A pirate in full regalia, worth three thousand pounds, was discovered boarding the ship, and Caine immediately grew alert. With a composed smile, he said to the adjacent Nana and the twin brothers Danet, "A friend." He then calmly stepped forward, toward the fourth mate of the "Ice Admiral," his gaze locked firmly on the man. The "Flame" Danitz, whose smile had already stiffened, saw the young adventurer, whose veins pulsed with wild energy, approaching steadily. A sudden thought flashed through his mind: Run! Run now! Make every effort to escape—expose his true identity if necessary—escape immediately! In his eyes, that reserved and composed adventurer was a genuine monster disguised as a man. Just as Danitz was about to act, he suddenly calmed down, recalling last night's events: the man had not attacked him—he had simply let him go. That is to say, he didn't necessarily harbor an intent to hunt me down; the current crisis could be resolved through communication—running away directly would only exacerbate the tensions... Thoughts raced through Daniz's mind like flames, and drawing on his experience, he forced his legs to remain still, appearing calm and composed as he waited in place. "He should have thrown me off the ship by now, no matter what—after all, a pirate boarding a passenger vessel introduces potential risks... As he spoke, Daniz silently pondered the possible outcomes. For him, this was quite a favorable result, at most a wasted ticket. Kline remained silent, silent enough to make Daniz feel uneasy. It wasn't until five or six seconds had passed that he spoke again: "Which cabin do you occupy?" "First class, room 312," Daniz held up the ticket he was holding. He didn't dare look down, fearing that the other might launch a sudden attack. Kline gave a barely perceptible nod: "Any servant's quarters?" "Yes." Daniz answered instinctively, yet felt profoundly puzzled, unsure of the significance of the question. Then, he heard Kline speak calmly, as if giving an order to a subordinate: "You'll sleep there." Ah? There? In a servant's cabin? Didn't he intend to throw me off the ship? Danzel was momentarily stunned and asked aloud, "Why?" Klein glanced at him and calmly uttered a single word: "Hostage." Hostage? He was worried I might be an inside man aboard, setting up a convenient opportunity for the pirate crew to seize the White Garnet, so he intended to use me as a hostage? That made sense. If that were indeed the case, even if he pushed me off the ship now, the pirates would inevitably strike later—using a hostage would be far more advantageous for negotiations. Honestly, I hate these people who are so arrogant, cold, and incapable of speaking in full sentences—always reducing their communication to just one or two words, or half-sentences, leaving me to guess the rest! If I hadn't been genuinely outmatched, I wouldn't have had any interaction with such a person at all! How could I have thought his temperament suited me? I must be mad. Danzel thought, his teeth itching with frustration. "Very well," he sighed, resigned. "Go to your cabin." Klein maintained the refined persona of a perfected Gorman Sparrow. Huff… Daniz, dragging his suitcase, reluctantly led the creature clad in human skin into the cabin, up to the upper deck, and to Room 312. Upon opening the door, Caine quickly took in the space and immediately noticed that it was vastly superior to the second-class cabin. The living area was about thirty square meters, connected to a master bedroom and three servant rooms, featuring an independent bathroom, standard wardrobes, and a heartwood desk. Daniz set down his suitcase and glanced at the servant rooms, then suddenly thought of an important question: “Are we really leaving the master bedroom empty?” As soon as he finished speaking, he already knew the answer. “It’s mine,” Caine said politely. Indeed, to be entrusted with guarding me… Daniz felt deeply depressed. Caine stepped a few paces across the carpet, then pointed toward the door. “Come with me downstairs,” he said. “…Alright,” Daniz replied, somewhat puzzled, unsure of what was coming next. The combination of adventurers and renowned pirates arrived swiftly at the second-class area and found the room that had originally belonged to Crane. Upon opening the door, Crane did not enter but pointed inside to Daniz and said, "Put the items on the table into the luggage boxes." What? Pack them? Help me pack? Daniz nearly stood still in shock. In an instant, a surge of anger surged to his head: I, Daniz, "The Flame," Fourth Mate of the Iceberg Admiral, a celebrated pirate with a reward of 3,000 pounds, how could I be treated like a servant, ordered around like a footman! My dignity, my reputation—both of them would not allow me to endure such an insult! Seeing Daniz transform into a statue, standing motionless, Crane gave him a cold, steady gaze. Daniz's body immediately trembled. He took a deep breath and managed a smile so strained it looked more like a sob. "Very well." He bent reluctantly, entering the room that wasn't particularly tall, and efficiently gathered up the scattered items and placed them one by one into the suitcase. Without needing any prompting from Caine, he arranged them with meticulous care—more so than he would have treated his own luggage. After completing this, he carried the leather suitcase behind Caine, following him up the stairs. Along the way, he often found himself with the urge to surprise Caine from behind, but ultimately restrained himself. Upon reaching Room 312, Daniz bit his lip, swallowed a lump of saliva, and asked, "How shall I address you?" "Carmen Sparrow," Caine replied simply. Carmen Sparrow... Daniz repeated the name in his mind, vowing never to forget this encounter and determined to make Caine experience something similar in the future! The captain will surely help me! He thought with growing anticipation. For the sake of his character, Caine chose not to sit in the armchair and instead settled into a plain wooden chair. Leaning against the back of the chair with a slightly arched posture and his hands naturally interlaced, he addressed Daniz, the "Flame," saying: "There are many renowned pirates you know." Daniz hesitated, responding with a somewhat uncertain tone. Standing motionless, he seemed like a servant. Klein slowly lifted a corner of his mouth and said: "By the bounty list." Then, he gestured toward the chair across from him: "Sit." Daniz exhaled in relief and quickly sat down. He suddenly found the man quite pleasant—at least, he was willing to offer him a seat. …… Wheee! The White Mahogany sailed out of port, entering the vast ocean, maintaining a steady speed of 13 knots until midday. After having spoken for a long time, Daniz was granted a break and, holding the ticket, led Klein to the first-class dining room. The dining room was elegantly furnished, with a violinist playing in the corner, and partitions between tables ensuring a private atmosphere. After walking a few steps, Caine encountered the family of Donna and the others, who had taken a large table and were waiting for the waiter to serve them. "Uncle Sparro!" The young boy, Danon, had quietly changed his address, thanks to their shared secret. Donna blinked, clearly expressing her bewilderment. She remembered clearly that Uncle Sparro was staying in the second-class cabin and should not be present at this restaurant. Caine smiled and waved politely, then pointed to Daniz. "He's making the request." "Ah, so it is..." Donna glanced curiously at Daniz, finding him rather unusual—especially his eyebrows, which seemed out of place. Krivis set down his fork and knife, then paused silently for two seconds. "Your friend?" Caine chuckled softly and turned to Daniz. "What do you think he should say?" Daniz first clenched his teeth, then managed a smile. "Germain once saved my life." "Yes, that's exactly what happened; otherwise, I might have already been killed by him and replaced with a reward announcement," Daniz comforted himself mentally. Kriwes studied Daniz for a few moments without saying much more. Beyond the family of Tanca, Caine selected a table by the window. The waiter came over warmly and presented the menu. "Grilled beef tenderloin, port wine foie gras, vegetable salad..." Daniz glanced at the menu, marveling aloud. "There's something truly wonderful about ships that dock every two or three days with fresh supplies—having access to fresh food is a real blessing. When you're stuck at sea for a week or two, you're stuck with beer, cured meats, and an endless rotation of canned goods—monotonous, to the point of driving you mad. But the sea itself also provides fresh ingredients, which means you need a good palate. Our ship has a sailor who once got so sick with diarrhea he lost his entire bottom just from a particularly beautiful lobster." As a pirate, he'd originally intended to use his more rustic expressions, but seeing the look on Garman Sparrow's face, he promptly adjusted his wording: "He lost his entire bottom from diarrhea." "I have reason to suspect there are other factors at play, though your captain is a woman, female crew members should still be quite rare, and they've likely been unable to land for a long time—seamen must surely be very thirsty... Clain muttered under his breath, took up the menu, and browsed through it, sorting the items by price: "All of these, please." The waiter's expression remained unchanged. At that moment, Clain noticed Captain Elran entering the restaurant and passing by nearby, so he simply greeted her briefly. When he turned back, however, he found that "Flame" Daniz had already turned his gaze toward the window, as if gazing at the scenery. "Does the captain know you?" Clain asked, almost stating it as a matter of course. Daniz cleared his throat with a dry laugh: "When he was still the boatswain of the William V, we fought against them." "And furthermore, and furthermore, I do count as a relatively well-known pirate..." As he spoke, Daniz recalled his current situation and suddenly grew somewhat melancholy, shifting the topic: "I've always been puzzled—why did the just and fair Elran suddenly leave the Navy? At that time, he had already become the 'Arbiter'."