The moment the words "jump into the sea" were spoken, the pirates on the ship surged toward the railing. Ayla, standing at the front, finally roared in anger.
"Shut up, all of you! There's no damn Sea God!"
Her shout stopped them for a heartbeat. A few pirates still jumped, splashing into the water below, but most hesitated and remained where they were.
Ayla no longer hesitated. She raised her blade again and swung it down even faster, aiming straight for the neck of the hostage who had already collapsed on the deck.
"Psychic."
Shiro's cold mutter came at the perfect moment.
The blade froze in midair once more, unable to fall no matter how Ayla struggled.
Her pupils shrank violently as terror flooded her face. She tried to move, to twist away, but her cropped vest, her jacket, and even the surrounding air were locked in place. Every trace of matter around her was firmly restrained. Not even a single strand of hair could escape the psychic grip.
The people on the pirate ship panicked again at the sight.
"The Sea God! The Sea God has appeared!"
"Boss Ayla angered the Sea God!"
"There's something wrong with this ship! Run! Run! Jump into the sea!"
Splashing sounds rang out one after another. Ayla desperately tried to stop them, but she could not move. She could not even make a sound.
On the deck of the S.S. Anne, crew members and passengers stared over in shock, confusion mixing on their faces. They still did not understand what had caused the earlier time freeze or why Ayla was now completely immobilized, but one thing was clear. It had to be related to this young researcher.
Some passengers had long wondered how Shiro managed to make the notorious Red Devil Pirates hand over their hostages obediently, and with such respect. Now, many of them finally understood.
"Dr. Shiro!"
Tobias's eyes shone as he scrambled over. Agatha had refused to kill anyone, but this man clearly did not hesitate to act.
"Dr.," he pleaded, "as long as you help me kill Ayla, any condition…"
Shiro was about to refuse out of habit when his gaze fell on the stone pendant hanging from the boy's neck.
At the end of it was a colorful round stone, patterned inside like a moon.
A Key Stone.
The two essentials for Pokémon Mega Evolution were a Mega Stone for the Pokémon and a Key Stone worn by the trainer.
Shiro did not know whether Mega Evolution had been discovered yet, but it certainly had not been made public.
This kid really did have a background.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he weighed his choice. Help or not?
If he helped, the worst outcome would be the Sinnoh League discovering that he was a wanted criminal from Galar and using the killing as an excuse to demand him from Professor Rowan.
Even then, it was unclear whether he was still wanted. And even if the Sinnoh League came after him, he could hide in a research institute, ask Professor Oak for help, or even change his identity. His life would not be in danger.
But a Key Stone was not something he could obtain easily.
After a brief decision, Shiro raised one finger. "I want one thing right now, plus one promise."
Tobias looked confused but nodded without hesitation. "Alright! As long as I have it, anything! As for the promise, I can help you once we reach Kanto!"
Shiro smiled faintly and pointed at the stone pendant on his chest.
"That one."
"This?" Tobias immediately pulled off the colorful round stone pendant and stuffed it into Shiro's hand. "You can't go back on your word!"
He did not actually know what the stone was for. His grandfather had given it to him and told him to keep it safe. But it was only a small stone. It could never compare to avenging Lily.
Tobias's eyes burned with resolve.
"Of course."
After carefully checking it with psychic power, Shiro put it away with satisfaction. He was not mistaken. It was indeed a Key Stone, one of the conditions required for Mega Evolution. The stone a trainer must wear.
This kid was really rich.
Perfect.
With a gentle, satisfied smile, Shiro extended his palm. Under Tobias's half-shocked gaze, he closed his hand in the air, aiming straight at Ayla's neck aboard the pirate ship.
Unown A was already perfectly in sync. Psychic power shaped itself into an invisible hand that wrapped around the female pirate's neck, tightening as Shiro's fingers closed.
Ayla clawed at her throat and kicked wildly. Her beautiful face twisted uncontrollably. Her mouth opened as if to scream, but under the crushing force on her neck, only muffled noises escaped.
"Boss Ayla!"
"Boss…"
The last two pirates rushed forward in desperation. They pulled at her, dragged at her, and even ordered their Tentacool to lash out with their tentacles. Nothing worked.
Under the horrified gazes of everyone on both ships, Ayla's eyes rolled white. Her limbs slowly went limp.
Finally, Shiro clenched his hand.
The crushing psychic force twisted her neck, and her head dropped from midair. A spray of bright red blood burst from the severed wound, splashing across the headless body and streaming downward in streaks.
"Boss Ayla!"
The last two pirates wailed, but they did not approach her corpse. Instead, they sprinted across the ship, gripping Poké Balls and curved blades, and leapt from the railing toward the S.S. Anne.
Shiro lifted his head slightly and flicked his finger.
Invisible psychic power struck them with pinpoint precision. Before they could land, they were blasted out of the air and fell into the gap between the ships, plunging into the sea below.
Two patches of blood slowly spread across the water.
No one remained on the Tentacool Pirates' ship. The captain was dead, and the rest of the crew had either fled or perished.
The only one Shiro cared about was the black-cloaked figure who had escaped earlier. That person was likely a hunter with a specific purpose. Yet no matter how he searched the surrounding waters, the hunter was nowhere to be found.
Disappointed, he glanced toward Octillery Island not far away and called out to the stunned acting captain behind him.
"It's over. Set sail, now."
"Ah, yes, yes…" Tyler finally snapped back to his senses and hurried off to relay the order.
Shiro swept his gaze across the deck. Fear still lingered in the eyes of the passengers.
"Thank you," Tobias said quietly as he lifted his head.
Looking at the blood drifting on the sea, the rage in his heart eased a little. His expression softened, though there was still a hint of emptiness and confusion.
"When we reach Kanto, remember to tell me the second request." After speaking, he turned and walked through the scattered crowd into the cabin.
Shiro answered with a brief sound.
Moments later, the roar of the engine thundered across the deck.
Boom!
The S.S. Anne set sail once more. The Tentacool surrounding it either sank into unnatural sleep or fled on their own.
Across the blue and white sea, countless red gems floated. These jewels that belonged to Tentacool glimmered under the sunlight, casting a harsh red glow that stung the eyes.
Agatha recalled her entire ghost army and casually brought the last hostage back with her. The pirate ship was left completely empty, drifting alone with the current toward Octillery Island.
The pirates who had fallen into the sea still did not know what had happened aboard the ship. Drawn by the scent of blood, they swam even harder toward Octillery Island.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!