They became even more certain that this pirate group operating in the North Sea and known as the Man-Eating Shark was exceptionally cruel and vicious.
Ignoring the bloody wounds on their bodies, they knelt down in a hurry, begging for mercy:
"Mr. 'Bone Crusher,' the captain gave the order to resist, but we have all surrendered, please, don't kill us!"
"Spare me! I am the gunner of the Pelican, a technical crew member, I am willing to join the Man-Eating Shark!"
"..."
The pirate leading them, also the first mate of this pirate ship, 'Bone Crusher' Miles, was completely unmoved.
He took another big gulp of the rum snatched from the merchant ship and flashed a chilling, eerie smile,
"Unfortunately for you,
aside from that chef who is rumored to have served the nobility and secured a chance to prove his worth by backstabbing your captain.
Nobody else here is worthy of Captain 'Bloody Eye's mercy.
Enough talk, those little ones must be eager by now, send them down!"
With that, he waved his hand, and a group of fearsome pirates immediately stepped forward to drag the captives, who were nearly wetting their pants with fear, up from the deck.
Mercilessly sentenced to death by the pirates, many sailors instantly suffered mental breakdowns.
"You scum of the sea and that despicable traitor will not end well!
I pray that the legendary Ghost Ship takes my soul, and the spirits of the sea will one day take revenge on the living!
God will not forgive you!"
"..."
Some hurled abuse, others uttered curses, while still others hastily prayed to God.
The old sailor walking beside Byron, his teeth chattering, said,
"Oh, almighty Creator! We shouldn't have heeded the captain's order to set sail at this time.
What does the Throne War in the Kingdom of Hightins have to do with us mere sailors?
Even if the Red Rose of the Lancaster Family is defeated, our Pelican Chamber of Commerce is merely a vassal of their vassals.
With Your mighty protection, the White Rose York Family, should they ascend to power, surely wouldn't treat us badly..."
Byron, who had been utterly confused, finally began to piece together what had happened from the emotional outbursts of the sailors facing their imminent deaths.
This all-too-common act of piracy took place in the North Sea, near the coast of the Old Continent.
In the nearby island Kingdom of Hightins, two great families, distinguished by their red and white rose emblems, had been locked in a Throne War for thirty long years.
Recently, these two noble families, each with a claim to succession, had once again led their vassals to spill blood in rivers on land and at sea.
Five nights earlier, a rare and violent storm had suddenly struck the site of their naval battle—the very southern end of the Strait of Dover in the North Sea.
Thus, the battle for the throne between the White Rose and the Red Rose was decisively resolved.
The Red Rose Lancaster Family, which had held the throne of Hightins, lost all its male members in the storm!
Even the first-rate ship Blue Dragon King, carrying the former King Henry VI, sank in the sea.
Various nobles and merchants who were dependent on the Lancasters, fearing retribution from the new king, started fleeing non-stop.
Some sought refuge in other countries on the continent along the North Sea coast, while others went straight to the bustling overseas colonies.
The Pelican Merchant Ship, carrying part of the family wealth of Lord Crawford, a member of the Lancaster Party, had departed from Hightins two days earlier.
Their destination was the southern colonies of the Banta'an Archipelago.
But here, they unexpectedly encountered the Man-Eating Shark, and were abruptly plundered by this group of merciless pirates, bringing their escape journey to an abrupt end.
And Byron himself was a "casualty" picked up from the sea when the Pelican passed by the outer waters of the battlefield at the Strait of Dover.
Including the captain who had perished with his ship, no one knew his identity.
At this moment, he was bewilderingly held captive with the Pelican's crew by pirates.
"Red and white roses, Blue Dragon King, Lancaster..."
Listening to these words, Byron's eyes gradually lost focus.
The chaotic memories drifting in his mind seemed to find an anchor in these few words.
Faces, both clear and blurred, began to emerge before his eyes.
Especially a blazing red rose emblem amidst a mix of blood and fire was particularly striking.
Warmth, admiration, love, and regret... intense emotions surged, causing his heart to ache with spasms.
"AH—!"
At his ear, a harrowing scream suddenly vibrated his eardrums.
Byron shuddered, snapping back to reality.
He looked up abruptly to see a bloody execution already underway on the pirate ship!
On the forecastle of the pirate ship, a group of burly, ferocious pirates joined forces, dragging a sturdy rope from the starboard to the port side.
A bare-chested sailor was dragged by them, pulled along the ship's keel covered with sharp barnacles, and violently jerked out of the water on the other side.
The process was like being lacerated by a thousand knives, adding countless bloody, bone-deep, horrific wounds all over his body.
The sailor had just let out a bloodcurdling scream when, before he could even catch his breath, he was dragged under again to the other side.
After two or three times back and forth, his body was torn and ragged, beyond human recognition, and the sea near the bow turned a dense red with blood.
This was one of the most dreaded punishments at sea—keelhauling!
What was even more chilling was that, as if called by the scent of blood, a multitude of black shark fins, sharp as blades, suddenly rose on the sea surface!
They traced white lines across the water, swarming in the blink of an eye.
Clearly, these were the pets of the Man-Eating Shark's captain, as referred to by First Mate Miles.
Meanwhile, a long plank was extended from the ship's side.
A group of pirates wielding curved swords drove several merchant sailors, with their hands and feet bound, inching towards the end of the plank.
They didn't forget to slash them, opening up wounds.
Whether praying or cursing, the sailors ultimately missed their footing and plummeted with screams into the surging waves.
After a violent, bloody struggle in the water, they all vanished beneath the waves.
Watching their companions one by one devoured by the sharks, despair spread among the remaining sailors.
The helplessness of merely waiting to be executed was enough to drive anyone mad.
Some seasoned old salts had realized that these pirates were not merely executing them, but were conducting an extremely cruel blood sacrifice ritual!
"Compared to that rubber kid play-acting a pirate, this is the true face of piracy!"
Standing last among those sailors, with a similarly sickened expression, Byron subconsciously uttered a phrase that baffled others and even himself.
Then he was shoved roughly onto that narrow gangplank by the pirates.
Just a short distance beneath his feet churned blood-steeped waves and dozens of gaping mouths filled with sharp teeth!
Smelling the pungent blood, Byron's scalp tingled.
If nothing unexpected happened, he feared that he would never have the chance to recover his memory and uncover the lost truths.