Chapter 128: THIRD POV.
"Oi, Douglas! We've known each other for some time now, haven't we, lads?" the main captain standing on the center flanking ship chuckled loudly.
He was a large, dirty man with a greasy black beard and a missing front tooth, leaning heavily against his ship's railing with a cruel smirk on his face.
His men laughed in turn with his words, their heartless, rough voices filling the warm air and echoing across the water.
They looked at Douglas's smaller crew with complete mockery, knowing they had them outnumbered at least ten to one.
"Just hand over your ship, all the gold you've got hidden in the hold, and those two young lasses standing right behind you, and me and my crew will be completely out of your hair in no time at all," the enemy captain said, his voice dripping with greed.
He didn't even look at Douglas as he spoke, instead, his dirty eyes were practically roaming all about Artria and Persephone's fine figures, taking in their bright hair and beautiful faces with a disgusting, hungry look.
He licked his lips, completely convinced that he had already won the day and that the beautiful women were his for the taking.
Not only him, but almost all the members of his crew had looks of greed and lust on their faces. The men on the three smaller ships were leaning over the side rails, whistling and shouting dirty comments toward the deck of the trapped vessel.
They looked like a pack of hungry wolves that had finally cornered a piece of fresh meat.
Their dirty hands gripped their blades tightly, but none of them were looking at the weapons. Every single eye was glued to the two beautiful women standing near the mast.
"Harold, I think it's best if you and your boys stop this at once and leave while you still can," Douglas said, his voice surprisingly calm as he stepped forward.
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking directly at the opposing captain with a serious expression.
For a man who was surrounded by three enemy ships; he sure seemed pretty calm about the whole situation.
"Hahahaha! Boys, did you hear that? Ol' Douglas is asking us to leave!" The Captain, Harold, laughed at the top of his lungs along with his men.
The sound of their rough, mocking laughter filled the warm air, echoing off the wooden hulls of the ships.
If it were in the past, perhaps he would've thought more before attacking Douglas.
In the old days, Douglas commanded a formidable crew with dozens of dangerous, seasoned fighters who could sink Harold's entire crew in a matter of minutes.
But now that his large crew was nowhere in sight, Harold didn't see any reason not to make use of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented before him.
The balance of power had completely shifted, and Harold was determined to take everything he could get.
The only men left on the ship besides Douglas were a skinny man and a fat man respectively, standing near the back wheel with trembling legs.
With such a pathetic defense force, Harold figured the ship was basically a free gift. Why not take it? He thought to himself, a wide, toothless grin spreading across his face.
He signaled his men to get the boarding planks ready to drop.
Douglas, when faced with so many burning gazes and the threat of an immediate attack, still refused to show any ounce of fear whatsoever.
His face remained perfectly steady, and his shoulders didn't tense up at all.
Rather than replying to the arrogant pirate captain across the gap, he turned his body around and bowed his head respectfully toward Persephone.
" You're ladyship, I apologise for the unexpected hindrance." He said politely, this time he really did show a look of worry.
"Is he an acquaintance of yours?" she said with a deep frown, her pink hair swaying slightly in the ocean breeze.
She looked completely annoyed by the loud shouting and the dirty looks the men were giving her.
If not because of the thought of Jacob once being a human, she would've immediately layed waste to all the ships in the vicinity on sight.
"Of course not, your ladyship. While the both of us have had minor dealings in the past, as you can see, the stubborn muck refuses to listen to any form of reason," Douglas explained quickly, lowering his eyes to show his absolute loyalty.
He looked genuinely embarrassed that he had allowed such low-class criminals to block their path and insult her presence.
"I apologize deeply for failing to be of use to you today, your ladyship," Douglas added, his voice full of genuine regret.
He felt that as the captain of the vessel, it was his job to handle these kinds of distractions before they could bother the ladies, but he simply didn't have the manpower to fight off three ships at once.
"It's ok, you've been adequate so far," she said smoothly, waving her small hand as if dismissing his worries.
She didn't blame him for the lack of men. She stepped forward toward the edge of the deck, shifting her focus completely toward the three pirate ships that were closing in on them.
Her blue-haired companion, Artria, stood right next to her, her hand resting calmly on her hip as she watched the water below.
"Since they aren't your allies, there's no reason why I shouldn't dispose of them right now, is there?" Persephone asked, a cold, dangerous glint appearing in her bright eyes.
Hearing this, Douglas's eyes lit up with sudden excitement. He knew exactly what she was capable of doing when she was annoyed, and a wide, relieved smile broke across his face.
He quickly took a few steps back, pulling the skinny man and the fat man with him to give the women plenty of room to move.
"Oi! Douglas! What's taking so long over there? Saying your final goodbyes to those little angels?" Harold laughed to himself, leaning further over his ship's rail.