At this moment, Xia Ling approached to report.
"Captain, the casualty count from this battle has been tallied," Xia Ling said, her voice tinged with sorrow as she held the ledger recording the casualties. "There are one thousand with minor injuries, five hundred with moderate injuries, one hundred with severe injuries, and... fifty fatalities."
Upon hearing these numbers, the members of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew, who had been busy cleaning up the battlefield, suddenly froze. A shadow of grief fell over everyone's faces as they bowed their heads in silent mourning for their fallen comrades.
In this perilous world, becoming crewmates and embarking on adventures together had long since forged them into a tight-knit group. Each loss of a comrade was deeply felt, even though they knew that sailing and adventuring inevitably meant encountering powerful Ferocious Beasts, Sea Beasts, treacherous environments, and dangerous Mystic Realms. Casualties were unavoidable, and they had prepared themselves for it. Yet, when the losses came, the sorrow was still profound.
A glimmer of determination shone in Ye Yu's eyes as he silently vowed, "The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew will continue to move forward and become even stronger. In the future, we will undoubtedly become the Pirate Crew of Kings! When that day comes, you will be proud and happy, won't you?"
"I, Ye Yu, will also strive to become stronger. Although casualties are inevitable in our adventures, I will do everything in my power to minimize them."
Though most of the deceased were low-ranking crew members, in Ye Yu's eyes, they were all indispensable members of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew. There was no distinction of rank or status; every low-ranking crew member was an important comrade.
Ye Yu's voice was low but firm as he instructed, "Those in charge of the aftermath, ensure that the bodies of the deceased low-ranking crew members are transported back to their hometowns and given proper burials. On their tombstones, engrave the prefix 'Martyr of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.' Additionally, provide each family with ten million in compensation."
The crew members responsible for the aftermath nodded solemnly. "Yes, Captain! We will handle it properly!"
During their voyages, aside from treasures, they naturally also possessed currency from the original world. After all, they paid for supplies and other necessities rather than resorting to plunder.
At this moment, people watching the live broadcast from all over the world couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
"The Dominant Feather Pirate Crew is truly remarkable. Each family receives ten million. They genuinely treat these low-ranking crew members as comrades, not as cannon fodder."
"Indeed, many pirate crews treat their low-ranking members as nothing more than expendable pawns."
"Who wouldn't want to join such a pirate crew?"
"After this battle, many will surely sign up to join."
"It's just a pity that starting from level thirty, Ability Users become significantly stronger, and Ye Yu and the Non-Ability Users of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew will gradually fall behind."
"It won't have too much impact. People will still join, especially since the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew has many powerful Ability Users like Xia Ling and Zhao Yan'er."
...
At this moment, many rogue pirates who had yet to join a crew were preparing to sign up, eager to become part of the warm and close-knit family that was the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew.
Ye Yu turned around, his cold gaze falling on Jin Mo and his group not far away.
They were currently cleaning up the battlefield, taking away those who were still alive but leaving behind those who were severely injured and on the brink of death. Having nearly finished their cleanup, they were preparing to leave.
"Jin Mo, wait."
Ye Yu's voice rang out, carrying an air of undeniable authority.
Jin Mo frowned, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
The crew members of the Four Great Pirate Crews Alliance halted in their tracks, their eyes fixed on Ye Yu, their hearts uneasy. What more was there to do? Could it be that the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew was going to back out of their agreement?
Ye Yu spoke in a deep voice, "In this battle, many of our crew members were injured, and fifty of our comrades lost their lives. You need to compensate us."
The faces of Jin Mo and the others instantly turned ashen, their teeth clenched in anger.
"We've already given you twenty slaves. Isn't that enough?" Jin Mo retorted.
Song Ling, furious, added, "Don't push your luck!"
Lin Muxue, currently shackled and looking disheveled, spoke up, "What more do you want? Don't go too far!"
Ye Yu snorted coldly, "Those twenty slaves were the terms of your surrender. Compensation is a separate matter. You were the ones who started this battle, and now you've lost. As the defeated party, isn't it only fair that you compensate us?"
Jin Mo trembled with rage, countering, "We suffered even more casualties! A rough estimate puts our dead at six thousand, including many mid and high-tier fighters, and even some Executives who fell by your hand. With such heavy losses on our side, shouldn't that be enough to offset your demands?"
Song Ling, visibly pained, added, "Yes, our casualties far outweigh yours. Moreover, we lost many high-tier fighters, whose potential was immense. For a Pirate Crew, these fighters were crucial. Isn't that enough to balance things out?"
Ye Yu's voice was icy, "It's not enough. Even if you lost a hundred thousand, it wouldn't be enough. If you're unwilling, the battle continues. When we drive you out, your treasures will still be mine."
The expressions of Jin Mo and the others turned grim. They felt humiliated, but they dared not continue the fight. Reluctantly, they agreed.
Jin Mo gritted his teeth and asked, "How much compensation do you want?"
Ye Yu replied unhurriedly, "Give us all the unexchanged treasures currently on your ships. If that's not enough, you'll need to add more from your future gains."
The faces of Jin Mo and his crew grew even darker. They were not far from the treasure exchange point, but it was still a distance away. They had originally planned to exchange the treasures of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew after the battle, so they still had some treasures accumulated on their ships.
With no other choice, Jin Mo and the others began to inventory their treasures.
To ensure they didn't underreport, Ye Yu specifically assigned Zhao Yan'er to oversee the process. Under Zhao Yan'er's sharp gaze, Jin Mo and the others dared not hide anything and had to report the treasures truthfully.
Soon, all the treasures were brought over.
"The combined treasures of the four Pirate Crews are here. There's a lot. Taking a portion as compensation should be enough," Jin Mo attempted to bargain.
Ye Yu glanced at them, his tone leaving no room for argument, "I want all of these treasures."
"You!!"
"A portion should be enough for compensation."
"How can you take it all? This is the combined treasure of the Four Great Pirate Crews!"
Jin Mo and the others were furious, feeling that Ye Yu was too greedy, demanding far too much. Most importantly, if they gave the treasures to Ye Yu, the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew's overall strength would increase after the exchange. In the early stages, leveling up was crucial, and everyone knew that gaining an early advantage could lead to further advantages.
Ye Yu snorted coldly, "I haven't even calculated the medical expenses and lost wages yet. If I were to include those, these treasures wouldn't be enough. Do you still think I'm asking for too much? Should I really demand more?"
Jin Mo and his men immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word, and could only accept the situation with grim expressions.
Ye Yu gave the order: "Comrades, load the treasure onto the ship."
"Yes, Captain!"
The crew of the Dominant Feather Pirate Crew was excited and quickly sprang into action, preparing to move the treasure belonging to Jin Mo and his men.
At that moment, Ye Yu had a sudden idea, and a sly smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
"Wait, everyone, hold off on moving the treasure. Let Lin Muxue and the other twenty slaves be responsible for carrying it aboard."