have to consider changing his retirement profession. He didn't want to constantly face Marine investigations.
"No, in these past few decades, this is the first Time this old man has encountered something like this. It's truly strange," the latter said with a completely puzzled Expression.
"The Marines have their own Coating Craftsmen and don't need to come here. As for arresting Pirates, on this Island, as long as the Pirates don't cause a commotion, they won't interfere too much."
Hearing this, Rayleigh immediately suspected that these Marines might be here for him. Otherwise, why would a Situation that hadn't occurred in decades suddenly happen just over a year after he arrived?
"That's not right. How would the Marines know I'm here? And if they really were here to arrest me, what good would sending just a Rear Admiral do?"
Rayleigh looked at Rear Admiral Aven in the distance, who was dealing with a group of resisting Pirates, his Heart filled with a Big Question Mark.
"What exactly is going on?"
Meanwhile.
The Gols Pirate Crew's Ship had just sailed out of the Dock less than three hundred meters when a loud thudding sound came from the Ship Bottom. This gave Captain Gols a bad premonition.
"Captain, Captain, it's bad, Captain!"
"What's wrong?"
The Pirate who ran to Report shouted in terror, "The Ship Bottom has been pierced by something like a Harpoon, and not just one or two! It's completely become a Wasp's Nest (Holes) now! The Seawater is flooding in!"
"Huh?!"
Dozens of meters below them in the Sea, Fishman Soldiers of the Sea King Army, wearing Armor and holding Steel Forks, were looking at the dozens of holes in the Ship Bottom with wicked grins.
The Orders they received were exactly this: absolutely do not go up and confront these Pirates head-on.
Because the Bounty of Pirates who can reach the Sabaody Archipelago is generally not low. These Sea King Army Soldiers might not necessarily be able to defeat them. If they encountered a Tough Opponent with a Bounty of fifty million or more, they could even be wiped out.
So, they had to find a way to drag them all into the water!
If they were Ability Users, they would definitely be unable to swim and resist. If they weren't Ability Users, even if they could swim, they would be no match for them in the water.
You must know that the combat ability of Fish-men in water is several times that on Land, especially in terms of Speed. They can also breathe normally!
(End of Chapter)