Black Sail
Chapter 96: XCVI. The Terror

Chapter 96: XCVI. The Terror

Liszt was an extremely terrifying person.

Well-known fact.

In every place, it was always people of the same race, same nationality huddling together.

The island was no exception.

Powerful pirate groups tended to consist of fugitives from the same country or mixes from the same race.

Even the largest, top-tier pirate groups wouldn’t have too many aliens; they all stayed within a manageable range.

Because of historical reasons, with too many wars and countless new grudges and old hatreds among different races, there tended to be considerable xenophobia—even if you became familiar with them, barriers still existed.

But Black Sail was utterly different; whether on the ship or island, it was a melange, a collection of all sorts with an extremely high degree of tolerance. It didn’t matter where you were from, as long as you kept it real and could make money together, that was fine.

It was the only thing of its kind in Heaven Port.

Utterly counterintuitive.

Such inclusivity made it easy to expand quickly, but the faster you grew, the quicker you fell apart.

Usually, they’d break down when they reached a medium size.

Not only did Black Sail not collapse, but everyone had also been assimilated, which was indeed baffling and hard to imagine what secret Liszt had up his sleeve.

But in reality, there were no secrets.

Because Liszt was a Cosmic Person from outer space; the historical problems of this world meant nothing to me. From the leader’s position, he managed to treat everyone equally and fairly.

It was a kind of natural, invisible management style.

It didn’t matter who you were, what you’d done in the past, or what race you belonged to, as long as you contributed, you would definitely be remembered and rewarded. That’s when people understood the opportunity for promotion, that’s why they would continue to work hard, deeply aware of the irreplaceability of this platform and the sunk costs involved, and that’s why they would be utterly loyal.

Otherwise, why bother starting over, at a new place with each fired shot, and the new leader could be anything.

The reason many companies in Liszt’s homeland collapsed one after another was precisely because they didn’t treat employees as normal people with desires for promotion but purely as tools for tasks. Once a big job was done, the managers would only report their own achievements. Their stamps were worn down at the corners from overuse, but they wouldn’t dream of sharing that.

Who would then strive with all their might? When everyone slackened off, collapse was inevitable.

So, it’s said that vision is an invisible, latent power. You can be without it, but once you reach a certain level and still don’t have it, you’re done for.

Black Sail was a civilian violent group that spoke strictly through skill levels.

Everyone had meat to eat, so they rolled up like a snowball, chopping up anyone who was vegetarian.

And such an anomaly like Black Sail, with its strong inclusivity, did not escape the notice of those living on the island.

That’s why some people would rather pay protection fees to Black Sail than to their own race or their own country’s gang.

In times of trouble, Liszt would genuinely come to your aid, and he only charged once. There was no freeloading and the price was much lower. Your own kinsfolk might not even be reliable.

Of course, this was just one of the reasons.

More importantly, it was Black Sail’s current status and its dominant hard power at Heaven Port.

Thus, evolving into its current state was inevitable.

Inside an inn on the outskirts of the city,

A group of adventurers, who had come from far and wide to hunt sea beasts, laughed heartily, completely out of their minds. They had to face the wind and weather just to earn a living.

Meanwhile, some were born with everything provided, and even got beauties as a bonus.

Elves sure could hold their liquor.

"I came all this way, and I have to take care of your business." Shadi placed a Golden Dragon on the table, "Everyone’s drinks here are on me, and I invite ten more rounds. Let’s drink to our heart’s content, alright?"

Shadi was only slightly tipsy, not too drunk. Life is about keeping up appearances; if you don’t show off, what’s the point?

All the patrons were impressed; some cheered, while others became even more morose. Not only was he handsome and rich, but he was also extremely generous. It just seemed too unjust.

"And the rest of the money, I’m giving it directly to you. I can’t spend it all anyway."

Shadi added two more Golden Dragons to the innkeeper’s hand, gripping it tightly.

The otherworldly beauty of the Dark Elf and the warmth of his hand sent shivers down the innkeeper’s spine. Her wheat-colored sexy cheeks flushed with red. She thought Shadi had come to his senses, no longer entangled with other vixens, and that she was the most important to him.

But then her face turned cold and extremely serious as she thought of Shadi’s line of work—the life-risking kind—and his association with Liszt. That didn’t bode well.

Liszt was considered one of the notable figures of Heaven Port. He seemed amiable and of good character with a commendable reputation, but that was all a facade; it was his strategy.

The innkeeper had spent a fair amount of time here.

Only the perceptive knew how ruthless and terrifying Liszt could be. Who could have known how many people he had to cut down to get where he was today? How could he be a good person?

"You shouldn’t go back to your Pirate Gang. Just tell Liszt you’re staying here. Would that be alright?"

The innkeeper shook Shadi’s hand, pleading. She didn’t want Shadi never to come back one day. Waiting for over three months this time was long enough; who knew when... he might end up dead in the street or as a corpse floating at sea.

Shadi was left speechless. How many years had he known Liszt, and how long had he known her?

He was still planning to make a big name for himself and create a stir when he returned to Summer Sunset Island.

Besides, was that something he could just walk away from? The day Swan submitted his Oath of Loyalty, no one could escape. Even if Liszt wanted to bail, he would have to leave his life behind.

"Women know nothing. I know you’ve been an adventurer, but is being an adventurer the same as mixing with the underworld?"

Shadi was ready to leave; there was another place to visit. He had made so much money that he could buy up the homes in the Aran Imperial Diocese, but he didn’t even know how to spend it all. It was better to make the girlfriend group happy.

"Don’t go... I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors lately, not just in my shop, but in others too. Practically every pirate is talking about Black Sail’s business."

The innkeeper was worried. She hadn’t mentioned it before because Black Sail was powerful and thus safe, but things weren’t the same now.

"Really? What’s going on?"

Shadi sobered up a bit at her words.

"Those pirates are all complaining over drinks, expressing their discontent with their own bosses. Their pay is getting smaller and smaller, all because Liszt crossed the line. By himself, he has collected almost one-eighth of the protection fees on the island, and his prices are lower. This can’t go on; it will lead to trouble sooner or later. They say that Heaven Port will soon bear the name Liszt."

The innkeeper’s concerns were not unfounded; rumors of this nature had been growing more intense lately, as if everyone was gathering to take down Black Sail.

Shadi hadn’t returned to Black Sail Inn that day, unaware of this issue, so the matter of comforting the girlfriend group could be put on hold for now. He would first go back to spread the word.

Liszt was getting involved in too many things: the Thief Guild, Dragons, local turf disputes. Could he really handle it all?

New Heavenly Port, was it a pipe dream or a tough reality?

Then came breaking news from the entrance of the tavern.

"Shit, there’s been a killing over there."

"People get killed every day; keep drinking. Rush over there and you might accidentally get hit."

"No, it’s one-sided, already over, cleaning up. Shall we go see the excitement?"

"We definitely should check it out."