Counterfeit Hero

Within the Redbeard Pirate Group, there are six levels from ordinary pirates to bosses. Each level indicates near-absolute power!

A lowest-level small head can act arrogantly among his few or dozen pirates. He lives in the best room, takes the most shares, and has his subordinates wash his feet. During meals, the other pirates must wait until he finishes and leaves before they can approach the table.

While he sleeps, bodyguards stand watch. Any pirate making excessive noise that disturbs his rest will be severely beaten. If the small head is in a bad mood, there are crueler punishments that can make him happy.

Similarly, in front of higher-level heads, these small heads are also subject to arbitrary beating and scolding. If they fail to show respectful obedience to bosses, talk back, or perform poorly in battle, they are prepared for severe beatings from the heads.

Such a pirate group has been ruled with an iron fist by Barbarossa Hayreddin for nearly twenty years!

Barbarossa was not born the son of the Pirate Leader, nor was he born a pirate. When he joined the Pirate Group, he was merely a handyman on a plundered merchant ship.

One can imagine the hardships and torment Barbarossa endured on his way up to becoming the Pirate Leader. However, he ultimately persevered and, stepping over blood and corpses, became the most ruthless and visionary leader Redbeard Pirate Group had ever known.

No one dared to betray him, nor did anyone dare to question his decisions.

He led the Redbeard Pirate Group across the interstellar domains, clearing out the complex pirate forces, turning the entire Golden Triangle Star Domain into the backyard of the Redbeard Pirate Group. His ruthlessness was notorious throughout the pirate world; all who fell into his hands met a dire end.

Many people wondered if his heart was made of iron. You never knew what he was thinking, and he would never offer friendship or sympathy. In his presence, everyone felt a bone-chilling coldness.

He had dagger-like eyes, cold and merciless. The pirates feared him to their core. In the Redbeard Pirate Group, he controlled everyone’s life and death!

The pirates could never have dreamed of seeing Barbarossa tremble before anyone, nor did they imagine there could be someone more ruthless than Barbarossa.

Or perhaps, Fatty wasn’t even human!

At first, no one knew how dangerous this seemingly simple and friendly Fatty was. He would casually chat and joke with the pirates, drinking and gambling, telling off-color jokes with no hint of hostility.

Towards Barbarossa, he was exceedingly polite, not at all like a victor treating a captive. He not only chatted cheerfully but also frequently called for good food and drink from the kitchen.

There were no beatings, no punishments. The change from hell to heaven made every pirate who fell into Leray Army’s hands feel comfortable. Fatty said that in the current war, Leray had no need to be against the Redbeard Pirate Group. They just happened to encounter Audrey and got involved by chance.

In essence, they merely wanted some benefits or to use the pirate base’s repair docks for their warships. Hearing Fatty’s words, almost all pirates relaxed. Once there is desire and weakness, it becomes easy to deal with.

For Barbarossa, exploiting the desires and weaknesses of his enemies was his forte. Ruling a band of pirates required such tactics. So, he skillfully offered some benefits, enthusiastically helped Fatty map out the route to Saleria, and deftly guided the pirates in resisting the Leray people.

It wasn’t until a dish was slammed into Barbarossa’s face did the pirates realize how mad Fatty was.

Right before Fatty lost his temper, he was still smiling and pouring wine for Barbarossa and then, without any warning, he struck. Five full minutes of precise, painful blows aimed at non-lethal yet excruciating spots, inflicted with merciless force.

All the pirates were dumbfounded. Before Fatty acted, they were still admiring their Pirate Leader and ridiculing the seemingly foolish Fatty...

This stupid Fatty seemed to idolize Barbarossa, listening to pirate life tales with glowing eyes... fully trusting in Barbarossa’s words. They had gleaned much information about the Destroyer from him...

The pirates were at a loss. They could only watch... watching their life-and-death-controlling Pirate Leader roll painfully under Fatty’s relentless fists, unable even to moan. Each time Barbarossa gathered breath to speak, Fatty’s fist landed on his diaphragm, forcing the air back into him...

Barbarossa was originally quite tough; as a handyman, he endured much bullying and torment. But in Fatty’s hands, within minutes, tears and snot flowed, and he even couldn’t hold his urine.

The worst fear for the pirates was... after the beating, Fatty hugged Barbarossa, lamenting, ”Son, your body’s pain is nothing compared to my heartache...”

As he said this, he pulled out a knife and stabbed Barbarossa. If Barbarossa hadn’t twisted his body hurriedly and if the nearby Leray Warriors hadn’t quickly restrained Fatty, this madman might have already stabbed Barbarossa hundreds of times.

Even so, Barbarossa’s body still had several cuts.

While the medical officer bandaged Barbarossa’s wounds, Fatty stood by watching intently, insisting on helping to stitch the wounds… using his fighting dagger tied with a thread...

The most exasperating thing was, Fatty flipped moods and acted as if nothing had happened, dragging Barbarossa around to chat daily. He asked various simple, repetitive, and bizarre questions.

The number of pirates, their robbery methods, what they ate, their entertainment, why their clothes had particular styles, why men grew beards, why women had breasts... and demanded answers. If Barbarossa seemed mentally distracted, Fatty’s eyes would change, his facial flesh twitching...

Whenever they saw the crazy Fatty affectionately patting Barbarossa’s head and addressing him as a brother, the pirates felt an icy chill up their spines, as if a venomous snake was crawling up their back, sending shivers down their spine.

If Barbarossa’s unpredictability was a rational tactic, Fatty was purely insane. He loved making you lower your guard, allowing you to enjoy peace and comfort, only to torment you afterwards, and was overjoyed by it.

From then on, everyone realized Fatty was a maniac! And from then on, no one dared to put their hope in Barbarossa’s wisdom anymore. Before Fatty, all cunning seemed laughable.

Days passed, and the once fearsome Barbarossa, who terrified countless merchant ships and pirates, had lost all resistance. He was still nominally the Redbeard Pirate Group’s leader, but in the pirates’ minds, he had lost his iron shell.

Now, interstellar navigation maps, pirate lists, power distribution maps, and the most secret space hideouts had all been extracted cleanly by Fatty, both through deception and beating. He even set his sights on the group’s accumulated wealth over the years...

The pirates had no doubts that it wouldn’t be long before Fatty extracted everything he wanted from Barbarossa’s mouth.

”Speak up....” Fatty gently patted Barbarossa’s head, softly saying, ”Hand over the money, and you’ll be relieved...”

.

. My child is sick and receiving intravenous treatment; please understand.

.(To be continued. For more chapters and to support the author, visit www.qidian.com for genuine readings!)