The *Black Pearl* returned even faster than expected.
When Hughes estimated the time, he had used an ordinary sail-powered warship as a reference. But the *Black Pearl* was a pirate ship built for raiding, and its greatest strength was speed. Coupled with Jeremiah, who had spent half his life navigating the Storm Ocean, its pace far exceeded that of an average vessel.
After some twists and turns, the *Black Pearl* successfully docked at the port.
The first to leap off the ship was Kenn. Even before the vessel had fully docked, he had already spotted Gaia. Hughes had informed both her and Old Ivan in advance that the *Black Pearl* would return—they had been waiting for half a day.
Both sides had once thought they would never see each other again. Now reunited, none of them could speak from the overwhelming emotion. The three embraced tightly.
Gaia, a strong-willed girl, had gritted her teeth and endured even through the most intense moments of battle. But now, as she embraced her family, she shed tears.
Old Ivan looked at his two children, holding their hands tightly, unwilling to let go.
Most of the advanced trainees who had followed the ship out to sea had stayed behind in Blood Harbor, but a few had remained aboard. At this moment, they too were being surrounded by their families.
Only after loss does one learn to cherish—Castel’s people had already lost far too much.
Captain Jeremiah withdrew his gaze from the joyful reunions around him and looked toward Castel—an island he had visited many times, which now felt strangely unfamiliar.He looked in astonishment at the *Celestial Behemoth* floating high above, then turned to the towering Castel Cathedral in the distance. The weather was clear today, and even from far away, the massive steel-reinforced concrete fortress could be seen clearly.
After a long while, he reluctantly pulled his gaze away and turned toward the other side of the dock, where several newly refitted wooden steamships were moored.
These vessels all used paddle wheels, with no masts. Paddle steamers were rare, but Jeremiah was well-traveled and had heard of such ships in tavern tales.
“How is it? Do you like them?”
Hughes approached and stood beside Jeremiah in front of the steam paddle ships.
“They look decent. Powered by steam, I assume? These ships aren’t fast, but they’re excellent for cargo—perfectly suited for coastal use.”
Jeremiah commented with a calm expression, evaluating from a captain’s perspective. He had studied mechanical knowledge under Kenn for some time; while he might not be able to repair machinery, he understood steam engines fairly well.
Suddenly, he frowned. “Why does this hull look familiar?”
“It’s natural that it looks familiar—the hulls were brought over from Gem Bay.”
Jeremiah narrowed his eyes at Hughes.
Brought from Gem Bay?
What was the current relationship between Castel and Gem Bay? Why had both places vanished from the sea? Why hadn’t he seen a single ship from Gem Bay?
His mind was filled with questions—he wanted to ask them all in one breath.
Hughes grinned. “Captain Jeremiah, I’m sure you’re all puzzled about the disappearance of Castel. Take a rest first. Come to my office later, and I’ll explain everything.”
With that, he turned and headed toward the towering fortress, while several members of the Holy Guard approached to take over from Jeremiah.
Jeremiah casually gave a few instructions to the crew, then hurriedly pulled Kenn along to follow the Holy Guard toward the fortress—unaware that it was now a cathedral.
Led by the Holy Guard, the two walked from the dock to the cathedral, almost wondering if they’d come to the wrong place.
The original factory and residential districts were largely abandoned, while the island was now filled with multi-story watchtowers and fortresses.
At times, the ground revealed a raised section—a concrete-framed doorway with a steel gate, leading to an underground passage whose destination was unknown. The original factories were gone, replaced by the noisy bustle coming from within towering walls.
Even the guns carried by the Holy Guard were different from before. Occasionally, they passed fortresses where black gun barrels protruded from shooting slits.
Suddenly, Kenn froze in place. A fully armored squad of *Banshees* passed by.
They were clad in full heavy armor, even their snake-like tails protected by dragging skirts of plate armor. Several round canisters were strapped to their backs, with thick steam pipes running from the tanks to the guns holstered at their waists.
A Banshee patrol unit.
Neither the Holy Guard nor the workers nearby reacted much. The guards leading the way stood at attention and saluted as the Banshees approached, only continuing after receiving a return salute.
The Banshees’ identities were now public? Kenn’s mouth fell open in shock.
Behind him, Jeremiah stood completely frozen.
He had never come into contact with the extraordinary. The Church of the Sea God only secretly communicated with the Pirate King, and Jeremiah was not among the king’s trusted circle, so he knew little of such things.
These three-to-four-meter-tall steel giants had exceeded all his expectations.
A strange ad was embedded: “Latest⊥novel⊥first⊥released⊥on⊥Six⊥9⊥Books⊥!”
He stared dumbfounded at the Banshees, face full of shock.
As they passed, through a slit in one of the iron masks, he caught sight of a pair of pale golden eyes.
That gaze was indifferent, sweeping over him as one might glance at an ant on the roadside.
Powerful—indescribably powerful. Jeremiah had seen the guards at the Pirate King’s side before—beings who seemed almost inhuman in their strength.
Yet these iron giants before him exerted an even greater pressure than those guards in his memories.
“Th-they’re…”
“That’s the patrol squad under Lady Nini. It’s her turn on duty today,” the Holy Guard explained casually.
On duty... meaning, there were multiple squads of these towering armored warriors?
In a direct confrontation, Jeremiah couldn’t begin to imagine how one would deal with such soldiers. Clad in full plate, they moved without restriction—capable even of patrolling in armor.
Wearing full plate was extremely physically demanding. Even in war, soldiers only suited up right before combat; under normal circumstances, armor would be much lighter.
Luckily, these warriors were on land. Wearing such heavy armor, they’d probably sink straight to the bottom in water. Surely they weren’t suited for combat at sea.
With that thought, Jeremiah finally exhaled a breath of relief, as if he had already won the battle.
Aside from these heavily armored warriors, the enormous tentacles on Castel’s land also stunned the two of them.
The cathedral had undergone repairs and expansion, becoming even more colossal. The central courtyard had been greatly widened to accommodate the Pirate King’s suspended body.
After the Pirate King’s main body was placed into the furnace, those long tentacles had not disappeared. Instead, they were laid out directly on the ground—their length staggering, radiating from the cathedral in all directions, stretching all the way into the depths of the sea.
Staring at those massive black limbs, the two couldn’t help but swallow hard.