According to statistics, about half the sailors forced to join the Navy died on warships during their service, a clear indication of their deplorable living conditions.

Hearing Byron's words, Ron immediately stepped forward to represent them and saluted him, "Your Excellency, Captain Tom treats us relatively well. At least, he's no worse than other captains. However, some of us weren't original crew members of this ship; we were soldiers from the Navy of the Kingdom of Castile! During the encounter between the "Teapot" and the Navy warship "Pikeman," Second Mate Pritt used the shipowner's authority to exchange some of the sailors on board with us. As for why they did this? Hmph..."

At this point, Ron's face showed a self-mocking smile that everyone instantly understood.

The pirates beside Byron couldn't help but feel empathy, righteously indignant.

"They're true vampires! Skimping even on the meager salaries sailors earn risking their lives. They deserve to die!"

"Exactly! This is an old trick of merchant ships and Navy warships. I encountered this when I first went to sea as a young man, and it made me sick to my stomach. I'll never forget the 15 Gold Coins they still owe me."

"Those who bully us honest folks ought to go to Hell..."

No one found this story unbelievable.

Navies of various nations knew their working conditions were poor. To retain sailors, they would go to great lengths, often deliberately withholding pay. Sailors would only receive their wages if they chose to re-enlist and continue serving in the Navy. If a sailor decided to leave, they might not receive a single penny. Sometimes, a warship could no longer operate normally due to many sailor deaths. In such cases, they would intentionally intercept merchant ships and forcibly conscript the sailors on board, regardless of their nationality.

Merchant ships' tactics were no less despicable than the Navy's. Many merchant ships, greedy to embezzle sailors' wages, would deliberately approach warships. They'd "sell" their own sailors to the Navy or exchange them, allowing both sides to save a great deal of money. This also meant that some sailors, upon nearing port, would band together. They would force the captain to pay their wages and then escape on small boats or by jumping into the sea to make a clean getaway. Some desperate sailors would even violently resist naval press gangs coming aboard, seizing any opportunity to escape and join the ranks of pirates.

Compared to merchant ships and warships, pirate ships, symbolizing freedom and democracy, were the sailors' redemption, as they could even use the [Pirate's Ten Commandments] to break free from the unfair contracts that bound them.

Some joked, "In this Great Nautical Age, how can we completely eliminate pirates?"

The answer? "Just wipe out all navies and merchant ships!"

Although it was just a joke, the merchant ships and navies of this era indeed made an indelible, outstanding contribution to the flourishing of pirates, just as was happening at this very moment.

Ron, the former Navy soldier, lamented, "Second Mate Pritt would punish crew members at will, tying us to the shrouds and beating us half to death. Yesterday it was Wade, and the day before that, John. One by one, my former companions disappeared. In the end, even their bodies couldn't be found. Your Excellency, The Sea Hunter, my companions and I hope to join your Privateer Fleet. We want to avoid being sold off again or dying suddenly over some trivial matter."

Ron and seven or eight other former Navy soldiers bowed, hoping to join the Pirate Group.

All eyes turned to Second Mate Pritt.

"Ah, mind your own business and bugger off!"

But they noticed Pritt, sensing things were turning against him, had already stealthily moved towards the bulwark. At that moment, he roared and hurled three fist-sized spheres towards Byron and the pirates. He himself braced against the bulwark, ready to leap overboard and flee.

Byron had been keeping part of his attention on him and saw the three spheres clearly.

They were three withered... shrunken human heads!

BOOM!

The three heads exploded in midair, releasing a large cloud of dark green, foul-smelling poison gas, with a texture as sticky as tar. The wooden deck where it landed instantly turned black and began to smoke, hissing—a testament to the poison's potency.

This second mate was merely a First Rank Spirit Medium of the Graveyard Sequence, with virtually no combat ability. However, he had learned a forbidden knowledge unique to overseas: the "Shrink Head Spell." This spell originated from certain headhunting tribes on islands further south of the Bantaan Archipelago, at the edge of the "Serpent of the World · Celestial Current." It could shrink a normal person's head to the size of a fist and imprison their soul. Wearing them allowed one to share some of the deceased's abilities, somewhat similar to Byron's title ability, Mad Hunt Legion. And once triggered, its power was comparable to a Voodoo Potion—remarkably powerful.

Ron and the others had no idea. This man wasn't just torturing the crew; he was actually murdering them to practice Black Sorcery.

"Go back."

Byron, who had seen through him instantly, simply raised his hand and gestured.

A violent gust of wind immediately swept in, carrying the poison gas and flinging it onto Pritt.

SIZZLE—!

He didn't even have the chance to scream.

In an instant, the poison gas dissolved his bones completely, leaving only a pitted head that rolled across the deck.

A soul was naturally dragged into Byron's shadow, becoming a new member of the Mad Hunt Legion.

Byron briefly perused his memories, then a smile of delight appeared on his face.

I always say, good deeds are rewarded. Today, acting as an incarnation of justice, a beacon for the mortal world, I've not only picked up a few quality crew members but also received a huge, unexpected boon. This guy actually witnessed, in person, a headhunting tribe on a certain small island worshiping the Number 12 Crystal Skull, 'Polaris God' Shaman Ek! It serves as a guide for all travelers and a living map for all indigenous peoples. I'm one step closer to my small goal: collecting all 13 Crystal Skulls and inheriting the Taya Empire.

In high spirits, Byron spread out the [Pirate's Ten Commandments] and had the seven or eight former Navy sailors add their names. The Pirate Code, a symbol of freedom, instantly severed their original employment contracts. Of course, this also meant they gave up any legal path back to their homelands.

Having reaped such benefits, Byron didn't forget to issue instructions, "Notify all sub-fleets and Privateer Ships under the company's command. From now on, we're not just plundering wealth; we're liberating people too! When we seize money, make it routine to also hold a public trial and a grievance hearing. Give our oppressed brothers a chance to escape their sea of suffering. As righteous thieves, we are the liberators of all oppressed sailors—the very incarnation of justice!"

The crew beside him were moved to tears.

"Captain, you truly are a good man."

"The Sea Hunter has come, so justice has come! There's hope for the sailors on the eastern and western shipping lanes!"

Naturally, his Privateer Fleet would also continue to expand rapidly.

「Before long, the two ships parted ways.」

The Golden Deer returned, laden with its haul of wealth and new recruits. They had just returned to Georgetown Harbor. Commander 'Phantom Blade' Gus of the Storm Cloak immediately approached them, his face solemn. "Captain," he said, "I have bad news. There's a traitor among us."