Chapter 578: Captain Hook

578. Captain Hook (2)

Inside the walls of Bean City, the area was divided into six main sections.

Giant’s Head Port.

The Black Workshop.

Credit Street.

Seafood Market.

Central Plaza Market.

The place where insignificant people lived.

Each section played a role like production, distribution, or residential spaces. Half of them also doubled as bases for pirates, dark wizards, and smugglers, as explained by Jack.

“I heard from Lysander. The Giant’s Head Port is managed by pirates, The Black Workshop by dark wizards, and Credit Street by smugglers. Although they weren’t officially granted autonomy, they’re allowed to handle most things themselves.”

“Oh, you heard correctly. As you said, we leave most things to them.”

“But why do you do that?”

Oliver asked a question.

Randa had instances where power was shared among groups like the Tower of Magic, Crime Firm, and City Councilors. However, that was due to Randa’s nature as a federation from its inception.

Normally, whether big or small, organizations focused on consolidating power, not sharing it.

Considering that, Jack’s decision to establish Bean City in this way was quite unique.

Jack answered this.

“I determined it was the best option. I was fortunate enough to lay the foundation for the city, but maintaining a city requires many people. So I gave them what they wanted—freedom and rights.”

Oliver understood.

Freedom and rights. They might seem trivial, but the appeal of these words was immense.

Even Randa, with its overwhelming economic power, preferred to be called a free city rather than an economic one.

Jack raised a finger and continued speaking.

“In short, what I want to say is that Giant’s Head Port is heavily influenced by pirates. They will probably not entirely ignore what I say as the mayor, but I can’t ignore their words either. They play an important role in this city.”

Oliver nodded.

Pirates procured food, daily necessities, and stolen goods through looting. From Jack’s perspective, they were vital to running the city.

“So all I can do is bring you to meet Mr. Hook. My help ends there. From here on, Mr. Dave has to handle things. I hope you understand.”

“Of course. We’ve already discussed that. In fact, I’m more thankful for your help in getting this far… However, I do have one question.”

“What is it?”

“You said earlier that Captain Hook would arrive in three or four days, but how did he get here so quickly? While I’m glad he did, I’m curious about the reason.”

That was a reasonable question. If the schedule had changed, it meant an unforeseen variable had arisen, and such variables were usually not for the better.

Jack also understood this.

“It seems someone contacted Hook before I did.”

Speaking in a guessing tone, Jack responded when asked who.

“It would be fellow pirates. They carry communication devices for exchanging information.”

Oliver whispered an ‘Oh…’ in amazement but soon thought it made sense.

They had even formed factions to protect their interests, so having communication devices was only natural. What was puzzling was why they called Hook.

That answer, too, wasn’t difficult to infer after a little thought.

“Is it because of me?”

“I think that’s likely. A famous dark wizard suddenly appearing and interacting with the Dark Wizard Association… It’s enough to make them uneasy.”

Exactly. Before Jack could summon him, the pirates had called Hook because of Oliver.

Suddenly appeared, flaunted power and wealth in the middle of the city, and even met regularly with the Dark Wizard Association while staying at City Hall.

Moreover, though Oliver claimed he was here for personal reasons, he hadn’t explained his exact purpose. This surely added to their anxiety.

‘But it’s not like I can explain I’m going to Neverland with Captain Hook’s help… Well, it’s not so bad.’

Although this was an unexpected situation, Oliver decided to look at it positively.

No matter the misunderstanding, at least he would meet Hook sooner. That wasn’t entirely bad.

He believed Jane would hold on, but he couldn’t afford to be complacent.

‘Yes, it’s not so bad.’

As Oliver thought positively, they arrived at Giant’s Head Port.

“It looks like Captain Hook really has arrived, just as the messenger said.”

Jack pointed to a corner of the distant port.

Near the massive skull rock of the giant, where numerous pirate ships were docked, stood one ship that especially caught the eye.

A large, lavish red galleon, with the most noticeable feature being the figurehead of a girl at the bow.

Blond hair, sky-blue dress. The figurehead of the girl seemed so lifelike, it could move at any moment.

“Hmm…”

Looking at the ship, Oliver let out a deep, contemplative sound. Jack explained.

“That’s the Wendy, Captain Hook’s ship.”

“Hmm… I see. If we head there, can we meet Captain Hook?”

“No, Hook will be in the Pirate Hall. We need to go a bit further.”

“What’s the Pirate Hall?”

“Ho ho. It’s where the Pirate Party meets. Just over there.”

A third voice and a pointed finger entered, showing the way.

There was the skull rock of the giant.

Oliver gazed at the massive rock for a moment before quickly turning to look in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. A kindly-looking elderly man was standing there.

Despite his age, the old man had a sturdy build and wore an oddly cute sleeping cap, glasses, and a striped shirt.

Jack seemed to know the old man, greeting him.

“Mr. Smee, isn’t it?”

“Ho ho ho. Hello, Mr. Mayor. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

The old man took off his sleeping cap, politely greeting them, revealing his tousled hair.

“Yes… Nice to meet you too, Mr. Smee. But what brings you here?”

“I’m here on an errand.”

“What errand is that?”

“To guide you all.”

***

Smee, Captain Hook’s right-hand man,

introduced himself cheerfully and began guiding Oliver and Jack.

“The captain sent me here, saying you’d arrive soon. It seems he anticipated your visit. Ho ho, isn’t he clever?”

Smee explained that Hook had predicted Jack would come directly just by knowing he had already contacted him.

Captain Hook seemed to possess extraordinary insight as well.

“Greetings, friends.”

As they entered a narrow path, Smee greeted with a hearty voice.

Pirates were waiting there.

A pirate sharpening a scimitar.

A pirate with a hand cannon as a prosthetic.

A pirate with a beard as sharp as a spike.

A pirate dressed in silk clothes with gold rings.

A pirate gambling.

A pirate drinking.

A pirate with tanned brown skin.

A pirate with black skin.

A pirate with red skin.

A pirate with pale skin, and so on.

Literally, there were numerous pirates around the skull rock of the giant, where the Pirate Hall was located.

‘It’s not just their numbers.’

Oliver assessed the surroundings while observing.

Near the enormous skull of the giant was a fortress-like area equipped with everything.

There were cranes unloading numerous cargoes, densely packed buildings ready to set up barricades if needed, and defensive equipment like machine guns and cannons.

It was almost fitting to call this place pirate territory.

A massive shirtless figure approached them.

“Hello there, Smee old man. Who are these guys?”

The pirate glanced at Oliver, Jack, and the city guards who had accompanied them.

The city guards were fully armed, and because of that, the pirates’ gazes were unfriendly.

“Who else? It’s the mayor.”

“The… mayor?”

The pirate looked baffled and exchanged glances with his comrades. They didn’t seem to fully recognize the face of Bean City’s mayor.

It was at that moment.

“Greetings, citizens. I’m Jack, Bean City’s eternal public servant, and mayor.”

With a big, rural smile, Jack greeted the pirate.

A simple smile reminiscent of a country youth. However, the pirates’ reactions were peculiar.

“Uh… Uhm…”

Realizing that Jack was the mayor, they were filled with a mix of fear and tension.

‘Why now? Is it because of his abnormal youth? Or maybe his abnormal vitality?”

While Oliver pondered this, a pirate who regained his composure spoke.

“Ahem! Even if you’re the mayor, this is our territory! The city guards can’t come in!”

The pirate, who was also a citizen of Bean City, refused the entrance of the city guards responsible for the city’s security.

He basically said that, although unofficial, this place was their autonomous region.

However, Jack showed no emotional change regarding this fact.

“Ah, my mistake. Wait here, okay? Is that alright?”

Jack ordered the city guards and asked Oliver for his opinion.

Oliver nodded. His expectation was only for Jack to get him in.

With the disagreement swiftly resolved, the pirates mumbled while clearing the path, and Oliver and Jack followed Smee inside the skull rock of the giant, where the Pirate Hall was located.

“Oh… It’s massive.”

Inside the skull rock, Oliver was overwhelmed by the sheer size, muttering in awe.

“This is one of the reasons the pirates built their base in Bean City. It’s spectacular, isn’t it?”

“Is this really the remains of a giant god?”

Oliver suddenly asked about the rumor surrounding Bean City’s origins. The reason was the internal structure of the rock, which resembled the brain structure Oliver was familiar with.

Before Jack could answer, Smee chimed in with a grin.

“Ho ho. We’ve arrived.”

Smee chuckled as he opened a giant door.

With a heavy rumble, the door opened to reveal a group of pirates covered in gold paint.

Some were familiar from Oliver’s time in the Fighting Pit of Goo, while others were not, but the commonality was that they were all of considerable strength.

A massive druid whose body seemed ready to burst.

A huge, black magic user covered in enchanted items.

A female dark wizard with a pair of beautiful zombie puppets by her side.

A wizard with an intimidating, well-trained aura.

However, what caught Oliver’s attention the most was a pirate with a hook hand sipping tea, with long curly hair.

He wore a noble’s red feathered hat and uniform, and unlike the other pirates, he had a strikingly handsome face with clear, vivid features and blue, moist eyes like forget-me-nots.

“That must be Captain Hook.”

During the brief time they were observing each other, Oliver instantly recognized the man in the red uniform as Captain Hook.

Even though Oliver didn’t speak loudly, his words were clear, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

A sudden silence fell. The man in the red uniform replied.

“Yes, I am Captain Hook… It’s been a while, Mayor.”

Captain Hook lifted his feathered hat and elegantly greeted Jack.

There was a distinct difference in demeanor compared to the other pirates. Jack also greeted Hook.

“Hello, Mr. Hook. You arrived sooner than expected.”

“My work concluded earlier than planned, and I heard an interesting rumor.”

Hook looked at Oliver.

“…So the rumors were true. Answer me, Mr. Dave. How did you recognize me?”

It seemed Hook had also heard the rumors about Oliver from the pirates and instantly recognized him.

“…Do you mind if I speak frankly?”

Instead of immediately answering, Oliver confirmed. Hook replied.

“Yes. I’d like to hear it.”

“I recognized you, Captain Hook, because of the dark magic vibes coming from your crew, including Mr. Smee… Specifically, the creatures.”

Everyone in the room displayed a shocked expression at those words.

It was no wonder since the fact that Hook’s crew were creatures was a well-kept secret.

“Ho… Quite sharp eyes you have. Nobody noticed until you mentioned it, not even in this city where dark wizards swarm like rats.”

“That’s because the creatures you crafted are exceptionally well-made.”

Oliver genuinely complimented. Smee and the rest of Hook’s crew were crafted so skillfully that most dark wizards couldn’t even tell they were creatures.

It was a result of superior dark magic skills combined with the creator’s deep dedication, accurate memory, and genuine emotion.

“And yet, Mr. Dave, you recognized them instantly.”

“I have sharp eyes. I have a favor to ask. May I?”

Oliver moved to the main point immediately.

Although this conversation was enjoyable, he was concerned about Jane.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a bad choice.

“This is different from what I heard. I was told Mr. Dave came to conquer this place with the mayor and the dark wizard group.”

“I have no such outrageous plan. I’m just here to ask you for a favor… The commotion I caused in the city and my meetings with the Dark Wizard Association were merely collateral from the process. I apologize if I caused any misunderstanding.”

“Ah… But you see.”

Hook raised his hooked hand, which gleamed in the light.

“What is it you want me to do? What help could I possibly provide to a fixer from across the sea in Randa?”

“As far as I know, only you, Captain Hook, can fulfill this request.”

“…”

“I need you to guide me to Neverland.”

***

“…Puhahahaha!”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Kuhuhuhah!”

“Hyahahahahah!”

A few seconds after Oliver made his request, Hook burst out laughing, and then the other pirates joined in.

It was such a ridiculous request.

The laughter just wouldn’t stop and kept echoing throughout the hall.

However, Oliver, the subject of their mockery, wasn’t bothered at all and simply observed Hook as if studying him.

Perhaps because of Oliver’s quiet gaze, Hook’s laughter gradually subsided.

“Hahaha… Damn, you’re serious.”

Oliver nodded.

“Yes.”

“… I don’t know where you heard that, but you’re partly correct.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m indeed from Neverland and know its approximate location, but that doesn’t mean I can guide you there, nor will I.”

“Why can’t you guide me?”

“Because ‘approximate location’ means just that—approximate. I can get close, but I can’t take you to Neverland.”

“Hmm… So, why won’t you?”

Without any visible reaction, Oliver asked the next question while looking at Hook.

Perhaps irritated by this, Hook twitched his eyebrows.

“…Because I don’t want to go there. Why should I leave when I can live like a king here?”

The pirates nodded in agreement, and Oliver also nodded.

Just when Hook thought Oliver had accepted this, Oliver asked again.

“What’s the real reason you won’t take me?”

Oliver’s serious demeanor hadn’t changed from the beginning. In contrast, Hook’s mocking expression gradually stiffened, and he suddenly threw his teacup.

Surprisingly, the teacup was also a creature. With astounding reflexes, Oliver swung his quarterstaff, deflecting the teacup out the window.

Crash!

The teacup shattered the window and exploded like a bomb outside, drawing everyone’s attention. Seizing the moment, Hook swiftly drew the rapier at his waist and charged at Oliver.

The rapier’s blade rapidly extended as it sliced through the air.

Just as the rapier was about to pierce Oliver’s eyes, a massive hand made of emotional particles appeared, smashing the table and chairs while forcing Hook to kneel on one knee.

“Oh… That surprised me.”

Holding one hand up, Oliver remarked.