After intimidating the crowd with force and becoming the new Pirate Leader, the first thing Loga had to do, according to the pirate customs of The Stepstones, was to take stock of the assets left by the previous leader.
Thanks to Fermon's assistance, Loga formally entered the leader's exclusive tent and began to inventory the inheritance.
However, after finishing the count, his brow knitted into a knot. The assets of this pirate crew were even poorer than he had expected.
Although they were able to occupy an island and establish a foothold in The Stepstones amidst surrounding powers, the land on this island was so barren that even weeds were sparse. Its geographical location was far inferior to Bloodstone Island and Gray Gallows Island, holding almost no strategic value.
Worse still, they had no allies. Their daily supplies and provisions relied entirely on trading with other pirate groups or plundering passing merchant ships.
The continuous attacks from the Dornish during this period had already made their situation even more dire.
In order to seek military aid from the garrison forces of the Third Daughter Kingdom on Bloodstone Island, the previous leader had sent away more than half of their remaining wealth, but in the end, there was no news, not even a single word of response.
"Damn it, I've never seen such a pathetic Pirate Leader!"
Upon learning that the predecessor had left only fifteen silver stags, Loga couldn't help but slam the table inside the tent.
One should know that the tattered half-suit of chainmail he wore, though second-hand, was of Myr craftsmanship. Paired with that chipped longsword with a fine iron handguard, it was worth at least four or five hundred silver stags—far more valuable than this so-called leader's inheritance.
Relying solely on these assets, this pirate crew was already at its wit's end. The death of the predecessor had merely dumped this mess onto him intact.
"After the bloody battle with the Dornish, the camp members have been reduced to eighty-six people. Only two ships are capable of normal navigation—counting the longship captured from the Dornish, that's three in total."
Inside the tent, Fermon, who had become Loga's confidant, was reporting in a low voice, his tone heavy with gravity.
"The Shipwright responsible for maintaining the vessels also perished in the battle. We must find a new Shipwright to replenish our ranks as soon as possible."
The more Fermon spoke, the gloomier Loga's expression became.
At the moment, the dry rations and fresh water on the three ships were nearly exhausted. If they hadn't captured a batch of supplies from the Dornish warship earlier, they would already be in a desperate situation.
As for the lack of a Shipwright, it wasn't the most urgent crisis. Compared to the daily necessity of fresh water and rations, ship repairs could be temporarily delayed.
Meeting Fermon's dejected gaze, Loga took a deep breath, forcing himself to think calmly.
The priority was to procure enough rations and fresh water for everyone; otherwise, the promise he made when elected leader would be a massive slap to his own face.
Not to mention, these pirates were the first foundation he had acquired after transmigrating to this world.
To survive in these cruel waters, he had to cherish every bit of strength and could not let the group disband.
And the most direct way for pirates to solve a survival crisis was, undoubtedly, plundering.
Thinking of this, a sharp light flashed in Loga's eyes as he looked at the dejected Fermon: "Gather everyone in the center of the camp. I have a way to resolve the current crisis."
Fermon's spirits lifted upon hearing this. Loga's performance during this time had been too brilliant; from being unknown to slaying the Dornish leader and intimidating the usurpers, he had long ago won Fermon's complete trust.
Soon, the pirates gathered one after another in the center of the camp. They had just experienced a fierce battle during the day, and every one of them was exhausted, with many having blood-stained bandages wrapped around their arms and shoulders.
The shortage of supplies had left them famished, and the sound of growling stomachs rose and fell in the silence, their spirits flagging.
If not for the lingering prestige of Loga killing the deputy leader earlier that day, a mutiny might have already occurred.
Loga had someone light the bonfire in front of the tent, the firelight flickering and illuminating the haggard faces. He walked slowly to the bonfire, one hand resting on his sword hilt, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he spoke bluntly:
"Everyone, as your leader, I have gathered you today for only one thing: our rations and fresh water won't last more than three days."
As soon as he spoke, a buzzing commotion immediately broke out among the crowd.
Someone stood up abruptly, hand on their knife hilt, face full of anxiety. Someone cursed in a low voice, kicking away a pebble at their feet. Others bowed their heads in despair, clearly understanding that without supplies, being on this barren island was equivalent to waiting for death.
Fermon stood by Loga's side, his palms sweating, fearing the situation would spiral out of control.
"But I, Loga, have never been one to sit and wait for death!"
Just as the commotion was about to spread, Loga suddenly raised his voice, his tone powerful and resonant. His purple eyes flashed with a wild light in the reflection of the fire.
"We are pirates! Outlaws who roam the Narrow Sea! Are we going to just watch ourselves starve to death on this wretched island?!"
"Never!"
It was unclear who shouted first, but immediately after, more and more pirates chimed in. Though their voices were somewhat hoarse, they carried an unquestionable determination.
They were never law-abiding folk to begin with; without supplies, plundering was the only way out.
Seeing the desire reignited in the eyes of the pirates by the bonfire, Loga continued:
"That's right! We will never sit and wait for death! As your leader, I promise you that I will ensure everyone is well-fed and well-clothed, and we will fill our ships with overflowing spoils!"
"Loga the Throat-Cutter!"
"Loga the Throat-Cutter!"
Cheers rang out again, more enthusiastic than before. The pirates had already witnessed Loga's personal martial prowess, and now they were even more eager to witness his leadership.
"leader, where are you going to lead us to plunder?"
In the crowd, an old pirate with a full beard asked loudly.
He was one of the most senior pirates in the camp and had always been steady. After all, pirate raids only resulted in a full harvest if the right target was chosen.
If the wrong one was chosen, they would likely just be throwing their lives away for nothing.
This question hit home for everyone. The cheering stopped instantly, and all eyes focused on Loga.
"The target is the Dornish!"
Loga's eyes were bright as he spoke word by word, "They were just defeated by us today. At this moment, they must be shrinking back in their stronghold in The Stepstones, barely hanging on.
The Dornish mainland is far from here. It will take time for them to replenish their manpower and supplies. This is exactly the best time for us to launch a surprise attack!"
"The Dornish?"
The pirates all showed expressions of surprise. Among the various powers in The Stepstones, the Dornish were notoriously tough nuts to crack because they were backed by the entire Kingdom of Dorne and were well-equipped with ample supplies.
But thinking about it the other way, the more powerful a force was, the richer the rewards they could provide when they were weak. At the thought of the wealth in the Dornish stronghold, many pirates' breathing quickened, greed flashing in their eyes.
"The leader is right! Plunder the Dornish!"
"Let's do it! Wealth is found in danger!"
Amidst the group's excitement, the old pirate spoke again: "But the Dornish stronghold has at least several hundred men, at least two or three times our number. Even if they just suffered a defeat, we don't have the advantage!"
"Who said there's only this many of us?"
Loga gave a cold smile, his gaze looking toward the silhouettes of several faintly visible islands in the distance. "I have already sent men to contact several nearby pirate groups. They are as poor as we are and just as oppressed by the Dornish.
As long as we tear open the Dornish stronghold first and let them see the benefits, they will pounce like hyenas smelling blood and help us take down the stronghold together!"
After hearing this, the pirates present were all convinced by Loga's plan and had nothing more to say.
Seeing this, Loga had two subordinates bring out the camp's last remaining rations and fresh water, saying:
"This is all the supplies left in our camp. I'm bringing them all out for you to have a hearty meal. Everyone, get your energy up. At dawn, we will take the ships and launch a surprise attack on the Dornish territory!"
"We follow the leader!"
Seeing that they could have a full meal, the pirates' morale instantly rose another level.
Loga took note of this. If he could use this morale to launch a surprise attack on the Dornish territory in The Stepstones at dawn, his chances of victory would undoubtedly increase by several points!
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