"Then do it. Kill him." Blodwen shrugged his shoulders, catching both Roseus and Dawn off guard.

"If you kill him, then that simply means that the prophecy isn’t about him. If he kills you, then vice versa. Regardless, right now, you have one mission. That is to survive, and keep sailing deeper into the oceans."

Roseus had never considered things that way.

If the prophecy was true, then didn’t that mean that fate had already decided what the outcome of his battle against his brother would be?

Since the thought hurt his head, he shook it off for now.

Regardless of what fate said, he knew what he had to do.

"So, will you just leave this island behind and follow us on our journey?" Dawn asked, as she realised how crazy the idea sounded. The island had been the man’s home for over half a decade after all.

But Blodwen simply nodded his head.

"Yes, but not immediately. There are some things we must do first. At least if we hope to make it past the Maze Sea."

Roseus and Dawn looked equally confused. "The Maze Sea?" they repeated in unison.

Blodwen turned around and began walking back to the hut where the rest of the crew waited.

"Now that I’ve told you my personal story, I’ll talk to the rest of your crew. They can all be trusted, I assume?"

Roseus was about to answer, but before he could, Blodwen raised a hand to stop him.

"Eh, doesn’t matter. If one goes against us, I’ll just kill them for you."

"..."

---

After their short conversation, Blodwen brought the captain and first mate back inside, and finally addressed the entire crew.

First, he asked them about their journey so far, then he followed up by asking them all to share their systems with him.

With that done, he nodded his head and expressed that their crew was decent so far. However, he filled them in on their weaknesses.

First, he explained that they were missing a crucial piece of power that the system offered once all members of a crew were awakened, and their captain had advanced past the first rank.

This was Ship Modifications.

He explained that ships could be augmented with powers that altered them in ways that one could never imagine. This was a secret hidden from the world, and only known to powerful pirate crews and the higher-ups of the empire.

Blodwen honestly admitted that he wasn’t familiar with what exactly these modifications could do, however he explained that out at sea, a weaker crew with a powerful ship could beat a powerful crew with a weaker ship.

For now though, Blodwen said to ignore this, as it would be achieved naturally.

Next, he focused on explaining exactly what the Maze Sea was. This was a sea that separated the First Ocean from the Second. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Blodwen himself had crossed this ocean twice. Once when he had entered the Second Ocean with his crew, and again when he had returned to come to this island under the orders of Redeye.

The Maze Sea was a sea that could only be crossed if you travelled certain paths. If a ship travelled the wrong path, they would sink, no matter how powerful they were.

At first, the crew was struck with fear. Blodwen eased their worries as he explained to them that they already possessed a method to cross the sea.

Silius.

He was a navigator with a skill that allowed them to sense danger. This was the key that all crews used in order to pass the Maze Sea. Those who entered the Maze Sea without this knowledge would inevitably meet the end of their journey.

Blodwen explained that on the other side of the Maze Sea lay its own problems, but he expressed the importance of taking one step at a time.

Finally, the man addressed Roseus’s pact with the sea god Nammon, and explained what he knew of these beings.

To everyone’s surprise, he had slight knowledge on the sea god Nammon, as he was commonly present in the First and Second Seas. He had two titles known amongst pirates, adventurers, and the navy.

Treasure-Eater Nammon, and Sea God of Avarice.

Human knowledge of the Sea Gods was lacking, especially to those who hadn’t ventured deeper into the seas. Because of this, Blodwen expressed that no one should form pacts with these gods without telling him and Roseus, and also should not try to learn about these gods, as simply doing so could draw unwanted attention.

For as long as Blodwen had travelled with the Redeye Pirates, none had formed alliances with the gods, and instead relied on their own strengths. However, he mentioned a night when a great storm arrived where the lightning bolts were purple rather than yellow. That night, four crew members disappeared. This was suspected to be the doing of a god.

Blodwen was confident that tales relating to incredibly troubled seas, and mystical creatures and disasters appearing in locations where they weren’t supposed to, were a result of pacts being abandoned with gods.

As for how, or if, Roseus should sever his pact with the Treasure-Eater, it was a matter that would be discussed later.

...

After spreading some more less important knowledge, Blodwen expressed that they had no more need to remain on that island, as everything that could be found had already been found by him. All creatures had been cleared out, and all treasure already claimed by him.

That led the man to their final matter on the island.

He sent the rest of the crew members to wait by the ship, whilst he and Roseus remained in the hut.

The man stood by the trap door leading to the basement and placed a hand on its handle.

"Down here is where I keep my treasures. Having them on my body is dangerous, as if accidentally equipped, I’ll be hit with the negative effects. I’ve managed to figure out a way to carry most with me, but there are two down here that I will have to leave... I want you to see if they will be of any use to you."