Tortuga's nights offered no peace.
Roger squeezed out of the Mermaid's Song tavern, and the cool night sea breeze cleared his head considerably.
He didn't linger, quickening his pace towards the port.
The streets were even more chaotic than during the day, with drunken pirates stumbling everywhere.
Two groups were at a street corner, drawing swords and hacking at each other over the ownership of a tavern girl.
A large crowd around them was whistling and cheering them on, with no one attempting to break up the fight.
This was Tortuga, where there was no law, only the jungle rule of the strong prevailing.
Roger knew clearly that here, the gold coins in his pocket and the scimitar at his waist were more effective than any reason.
He clutched the bag of gold coins in his arms tightly and sped up.
According to Gibbs, the Port Authority was at the end of the dock, in the most imposing-looking two-story building.
Calling it imposing, however, it was only slightly neater than the crooked wooden shacks surrounding it.
A crooked anchor sign hung at the entrance, and two sleepy guards, cradling their muskets, dozed against the doorframe.
Roger walked up, and before he could speak, one of the guards extended his spear to block him.
"What do you want?"
The guard's tone was very impatient, his eyes not even fully open.
"I'm looking for the official in charge of ship auctions."
Roger tried to make his voice sound as calm as possible.
"Auction?"
The other guard scoffed, as if he had heard a joke.
"Kid, it's night now. The officials have long gone home to their women."
"Come back tomorrow."
Tomorrow?
Roger couldn't wait until tomorrow.
What if that dilapidated ship was bought by someone else?
He discreetly pulled two silver coins from his money pouch and slipped them into the first guard's hand.
"Please, sirs, I really have an urgent matter."
"A little something for drinks, a small token of my respect."
The touch of metal instantly sobered the guard.
He squeezed the silver coins in his hand, and the impatience on his face immediately turned into a smile.
"Hey, you're a sensible kid."
He winked at the other guard and retracted his spear.
"Go in, second room on the right, look for Mr. Clark."
"But he might not be in a good mood right now, so good luck to you."
Roger thanked him and pushed the door open.
The light inside the building was dim, and a stale, musty smell assailed him.
Following the guard's directions, he found the room with the sign "Clerk Clark."
He knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
A sharp voice came from inside.
Roger pushed the door open and saw a middle-aged man, thin as a bamboo pole, sitting behind a desk.
By candlelight, he was carefully examining a gold coin in his hand.
He wore ill-fitting, luxurious clothes, his hair slicked back and shiny, looking more like a stingy merchant than an official.
"What is it?"
Clark asked without lifting his head, clearly displeased at being interrupted from admiring his gold coin.
"Mr. Clark, I heard the Port Authority has a batch of impounded ships for auction, and I'd like to inquire about them."
Roger got straight to the point.
"Auction?"
Clark finally looked up, scrutinizing Roger from head to toe.
"You? Do you know how much it costs to buy a ship?"
His tone was full of contempt.
In Clark's eyes, Roger's ordinary attire made him seem utterly incapable of affording a ship.
"I just want to see the cheapest kind."
Roger suppressed his annoyance and replied calmly.
"The cheapest?"
Clark curled his lip, pulled a piece of parchment from a pile of messy documents, and threw it on the table.
"See for yourself."
"The cheapest one is the sea nymph. Its hull was hit by three chain-shots in the previous naval battle, leaving three large holes in its port side, and its main mast is also broken."
"Fifty gold coins, not a single cent less."
Fifty gold coins!
Roger's heart sank.
He only had twenty gold coins right now.
"Sir, can I see the ship first?" Roger asked.
"See the ship? You can."
"But to see a ship, you have to pay a one-gold-coin viewing fee."
Clark extended a finger and rubbed it greedily.
Damn it!
One gold coin just to look?
This is more outrageous than robbery!
Roger cursed inwardly, but still forced a smile onto his face.
He counted out one gold coin from his money pouch and placed it on the table.
Clark's eyes lit up when he saw the gold coin.
He snatched it up and bit it.
Only after confirming it was real did he lazily take a key from a drawer.
"Berth number three, at the northernmost end of the dock. Go see it yourself."
Roger took the key and exited the room.
Damn these vampires.
He cursed under his breath.
One gold coin just vanished like that, it hurt terribly.
This further solidified his determination to gain his own power as soon as possible.
Following Clark's directions, he found the so-called Berth number three.
It was more like a graveyard for abandoned ships.
Several dilapidated ship hulls were casually discarded there, left to be battered by the waves.
Roger spotted the sea nymph at a glance.
It was indeed in a terrible state.
The hull was severely tilted to one side, with half of the ship submerged in the water.
On the port side, three huge holes, like ugly scars, allowed seawater to pour in unhindered.
The deck was a mess, with the broken mast lying across it like a fractured bone.
Anyone who understood ships would shake their head and walk away at this sight.
This was no longer a ship; it was a pile of wood destined to rot in the water.
But Roger's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
He jumped onto the ship, ignoring the slippery deck and the pungent musty smell, and began to inspect it carefully.
He knocked on the hull, listening to the sound.
Then he walked to the middle of the ship, carefully observing the position of the keel.
Although the hull was severely damaged, the most crucial keel was surprisingly intact!
The keel is the spine of a ship; as long as the keel is not broken, the ship has a chance of being repaired!
For others, repairing such a ship would require finding top shipwrights, spending a lot of money and time, making the cost higher than buying a new ship.
But for Roger, who possessed the "Great Navigator" system, as long as he activated the technology tree, he could obtain Ancient Ship Technology.
Repairing it might not be a problem at all!
This piece of junk in others' eyes was an unpolished gem in his!
Fifty gold coins... Roger clenched his fist.
He was still short thirty gold coins.
Oh no, he had just spent one gold coin.
He had to get that difference as soon as possible.
He glanced at the broken ship, a decision already made in his heart.
He was going to get this ship!
He took a deep breath, turned, jumped off the ship, and quickly walked towards the tavern.
He needed to find Barbossa, that clever captain.
Perhaps he had a solution.