"Attack! Attack!"
Before Marika could respond, the remaining soldiers shouted loudly, raising their spears and advancing.
Sage glanced over there, "So noisy..."
Swoosh!
Instantly, a shadow darted out from the crowd.
Whoosh!
In the storm, the pair of nunchucks in Gin's hands spun in a circular motion, the iron balls whirling and even deflecting the rain, creating a shield where water couldn't penetrate.
His body hunched slightly, diving forward like a leopard, pouncing towards the herd of 'sheep.'
Bam!!
With a fierce forward strike of the nunchucks, the soldier hit by the iron ball, along with his spear and armor, shattered. His whole body flew backwards, crashing into the other soldiers, sending them flying and tumbling to the ground.
Even so, Gin showed no mercy, rushing up to the fallen soldiers, swinging his nunchucks and smashing the iron ball down with great force, driving their heads into the sand, before charging again at the remaining soldiers.
Dozens of soldiers, facing a single pirate, couldn't even retaliate, helplessly watching him sweep through them like a hurricane. Soon, all these soldiers were down, their armor shattered beyond recognition, and even when they lost the ability to resist, Gin would still strike their chests or heads with an iron ball.
Bam!
Until he smashed the last soldier's chest, burying half his body into the sand pit, Gin finally stood up slowly, surveying the area where no one remained standing.
The blood on his face was washed clean by the rain. He flicked the nunchucks, securing them at his waist, his expressionless face framed by the fallen soldiers and gloomy sky, resembling a specter that reaps lives.
The civilians watching gasped, their pupils contracting in fear.
'Demon' Gin.
There are wrong names but never wrong titles; a figure like this who made a name across the seas would surely not hold back in battle.
Especially since these people were not his benefactors, so he had no reservations.
"Your speed has improved a lot; these days of training have been effective," Sage nodded approvingly, "In a little while, you should master Soru. Well done."
"Yes, Captain Sage, I will work twice as hard to meet your expectations!"
The feared 'demon,' now bowed his head humbly to Sage.
"Now, let's continue with my proposal."
Sage said, "You cook well, and my ship needs a cook. You're quite good, join my crew."
The Bridge Kingdom, he certainly knew, is constructed over the East Sea. The people living there are slaves and criminals from various places, and once there, it's as good as being dead.
A cook of this caliber dying would be a great waste.
Marika glanced at the fallen soldiers, then at the head on the sand, pursed her lips, and said, "You're not an ordinary pirate, are you?"
A subordinate proudly shouted, "Our captain is the East Sea Overlord! Norton Sage, with a bounty of seventy million Belly!"
"Seventy million..."
Marika's eyes widened slightly, "Even though I haven't kept up with the news lately, that bounty is exceptionally high in the East Sea... You didn't say you wanted to kidnap the king for nothing, did you?"
Directly targeting what was clearly King's Guard, with no regard for consequences or hesitation.
If this is the case, such a bounty is not impossible.
"That's not important. What matters is that I've set my eyes on you. I love kidnapping kings, and since you're a king without spoils, you yourself are the spoils. Join my crew."
Sage waved his hand, saying, "In return, I will offer your people 'protection.' Join me, become my subordinates, and you won't have to struggle here."
Although this group seemed malnourished, lacking combat capability, mostly comprised of the old, weak, women, and children.
But Sage didn't care about that.
Pirates are inherently free; they do whatever they want. A good cook who can perform culinary miracles can certainly bring along a couple of hundred 'burdens.'
Besides, physical training can improve constitutions; no one is strong from the start; everyone grows step by step.
Even if they're older and lack the potential to grow, there is a miraculous power called the Devil Fruit on the seas that can cause people to grow quickly.
Regardless of strength, the most important thing is will.
Unless something is truly impossible and ends in failure, everything requires a commitment to deep cultivation and a strong will.
Being a pirate is no different.
On the open seas, lacking the resolution to risk putting your head on the line means you won't survive long.
Sage could tell this group lacked that will.
For someone like him who's tried everything yet failed at everything, bottom-dwelling yet holding onto his dream of land ownership... regardless of the size of the dream, people like him are indeed rare.
This has nothing to do with strength. Even if Sage were an ordinary person, he would never give up his dream and would find a way to fight this world.
But this group is different. They are not fighting; they're merely enduring...
This group of civilians lives on the beach, stubbornly rebuilding their homes after every tide, living confined and tough lives. They seem strong, but without Marika, they'd probably soon show their true colors.
Though he's just met them, he can tell it's because of Marika's presence that they're barely staying together.
But for this talented cook, Sage could open a door of leniency, offering them protection. If pirate life truly doesn't suit them, they can easily disembark at another town if they wish.
"No, it's not possible..."
Before Marika could speak, a fisherman raised his hand, seemingly mustering the courage to say, "We can't become pirates, Captain. Thank you for offering to take us aboard, but we have families. If we don't go to the Bridge Kingdom, our families will suffer."
"Exactly..."
Marika sighed, "We don't have the freedom of choice; the price is too great for common people. The people living here are just ordinary folks who can't pay their taxes..."
The Shallow Sand Kingdom is a Non-Adhering Country, it has no human rights under the World Government.
But this kingdom wasn't always here; it formed later.
In this continent's land, the area of the Shallow Sand Kingdom was originally just a large beach, belonging to the Deep Forest Kingdom behind it, and these people used to be people of the Deep Forest Kingdom.
The Shallow Sand Kingdom is a leased territory from the Deep Forest Kingdom, which expels those who can't pay taxes, sending them to the Shallow Sand Kingdom, thus changing their nationality to a non-adhering status, losing their human rights at sea.
Without human rights, they can be treated any way people want.
The only abundant resource of the Deep Forest Kingdom is its population, and to meet the Heavenly Tribute, they select people from the Shallow Sand Kingdom to sell to the Bridge Kingdom for profit.
Yet, no one wants to set sail because they're individually unable to pay taxes, though their families remain in the Deep Forest Kingdom.
If they escape, their assets will be seized, and their families will be sent to the Bridge Kingdom on their behalf.
And because they leave as non-adherents, they risk being sold as slaves at sea, making escape futile.
Moreover, even within the Shallow Sand Kingdom, they don't have the right to carry tools.
This place, still lent by the Deep Forest Kingdom, collects rent annually, and if they can't pay, they would incur debts, openly being taken as slaves without excuse.
Marika came from this environment.
She isn't in debt; she just simply can't tolerate it...