13.A sea knight

Klaw had never really given much thought to his personal safety.

After all, having lived on land for 26 years, he had never considered threats from the sea. As for threats on land, aside from evading the press gangs and the overzealous victims, being a resident of the lower class, he was not an easy target.

But now things were different; he was filled with a mix of dread and anticipation. The dread, of course, stemmed from the silent threats of Duncan and Lord Bard. He had only stolen a gold coin, which would be insignificant to a famous pirate. Why should he be afraid? Why should he worry about something that might never happen?

On the other hand, there was anticipation... It was a strange feeling. Was he looking forward to pirates coming ashore to rob him?

No, what he anticipated was seeing the pirates, those chivalrous figures of the sea. When Klaw was young, tales of pirates were rampant in Silver Port. Back then, he followed Uncle Bo, and every time he heard those thrilling stories, he would mimic the actions or pretend to be a pirate, using wood from the construction site as a short sword, or picking up black burlap from the garbage dump to make an eye patch. The stories of pirates were so popular because their experiences were so beyond people's imaginations, it was hard not to be moved and inspired.

Pirates and privateers—the uneducated masses did not make a special distinction between the two, both had their successes and failures. The successful ones, like Sir Henry Morgan, Sir Francis Drake, plundered enemy nations, made great contributions, and became famous worldwide. The unsuccessful ones, like William Kidd—he was also famous, but at the cost of being covered in tar, stuffed into a cage at the Execution Dock in London to show the empire's unforgiveness to the rebels. People despised Captain Kidd, talked about his vanished treasure, and spat at his corpse—that was the fate of the losers, and he would never be a dream or example for children.

There were other role models, and they were different from Morgan and Drake.

They emerged after Klaw became aware. He was a hero in the mouths of sailors, the ultimate longing of the sailors, he was a sea knight, the Robin Hood of the sea, the liberator of the poor masses.

His name was Henry Every.

At that time, Klaw was probably around 12 years old, and Uncle Bo was still in his prime. Although the guild's power had grown, they still had to be careful to avoid being caught by the forcible ship when they were alone, and thus be sent on a warship bound for Africa or Europe.

Being a sailor on a warship was not a glorious profession; on the contrary, it meant hunger, disease, endless work, and bullying and oppression from superiors. Most of the sailors who were forced onto the ships died during the voyage, and those who survived hardly ever received the wages they were promised.

This dire situation had not changed even by 1716. But now the sailors had a dream because, at the end of the last century, the actions of a sailor had shaken the world.

The story goes like this: The crew member Henry Every initiated a mutiny. He hijacked a warship with forty-six cannons, plundered cities along the way, and robbed the rich to help the poor. His most significant feat was capturing the treasure ship of the Mughal Emperor, amassing immeasurable wealth and marrying the emperor's granddaughter. He sprinkled gold coins along the way, blessed by the poor, and went to Libertalia—the land of freedom—to establish a great nation.

As a child, Klaw had heard this story many times, some told by Uncle Bo and others by sailors at the dock. When they spoke, their faces were so rosy, and their waving arms were so strong and powerful.

Klaw had never thought about the possibility of becoming a pirate, but fantasizing about those glorious deeds always thrilled the child. This was the mood Klaw was in at the moment; he was looking forward to seeing real pirates, those chivalrous thieves who robbed the rich to help the poor, appear in Silver Port.

Klaw got tired of thinking and fell asleep. In his dream, he gradually woke up. Reality does not give people the chance to dream. What he has to do now is to clean up the traitors in the guild. He has to find Rat-Eye, beat him half to death, and expose his betrayal to the public.

He woke up, not for the joy of revenge, but because there was a knock on the door.

Once, twice, the light knocking on the door seemed to be probing, as if not expecting a response.

"Who is it!" Klaw shouted immediately, knowing from past experience that if he didn't respond, the visitor would come in on their own.

There was no movement.

It was already night, and the lights from the dock shone through the window, illuminating Klaw's bed. He quickly rolled over, got off the bed, and grabbed a poker.

"Who is it?" Klaw asked again, then tiptoed to the window—outside was dim, the lights in the distance were too bright, making the nearby scene pitch black.

He quietly stood behind the door, opened it—This was about gaining the initiative, a guild technique that ensured he could take the initiative and not be passive.

The room was illuminated by the lights. Klaw, holding the poker, nervously waited, waiting for some guy who was addicted to killing at sea to appear. Strangely, he couldn't remember the glorious past of the pirates now, not at all.

He was nudged—someone was pushing the door, even though Klaw had already opened the door, the other party was still cautiously pushing the door. Was he discovered? Perhaps, because the other party was silent, and there was no intention to enter directly...

Then, the newly built wooden door was violently hit, and Klaw was knocked against the wall.

In a daze, a thin figure walked into the room. He closed the squeaky protesting wooden door, and the room returned to darkness.