As Kline bowed, Gauthier's dark hair fell loosely over her shoulders, her violet eyes drawing inward, seeming to become a deep abyss capable of absorbing souls—her inherent sense of mystery growing ever more pronounced. She saw within Germain Spalro's ethereal form the stellar spirit layer beneath, pure and dark, with subtle currents flowing through it, ever shifting and evolving. She saw Germain Spalro's left hand glowing brightly, yet stained with a deep, unyielding crimson. She saw a shimmer of blue light along the edge of his sleeve, and a silver-white radiance flowing vividly within his left breast pocket, as though connecting to a realm of overlapping, ethereal dimensions, with surrounding objects faintly echoing the sound of waves and a whispering breeze. She saw in his right pocket a mingling of emerald and black glimmers, two points of golden, silver, and bronze light at his armpits, and a deep, gray-white hue at his chest, as if already decaying into death. Four remarkable items, extraordinary artifacts or spiritual incantations, counted in tens... Gardelie's eyes, the "Starborne Commander," flickered slightly, almost blurred, and she involuntarily closed them. Nodding in response, she said, "Good evening, Mr. Spalro." Even among the renowned sea-famed warriors, especially among the seasoned leaders among the Seven Pirate Generals, she had rarely encountered someone who armed themselves so thoroughly—right down to their teeth—with such transcendent items. Of course, she had seen and possessed far more such magical items, extraordinary artifacts, and spiritual incantations—especially when she belonged to a secret organization with several ships and thousands of pirates under her command—where many items had to be submitted, allocated, or sold to sustain and grow her own power. Thus, what remained in her own hands was not particularly abundant. This "fewness" is relative—almost comparable to what Gérard Spalro now possesses, yet through various exchanges, Gardelia has reduced it down to just two items—two that are strong enough, magical enough, and befitting of a pirate general. Besides the glimmers representing different objects, Gardelia, with her eyes of deep violet streaks in black, faintly sensed that Gérard Spalro was not quite real, as though concealed behind a thick veil of shadow. Ah—that is precisely why he gave me the impression of being non-human at the Tarot gathering. His secrets are substantial, at least involving the Sequence 3 Saints, if not even higher-ranking angels. Gardelia dared not gaze upon him any longer, and her gaze softened, no longer so deep and profound. At the same time, she chuckled to herself, feeling a bit silly about her partial speculations regarding the "world" and Germain Spalro: "Saints involved in Sequence 3, or even higher-ranking angels—well, that makes perfect sense, since both of us are members of the Tarot Circle, and certainly, he must be connected to the suspected awakening of the ancient gods, the 'Knight of Wands'." After exchanging greetings, Gauthier didn't linger or fuss—she simply led Caine toward the ship's entrance. Now, the "Future" resumed its journey, tracing a long arc across the sea surface and heading east along the whaling route, gradually dispersing the tension in the port of Napa. A steady stream of glances from the sailors came her way, and Caine didn't feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, he glanced around with ease, speaking in a relaxed, homecoming tone: "I thought the crew would be larger." "Admiral Galadriya glanced at him briefly and replied simply: "It's extremely dangerous to head east along the whale-watching route—only Ludewell frequently makes that journey, as if searching for something specific. Aside from the *Future*, none of the pirate ships would venture that far, and most of the seamen have been transferred to other vessels. Here, we've retained only the essential crew necessary to ensure a safe voyage." A very sensible move... Ludewell, the 'Admiral of Hell'? When the 'Man of the Pendulum' first mentioned him, he had said Ludewell had once again begun exploring the eastern reaches of the Sunia Sea... Klein nodded slightly, saying nothing further. This was precisely the气质 of Germán Sparrow. He remained silent, observing the surroundings and noticing that the deck, bulkheads, and masts of the *Future* were adorned with mysterious, abstract symbols, as though all of them interwoven into a single, grand ritual magic. Like the "Golden Dream," it's a mysterious sailing vessel, yet not quite at the level of a ghost ship. Compared to the "Star Admiral" and the "Ice Mountain Admiral," Tracy, who has only been a pirate admiral for a few months, seems a bit less distinguished, and the "Black Death" lacks any particularly unique qualities. Kline turned his gaze and followed Gauthier to the ship's entrance. Frank Lee retracted his right hand and glanced at Gardeleia, the "Star Above the General," smiling without losing her expression. "You seem to know me, don't you? Well, I've certainly had my photos featured on my wanted poster. Don't worry about being called a 'toxin specialist'—I'm a friendly sort, as long as I'm not facing those dreadful people. My greatest passion is studying soil, crops, and hybridization techniques. Believe me, that's truly the future of humanity." "But the people of the Earth Mother Goddess Church don't believe that," Gardeleia subtly introduced Klein to the others. Were they originally from the Earth Mother Goddess Church? Hybridization techniques were indeed strong—yet, only yield improvements could feed more people and raise the baseline of poverty. Klein looked at Frank Lee, speaking with a mix of courtesy and genuine sincerity. "That's good news." "...Indeed, you are a true adventurer who doesn't care about conventional opinions! Remarkable, truly remarkable!" "There aren't many people like you in the world!" Frank Lee's blue eyes sparkled with evident amazement. "I simply tried to cross-breed bulls, cows, and wheat so that calves could grow like wheat—just barely avoiding a trial by the followers of the Mother Goddess. How kind of them! They never truly understood your vision!" Cross-breeding bulls, cows, and wheat... You're a demon, indeed. Now克莱恩 realized that his understanding of hybridization technology was entirely different from what Frank Lee meant. He maintained his composure, offering no explanation, and followed Frank Lee's enthusiastic momentum as they walked side by side with the "Star General," Gauthieria, down the corridor. As they ascended the stairs to the upper level,克莱恩's mind suddenly stirred, and his gaze shifted toward the shadows on the side. There, darkness twisted and took form—a slender, pale figure emerged. His cheeks were nearly translucent, his nose projecting unnaturally high, giving him a generally unwell, listless appearance. "This is our second officer, Heath Dole," Frank Lee said with a smile. A "Bloodless" with a bounty of 7,600 pounds—Heath? Klein quickly matched the correct warrant. He nodded briefly, offering a greeting, then remained silent, retreating into the shadows. "He's a 'Rose Bishop,'" Frank Lee said enthusiastically as they turned toward the captain's quarters. Did he just casually reveal his second officer's rank to me? Klein almost raised an eyebrow. He glanced subtly at "Star General" Gauthier, noticing a faint sense of resignation in her expression. "Isn't it strange, and rather worrying, that you're afraid he might be a devout follower of the 'True Creator,' perhaps even a madman corrupted by that faith?" No, ha! He’s quite lucky—due to a particular accident, an ordinary man was infused with a magical elixir specially formulated from the extraordinary material known as "Rose Bishop." Gradually, the elixir permeated him and sustained him, ultimately transforming him into a rather unique kind of extraordinary being. Since he never went through the "Listener" phase, he remained uncorrupted and never went mad. As long as he doesn’t actively use his "listening" ability, he remains entirely normal," Frank Lee said with pride. What a fortunate fellow—he’s already reached Sequence 6, and unlike sea serpent Cavituwa, who went completely insane—Claire sighed, watching the "Star General" open the captain’s room door. Gardelica pointed inside: "Your room is across the hall. Frank will show you there. Should you need anything, you can come straight to me. You’re welcome to dine at the restaurant anytime, or simply ask Frank to have meals delivered to your room—this largely depends on your preference." "The Star Above" handles matters with such competence and efficiency—indeed, a mature, wise woman. In his heart, Cline murmured this appreciation, responding simply, "Good," without any change in expression. Seizing the opportunity, he glanced around the captain's cabin and noticed bookshelves, a full-length mirror, a desk, and a carpet. How could she possibly find time to read, not to mention absorb the knowledge imparted by the "Hidden Sage"? Cline found himself slightly amused by this thought. At that moment, Frank Lee, having concluded the conversation, enthusiastically offered, "Mr. Sparrow, would you like a roasted potato for dinner? It has the texture of beef and the flavor of beef—yet it is, truly, just a potato." Would that make him ill, perhaps? Cline replied coldly. "I don't eat dinner." "Very well," Frank Lee shrugged, and prepared to lead Cline to his room. At that moment, Gardeleia, the "Lord of the Stars Above," thoughtfully remarked, "Mr. Spalro, you must have hunted down numerous enemies and accumulated many spoils. Do you still have any exceptional traits left? Perhaps you could use them to offset the remaining ship costs?" Klein considered this and responded openly, "Most of them have been sold. I still have the 'Inquisitor,' the 'Fighter,' and the 'Madman.'" He did not mention his 'Eye of All Black' nor his 'Nightmare' trait. Indeed, one of the most renowned adventurers of the past few months—still retaining three exceptional traits despite having sold most of them—was no less impressive. Gardeleia silently admired this, murmuring, "I would like the 'Fighter.'" She already had a warrior under her command from the Galgas Islands who had earned sufficient merit to apply for promotion.