On the deck, more than a dozen pirates stood confidently, grinning arrogantly and laughing without a care in the world.
In front of them, dozens of passengers had been tied up with ropes. Most wore terrified expressions; some were even crying out of sheer fear. Among them were guards who had resisted the pirates earlier—some now lying lifeless on the ground, others captured and bound with the rest of the civilians on the deck of the passenger ship.
"Gentlemen and ladies," one of the pirates said, stepping forward. "You're very unlucky to have crossed paths with the Great Sword Pirates today."
The speaker was none other than Captain Belluc, the leader of the Great Sword Pirates. He carried a massive sword, nearly twice the size of a normal blade, and stood with an expression that left no doubt about his cruelty.
"Because of your resistance," he said with a sneer, "several of my crew were lost. And now, I'm angry. I think it's time to kill a few of you to blow off some steam. Any objections?"
The question hung heavy in the air, more rhetorical than anything. No one dared speak at first, but soon panic took over.
"No, no, please! I can pay you—just let me go!"
"I have money! Lots of it! Captain Belluc, if you spare me, I'll bring you all the riches you want!"
"I don't want to die! Dad! I don't want to die!"
People began to break down—crying, begging, bargaining. Some even offered their family members in exchange for their own safety. Others tried to brag about their backgrounds, hoping their social status might save them.
One man, clearly from a higher class, stood out. "My father is a Navy captain. If you touch me, he'll hunt you down!"
Belluc's eyes narrowed as he locked on to the man. "Oh? A Navy captain's brat dares to threaten me?"
He grinned darkly, walking closer with heavy, deliberate steps. "I've already turned pirate. Do you think I'm still afraid of the Navy? What a joke."
"No, please! My father really is a captain! He'll tear you to pieces if you hurt me!"
The man was visibly trembling, still trying to leverage his father's status. For a second, Belluc gave him a mock-serious look and said, "Oh no... a Navy captain? I'm so scared!"
The man looked slightly relieved—until Belluc turned to his crew.
"Boys, are we pirates or not?"
"HELL YEAH!" they roared in unison.
The man's face turned pale in an instant.
"See that?" Belluc said mockingly. "Your daddy's name means nothing here."
With that, he raised his giant sword and brought it down without mercy.
"No! Don't—!"
The man's screams were cut short. A spray of blood hit the deck, and his severed head dropped to the floor with a sickening thud.
The pirates burst into laughter.
The remaining hostages, on the other hand, were paralyzed with terror. This crew of pirates was clearly ruthless—utterly devoid of humanity.
Then—WHAM!
A large sword came hurtling through the air and struck one of the pirates squarely, stabbing into his torso and sending him into a screaming heap.
"AAAHHH!!"
The sudden attack shocked everyone. Belluc whipped his head toward the source.
"Who the hell—?!"
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward.
"Bullseye," Kairos Flint murmured with a smirk.
He had no intention of charging directly into a group of bloodthirsty pirates. Having already killed eleven pirates earlier, he'd collected their weapons—eleven big swords in total.
It was a pity that Nami hadn't been able to lure Captain Belluc over. Otherwise, Kairos would've been happy to put a bullet in the man's head from the shadows.
"Get him! Kill that bastard!!"
Belluc was livid.
His pirate crew was already dwindling. The death of even one more crewmember made him seethe with rage. Recruiting pirates wasn't exactly easy, and Kairos just made his situation worse.
The remaining pirates charged at him.
"Just what I was hoping for," Kairos whispered, eyes sharp.
As eight pirates rushed toward him, Kairos calmly pulled two more swords from behind his back and hurled them with precision.
THWACK! SLASH! WHUMP!
One sword after another flew from his hands. By the time he stopped, ten of the eleven swords had been used as improvised throwing weapons.
The pirates were thrown into chaos. The sudden barrage left them scrambling to dodge. A few weren't fast enough—some were injured, some fell to the ground howling. Of the eight attackers, three were badly wounded, with two sustaining deep cuts to their legs.
Only three pirates remained able to fight.
Kairos moved.
Though his swordsmanship was still at the beginner level, it was more than enough to deal with common thugs—especially since his physique had reached the strength of a trained soldier.
Blade in hand, he met the three pirates head-on.
Steel clashed against steel. His sword danced, deflecting their attacks with ease. He mixed strikes with powerful punches and kicks, targeting their weak spots.
In mere moments, one pirate collapsed—cut down by a clean slash. The other two quickly followed, unable to handle Kairos' relentless assault.
Not missing a beat, he spun and launched another sword toward a wounded pirate crawling away. The blade found its mark, and yet another life was extinguished.
Crystals would soon follow.
"You bastard! That's enough!!"
Belluc charged, roaring in fury.
If Kairos kept this up, there wouldn't be anyone left in the Great Sword Pirates. Belluc had to act now or risk losing everything.
But Kairos didn't stop.
He pressed forward, cutting down five more pirates before Belluc finally reached him.
CLANG!
Their swords met. The sheer force of Belluc's strike sent Kairos skidding backward two steps. He steadied himself, but noticed a visible crack on his blade.
This guy's strength was no joke.
Kairos tightened his grip and raised his eyes.
Now this—this was going to be a real fight.