CHAPTER 232: CHAPTER 232: NEWS FROM ACROSS THE OCEAN

"Ah! It’s still nice to be in a place with blue skies and sunlight. After staying in the gloomy Sunken Ship Bay for so long, I feel like I’m about to get moldy."

Beside her, another young girl with fiery red hair, dressed in a scorching black leather armor, said as she raised her glass and took a big gulp of beer, then let out a sweet breath of alcohol.

"Ah, that’s amazing!"

Since the previous captain died, they had been staying in the Sunken Ship Bay for more than half a year, maneuvering among all sorts of scheming Great Pirates, barely keeping the Golden Horn Deer’s position in this Pirate City.

Then they encountered the prematurely started Mist Sea Uprising and Anita’s successful promotion. The long stay in Sunken Ship Bay made the crew, yearning for a free life, a bit agitated.

Thud!

Putting down the empty glass, the girl propped her snow-white arms on the table.

The almost explosively beautiful figure caught the attention of the pirates in the tavern, but once they noticed the pair of knives and pistols hanging from the belt around her slender waist, especially seeing Anita sitting quietly beside her, they silently turned their gaze away.

This was the only female crew member on the Golden Horn Deer before Anita boarded, and she was also the niece of the former old captain, now the Chief Navigator, Jasmine Stella.

On the pirate ship and in the relatively closed Sunken Ship Bay, it was hard to drink the refreshing beer more suited for a woman’s taste (specifically for female pirates?) that was extremely difficult to store. Finally returning to the normal sea with blue skies and white clouds, even Jasmine was beginning to let herself loose a bit.

Anita listened with a smile to Jasmine’s chatter, knowing her nature well, Anita knew she didn’t need to respond to anything; Jasmine could talk to herself all day.

"Recently, the east coast of the Black Sea has been quite lively! Wow! ’Octopus Ghost’ Hawkins actually led the Pirate Alliance to massacre and plunder a city? Even though we’re pirates ourselves, this is too much! Besides, as the Black Sea Pirate King, would he lack money?"

Browsing the information on the wall, Jasmine let out an exclamation.

In a small pirate port like this, taverns also served the function of information and intelligence exchange. General information would be posted directly, while information with unique value could be privately traded with the bartender.

In fact, what Jasmine had just seen was a newspaper posted in a corner of the wall, a Navigator Daily that had a substantial influence among sailors, navigators, and pirates.

Though the dates were clearly lagging.

However, being able to see news from across the sea on the New Continent was already to thank the seagulls for their tireless efforts.

Some large organizations trained strong seagulls to deliver messages, spanning the entire Black Sea and connecting the New and Old Continents. Despite needing several relays and having a certain loss rate, "Seagull Messaging" was the most economical and efficient means of communication in this era.

"This news is interesting, it’s a response to the ’White Whale Port Massacre’. Tulip released six Navy New Stars!

More than half of the pirates involved in the massacre have already been hunted down by the Navy....

Oh! One of the ’Navy New Stars’ has the surname Galliot as well, Anita, I’m not very familiar with the Tulip’s common language, can you check if it’s him?"

As a close friend who had lived with Anita for six years, Jasmine naturally knew that she had a long-lost younger brother back home. Now, unexpectedly seeing a familiar surname, she immediately reminded Anita.

In the continental cultural background, although given names were few, surnames were not entirely unique, especially with different languages among countries. For example, the long-established, well-known noble family "Cavendish" had many branches, with descendants spread across countries on the continent.

Hearing Jasmine’s words, Anita, who was browsing other information, turned her head instantly.

Whoosh—!

Even the simple movement created a gust of wind, blowing Jasmine’s red long hair into disarray.

It was imaginable what a simple word could evoke such strong emotions in the Great Knight!

"The first group of Tulip Alliance’s Navy New Stars, ranked in no particular order, Phaletis Kingdom’s Third Fleet, sixteen-year-old battleship captain Aiven Galliot, Lieutenant Colonel (Flagship ’Storm Horn’).

Record: served on the Level 5 Battleship Silver Wings after enlisting, receiving high praise from his direct commander, Colonel Gel Cooper.... later graduated from the Royal Navy Academy with perfect excellence....

During his schooling, he invented the ’Scurvy Practical Prevention Solution’, earning him the Hippocrates Level 2 Medal, Iron Cross Medal, Pioneer Level 3 Medal....

After graduation, he became the youngest captain in the Kingdom Navy’s history due to remarkable achievements.... performed outstandingly in pirate-hunting operations, promoted to battleship captain, Navy Lieutenant Colonel....

Achievements: Bounty of three thousand Golden Lions on the Eagle Spirit, bounty of two thousand five hundred Golden Lions on the Big Thumb, bounty of eight thousand Golden Lions on the Skeleton Tomb....

In this pirate-hunting operation, the alliance navy sank pirate ships....

Although there was indeed an internal ranking during the action, it couldn’t be reflected in the newspaper, mainly because it was detrimental to internal unity within the alliance.

The rewards eventually given to the Navy New Stars also won’t be published in the press, but the latest job appointments and achievements don’t need to be secretive.

After all, it was all about showing off to the outside world, so of course, the elite talents had to display their brilliance for everyone to see.

Moreover, even among the six naval rising stars from various countries, Aiven’s resume was dazzling enough!

The most frightening thing is that he is only sixteen years old this year! As long as he doesn’t fall mid-course, a naval star is bound to rest on his shoulders sooner or later!

"This is... this is..." The Great Knight’s pair of hands, capable of splitting seas and cutting mountains, were trembling slightly at this moment.

Initially, Anita’s reactive response was merely instinctive, as she didn’t really hold out hope of encountering news of her brother in the newspaper, a rare event.

However, after glancing at the newspaper once, she couldn’t tear her eyes away anymore.

Despite the contrast between her somewhat introverted brother and the radiant Kingdom Navy Battleship Captain on the newspaper, it was quite stark.

Yet, at first glance at that name, as if sensing a connection, Anita firmly believed it was indeed her dearest brother Aiven!

Moreover, below it was the name of his serving battleship "Silver Wings" Captain Gel Cooper as further confirmation—an irrefutable proof.

During the blood and fire night six years ago, the thirteen-year-old Anita had a deep impression of Uncle Gel, not needing to see the person directly to match the name.

Previously, being caught up in the captain replacement and seat succession affairs of the Golden Horn Deer in "Sunken Ship Bay," Anita missed the report of Aiven inventing several scurvy prevention and treatment methods, yet she ultimately didn’t miss this one.

"Thank the Goddess! It’s so good, you are okay—truly so good!"

Gently tearing the newspaper from the wall to press it against her chest, Anita seemed to draw closer to her brother across the ocean, her smile unstoppable while tears trickled down.

These six years, she had begged the old captain to secretly sail the Golden Horn Deer back to Black Stone Town several times, her greatest hope merely being news that her brother was still alive. Unexpectedly, years later, this little rascal gave her such a big surprise!

Thinking about it, surely Aiven and Grandpa Leo were also working tirelessly to find her?

"Phaletis Kingdom?" Mumbling to herself, Anita was already pondering the best route from the New Continent to there.

"Annie! Is that ’Navy New Star’ really your brother?" Jasmine beside her couldn’t help but guess the truth upon seeing Anita in such a rare state. Aside from feeling happy for her friend, she was also slightly worried.

"Of course! Aiven is the best!" said an emotionally excited Anita to Jasmine, but then she calmed down immediately, smoothing her smile away. After all, she was already a... pirate!

The brightly promising future of a Navy Battleship Captain having a sister who was a great pirate? No, no, she absolutely could not affect her brother’s future—absolutely not!

Biting her lower lip, Anita pondered for a while before saying to Jasmine:

"Jasmine, tell the crew henceforth not to mention my real surname, okay?"

Recognizing the serious consequences if the secret were revealed, Jasmine nodded emphatically:

"Let’s downplay the name! Great Pirates all have their own resonant titles, and subtly guiding us now doesn’t seem abrupt. Didn’t someone start calling you ’Jade Light’ after your breakthrough?

After all, you’ve just taken over as captain and broken through to Great Knight, except for the crew on board, not many across the seas know your full name, um, just a few from ’Sunken Ship Bay.’

People tend to forget; the best way to prevent the ground from growing weeds is to plant crops!

From now on, just use this title in place of your name, spread it. The louder the nickname ’Jade Light’ resonates, the less attention Anita Garrott’s name will draw—potentially even stripping it completely."

As Anita’s best partner and assistant, Jasmine remained calm during this time, immediately devising a highly viable solution.

"Alright! From now on, I am the captain of the Golden Horn Deer, Great Knight ’Jade Light!’" Anita nodded strongly, agreeing to Jasmine’s proposal.

Yet, determined by her character and strength, she was sure to not become that bashful, overly cautious small woman; the Phaletis Kingdom was still a place to go, just in a more covert manner.

Six years was indeed far too long; one way or another, she must see Aiven grown up—even if it’s just sending a message through someone, letting him know that his always-loving sister is also alive...

Then, let Ilya’s "old acquaintances" feel fear, welcoming the darkest moment of her life!!!