Perhaps the appearance was too shocking, the slaves at work were all speechless, just staring blankly at Sage.
"Over there!"
Not far away, a group of armed guards ran over from the other end of the bridge.
Sage just glanced at them, then kicked out a light blue slash, which swept past the bodies of those guards, blowing a gust of wind.
Swish!
The guards' bodies stiffened, then collectively burst out in blood, collapsing to the ground.
Bang!
A labor slave loosened his grip, and the construction materials he was holding fell heavily onto the bridge, scattering stones, and the sound awakened everyone.
One of the muscular men asked incredulously, "Are you here to rescue us?"
"Rescue?"
Sage bared his teeth in a sinister smile, "Pirates can be joyful, reckless, venting, but there is no rescue! I'm not here to rescue you, I'm here to lead you to die!"
"Follow me, maybe you'll die at sea tomorrow. Don't follow me, and you'll stay here forever!"
Sage reached out his hand to them, "Choose! Stay here and work endlessly until death, or set out to sea with me... to die!"
...
"Can Sage successfully recruit subordinates? They're a bunch of slaves, slaves of seven hundred years of history, are they suitable to be pirates?"
On the Black Ship, Renedia was sitting cross-legged on the ground, checking the small tool hammer in her hand while asking.
The body of her small hammer was opened, revealing the intricate components inside, dense and dizzying at a glance.
Anyone knowledgeable in mechanics would clearly see that the mechanical structure inside the hammer is impossible to drive, except by a miracle.
Lily stood beside her, carefully wiping her rapier with a cloth, paused upon hearing, and glanced up at the huge bridge, saying lightly:
"People must rely on themselves, only by awakening themselves can they freely control their destiny. Sage brought an opportunity, but this opportunity isn't charity, it's a choice. Those who yearn for the sea and freedom must be prepared to die."
"Indeed, Lily, it's no wonder you're of the royal family, I would never have come up with such words." Renedia said.
"It has nothing to do with the royal family, it's just the wisdom gained from long-term hardship. You'll understand when you grow up, Reni."
Lily smiled faintly, flicked her rapier, its blade gleaming with a golden hue in the increasingly dim sunlight, then sheathed it.
"Yes, grow up..."
Renedia sneaked a glance at Lily's chest, which wobbled like jelly when she flicked the rapier, clenched her little fist, and declared resolutely, "Yes, I need to grow up!"
"Then you need to eat well, only eating well can help you grow fast, your diet is quite irregular, Reni."
Marika came over with a gentle smile, "Otherwise, you'll still be small when you grow up."
"Eh? Is that so?!" Renedia was dumbfounded.
"Of course, little Reni." Marika rubbed Renedia's head, also glanced at the huge bridge, "How many people will the Captain bring? How many people should we prepare food for? Our supplies seem to be a bit lacking, ah, what a blissful dilemma."
In abundant conditions, figuring out how to feed everyone, is a very satisfying task for Marika.
"If only that naval ship could give us some supplies, though it seems unlikely. But as pirates, it's not impossible to seize a bit, leave them enough to eat, and take the rest for ourselves." Marika looked sideways, softly smiling.
"As for the navy ship, it will certainly have plenty of supplies... Navy ship?"
Lily nodded in agreement, but suddenly choked, instinctively looking in the direction Marika was gazing.
"Lady Lily! Lady Renedia! Lady Marika!"
The panicked voices of several pirates sounded from the lookout on the mast, "There's a naval ship approaching!"
Renedia assembled the tool hammer, twisted the handle with her ability, extending it, then slung it over her shoulder, she stood up, baring her little fangs:
"It's just a naval ship, why panic, we've plundered before..."
Her voice choked off too, staring at the approaching Doghead Battleship, her nimble eyes' pupils rapidly contracted.
"Na-Navy..." she stammered, unable to speak.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked, puzzled.
Although encountering a naval ship was surprising, it was just that, they've encountered many naval ships.
Back then they had only a broken ship, and to avoid sinking, they didn't tangle with the Navy.
But now they've changed ships, and the cannons onboard alone are enough to suppress a single naval ship, even if this naval ship coming from the sea is larger than those they encountered in the East Sea.
"Reni, is this a Headquarter Navy big ship? It indeed is big, but not scary enough to warrant such fear. Even without Sage, we can fight them." Lily said.
"It's not that simple..."
Marika's voice also turned low, "Lily, you were trapped in the Royal Palace since young so you don't know, that ship isn't an ordinary major naval ship, that's..."
Anyone capable of normal reception of information would recognize the doghead emblem on the ship.
It's been featured in the newspapers for years, showcasing this iconic ship, and the ship's owner...
"Navy Hero!" Renedia finally exclaimed: "It's Garp!"
...
On the bridge, Sage's words plunged everyone into a brief silence.
After the silence, a man suddenly laughed: "What are you talking about, how could I possibly want to die..."
But his words stopped halfway, and he stared blankly at the fallen guards, as if he had lost his voice.
They had been captured and forced to work as slaves, enduring inhumane treatment, yet even so, they still wanted to live.
Precisely because they wanted to live, they grit their teeth and endured. In time, they grew numb to their experience as slaves, simply working day by day, thinking to live one more day was a day more.
After all, no one wants to die.
But now, a man suddenly appeared, telling them he was here to take them to their deaths. Such a ridiculous notion—of course, no one would agree.
Yet, when they tried to speak, the words refused to come out.
Sage's wild and unrestrained demeanor inexplicably moved them.
It was akin to carefree running on the beach as children, fighting for the affection of a girl in their youth, or getting into a brawl over an argument.
It wasn't about the memories themselves, but rather what they embodied...
Freedom.
At that time, they were free, free to make their own choices.
Death is indeed terrifying.
However...
The man instinctively looked at the shackles on his hands and feet, then turned to look at the vast sea beyond the bridge.
That is the ocean!!
Clang...
The sound of dragging chains drew everyone's attention as a burly man, standing nearly three meters tall, moved toward Sage with his shackles in tow.
The scars on his face made him appear fierce.
But they all knew, when this fearsome guy first arrived, he was just a fair-skinned young man with a gentle smile.
Those scars were from beatings.
Even...
The burly man opened his mouth, revealing a tongue half-gone, and lifted his shackles.
The message was simple.
Cut them off, and I will follow you.
"No problem."
Sage's hand swept through the air like a blade, slicing through the shackles, severing the thick chains from his hands and feet completely.
Excitement shone in the burly man's eyes as he ran directly toward the sea.
"Hey, what are you doing!"
Sage grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back.
"There's no need to jump into the sea. From this height without skills, you'd be killed even by the water. I didn't mean die right now. Just follow me, and I'll find a way to get you all down from here."
Sage said, looking at the others, "So, is anyone else willing to come with me to their death?"
"You have a way to directly head out to the sea from here?"
One person looked toward the sea below and doubted, "But even the naval warship's cannons can't bring down the bridge."
Sage clenched his fist, "A warship might not be able to bring down the bridge, but I... warship?"
What does a warship have to do with this?
If he remembered correctly, he had switched ships long ago?
Instinctively, Sage looked to the side, and on the sea below the bridge, he saw his Black Ship powering up to sail away, while a large Doghead Battleship was in pursuit.
At the same time, a familiar voice of Renedia seemed to emit from the Black Ship through some kind of loudspeaker.
"Sage, Garp is here, flee quickly!"
Boom!!
A massive impact struck where Sage stood, sending him flying, crashing into the ground of the bridge and creating a crater, raising a cloud of smoke.
"Hahahaha!"
From within the smoke, a broad silhouette appeared with a hearty laugh: "Trying to take the people of the Bridge Kingdom? Well done, Sage, kid!"