"Tragic, truly tragic."

Byron Lancaster cast a final glance at his superior, Major General Newman, Bill's father-in-law, then withdrew his gaze from the beleaguered Fat Dragon, which was embroiled in a bloody conflict after having devoured a geoduck.

Back on the Golden Deer, he fondly caressed the contract conch shell.

"Look at you. Instead of retreating to the back, you kept charging forward, especially when those Barbary Pirates still had an ace up their sleeve. Major General, I really didn't plan to trick you so soon. Now you've fallen into a pit you can't climb out of, haven't you?"

As a qualified puppet master behind the scenes, Byron knew that after setting the stage for the two main characters and an unexpected supporting role, he did not need to witness the ending to know it would be quite a spectacle.

Byron Lancaster had no perverse delight in revisiting the scene of his crimes to admire his own handiwork. If caught by the victim in the act, wouldn't that make him no different than a clown who dies from talking too much?

However, he also knew that in such a chaotic battle, unless one was ganged up on, a Transcendent of the Middle Sequence would most likely not die if focused solely on escaping. The loss of his subordinates' strength, however, was quite possible.

Byron felt that now, perhaps not only Westwind Express but also the business of Pioneer Navigation Military Dispatch Company could be initiated.

At this time, sudden turmoil also broke out within the gathered Joint Fleet.

"That Barbary Pirate just said their main forces also went to Campeche Bay. Doesn't that mean the two great Overlords of the Old Continent have already started their war?"

"The General is not here. What should we do now?"

"Are we still going to pick up scraps in the colonies?"

The remaining naval fleet of the Kingdom of Hightens and the Pirate Generals' Privateer Fleets were also flustered without their leading figure.

One of the Pirate Generals, Throatslitter, suddenly proposed, "Since that cooked duck, the Barbary Pirates, has flown the coop, let's compensate for our losses with Tayman Brak Island, currently occupied by the People of Castilia. Gentlemen, the current situation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, much better than our original sneaky plan to pick up scraps. Since the Star Moon Empire is already at war with Castilia, then when two tigers fight, one is sure to be hurt, or perhaps even both will suffer grievously. This is the perfect time for us to rise opportunistically!"

His proposal met with immediate agreement from everyone. The entire group turned their forces toward Tayman Brak Island, which the People of Castilia had heavily stocked as a forward base, and advanced mightily.

The battle was utterly without suspense; the People of Castilia left to hold the fort surrendered at the mere sight of the enemy.

Thereafter, Byron Lancaster, the titular Lord, legitimately reassumed control of the place and, as agreed, distributed the land on the spot for a transfer fee of a single Gold Coin.

During this time, they also received intelligence from the high commands of their respective factions.

"The Invincible Fleet was ambushed by the long-prepared Barbary Pirates. The People of Castilia suffered heavy losses and were at an absolute disadvantage. It was only a matter of time before they would collectively flee, preserving what strength they could. It was projected that for a considerably long time, control over and the defensive capabilities of the colonies in the Bantaan Archipelago would decline sharply. The new Overlord might become the Star Moon Empire, represented by the Barbary Pirates. However, they also could not be considered to have achieved a complete victory. Blue Hair Barbarossa Halding was ambushed by a force led by the infuriated Governor of Havana, Velazquez, and his condition was unclear..."

As this intelligence spread, even before the battles in the bay concluded, all the major factions, long suppressed by the People of Castilia, erupted in a frenzy of celebration.

Everyone knew that in the past, neither the Kingdom of Castilia nor the Star Moon Empire were to be trifled with. Now that their strength had plummeted, other nations did not mind kicking them while they were down, seizing the chance to deal a fatal blow.

Starting from Tayman Brak Island, the Joint Fleet never ceased its advance, continuing eastward to plunder the colonies along the coastlines of Havana Island.

At the same time, the Sapphire Sea, where the Bantaan Archipelago was located, was so vast and had no intersection with the east-west trade routes that countless forces still had not joined the Joint Fleet.

Perhaps they weren't daring enough to dispatch warships directly. However, the privateer ships belonging to the major powers had no such scruples. They swooped down en masse on the colonies and even the naval ports of the Kingdom of Castilia.

They didn't linger; they just grabbed what they could and fled.

From Media Luna to Betientes, from Trinidad City to Pinos Island, from Zapata Swamp to Batavano Bay... much of the Bantaan Archipelago was thrown into utter chaos.

When all the snowflakes begin to shiver, nothing can prevent an avalanche.

When the frenzy of war engulfed every individual, even the will of the higher-ups would be completely swept away.

Once the chaos began, even if Castilia's military might returned to its former state, it would be very difficult to deter all sides as it had in the past.

Byron Lancaster had long since returned to the Tayman Archipelago, munching on buttered popcorn while watching the drama unfold.

"The premise for all this happening was that most of the Fourth Order and Fifth Order Transcendents, in an effort to advance further, left their comfort zones for the southern seas. That's what left behind this power vacuum, a zone of benefits they had scorned. Whether it was me, the 'Conqueror' Cortes of yore, or 'Blue Hair' Barbarossa Halding of the Barbary Pirates, we all wanted to seize this opportunity to achieve something great."

He was also soberly aware that the losses were just a small part of the strength of both the Overlord, the Kingdom of Castilia, and the Star Moon Empire. The main force of the Invincible Fleet consisted of at least Third-Rate Ships, none of which were present here. At most, they only had a few more Fourth-rate Ships than other factions. 'The King's Left Hand of the Ocean Throne' was in a similar situation. He was a Fifth Order Legendary Level Beast Tamer. Most of his strength resided in his Sea Monster Legion; pirate ships were merely an accessory. This brief military power vacuum did not mean that the two Overlords had suffered a crippling blow. Returning to the essentials, he was still just an unremarkable Second Order small-time pirate. Never a mastermind who fomented chaos or one who had woefully ruined two major factions in one fell swoop.

But during this power vacuum, with both sides having suffered greatly diminished strength, Castilia's merchant ships and colonies lacked protection, and the strongest pirate faction was licking its wounds. This would surely usher in a golden age of rapid expansion for the various national powers.

"What I need to do next is seize this transient, heaven-sent opportunity to properly manage this International Port beneath my feet. Once the new reality is established and has swept up the interests of enough people, even those Fifth Order 'Kingly Titles' would find it hard to change the status quo. Only when the great tree falls will the saplings at its base receive enough rain and sunshine. Now is also the only chance for smaller powers to soar to prominence."

No one knew that all of this stemmed from Byron using a colossal lie about the impending extinction of the Tenor People, spun through the hand of the 'Beak-Mouthed Plague Doctor.'

He, the 'Storm Knight,' had once again successfully turned the clouds with a flip of his hand and poured rain with another.

His Spirituality also somersaulted, breaking through the major threshold of eight points.

With several great mountains lifted from his shoulders, Byron suddenly felt his heart lighten, his mind clear.

"Since the Golden Deer arrived in the Bantaan Archipelago, it has been passively swept into the colonial torrent, pushed along every step of the way. I haven't had time to stop, to properly savor delicacies, take in the scenery, explore the countless hidden secrets overseas, and pursue forbidden knowledge..."

Facing the sea, he spread his arms and whispered to himself, and to the world:

"When one whale falls, myriad creatures thrive.

Welcome to the Era of Great Pirates, where every rising talent has the chance to make their mark!

Though this serves the public, allowing all oppressed peoples to share the benefits equally, no thanks are needed. I, Byron Lancaster, am just a troublemaker, driven by interest."