"Sit down."

Walking through the small garden characteristic of a seaside villa, Duan Qing pushed the door into the mansion in front of him, and after a few steps, he took in the large living room of the mansion into his eyes. All sorts of sumptuous decorations, mixed with booty from all over the world, hung in all corners of the mansion, and a bearded man dressed casually, with an iron hook on his hand, was also sitting on the animal skin sofa in the middle of the trophies: "You are the daring adventurer, aren't you?" Didn't expect ......"

"You will deliver it to me yourself at this time."

"This time, I came mainly to confirm one thing to Your Excellency."

As if knowing that he might not have any good friendship with the other party, Duan Qing said his intention very simply: "I don't know Your Excellency...... Can you answer that? ”

"Confirmation?" Tie Lin, the candidate for the second throne of Free City, raised half an eyelid: "Ha, did you run to my territory to die, just to verify?" ”

"That's it."

Under the gaze of the black-clothed bodyguard standing in the corner of the surrounding wall, Duan Qing took two steps forward with an indifferent expression: "Adventurers have always acted arbitrarily...... If you are a frequent adventurous, you must have felt the same way. ”

"I'm not one of those unlucky guys, I always like to prove my courage with death." Tie Lin, who was sitting in place, waved his hand disdainfully, and his eyes were on the skull of a giant beast placed next to him: "Although they are a little more arrogant than me when I was younger, they are ...... in strength They're just too bad. ”

“…… Is this all the loot you got when you were younger? Duan Qing's eyes moved away from the huge skull, and he circled around the living room covered with armor and animal skins: "If you are really an adventurer, you must also become a great adventurer." ”

“……”

"I know that death may not really be a big deal to you."

Looking at Tie Lin's gradually silent reaction and the unkind eyes that stared at him, Duan Qing, who was standing in place, waved his hand indifferently: "But...... There are many things in this world that are more important than life, I wonder if you have them? ”

“…… More important than life? Tie Lin snorted disdainfully: "There must be a limit to the nonsense, young boy, what else is there in this world...... Can it be more important than life? ”

"Wealth, value, love, or freedom." Duan Qing casually enumerated it: "Of course, specific people will have specific pursuits, and it is not uncommon for them to give up their lives, such as dreams, and ...... Promises and vows. ”

He smiled and took two steps forward: "I don't know what you're ...... Do you have such a thing, Lord Tielin? ”

Tie Lin, who was sitting in the center of the soft seat of the animal skin, was completely silent this time, and the sharpness in his eyes became more and more bright, and Duan Qing, who felt this, also sat down on the seat that Tie Lin pointed to before: "The power structure of the Free City is very special, and the relationship between the city lord and you, who are the twelve thrones, is also a relationship of friend and foe, for the throne that may be at your fingertips, the owners of the twelve thrones may not obey the orders of the city lord in everything, but judging from the past history...... It's not uncommon for you to replace each other. ”

"As a representative of the Duchy, I've personally experienced two large-scale battles for the throne since I came here, and this is ...... But never encountered. Duan Qing touched his nose: "Presumably, this situation has often happened in the past, right?" ”

“…… What do you want to say? ”

"Is there a bond, or rather...... Oath, in maintaining this fragile relationship of yours? ”

In the eyes of the two of them looking at each other, Duan Qing stretched out his hand and pointed to the top of his head: "Let you maintain the existence and dignity of the Free City even if you kill each other?" ”

“…… I hate going around in circles. ”

After staring at Duan Qing silently for a long time, Tie Lin fell back into the animal skin behind his seat: "What do you know?" ”

"What I know, I need to decide based on your answers."

Reaching out and pulling out a roll of parchment, Duan Qing replied with a smile, "I want to know the specific contents of this contract, as well as ...... The meaning of those few signatures. ”

There was no sound in the center of the huge living room for a while, only the friction sound from the parchment paper that Duan Qing put on the central table still echoed here, and in the slight movement of the earthy yellow animal skin under his feet, the bearded strong man wearing a curved hook suddenly sat up from his seat: "This thing ......"

Different from Duan Qing's imagination, his face was full of surprise: "This thing...... Where did you get that? ”

“…… A ruin, a ruin traced by clues provided by the pirates. Duan Qing replied in a low voice, "What, don't you know that place?" ”

"Of course I know that place, but that place should have been ......"

Raising the parchment in his hand and waving it for a while, Tie Lin finally put down his hand: "Hmm...... Well, if you risk-takers don't want to die, maybe you'll be able to discover that place......"

"Haven't you ever been to that place?" So Duan Qing laughed: "Then why do you know?" ”

"Of course I do."

Muttering such words in a low voice, Tie Lin lowered his head slightly: "This is a legend that has been passed down from my grandfather's grandfather to the present, how could I not know......"

“…… Looks like I've found the right person. Duan Qing nodded with satisfaction: "Then...... Do you know who the names under this deed are? ”

"How do you know I'm going to answer you?" Tie Lin, who was holding the parchment in both hands, raised his eyebrows: "Or ...... Why were you able to find my head? ”

"The owners of the Twelve Thrones of the City of Freedom, I have investigated a little, and among them are the most likely to be pirates...... Looks like it's you. Duan Qing replied with a smile: "Although the pirates burn and loot, their personalities are all outspoken types, right?" You won't be hesitant to answer about your glorious past. ”

"That's not a glorious history, because no one can really rule the oceans." Tie Lin shook his head slowly: "But since even people like you have asked about me, then it's no ...... to tell you."

"I'm Tielin, Blackbeard Tielin, Hook Tielin." He patted the iron hook on his hand and grinned a confident smile: "At the same time...... Once known as Captain Tielin, he was the leader of the Iron Hook Pirate Regiment that ruled the seas around Liberty City. ”

"Sounds imposing." Duan Qing clapped his palms slightly: "But ...... Will Liberty City allow you to be a member of the center of power? ”

"Don't play stupid there, boy, since you're coming to me with this contract...... It means that you have understood a lot of things. Tie Lin shook the parchment in his hand: "Everyone understands people, what are you doing here?" The Free City is a city of pirates...... Now, there is nothing left to hide. ”

“……”

"Well, it used to be like that."

Looking at Duan Qing's gaze, which was still looking at him, the bearded man scratched his cheek: "After such a long time, the current twelve people ...... There aren't a few people who are really pirates. ”

That is to say...... What was once a free city, but it was originally a stronghold established by pirates? ”

"Don't overthink it, this isn't a pirate lair." Tie Lin laughed twice: "We can't become a legitimate force recognized by the Free Continent, after all, we are still robbing ships, so the city of freedom at that time ...... It was indeed established by the recognition of all. ”

"Because...... This contract? ”

"That's right, it's because of this contract."

Raising the slightly damaged sheepskin scroll on his hand, Tie Lin's face also gave birth to a slight sigh: "Our ancestors...... Founded the city of pirates, the City of Freedom. ”

"Sure enough." Duan Qing sighed and nodded: "So the City of Freedom is not the mastermind behind some pirates, on the contrary...... You are the masters of this city. ”

"It used to be like this."

Tie Lin waved his hand indifferently: "I grew up in this city since I was a child, but I haven't seen a few real pirates, in order to inherit the glory of my ancestors, I left my family and went to the sea to mix up for a few years, those crappy shrimp on the sea are indeed as weak as I imagined, and casually let me be included in my command, so when I returned to Liberty City, I was not the Iron Forest of the Purus family, but the leader of the East China Sea Wind Pirate Regiment." ”

"Prrice?"

"Yes, it's this Prrice on the contract." Tielin smiled and nodded somewhere in the parchment: "Parin Purece...... That's my ancestor. ”

"Liberty Wind Pirates...... Sounds like a long time coming. Duan Qing nodded with a deep groan: "The name of Freedom City is like this, it can't be like this, right?" ”

"That's not it, I've heard that it's just taken at random by pirates who yearn for freedom." Tie Lin touched his chin: "At that time, in order to appease us, the overlords of the sea, many people came to discuss with us, hoping that we could really settle down by taking advantage of the situation of a large number of pirates fighting each other. According to my fathers, many pirates at that time were actually struggling with war and survival, so ...... As you may know, they signed this contract and followed the contents of this contract to the place where the city is now located. ”

"Many people paid for the city, including a few small seaside states at the time, as well as neutral forces from other parts of the Free Continent." Speaking of this, Tie Lin let out a smug laugh again: "In order to appease our ancestors, they can be regarded as doing their best, from this point of view...... The city of Liberty is a real treasure for pirates. ”

"No wonder the city is so ...... Chic. Duan Qing nodded and replied, "There is a smell of violence everywhere. ”

"Oh, that's none of us people." Tie Lin sank his face: "Influenced by the temperament of the pirates, the Free City did have some taste of the sea, and not many people could accept this taste at first, so the first years ...... This city, which is dominated by pirates, is still incompatible with other forces on the mainland. However, as time passed, many foreign forces survived the elimination, and many of them adapted to the life of the jungle, and finally adopted such rules...... Ascended to the top of power. ”

"Among the current forces in Liberty City, there are not many original pirate families left." Speaking of this, he sighed and replied, "Even the generations that became the city lords, there are not many survivors now. ”

"But there are still many pirates on the Endless Sea......"

"They? Ha, they have nothing to do with us, they are all a bunch of unruly rats, real outlaws and outlaws. Laughing loudly at Duan Qing's question, Tie Lin waved his hand towards the east of the mansion: "They are not even as good as these small gangs and factions in the city, how can they be called real pirates?" I could have beaten them all by myself, let alone the illustrious pirate families! ”

"Who are the pirate families that exist?" Duan Qing raised his question in a timely manner: "Can you introduce it?" ”

"It's very simple, it's all written on it anyway." Tielin picked up the old parchment page again: "The Kempareira family is no longer there, I heard that they have moved out of the city early and fled to other countries, and the Starrims are dead, and so are the Kirk families, and they have been thrown into the sea to feed the fish, along with those who like to dig into the roots...... Hey, speaking of which, you guy who likes to get to the bottom of things, shouldn't you be thrown into the sea too? ”

"In the face of you old pirates, it seems only natural that those recorders will be killed." Duan Qing smiled and shook his head: "But...... Can you wait until you have answered my question about what I have done? ”

"Oh, what more do you want to know?" Tie Lin shook the parchment: "Although it is a little damaged, the gist on it is nothing more than 'give up the identity of a pirate and stay in the East for the rest of your life'......"

"It's all about the ...... Names I haven't heard of. Duan Qing pointed to the bottom of the parchment: "For example...... This guy named Calsim Monterey, who is he from the pirate group? ”

"He? He is the owner of the port of Cassins, and the owner of the Cape of Watchworth, did you see this seal? This is also his seal. Tie Lin shook his head and replied, "Before the construction of the Free City, there were not many safe harbors for pirates on the coast of the East China Sea, so this guy likes to call his dark harbor Cape Haiwang, which means safe harbor...... Actually, I want to be alone and secretly watch us eat outside, hahahaha......"

"So Port Cassin is actually Cape Haiwang...... Duan Qing muttered helplessly, his fingers moving down a few points: "That...... And what about this man named Molnar? ”

"Molnar?"

Looking at the old signature at the bottom, Tie Lin's voice also became hesitant: "This name ......"

"I don't think I've heard of it."