39: Chapter 39 Arrival at Golden Island

Richard exclaimed with immense excitement: "This is so interesting!"

His voice was barely audible amidst the roar of the giant waves created by the Kraken's tentacles, but Cecilia heard it, and there wasn't a hint of fear in his tone.

"I couldn't even imagine a scene like this before, let alone see it! This is the true charm of another world!"

He laughed loudly, his laughter sounding so small yet so unrestrained amidst the roaring waves and the shrieks of the giant beasts.

"Hahaha, once I am strong enough, you will all become my prey!!!"

The white gull finally managed to pull away from the most dangerous edge of the whirlpool under the captain's roar and the helmsman's desperate maneuvering.

The hull tilted nearly forty degrees from the giant waves crashing into its side, and everything unsecured on the deck slid to the port side—barrels, ropes, skins filled with fresh water, and other supplies.

But fortunately, the ship did not capsize.

Under the old captain's steering, the scarred brigantine caught a northerly wind and stumbled out of the core waters where the two giant creatures were battling.

The battle between the Dragon Turtle and the Kraken continued, but from the distance of the white gull, it had already turned into two blurry giant shadows at the end of the horizon and a series of dull, terrifying roars.

The setting sun covered the entire field of view with a sea dyed in purple and red; for a moment, the entire ocean looked like an overturned palette.

Morpheus stood up, holding onto the ship's rail; his hair and robe were soaked through with seawater, clinging to him like a white owl fished out of the water.

He lifted his head, looked in Richard's direction, and a flash of complex emotion crossed his eyes.

A few days later, the group finally reached their destination.

When Golden Island appeared on the horizon, at first glance, it looked like an emerald floating on the sea.

The volcano in the center of the island was covered tightly by lush tropical vegetation; what emerged from the crater was not lava, but wisps of white water vapor that refracted a thin rainbow halo under the sunlight.

The white beach circling the island was as wide as a ribbon paved with ivory powder, and the sand was so fine that one could barely feel the grains when stepping on it, only a soft sinking sensation.

The port was built on the south side of the island; the breakwater was built with solid blocks of black volcanic rock, and both sides of the dam were densely packed with ships of all sizes.

From small sloops to three-deck merchant ships, from fast ships flying pirate flags to large cargo ships bearing merchant guild emblems, the ropes between the masts were hung with colorful flags, flapping loudly in the sea breeze.

Behind the port was a meticulously planned complex of buildings with white stone walls and red tile roofs, and both sides of the streets were planted with neatly trimmed palm trees and climbing plants with purple flowers.

"Is this place really pirate territory?"

Jinbao stood by the ship's rail, his goggles pushed up onto his forehead, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

"It belongs to Blackbeard." Morpheus tucked his white hair, messed up by the sea breeze, behind his ears; he had changed into a clean, light gray linen coat before docking.

He didn't look like an adventurer, but rather a young scholar here on vacation.

"The current chairman of the Pirate Council, and the de facto ruler of Golden Island."

"By common logic, territory managed by pirates should indeed be synonymous with chaos and danger."

"There are more thieves in the dock area than fish, there are unlucky souls stabbed to death in the alleys every day, and if you are caught cheating in a casino, your fingers get chopped off."

"But these rules do not apply on Golden Island."

"Why?" Richard leaned against the ship's rail, his gaze sweeping over the two giant Dragon Turtle statues carved from volcanic rock at the entrance of the port.

"Because Blackbeard is a smart businessman," Morpheus said, his fingers gently tapping the wooden railing of the ship.

"He spent twenty years building this island into a neutral zone."

"Any form of armed conflict is strictly prohibited on the island—no matter if you are a city-state noble, a pirate captain, an adventurer, or a fugitive, as long as you step onto the land of Golden Island, you must follow this rule."

"Violators will be listed as enemies by the Pirate Council and hunted down by all pirates."

"At the same time, his attitude toward all merchant guilds is the same: he welcomes investment."

"The Temple of Wealth has a branch here, the Storm Temple has a branch here, major merchant guilds have exclusive warehouses, and even the Dwarven Craftsman Guild has a branch on the island."

"As long as you have enough gold coins, this is paradise, a paradise filled with the scent of money."

When the ship docked and the gangway was lowered, a hot breeze mixed with the aroma of grilled fish and coconut milk rushed to meet them.

The porters on the dock were shirtless, their bronze skin gleaming with an oily luster in the sunlight; several of them were using a simple crane to unload cargo from a merchant ship nearby, moving quite nimbly.

A customs official in a gray uniform stood under a sunshade at the end of the dock, with a tall stone golem standing beside him, verifying the identities of the passengers disembarking one by one.

The official wore a professional smile on his face, his tone polite but firm:

"Welcome to Golden Island, please present valid identification in front of the golem."

"A reminder to everyone: any form of violent behavior is strictly prohibited on the island; violators will be immediately arrested and handed over to the Pirate Council for disposal."

Richard handed over his adventurer badge; the golem's eye sockets flashed with blue light, emitting a low "Pass," and then it turned to the next person.

Cecilia's adventurer identity document was scanned by the golem twice; the official took an extra look at her, though he was just curious why someone would wear a fully enclosed helmet.

But in the end, he lazily let her pass.

The procedures were quick, and a few minutes later, the group truly stepped onto the land of Golden Island.

The palm trees outside the white beach cast long shadows in the afternoon sun, their trunks slightly tilted by the sea breeze, with a few unripe green coconuts hanging from them.

On the beach, several noble women in light silk robes were walking barefoot, followed by several maids holding umbrellas.

A vendor was pushing a cart, hawking iced coconut juice, with sliced mangoes and papayas laid out on the wooden board of the cart.

Jinbao did not hesitate to take out a few copper coins to buy five iced coconuts, handing one to each of his teammates.

A small hole was chiseled into the coconut shell, a thin bamboo straw was inserted, and they took a sip.

The coconut juice was sweet, cool, and refreshing, sliding down their throats and washing away the heat of the entire day and the remnants of seasickness.

Even the black cat silently took a few extra sips and rarely gave a comment: "Not bad."

Of course, the mission was still the priority.

The group did not linger on the white beach and headed straight for the largest tavern near the port.

The tavern was named "Red Sock," a two-story building with a giant sock made of magic silk hanging above the lintel, which would emit colorful lights from time to time.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, a scent mixed with ale and roast meat rushed to meet them.

The hall was packed with people—sailors, adventurers, merchants, several young noblemen in flashy shirts—and in the corner, a table of pirates was arm-wrestling, while the surrounding sailors shouted cheers in low, muffled voices.