Time passed, and the island, the whale carrying it, and the people on it steadily got closer to their target. Taienra still couldn't tell them exactly how close they were, but she did know that Pirate Haven wasn't far away.
Toz wasn't interested in pursuing the extremes of efficiency while taking over Pirate Haven and becoming the Pirate King, but he still wanted to be prepared. Although the information Hods and Stitches knew was outdated, it would be enough to serve as an introduction to the power structure of Pirate Haven. It would also help Toz and the others prepare for what they needed to do in order to put Toz on the throne of a Pirate King.
Since it was an important meeting meant to inform everyone about what Hods and Stitches knew about Pirate Haven, everyone gathered together during meal time. Like they usually did when they had important meetings.
Although Joshua was still recovering and couldn't use magic as much as he wanted, he still wanted to be part of the plan and was almost the one who looked forward to their strategy meeting the most. He hoped that Pirate Haven was far away enough for him to recover and maybe even reach the medium levels before they arrived. Taienra was sure that Joshua wouldn't make it in time, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that.
Since Stitches was the more sociable between him and Hods, he had a better grasp of the situation in Pirate Haven, so he led the conversation around the table by recounting everything he knew about the place.
Stitches had several short anecdotes explaining how he met the people and what he knew about each pirate crew he had heard about from various sources. Though, he also said that many of the people he met were from the lowest and weakest pirate crews. Pirate crews that appeared and disappeared like weeds locked in a fierce struggle with a farmer.
Since the pirate crews that Stitches talked about most of the time were weak, it wasn't weird if they didn't exist anymore when the group arrived at Pirate Haven.
However, there were also a few pirate crews that reigned almost like hegemons over Pirate Haven, and if Toz wanted to become the King of Pirates, those crews would put up the most resistance. But that also meant that if Toz subdued those crews, his reign would be confirmed.
According to Stitches' latest information, three crews each ruled over slightly less than a third of Pirate Haven in addition to having their own bases.
The Red Hook Pirate Crew. Led by a bloodthirsty pirate who used a pair of grapplehooks to fight and plunder. The pirate leader, aptly nicknamed Red Hook, was rumored to be at the eighth or ninth level, just like the other three bigwigs.
The Cult of Nihiltas. A self-proclaimed branch of the Church of Nihiltas, the church worshipping one of the twelve origin gods. Their leader was rumored to be a disgraced bishop of the church who established his own following that was more accepting of his murder-friendly attitude. Although they were more of a religion than a pirate crew, considering the place they stayed at and their way of life, they were more than worthy of the title of pirate.
The third crew that Stitches said shared the ruling echelon of Pirate Haven was the Blue Lounge League of Pirates. They were significantly more friendly than the other two crews. But that only meant they weren't quite as violent, and the protection fee they took from the shops in their part of the city was slightly lower compared to the other crews.
However, the last thing Stitches knew was that it was the pirate crew showing the most promise since it was made from the union of several other smaller pirate crews. Due to the Blue Lounge's friendly attitude, smaller crews on the verge of being destroyed frequently joined them and increased their numbers. Stitches didn't know much about the leader or leaders of the crew since there hadn't been only one leader when Stitches last left Pirate Haven.
Due to Blue Lounge League's power structure and its origin, the former leaders of the dissolved pirate crews worked together to decide on issues that required their leadership.
After talking about the three big pirate crews, Stitches went on to talk about the pirate crew he and Hods had been a part of before. He had already talked about it several times before, but it seemed like their imminent arrival at Pirate Haven had built up some anticipation to meet old friends and acquaintances.
However, it was the first time Stitches mentioned the name of his old pirate crew.
"Bunglehoppers? Isn't that an insect?"
"Insect? I thought it was a bird."
"I'm sure it's a plant, though?"
Toz, Joan, and Scrael all responded to the name of Hods and Stitches' old pirate crew with confusion that built after each person asked.
"..." Stitches stared blankly at the three of them before answering their confusion.
"It's an animal. A six-legged ferocious beast with spiky magic-resistant fur. I don't know what you had in mind, but a bunglehopper isn't something to joke about. A single careless moment is enough for a bunglehopper to take your life."
Stitches looked deathly serious when he explained the dangers of bunglehoppers. But seeing Stitches say bunglehopper with such absolute solemnity made it difficult for the others to restrain their laughter.
Toz and Joan were polite enough to hide their laughter with a hand and slight coughing.
Scrael, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as serious as she almost collapsed in laughter when Stitches told them how the captain had seen the bunglehopper as a kid, and it was the scariest thing the captain knew. Scrael couldn't see the correlation between bunglehoppers and fear, and she couldn't stop laughing.
The others also found the name hilarious, and it didn't take long for Scrael's infectious laughter to spread and she was soon accompanied by Lucy and Mindle, who rolled on the floor laughing.
"You shouldn't laugh so much. What if the bunglehopper comes and eats you all?"
Toz's mocking comment only made the cats laugh harder.
Stitches could only sigh and regret his life choices while staring into the sky.
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