Seeing that the originally crowded hall was now empty, the remaining dozen captains who had chosen to continue their old trade began to feel uneasy. They urgently wanted to know how this young man would treat them.
Just as one of them was about to say something, André suddenly pulled on the tab on the wall.
In an instant!
A large and crude map fell from the sky and appeared in front of everyone!
Although it looked crude and crude, and even the topography wasn't very accurate, everyone present could easily tell that this was a map of the entire south.
"Excuse me, what do you mean by this?" A captain couldn't hold back his curiosity and cautiously asked.
Andre smiled faintly and didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he pointed at the trade route known as the Golden Triangle from Lincoln City to Bakarov City, and then to Kamla City, the pearl of the desert. He cleared his throat and said, "The Golden Triangle.
He cleared his throat and said, "I believe all of you should be very clear that if the entire southern region is compared to a person, then this route I'm pointing out is equivalent to the main artery.
It started from Linton City, which was connected to the continent in the east, and ran through the most prosperous plains in the south. Millions of nobles, civilians, and serfs relied on this route to exchange goods they needed, including salt, cloth, weapons, armor, spices, livestock, poultry, food, and so on.
If someone can monopolise this route, it means that they can indirectly control the lives of millions of people. As long as they cut off the supplies to a certain place, that place will quickly fall into unavoidable panic and turmoil.
This is especially true for the Great Kamla Desert, which stretches for more than 1,700 kilometres. Basically, 40% of the grain is bought through trade. Thus, I've formulated a plan to monopolise this route.
Of course, this isn't easy because we have many competitors who are very powerful. There are even terrifying behemoths like the Whale Merchant Group.
However, we also have an advantage that others don't have. That is, we have more advanced ships and weapons. You should have already seen the might of the cannons on the giant ships. It can guarantee that within the next 60 to 100 years, no country or city will be able to threaten our hegemony at sea.
Now, please tell me, do you intend to continue being a lone pirate, or do you intend to join us and become a privateer captain with a strong backing? "
"What's the difference?" A man in his thirties asked with a frown.
He obviously didn't understand why the other party would suddenly mention this. Normally, shouldn't such an ambitious plan be kept strictly confidential?
André shrugged with a smile and explained, "There's a big difference. I happen to have some time now, so I'll explain it to you.
Firstly, as a privateer captain, he had to rob a specific merchant ship in a designated area.
Secondly, without permission, it was strictly forbidden to kill captives after victory.
Finally, although privateers were nominally owned by individuals, they were actually part of the navy. When necessary, they had to accept compulsory recruitment and participate in battle.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. As long as a privateer captain promises to abide by the terms above, he will be able to purchase the newest ships, weapons, and even magic potions and equipment from us. I will provide a detailed price list later.
As for ordinary pirates, they won't be able to enjoy any benefits. Similarly, there aren't too many compulsory measures. As long as they hand over 40% of the profits on time and don't attack ships flying the alliance's flag, they can do whatever they want. "
As the last word was spoken, the captains fell into deep thought. After all, this was a choice between freedom and rights. They could either give up their freedom and choose the benefits at their fingertips, or give up the benefits and roam the seas freely. There was no need to ask to know that they were struggling in their hearts.
After a full five minutes, a man with a red face stood up and said while panting, "I'm willing to be a privateer captain!
But before that, I have a question to ask. "
"Ask away." André gestured with his arm.
"How do you guarantee the interests of a privateer captain, or how do you differentiate between ordinary pirates and privateers?"
André laughed and clapped his hands, "Hahahaha!
That's a good question!
I will issue a privateer license to every privateer captain!
Only those who hold this certificate will be able to enjoy all sorts of benefits. We will even be responsible for selling the stolen ships for a good price. "
"Privateer license?"
The man with the red face was shocked. This was the first time he had heard of something like a privateer license.
"That's right, a privateer license!
It records the current opponents of the alliance, and at the same time, the targets of your plunder.
It specifies the relationship and obligations between the captain and the alliance in writing, so you don't have to worry about getting rid of the donkey after it has outlived its usefulness.
How about it, are you satisfied with this answer? "
André was very clear about the dangers of a privateer license, and also understood that he was opening the door to hell.
But in order to reduce the speed of the alliance's rise, he had no choice but to use some extreme methods. Otherwise, purely relying on commercial competition would never be able to truly defeat a huge trade organization like the Whale Merchant Group.
A captain who was quick-witted suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Oh … Damn it!
Is this the legendary legal plunder? "
"Yes, from a certain perspective, a privateer license is a legal way to plunder a merchant ship, but the prerequisite is that the target must be limited to a specified area.
I guarantee that as long as you choose to join, you will not lack wealth, reputation, or status in the future! "
In order to make the conditions sound enticing, André didn't hesitate to cast another silent spell.
As the effects of the friendly spell began to show, the hesitant pirate captains gradually became fanatical. Not long after, they all chose to become privateer captains.
André wasn't careless either, and issued over a dozen privateer licenses on the spot. At the same time, he determined the current enemies, which were Barcarlo City and Lincoln City.
He wanted to destroy the trade system of these two cities once and for all, so that their merchants wouldn't dare to go out to sea. He wanted to force them to change from an ocean-based city to an inland one. If possible, it would be best to erase their ability to build ships.