World’s Greatest! A Title Effect!
A huge wave of elation washed over Byron, its designer and owner, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Whether for a person, a ship, or a Holy Relic, those deeply respected Titles they bore represented tangible power. And among these Titles, naturally, were various "World’s Greatest" distinctions!
For example: the world’s first matchlock gun; the world’s first cannon; the world’s most potent gunpowder formula; the world’s fastest horse... These were all household names in the Supernatural World.
Of course, mere fame or legendary status was not enough. If a media mogul were to spread false information daily through his controlled newspapers, proclaiming himself the wealthiest man, he would not receive the corresponding Title, even if tens of thousands were deceived into believing him. Because the claim would be undeserved!
The bearer of a Title must have genuinely impacted history through some event, or be undeniably poised to do so, to gain recognition from the Laws and the world. Matchlock guns had changed the mode of warfare; cannons were the gods of war; the fastest horse could improve its breed, thereby increasing transportation efficiency and cavalry strength... And this real-world impact was more important than mere fame or legend.
The *Golden Deer*, representing the highest sailing speed of current three-masted ships, was no different. Perhaps someone had used forbidden knowledge, Miracles, or other supernatural means to make a ship sail faster than the *Golden Deer*. But the design and construction techniques of the *Golden Deer* could be mass-produced, raising the entire level of human shipbuilding. Even long after Byron, the inventor, passed away, other Artisans and Naturalists would be able to directly access the inventor’s original, first-hand insights from the Law Network’s public library!
The transmission of civilization was a monumental achievement. This was a victory for knowledge and a triumph for human civilization.
Effect of "World’s Fastest Three-Master":
It could increase the ship’s designed normal sailing speed by an additional 20%, and the impact of severe weather like high waves, strong winds, and storms would be reduced by 20%.
However, this might be because this ship was merely a modified version, still differing from the most complete design specs—such as the V-shaped hull and a 5:1 length-to-beam ratio... There was still considerable room for improvement.
Therefore, the Title "World’s Fastest Three-Masted Ship" was bestowed upon the name *Golden Deer*, not the vessel itself. If Byron were to build any three-masted warship in the future, as long as he christened it *Golden Deer*, it would inherit all the effects!
The entry for the pirate ship in the Sailing Logbook had also changed dramatically:
"*Golden Deer*: A Tudor-style three-masted hybrid-sail vessel, modified from a Garen-type sailing ship.
Specifications: Overall length 23.5 meters, beam 6 meters, draft 2.55 meters, displacement 200 tons, maximum base sailing speed 11 knots, augmented speed 13 knots, complement 100, current crew 56.
Armament: Heavily refitted with seven 6-pounder cannons per side on the weather deck, and one 32-pounder Carronade on the quarterdeck.
Sail Plan: Jib on the bowsprit (lifting sail), square sails on the foremast, and fore-and-aft sails on the main and mizzen masts.
Title Effect: World’s Fastest Three-Masted Ship.
Transcendent-class Pirate Officers: Captain [Mad Hunt・Storm Knight] Byron; First Mate [Iron Wall・Oath Knight] Bruh; Second Mate [Phantom Blade] Gus.
Contracted Creatures: Twenty-seven mutated Man-Eater Sharks."
Although this type of hybrid-sail ship was small and couldn’t carry many large-caliber cannons, making it insignificant in direct fleet engagements, it could be said it was practically born for privateering.
Particularly noteworthy was the monstrous 32-pounder Carronade on the quarterdeck, covered with a tarp, acquired during the Golden Palm Trading Company’s final ’everything must go’ sale before their departure. Although acquiring it had nearly depleted the *Golden Deer*’s coffers, Byron considered it well worth the cost.
The crafty merchant Michel might have made a killing, but Byron was sure he hadn’t lost out on the deal.
This type of artillery had a large bore and a short barrel, placing it somewhere between a mortar and a standard cannon. Unlike conventional cannons, typically cast in one piece, Carronades were machined using a boring mill. A water-powered flywheel rotated the gun barrel while a stationary boring bar was gradually advanced into the solid casting, machining out the bore. The resulting bore was more uniform than that of a cast-bore cannon. The fit between the spherical shot and the barrel’s inner wall was much tighter, reducing propellant gas leakage upon firing and thus increasing effective thrust. The barrel walls could therefore be thinner, and the cannonball larger.
As a result, its destructive power at ranges of tens of meters far surpassed that of standard cannons of equivalent weight. A Carronade firing a grapefruit-sized 32-pound projectile weighed only a third of a standard cannon of the same bore. A 32-pounder long gun, the main armament of a Second-class Battleship, often weighed 3 tons, whereas a 32-pounder Carronade weighed less than 1 ton. This was comparable in weight to standard 12-pounder or 9-pounder cannons, which fired fist-sized projectiles.
In raiding merchant ships, the decisive factor was always the boarding action. Carronades could deliver overwhelming firepower at close range to intimidate merchant crews or even sweep their exposed decks. Byron believed that while few recognized its value now, this type of cannon was destined to become a star on pirate ships and even smaller warships.
That shyster Michel still sold it too cheap!
Using a Second-class Battleship’s main gun for piracy? Brutal! Too brutal! High-speed maneuverability, armed with long-range cannons and short-range Carronades—she can fight at any distance. This ship is destined to become the nightmare of all our enemies. The only drawback is that our Marine contingent is still a bit thin, unable to field an overwhelming numerical advantage against typical merchantmen. But once we successfully navigate the battle at Iron Anchor Bay, manpower will cease to be an issue.
Byron surveyed his creation from every angle, absolutely captivated by the magnificent treasure born from his genius.
She was now second only to... the "tentacles."
At that moment, near the waterline, a series of dark shark fins sliced through the water, speeding into the distance. These were the twenty-seven mutated Man-Eater Sharks serving as armed escorts. After devouring Bloody Eye Salman and dozens of lesser ghouls mid-transformation in one go, their bodies had swelled considerably. The blood-red glow in their eyes was almost tangible. It was no longer necessary to feed them live humans every three days; Blood Brew from Transcendents was a far more effective substitute. A few more feedings would fully cement his control, making them extensions of Byron’s own senses, completely at his beck and call.
"Turn about! Prepare for Qiangfeng sailing; close-hauled!"
Just as Byron ordered the ship to come about and return, preparing to further test the longitudinal sails’ performance in Qiangfeng conditions.
"Report, Captain! Ten o’clock, roughly seven nautical miles from our position! There’s a fog bank, and its movement seems... off. It’s heading our way!"
The lookout in the crow’s nest suddenly shouted an urgent warning.
Simultaneously, the school of Man-Eater Sharks also detected a potent scent of blood emanating from the northern waters, causing them all to become restless. Byron’s Weather Intuition didn’t fail him; he immediately sensed the unnatural atmospheric shift ahead. He looked up to see a bank of white fog drifting directly towards them from afar. And deep within the fog, a colossal, indistinct shadow loomed, drifting ever closer, carried along by the coastal current flowing past the ice fields.