There are a few places that seafarers would never want to set foot in, and the Dead Chess Islands are one of them.

Donk had heard a little about the Dead Chess Islands, which happened to be near the shipping route, and he had checked the terrain twice through the system. Only about seven days from the Twin Ports, the Dead Chess Islands are extremely complex, consisting of more than 100 small islands, large and small, that cut the sea into the terrain and looked like a chessboard.

"In addition to the complexity of the terrain, what is even more terrifying are the whirlpools," One-Eye's voice was low and hoarse, and the bright lights in the room could not illuminate the shadows on his face, "all kinds of death are happening around those whirlpools, which are like portals to hell, opening their mouths and devouring one ship after another that is going there. Donk, you should be familiar with the whirlpool. ”

Donk recalled the Ring of the Madfish of the Sea Vortex, he was indeed familiar with the Vortex, he had once harnessed this deadly power, but now it was different, the Vortex was now his natural enemy.

Because of those whirlpools that don't go all year round, there will be the notoriety of the dead chess archipelago. That chessboard is not something that anyone dares to mess with, and one wrong step will be doomed. Even the best sailing ships that cost tens of thousands of gold coins are so vulnerable in the face of the whirlpool. If it weren't for the fact that the Dead Chess Islands are rich in a special kind of "dream fruit", which can be dried and crushed into a precious spice, no one would have the idea of fighting there.

"There's more to it than that, right?" Red Locke glanced at it.

"Yes, there's more to it than that." One-Eye stretched out his rugged palm, which had a few calluses on it, and everyone looked at this hand, vaguely seeing the appearance of the Dead Chess Islands, "No one knows where those whirlpools came from, as if those damn whirlpools should have taken root there." It is said that there are eleven whirlpools in total, and some say that there are fifteen in total, and the story that comes out of the mouth of the sailor is always like this, and there are many versions. In short, there are more than ten whirlpools there that are stationary, forever spinning there, like a chef's spoon stirring a soup pot. But there was a different whirlpool, one that swam irregularly through the dead archipelago like a patrol guard, looking for uninvited ships and destroying them. ”

One-eye, who had apparently learned some of the sailor's storytelling skills over the years, paused at a critical moment until the gazes of the people around him satisfied him, and then he continued: "That whirlpool is called the 'Black Whirlpool,' and the sea water in the whirlpool is like a collection of sludge, black gas, and full of powerful suction, even a ship far away from the sea can suck it in. According to sailors who escaped from the shore, the black whirlpool seemed to be a living thing, and once it 'saw' the sailboat, it would rush up violently and never stop. The black whirlpool roars like a thunderbolt that can send fear out into the hearts of sailors. The Black Vortex is so fast that no ship can escape. ”

After listening to this, Donk couldn't help but think of black holes, the two are so similar. At the same time, it was like a firework in his mind, and he thought of the intention of one-eyed to explain the dead chess archipelago.

"That's right! The Sky can fly over those whirlpools! Donk couldn't help but sit up straight, his eyes seemed to be on fire, "The Vortex of the Dead Chess Islands can't beat the Sky, but no matter how many other ships there are, they can't compete with the Vortex, we can choose to exchange prisoners there, so that no matter what tricks they play, it's useless." ”

One-Eye snapped his fingers and said, "That's it, as long as we don't touch that elusive black vortex." ”

The joy on everyone's faces froze and they looked at each other, and Red Rock laughed and said, "Damn, we're not that unlucky, are we?" ”

"I admit that I didn't have a lot of luck, but I have faith in the Sky." Donk finally said firmly.

…… The dragon pirate group divided into three routes, saying goodbye halfway through the route to the Twin Ports and sailing to different locations. Because the Sky was so conspicuous, Donk only led a small group of people to the Twin Ports in the most ordinary Serenade; One-Eyed piloted the Purgatory, carrying the captives except for Alyssa's mother and son, who wanted to use the treaty to obtain a ransom in the open, and these people were also of considerable value, at least 20,000 gold coins; As for the Sky, the rest of the ships headed for the Dead Chess Islands, where Iona was to wait for Donk's return.

As he approached the port, Donk was alone in Serenade's humble captain's quarters, groomed in front of the rusty round vanity mirror. His appearance has changed drastically, and all the accessories on his body that can show his status as a pirate have been removed, including the scimitar and long sword, except for the two short swords hidden in his boots. He tied a red band on his forehead, and let two strands of black hair go down to cover the sides of his face, and his mouth was stained with two hard fake beards. The clothes on his body also became more ordinary, like an honest merchant sailor.

A pirate knocked on the door outside, and when he got permission to push it in, the pirate took one look at Donk and exclaimed, "Oh! Head! ”

"What's wrong?" Donk frowned and glanced at the pirate.

The pirate realized that his reaction was too exaggerated, and he was stunned for a moment, and said, "Uh, nothing. I'm just trying to say that you don't match your beard. ”

"This beard really doesn't suit me, but if I don't dress up, I won't dare to go ashore indiscriminately." Donk nodded his head as if it were just an item, "This head is worth fifteen thousand gold coins now, and it has a tendency to steam." Tsk, the Navy has a lot of spare money. He beckoned to his men blocking the doorway, "Alright, let's get down to business." What do you have to report? ”

"A magnificent Imperial Navy fleet has appeared next to us, and although we are camouflaged and will not cause any major incidents, I think we should tell you."

The Serenade had been disguised as a merchant ship, with its gun doors closed, the flag of the Dragon's Tooth Kingdom flying from its mast, as well as a false merchant flag, and a batch of barrels actually pulled on board as cargo. The people on the boat were all carefully selected, relatively simple and simple-looking, and they were all dressed like Donk.

Tang Ke glanced at his other self in the mirror again, felt very satisfied, and nodded, "Let's go, it's okay to go out and have a look." ”

There were more than twenty sailors on deck, who had put down their work and looked in the same direction, some with binoculars. On the seas, a large fleet is the most eye-catching. Tang Ke walked to the port side and followed everyone's gaze into the distance, the so-called fleet was not far away, and the naked eye could see the shadows of ships charging and speeding on the sea, and there were more than thirty of them. He could feel the full momentum of this fleet, every ship was full of life, navigating the wind and waves, the sails were like angels' white wings, and the waves left a long trail on the sea.

Donk didn't plan to use the investigation technique to get to the bottom, his eyes had already seen the answer, he could measure the firepower of this fleet, there were four battleships above the second order in these ships, and the ships of this level were almost magic ships, otherwise the huge hull would not be able to run fast at all.

Serenade signaled to the naval fleet in accordance with the etiquette of the sea, but after a cannon sound, the naval fleet did not react at all.

"Looks like they didn't mean to talk to us." Red Locke stepped forward from behind and stood beside Donk, his face now changed, and he looked very awkward.

"I have to admit that the momentum of the naval fleet is very different from that of pirates. I see in them the majesty of justice. Donk found it difficult to take his eyes off the fleet, and he wanted to have one.

Red Locke pursed his lips and said disapprehantly, "Justice? Do they deserve it too? Donk, it's just a glossy illusion of theirs. Think about how the Dragon's Tooth Navy attacked enemy fishing boats. There was no bullshit justice at all in the Age of Discovery. ”

Donk nodded in agreement, he was indeed frightened by the navy's posture just now, and when he thought about what the navy had done, he just wanted to gag. The Age of Discovery was the age of the wicked, whether pirates or navies. The raids of pirates affected the security of maritime trade, while the navy spread the flames of war to the rest of the world, occupying colony after colony. Both are as black as crows in the world, and neither is qualified to claim that they are the righteous party.

The naval fleet was faster, and the Serenade had no intention of racing with the navy, so the two quickly distanced themselves. But it wasn't long before Donk saw the shadow of the fleet in the midday light, because the harbor had arrived, and the fleet had to stop.

"Looks like we're going to enter the harbor with the damn navy." Red Rock said angrily.

"That's right, with these big guys here, no one will care about our little fish." Donk said.

The Twin Ports are named for their special topography, the port is located on an estuary with a large cluster of buildings on each side, making it look like two cities facing each other.

Donk looked at the shore that was gradually becoming clearer, where some tall shadows were very conspicuous, which turned out to be some windmills. He could feel how good the wind was and never changed, and the windmills did turn happily, the reticulated blades blurred as they turned, and the conical building itself looked like an elongated barn.

As far as Donk knew, these windmills were often used to crush grain, coarse salt or extract oil, and paper mills and sawmills also needed wind power. He likes the feeling of the windmill being stocky and powerful, which is much more beautiful than flowers and plants.

Serenade threw itself into the arms of the docks in the wind, and indeed, as Donk said, compared to the naval fleet, the Serenade was nothing but inconspicuous, as if it were dispensable. Donk had access to information about the port, but there was nothing special that appealed to his mind.

It's a sunny port, not as depraved and gloomy as a small pirate town, and the smiles on the faces of the people in both places are very different, and you can see it at a glance. Mr. Donk made very low-key contact with the port staff, he fabricated lies to answer questions, and paid full berthing fees and port entry fees.

After talking to the mean-looking elven officials, Donk walked out into the city with Red Locke and a few of his silent men. Many of the couriers passed by them, and the sweat of those men even threw them in Donk's face. Before they could go far, they heard the shouts of the navy, and the passers-by on either side stopped and obediently moved out of the way. Donk blended in with Red Locke in the crowd and honestly stood aside.

The sailors moved in an orderly manner, each in a crisp uniform, and they stood at the same distance, so meticulous that they looked like white roadside trees.

The navy that came up and down the fleet stood in a row and walked forward through the center, their steps were steady, and each sailor had a proud look in his eyes, and his chin was raised high.

The man at the head of the navy was a young man with blond hair who looked to be twenty-seven or eighteen years old, he was a heroic man, his neat blonde hair shone brightly, every strand of hair was like a golden river, his face was arrogant, and his eyes were filled with a calm sense of power. He wore a neat officer's uniform with epaulettes marking his rank of colonel. He was so extraordinary, so invulnerable, and in this moment, he was like a king on high.

The people on both sides gradually fell silent, only people were whispering, and they watched intently as the young colonel walked by, and their eyes seemed to be glued.

The men could only be ashamed of themselves when they looked at him, and they wanted to exchange identities with him. The women looked at him and felt like a prince charming in a storybook. As for the pirates - they were only interested in the gold ring on the man's hand.

"They're not just majestic at sea. It's really pompous. Donk spoke in a very low voice, making sure only Red Locke could hear him, "Who's that guy with the swagger?" After he finished speaking, he was about to use the investigation technique, but Red Locke on the side answered in advance.

"I know the guy who pretended to be garlic. He's quite famous on this sea. Have you ever heard of the three heroes of the sea? ”

Donk's expression suddenly became serious, he had heard of a ranking that circulated on the sea, maybe it was a bit inappropriate to call it a ranking, it was more like a small classification of celebrities at sea. The specific description of this classification is: one governor, two emperors, three masters, four Yan, and five commanders.

The first governor refers to the pirate governor Goldbeard, the second emperor refers to the two popes of the two Holy Sees, the third jie refers to the three outstanding young men of the navy, the fourth Yan refers to the four female pirates with beautiful faces, and the fifth commander refers to the five naval commanders of the five empires.

This classification does not have an accurate ranking in it, it is just a classification, more like a nickname for these people collectively. Because this classification is so interesting that it is widely circulated, every sailor can call these people by name.

"I've heard of it, is he one of the three masters?" Tang Ke was not gossiping, but had a bad premonition, because one of the three heroes happened to be the one he didn't want to meet.

"That's right, he's the youngest admiral in the Dragon's Tooth Country, and his name seems to be ......" Red Rock looked down and thought for a moment, he couldn't remember so many names, and after a while, he finally remembered, "That's right! It's called Michael, but I forgot my last name. ”

"He's Michael?" Donk guessed that his face must not be very good-looking now.

Red Rock didn't expect Donk's reaction to be so big, and he asked curiously, "Why are you so surprised?" ”

Donk smiled wryly, because Red Rock was careless and casual, so he didn't tell Red Rock the details about Alyssa. Unfortunately, this is not a place for conversation, and Donk is not in a position to elaborate.