Mu Zhishui sat on the yacht, waiting for dusk to fall. The forest on the island rustled slightly and then fell silent. Mu Zhishui didn't notice, her gaze fixed on a small black dot that seemed to be moving in the distance on the sea.
Mu Zhishui raised her binoculars and saw a not-so-small ship slowly making its way towards her. She blinked in surprise, watching as this mastless, sail-less wooden boat approached bit by bit. "That's odd. What era is this? People still sail wooden ships across the ocean."
Mu Zhishui stood up, ready to get her yacht moving. Suddenly, a beam of silk thread shot out from the forest, narrowly missing her and almost entangling her completely. She turned her head, spotting over a dozen people staring at her from within the trees.
Mu Zhishui's right hand instinctively went to the Poké Ball at her waist, her eyes fixed on the group before her. She hadn't heard of anyone inhabiting this island; even Fen Xue had only made a symbolic claim without sending anyone. Where did these people come from?
The yacht quickly started moving, but just as it was about to pull away from the shore, the large ship in the distance finally revealed its true form. A pirate flag appeared abruptly on the mast, and at the prow stood a one-eyed man. On his shoulders perched a Spearow and a Chatot.
The one-eyed man waved his sword, shouting, "Charge, everyone! For loot and women!"
On Mu Zhishui's yacht, there was only her and her capable maid, busy piloting the vessel. Dealing with this group of ruthless pirates would require a different approach.
Mu Zhishui released all her Pokémon. "Everyone, attack the prow of that ship!"
The yacht gradually moved away from the shore, and Mu Zhishui's maid sent out her own Pokémon to shield Mu Zhishui from attacks originating from the island. Mu Zhishui, along with her Pokémon, focused all their efforts on the approaching pirate ship.
The wooden planks at the ship's prow were quickly breached by the Pokémon's attacks, creating a hole. However, the one-eyed captain at the prow showed no fear, instead watching Mu Zhishui's display with amusement. As splinters of wood fell into the sea, Mu Zhishui's sharp eyes caught a metallic glint from the ship's front. To her surprise, beneath the wooden planks was a layer of steel. The so-called wooden ship was actually a disguised ironclad warship.
Given the current situation, it was impossible for a small yacht to directly defeat a massive ironclad pirate ship. Mu Zhishui had no choice but to push her yacht to its full speed, hoping to outrun the pirate vessel.
The yacht, capable of thirty-five knots, was much faster than the pirate ship disguised as a wooden vessel. Soon, the pirate ship disappeared from Mu Zhishui's line of sight. She opened her laptop and complained to Xia Huanao:
"Xia Huanao, what kind of place did you tell me about? Why is it occupied by pirates?"
Xia Huanao, still searching for a Shiny Pokémon in Fen Xue, pulled out his phone when it rang. Seeing the message from Mu Zhishui, he mumbled, "Hmm? Mu Zhishui knows about this? This really weighs on my conscience."
Xia Huanao unlocked his phone, intending to reply to Mu Zhishui. However, after reading her message, he abandoned his search for the Shiny Pokémon. He decided to wait until the next morning to contact the leader of Fen Xue. He had arrived by Fen Xue's flight and would depart by the same flight, so he could naturally reach Fen Xue's official personnel.
For now, however, Xia Huanao needed to ensure Mu Zhishui's safety.
Xia Huanao: "Are you alright? Where are you now?"
Mu Zhishui: "[Location] I'm fine. Dealing with them is up to you."
Xia Huanao: "Okay, be careful. It's not even dawn here yet. I'll go get reinforcements when it's light."
At nine o'clock the next morning, Xia Huanao, having spent another night without finding the Shiny Pokémon, made his way to Fen Xue's government system. Upon hearing the news, the leader of Fen Xue immediately contacted Fen Xue's officials, asking Xia Huanao to wait a moment.
Xia Huanao sat in the Fen Xue office, observing the interior. Fen Xue's style was completely different from that of the Minglong Kingdom. The furniture had no ostentatious decorations; the minimalist aesthetic was pleasing to the eye.
After a long wait, the Fen Xue leader returned and said, "It's quite frustrating. Although we have an idea of how the pirates might have arrived, they don't seem inclined to address the issue."
How did the pirates arrive? Xia Huanao knew the answer. Although Fen Xue didn't pay much attention to the island, an island was still an island, and it served as an excellent base for pirates. After all, it was an official island that no one dared to visit casually, making it an attractive target for pirates with discerning eyes.
Xia Huanao leaned back in his chair. "So, Fen Xue intends to relinquish all claim to it, letting the pirates reign supreme?"
"They feel it's not worth deploying elite forces for such a small island with little value."
Xia Huanao thought for a moment before replying, "In that case, why not cede sovereignty to our Minglong Kingdom? That way, you won't have to worry about it anymore, what do you say?"
Xia Huanao's fantastical suggestion made the Fen Xue captain laugh. "What are you thinking? Regardless, this is Fen Xue's territory. How can you casually cede sovereignty?"
Xia Huanao also laughed. "So, it's not acceptable to cede it to the Minglong Kingdom, but it's fine for the pirates?"
The talks ended fruitlessly. Xia Huanao was unable to borrow any Pokémon from Fen Xue, so he replied to Mu Zhishui: "No luck. I couldn't get anyone from Fen Xue to help. But you can leverage the power of the Minglong Kingdom and Rainbow Star Group."
Mu Zhishui looked at the message from Xia Huanao on her laptop without a word. Using the power of the Rainbow Star Group to deal with these pirates would not be difficult. The mere appearance of that Spearow and Chatot suggested that these pirates were not living well.
However, this entire process would take time and delay Mu Zhishui's search for the Shiny Pokémon. For the sake of the Shiny Pokémon, Mu Zhishui decided to venture into other waters to search for it, abandoning the yacht in favor of a helicopter.
While Mu Zhishui and Xia Huanao were discussing how to eliminate these pirates, Fen Xue's military was also contemplating how to deal with them. Although they had rejected Xia Huanao's request, their territory being occupied by pirates was a matter of lost face.
So why did they refuse Xia Huanao? It was because having a Minglong Kingdom national point this out would make them feel embarrassed. But this situation had already occurred; they had lost face long ago.
A complex web was being woven around the pirates who had settled on the island where Shiny Pokémon frequently appeared, involving Xia Huanao, Mu Zhishui, and Fen Xue's military. At this moment, a fourth force quietly entered the fray.
The water trainers of the Minglong Kingdom were already assembling. This was also Xia Huanao's doing. While contacting Mu Zhishui, he messaged Meng Tianya, asking if he was interested in acquiring an island for some fun.
Meng Tianya was stunned when he saw the message. An island? Even though Xia Huanao was supported by the lucrative business of the Awakening team, earning enough money for an island in just over a year was impossible.
But Xia Huanao was not unreasonable; if he said it, he must have his reasons. Meng Tianya asked, "Where did you get this island?"
Xia Huanao explained, "Do you know about that overseas island of Fen Xue?"
Meng Tianya glanced at a world map hanging on the wall of his makeshift shelter. "You mean that island Fen Xue barely manages anymore? You got your hands on it? You really are capable."
Xia Huanao scoffed. "I'm not that capable. It was Mu Zhishui. She encountered pirates nearby. A citizen of our Minglong Kingdom encountered pirates. Would it be inappropriate for the Minglong Kingdom not to intervene? And after the intervention, it has nothing to do with me, right? Those who know, know."
Upon hearing Xia Huanao's explanation, Meng Tianya's eyes gleamed. He immediately contacted people within the Minglong Kingdom. After a brief discussion, Ma Lanqi and others decided to resolve the issue faced by Mu Zhishui, a citizen of the Minglong Kingdom.
They knew acquiring the island was just a fanciful notion, but this was an excellent opportunity to showcase their strength, a truly unmissable chance.
A fierce conflict was brewing on the high seas. And as the last protagonists of this conflict, the pirates were currently drinking on the island.
"Boss Zack, will there be any trouble if that woman who escaped earlier gets away?"
The man known as Boss Zack removed his eye patch and tossed it aside. "Just a woman, what trouble can she cause?"
A subordinate continued, "But just looking at her boat, she's no ordinary person..."
Speaking of Mu Zhishui's yacht, Boss Zack's eyes lit up. He downed the wine in his cup. "That's true, her boat was fast. If we had that boat, wouldn't we be able to go anywhere in the world?"
A subordinate quickly nodded. "Yes, yes. Shall I send out some men now to search for that woman's location? We can capture her and her boat then?"
Boss Zack glanced at the subordinate. "Can you handle it? Then go. I'll be waiting for your good news."
Just as Boss Zack finished giving the order, a man, heavily wrapped up, walked in through the main hall entrance. "Boss Zack, you wouldn't have forgotten what we're supposed to be doing, would you?"
Zack threw the wooden beer mug in his hand aside as the man entered, grumbling, "I haven't forgotten. After all, I receive money from him every month. But you know the outcome too, don't you? This desolate place has no value. I don't know why they insist on fixating on this spot."