Pearl Island.
An area rumored to be cursed.
This rumor circulated among many captains, but the sailors didn't know much about it. Navigators might know a bit about it though. After all, their duty was to lead the crew away from all the frightening things on the sea.
Most sailors had only heard that this was an area to avoid!
Thus, when the lookout found that Pearl Island was just ahead, all the sailors became panicked!
If not for Marvin's might, they might have already stopped working.
But totally different from earlier, these sailors' hands and feet were completely shivering.
"Lord Marvin!"
The former Second Mate Roberts had successfully been promoted to Boatswain after helping Marvin take over the Southie.
Marvin promised to appoint him as the Captain of the Southie once the new harbor was established.
After all, Marvin couldn't keep traveling on the sea for long periods.
This made Roberts excited.
He was fearless and full of ambitions. He scoffed at those rumors concerning Pearl Island.
"They are a bit scared. They want to know where you plan to go in the end," Roberts said.
"I can appease them for the time being, but I won't be able to last long," he added.
Marvin turned and looked at those terrified people, loudly saying, "Pearl Island is only a common isle. You shouldn't trust these rumors on the sea. Moreover, the Southie won't stay at Pearl Island. We will only stop on the side of the island for some time, and then we will turn back toward the southwest."
"There is an open beach suitable to land there. We can safely bypass the Shrieking Mountain Range by sea. Then we should reach the location where I plan on building a new harbor!"
"And that place isn't far from my White River Valley."
Many sailors calmed down when they heard Marvin's words.
In fact, now that they participated in the murder of their original captain, they already had nowhere to go. They couldn't refute what Marvin said.
The Southie slowly approached Pearl Island, and stopped a bit over fifteen kilometers away from the coastline.
The sun started rising, and under the light of the sunshine, the fog at the edge of Pearl Island thinned quite a bit.
Some sailors took the chance to rest while some were uneasily watching this rumored cursed area.
Marvin ordered that besides him, no one was allowed to get on the island.
And while he was on the island, Lola was in charge.
He also wasn't worried these guys would slip away while he was checking out the island. Without Marvin, they had nowhere to go.
Only White River Valley would accommodate them.
Even the ambitious Roberts didn't dare.
Moreover Marvin had something planned in case. He left the Wind Fairy on the boat.
If that group of people acted without thinking, the Wind Fairy would be able to fly and control the wind to block them.
'Getting on the island during the day also saves me from having to deal with those Foglets.'
Marvin thought of this while getting on a small boat.
A sturdy sailor would row Marvin to the Island.
Everyone looked at the boat going further and further away. Even if they didn't know what Marvin was doing, based on his fame, they guessed that this Lord surely had planned something important.
After all, the nickname [Magical Marvin] had already spread from River Shore City to all of the East Coast.
This nickname was as famous as [Masked Twin Blades].
They were convinced that Marvin would guide them to better days.
Ever since Captain George with his violent temper took over the Southie, he made the sailors' days worse by treating them harshly. Otherwise Lola wouldn't have been able to easily instigate a rebellion like that.
Even if Marvin was as ruthless, he wouldn't randomly become angry.
Most of the sailors actually felt that whatever happened, it wouldn't be worse than George.
And with Lola pacifying them, everyone's mood gradually became more stable.
Pearl Island looked very beautiful under the sun's rays. It didn't seem as frightening as the rumors said.
The waves on the sea were violent as the boat slowly approached Pearl Island.
That strong sailor had already been warned over and over again by Marvin: He couldn't get on Pearl Island.
"Everything on Pearl Island is cursed."
"Look, those pure white spots on the beach are pearls. If you greedily take one, you would cause the death of the entire ship."
"Just wait for me there, understood?"
The obedient sailor nodded.
Even though he noticed those pearls in the distance, the rumors regarding these cursed waters and Marvin's warnings made him shrink back.
Wealth was great, but life was even better.
But he still couldn't help but ask, "Since that's the case, why do you want to go on the island? Aren't you afraid?"
Marvin calmly answered, "I am going on the island to return something. Not to take anything away. Don't mind it."
The sailor nodded and no longer spoke.
After a while, Marvin told him to stop rowing.
"Wait for me here," he said.
He then arranged his clothes and dove in the water. The boat wasn't far from the beach, and it was easily within swimming distance.
On the Southie, Roberts was looking at the scene in the distance with a puzzled expression. "Miss Lola, could you explain what Lord Marvin is up to?"
"I don't know," Lola bluntly said.
"No one can guess what he is thinking."
"But he would always create miracles, this much is true. White River Valley was previously suffering from a food crisis and I came in order to solve it, but he settled it himself in the end."
"We should believe in Lord Marvin. Despite him being a Swimming Fish man, he is still reliable."
"Swimming Fish?" Roberts' face displayed a hint of confusion.
"Hey, you don't know astrological signs even though you are traveling on the sea?" Lola asked, "How did you even become a Boatswain?"
The Navigator on the side silently wiped his sweat, looking at Marvin's silhouette reaching Pearl Island.
'That's the cursed beach, please be blessed by the Silver God…'
As Marvin walked on the beach, he reminisced about this place.
He recalled one memory and was rejoicing that he was so familiar with every instance in Feinan.
Pearl island was truly a very dangerous place, especially during the night. If one wasn't careful, they would come across the frightening Foglets.
And everything here couldn't casually be touched, let alone carried.
'Each pearl has a Curse of Aging. Touch it and you would only have a few years left to live.'
'Black Pearl, Curse of Death…'
'Blue Seastar, Curse of Hostility…'
He cautiously circumvented the those frightening things he remembered and finally past those "landmines" on the beach.
There was a hilly area in front. No trees, only caves.
This place was relatively safe.
Marvin had no plans to thoroughly get the resources of Pearl Island. Rather, he wanted to scout and quickly grab some benefits on the way.
After all, he still hadn't collected the Six Cursed Pearls.
But one was enough to let him gain something from Pearl Island.
The prerequisite was to know a trick.
Marvin looked around for a bit, found a suitable cave, and went into it.
It was very damp and dark inside the cave. He walked toward its depths and found a pond.
The water in the pond was very muddy, but Marvin knew that the caves in the island had similar ponds. Each pond lead to the deepest secret of Pearl Island.
He took out his cursed pearl and gently dropped it in the pond.
'It should be like in my memories…'
His eyes attentively watched the pearl for changes.
As expected, the pearl began to slowly melt under the mystical effect of the pond.
In an instant, a burst of light flashed through and the constantly moving small fish in the pearl jumped out of it.
It cheerfully swam in the pond for a moment before leaping over.
It stared at Marvin and surprisingly said spoke. "You opened my cage, so I'll give you a gift."
"I'll give you a gift that isn't cursed, but please do remember, everything else on this island is cursed. You cannot touch anything," warned the small fish.
Marvin nodded.
The next instant, the fish dove into the pond!
Marvin was excited!
In the depths of those waters laid Pearl Island's treasures!
The worst things there were Magic Items!
It was even possible to get a Legendary Item!
It was a matter of luck.
This fish could choose anything to gift Marvin, but it was completely random!
'If I have good luck, I might get one of the best Magic Items…'
'It would be even better if it was a Legendary Item…'
Marvin sat beside the pond, waiting for a while. A shadow was struggling to swim up the pond.
It was using its head to bring something up!
"Get it quick! I won't be able to carry it much longer! It's too heavy!" said the small fish as it struggled.
Marvin hurriedly took the wet thing away.
It looked sort of like a crown.
Marvin carefully examined it for a moment before being overjoyed!
He knew what this was!
The Sea Emperor's Crown, a Legendary Item!
'Hold on… Eh? Why is it displaying - Sealed -?" Marvin's happiness was doused.
He didn't get the Sea Emperor's Crown in his previous life.
But it was rumored that it could let you proclaim yourself Ruler of the Seas!
'My luck is pretty good overall. I was able to pull out a sealed Legendary Item, so I should be happy with it. At least some of its effects could still be displayed.'
Marvin calmed down. He was about to thank that small fish, but it had already disappeared before he'd noticed.
Marvin didn't mind, after all, they would meet again when he gathered the Six Cursed Pearls and got Pearl Island's true treasure!
When the time came, Marvin would have cramps from counting the money.
This was the wealth left behind by the 6th generation Pirate King after all!
Two hours later, Marvin returned to the Southie and ordered to set sail!
The target was the coast southeast of White River Valley!
He didn't know the specific coordinates, but as long as they followed the coastline and passed the Shrieking Mountain Range, he could more or less see the best place to establish the harbor.
In the Captain's room, he was holding the Sea Emperor's Crown and began to check the effects of this sealed Legendary Item.
He gently touched both sides of the Sea Emperor's Crown when a wide sea suddenly appeared in his mind!
He could see the Southie, and every lifeform within about two kilometers!
'Eye of the Ocean?' Marvin was very satisfied with the first ability he tested.
But he suddenly noticed a shadow in the water!
That shadow had a powerful life force!
But that life force wasn't energetic. It seem depressed instead.
"What?"
Marvin curiously controlled the Eye of the Ocean to focus on that shadow.
But the outcome made him completely speechless.
That was a living being floating on a plank!
It was now unconscious but it was still tightly holding onto that plank. Who knew how long it had been drifting along?
'To actually run into me at this time, I wonder if it's my luck, or his luck."
Marvin felt amused and immediately made the Southie temporarily change its path to head toward that shadow's location after confirming the direction through the Eye of the Ocean.
Half an hour later, a few sailors struggled to fish that guy up.
"Bang!"
The other side awkwardly fell on the deck and spat out some water, still half-unconscious.
Lola looked at him and gasped in shock.
"Eh? How could it be him?"
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ED/N: Today's chapters got delayed because my car broke down this morning. I had to wait 3 hours for the tow truck to arrive, and I am currently waiting on repairs while trying to edit on my phone. It's almost out of batteries so the next chapter will have to wait until whenever my car is fixed and I get home. Apologies for the delays.