Before he could speak, Byron, whose expression had drastically changed upon hearing the commotion, swiftly cut him off.

An invisible wind carried his voice down to the ears of everyone on the lower deck, "Ahem, everyone, keep your wishes to yourselves for now. There'll be plenty of time to make them come true once we return. Although our ship isn't yet equipped with a Navigator or a Meteorologist, my Weather Intuition has sensed that the rain will stop in ten minutes. Prepare yourselves, get your gear in order, and we'll set off shortly."

He also felt an absolute necessity to add another rule to the Pirate's Ten Commandments.

Taboo! The following behaviors are strictly prohibited before a battle:

Claiming 'After this battle, I'll go back home to marry' or 'After this job, I'll wash my hands of it/retire back home.'

Showing paintings of one's children or spouse, "and saying they're cute, right? They're about to call me Daddy"...

I'll continue to add more as I think of them. These guys were so inexperienced, each one like an old general on a stage, bristling with death flags. It made Byron, their Captain, worry himself sick over them.

After preventing a potential disaster, he let out a slight sigh of relief and turned his head towards Violet, who stood shoulder to shoulder with him, "Miss, why did you ask me to come up here alone? Is there something that can't wait until we return to discuss?"

He was a bit tense, fearing she might also say something about what to do upon their return.

One of their important goals for this trip to Silvergold Island was the blue-haired Barbarossa Halding. Concerning the whereabouts of her father, Violet certainly wasn't in the mood to continue waiting at home for news. Not only was she going, but her flagship, the Flame Rose, which had been lurking for a long time, was also ready to move at a moment's notice.

The girl didn't make his worries come true; her face was brimming with a smile. She handed over an oak box that had been hidden behind her, her voice accompanied by an exaggerated sound effect, "TA-DA! I've said before that if there are any goodies, you'll get your share first. Here's a gift for you. I barely managed to finish this product just before we set off—quick, take a look, what could this wonderful thing be?"

Seeing the size of the box, Byron immediately had a guess.

He tried to control his excitement, slowly opening the box before him. Upon seeing the contents, so full of mechanical beauty yet not lacking in artistry, he couldn't help but catch his breath.

"Finished product? You've actually completed it so quickly?!"

The box indeed contained two large silver-white revolvers, or they could also be called hand cannons!

The first Iron-smelting Blast Furnace Violet built had solved the industrial system's issue of going from nothing to something, from 0 to 1. The subsequent task of expanding production capacity, from 1 to 10, from 10 to 100, naturally fell to the company's industrial research department, led by Little Hans. Violet, the Grand Artificer, then devoted more of her efforts to the firearms workshop responsible for cutting-edge military arms research. After all, that was the foundation of her Transcendent path as a Third Order Gunsmith.

Seeing Byron's ecstatic expression, Violet's sapphire-like eyes sparkled, and with her hands behind her back, she tilted her head proudly and said, "How's that, not bad, right? I've long seen you eyeing my Shotgun Twins 'Black and White Keys,' never wanting to give them back each time I lend them to you. I knew you, an 'unscrupulous gunslinger,' lacked two fine 'Sidearm Swords' for your Sword Drawing Technique. These are two large-caliber revolvers, slightly modified and enlarged from the blueprints you gave me. The material used is from the first batch of steel produced by the Sacred Relic 'Alchemy Furnace,' which is very meaningful."

The collective unconscious of humanity is an endless treasure trove, and stumbling upon certain knowledge during an occasional foray into it is nothing unnatural. In this world, it's not a novel occurrence for someone illiterate to suddenly achieve worldwide acclaim due to compatibility issues. Violet never believed there was anything wrong with Byron. He might not be a genius in terms of innate Talent or relentless effort, but he could definitely be a genius of the 'eclectic' kind.

At this point, a hint of regret crossed the girl's face.

"Unfortunately, though revolvers themselves aren't difficult to make—they can be easily replicated with either Alchemy or the No. 8 Crystal Skull—developing reliable primers that could be mass-produced with conventional knowledge proved to be exceedingly tough.

"I've tried many experiments based on your Fulminate of Mercury idea, but all failed. I suspect this material is too sensitive; even exposure to active Source Tides could ignite it, making its reliability far worse here than on the Old Continent.

"I could only create the primer for the accompanying bullets using Alchemy Gunpowder, and each bullet costs about as much as its weight in silver.

"So these two Firearms are actually a set of matching Miracles. They can only be equipped by you and aren't yet ready for widespread adoption by the Fleet.

"Their collective name and severing inscription are: Thorn and Rose.

"This represents you, Red Rose Lancaster. Though you are set to tread a thorny path, you shall eventually witness roses blooming in full splendor.

"Wanna give them a try?"

Hearing the name of the twin guns sent a shiver through Byron's heart. Violet, who had faced similar circumstances, truly understood him. Bruh and the others were bound by fate, but he and Violet shared a true meeting of minds. Their thoughts and feelings were perfectly aligned. Indeed, it felt rather good to have such a companion.

With this thought, he had already reached out and taken the two Firearms out of the box; the Sailing Logbook also automatically retrieved the information about the twin guns.

[Third-Rate Miracle · Thorn and Rose]:

"One is called Thorn, and the other Rose.

Gun length: 291 mm. Gun weight: 1.6 kg. Barrel length: 153 mm. Chamber capacity: 6 rounds.

Covered in patterns of thorns and roses, they are not only the epitome of cold, violent weapons but also exquisite industrial works of art.

Both guns come with different enchantments and are loaded with specially made bullets.

The first gun, Thorn, uses regular Copper-Shell Fixed Ammunition, capable of killing a wild bear with a single shot."

"The second gun, Rose, is loaded with paper-cased shot containing 15 small steel balls, exactly three times the five petals of a rose. A single shot bursts forth like a blooming rose. Of course, while the firepower coverage is increased, the power of each individual steel ball is correspondingly reduced. When facing various enemies, the choice of weapon depends entirely on the user's ability to adapt to the situation."

"Special Attack: Thorn and Rose! Both guns firing together can instantly empty the chambers, unleashing a furious, splendid rose bloom. They can automatically seek out and concentrate fire on enemies that have already been hit."

If Transcendents didn't take extra superhuman defense precautions, even a Fifth-order Legend could have their brains blown out by the most ordinary Flintlock Gun. However, Middle to High Sequence Transcendents possessed an incredible spiritual perception. Unless they encountered an Artillery Expert or Musketeer of the same Order, it was almost impossible for them to be struck by regular Firearms. Therefore, in Middle Sequence gun battles, accuracy became the most crucial factor. To Byron, the fastest gunslinger among the Low Sequences, with these twin guns in hand, he was confident he wouldn't be outdone by any Musketeer.

Violet then took out a carefully crafted leather gun holster from her traveler's bag and, with a glint in her eyes, personally fitted it on him.

Byron played with the excellent-feeling twin guns for a while, skillfully spinning them into the holsters and then, like a flash of lightning, drawing and simulating a shot.

He sheathed them, then drew again.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

His Storm Sword Technique, which focused on speed, naturally complemented the Gun Drawing Technique and metallic storm. His hand movements were so fast they nearly left afterimages in the air, yet they didn't stir even a breeze.

After a while, as the rain began to lessen, he finally ceased his practice, somewhat reluctantly.

He reassured Violet, "These guns feel amazing. For the rest, all good things come to those who wait. The invention of primer and caps is more than enough for you, a Third Order Gunsmith specializing in weaponry and ammunition, to ascend to the Fourth or even the Fifth Order, becoming a legend in the history of weaponry that no one can sidestep. The only clue I can offer is that treating a nitric acid solution of mercuric nitrate with alcohol might produce fulminate of mercury. Beyond that, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. Let's go. Once we've made our round at Silvergold Island, inspiration might just strike when we return."

CLICK!

The Golden Deer set sail and left the harbor. Torrent Fortress was also completely sealed off by the Golden Law's National Border Lock, preventing anyone inside from getting out or anyone outside from getting in.

Although Grand Wizard Swarm, who spent his days being intimate with the Chǐ God in the mine tunnels, probably had no interest in those cold, lifeless machines either. Day and night, he was busy with that vermin beauty, studying the mysteries of the ecological will amidst the 'great harmony of life'. But it was still wise to be cautious of him. However, Byron believed that when he returned, everything would be different. The many sweet fruits he had spent this time watering and cultivating were all waiting for him to pick, one by one.

「In other parts of this Sapphire Sea.」

A hundred ships raced against each other, their sails blotting out the sun, as powers holding admission tickets set off one after another, heading south towards the Bantaan Archipelago just like the Golden Deer.

「Meanwhile, Alfred of Blood Red Whiskey, tasked with leading the vanguard, was initiating a massacre on Hunter's Island.」