"Captain Kronos, we've spotted an island ahead. According to the nautical charts, it should be the Kingdom of Fagor,"
reported Illya, the ship's navigator.
"I've already instructed Asaq and the others to adjust the Angel of Redemption's course. We're now heading straight for the island."
Hearing Illya's words, Kronos nodded and waved her off to return to her duties.
Under his command, the voyage of the Angel of Redemption was now focused solely on identifying nearby nations and conquering them. Wherever a kingdom was spotted, that's where they'd go.
Kronos had only one goal right now:
Expand territory and increase prestige.
Before encountering the Kingdom of Fagor, Illya had led them to another small island nation, which Kronos quickly conquered and brought under the Kamui banner.
+8,000 Prestige gained
[Prestige: 51,800]
His total had now climbed back past 50,000. But the prestige needed for the next member summon was still nearly double that.
As of now, Kronos had four territories under his control:
Fish-Man Island, the Kingdom of Brisbane, and two smaller nations.
If nothing went wrong, the Kingdom of Fagor would soon become his fifth.
"Looks like I get to stretch my legs again,"
Gojo Satoru said lazily, letting out a yawn as he stretched.
"Lately, we've only encountered weaklings,"
Uchiha Madara added with a light scoff.
It was only natural. With the kind of firepower the Kamui Pirates now had, taking over these small nations was practically effortless. It was no surprise Madara found it boring.
"I hope this kingdom turns out to be a little more exciting,"
Gojo smirked as he leaned over the ship's railing.
Before long, the Angel of Redemption reached the shores of the Kingdom of Fagor.
But something felt… off.
Unlike the previous kingdoms, which always opened fire as soon as their ship approached, this time they had already reached the coastline — and still, there was no response from the other side.
Asaq and the others, fully geared and ready for battle, stood on deck looking confused.
"What's going on? Why haven't they attacked yet?"
"Shouldn't they be bombarding us with cannons or arrows by now?"
Just as the crew was getting puzzled, Kent, watching from the observation deck, called out.
"Wait! I see movement! There's a group forming on the coastline — looks like an army lining up!"
"They're all gathered at the shore! Looks like they're ready for something!"
Hearing this, Asaq grinned and cracked his knuckles.
"Haha! Maybe they're just dumb enough to let us test out our new training. Perfect!"
Asaq had recently been practicing Banggu's Flowing Water Rock Shattering Fist.
Kent kept his telescope on the group below, but as he continued observing, his expression turned to confusion.
"Wait… something's weird. They're… not armed?"
"And… are those banners?"
"Did they just roll out a red carpet?"
"And is that… a salute cannon?!"
He called out in astonishment while still watching.
"What?"
Asaq blinked, puzzled. "What the hell is going on down there?"
Even Uchiha Madara frowned in confusion.
Konan, Gojo, Albedo, Pain, Tornado, and the others were equally baffled.
Not a single one of them could figure out what this kingdom was thinking.
This was a first —
Instead of resisting, they were throwing up colorful flags and laying out a welcome mat?
Kronos narrowed his eyes, expression unreadable.
"Don't attack. Bring the ship to a halt and see what they're planning."
"Yes, Captain!"
Soon after, the Angel of Redemption dropped anchor by the beach.
The crew jumped off and landed on the sand, ready for anything.
A long red carpet stretched out across the shore in front of them, as if it had been specifically prepared for their arrival.
As they landed, the "soldiers" in front of them snapped into two perfectly neat lines, standing to the left and right of the carpet.
Behind them, the salute cannons began to fire —
Not in attack, but in ceremonial blasts.
With each boom, colorful streamers rained down from the sky like confetti.
And the soldiers — who clearly weren't here to fight — lowered their heads in deference.
"Warm welcome! A warm welcome! We welcome the Kamui Pirates to the Kingdom of Fagor!"
The Kamui Pirates, who had braced for battle, stood frozen in shock.
Even Kronos had his mouth hanging open. After a moment, he took a deep breath and muttered under his breath,
"...Are these people insane?"
As the salutes ended, a voice echoed from the far end of the carpet.
"Ah! Forgive us, we didn't know the Kamui Pirates were arriving so soon! This was all we could manage on short notice!"
Out walked a man wearing a crown, hunched over, his face plastered with a greasy, apologetic smile.
He approached them alone, unguarded, arms extended in a display of submission.
Bowing deeply to Kronos and his crew, he spoke in a groveling voice:
"I am Faraxiang III, King of the Fagor Kingdom! On behalf of our nation, I pledge our complete loyalty and vassalage to the Kamui Pirates!"
Kronos stared at the man, completely speechless.
Since setting sail, he had never encountered such a… cooperative kingdom.
He didn't know whether to laugh, scowl, or question the man's sanity.
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