Weighing Their Mettle

Cannonballs flew and bullets sprayed everywhere. The salty sea breeze reeked of gunpowder and blood...

Bullets struck the ships, sending wood chips flying and leaving shallow holes behind.

It was fine when cannonballs landed in the sea; they merely threw up columns of water, like a bit of rain. But when they hit the ships, that was trouble. Each impact blasted a huge hole in the hull, killed people, and started fires, leaving everyone scrambling.

Two escort ships were clearly at a disadvantage against four Pirate Ships. Their firepower was inferior as well, making things even worse. More despairingly, the escort ships were slower than the Pirate Ships, and two of the Pirate Ships had already moved to encircle them.

Carlos took in the battlefield before him. At this rate, the two escort ships would be finished sooner or later. And once they were done for, he would not be far behind.

He could not fly yet, and he had eaten a Devil Fruit. If he fell into the sea, he would probably sink straight to the bottom like a stone...

He had to think of a way!

Long-range combat would not work. He had to fight at close quarters if he wanted to survive by relying on his strength, whose limits he did not yet know. He might even be able to turn the tables!

His eyes shifted, and Carlos came up with a plan. Gripping a gun, he headed for the captain's cabin to request an audience with the captain.

Carlos was a distinguished guest, so seeing the captain was not difficult.

As soon as he met the captain, Carlos used his Sharingan to hypnotize him. He immediately changed their strategy and ordered the helmsman to alter course at once. Rather than fleeing, they charged directly at the Pirate Ships.

Under such circumstances, the captain could not issue orders carelessly. Otherwise, the men below might not obey him. After all, their own lives mattered more.

There were two reasons for issuing what seemed to be a suicidal order. First, their side was completely inferior in overall strength. If things continued like this, the ships would eventually sink and everyone would be buried in the sea. Second, he gave them some good news: there was a hidden expert aboard. Only by following him and defeating the Pirates would they have a chance to survive!

With those two reasons, the captain's authority, and the reality of the situation before them, the helmsmen of both ships gritted their teeth and carried out the captain's orders. The two ships turned around and charged straight at the four Pirate Ships.

"Let me weigh the mettle of this era's Pirates!"

Carlos looked at the largest of the four Pirate Ships and muttered to himself. Its pirate crew captain was a burly, immensely muscular man wearing a horned hat.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the largest pirate ship.

"Captain, look! They're actually charging at us. They're really courting death!"

"That's right, they are courting death. In a moment, I'll tear them apart one by one!"

"Captain, this trip is a real score. Not only did we get two highly valuable merchant ships, we'll also receive further benefits from the John Family."

"By getting on good terms with the John Family, we'll not only have much better information in the future and find it easier to avoid the Marines, but we'll also get more chances to make a fortune!"

"That guy named Lucifer Carlos really doesn't know how deep the waters of this world run, daring to offend the John Family..."

"Moo-hahaha... Young people need to suffer the world's harsh lessons before they can grow!"

"Captain, he won't get a chance to grow, will he?"

"Of course not. Moo-hahaha..."

Boom! Boom!

The two battered escort ships finally collided with two Pirate Ships. The violent impact left everyone aboard unable to keep their footing.

Boom! Boom!

The moment the shaking subsided, the other two Pirate Ships rammed them from the sides. The two escort ships suffered another heavy blow. Their hulls were badly damaged, beyond sailing and so expensive to repair that buying new ships would be cheaper.

"Men, charge! Kill!" Mad Bull, captain of the Mad Bull Pirates, raised the long saber in his hand and roared. His pale nose ring, rugged face, towering height of over eight feet, bulging muscles, and massive build gave off an invisible pressure!

"Whoa!"

The Pirates aboard all four Pirate Ships raised their swords and guns and answered loudly. Their blood boiled, the evil in their hearts spilling out uncontrollably as their momentum soared!

The several dozen surviving members of the escort ships saw this and lost all morale. Terror spread uncontrollably through their hearts...

The captain in his brocade robes was trembling so badly that his legs gave out beneath him. He knelt on the ground, panic and bewilderment mingling on his face. What had he done? What had his men done? Why had they charged at the Pirates? Which idiot, which bastard, had given that order?

A hundred thousand questions filled his mind. They were completely finished now...

At that moment, Carlos took off his sunglasses and casually tossed them aside. His Two-Tomoe Sharingan transformed into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan, while his Byakugan remained active. Its three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision without blind spots was extremely important in a situation where he was surrounded. His figure flashed as Carlos rushed toward the pirate captain's ship, drawing the attention of both sides...

A countercharge?

The Pirates were instantly enraged. Who was he looking down on?

The escort ship members wore complicated expressions—admiration, excitement, pity, and more—but their eyes held only Carlos, that figure clad in white...

More than a dozen Pirates closest to Carlos immediately attacked. Those with guns fired, while those without guns charged at him viciously with swords in hand.

Carlos's expression was cold. His left eye held the Byakugan, his right the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. His five fingers curled into claws, Internal Energy circulated through him, and part of the Golden Bell Shield quietly activated. The trajectories of the bullets were crystal clear in Carlos's eyes. He merely shifted slightly from side to side, and the bullets brushed past his body, flying off to who knew where.

The next moment, the two sides met in close combat. His eagle claw directly seized a long saber. The strength of his entire body gathered at his fingertips before erupting in an instant. Crack! The iron saber twisted into fragments. His other hand lightly brushed across that Pirate's neck, and the Pirate fell stiffly onto the deck, his eyes rolling white.

After killing one Pirate, Carlos slid his feet and effortlessly evaded the attacks of two more. His eyes narrowed slightly as he decided to give them something cruel. Killing through pressure points was not intimidating enough, nor would it easily stir the escort ship members' fighting spirit!

Carlos's subsequent attacks became exceptionally brutal and bloody. Relying solely on the Three-Tomoe Sharingan's powerful predictive ability and the Byakugan's three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision without blind spots, enemy attacks could never escape his notice. Sneak attacks were utterly useless.

Each strike of his fierce and ruthless eagle claws tore away large chunks of flesh, left deep finger holes, and carved savage claw marks. Heads, throats, hearts, backs, waists, and every kind of joint and vital point were attacked. Blood poured down like waterfalls, exposing white bone fragments and even brains.

Four words described it perfectly: too brutal! (_)

Twelve Road Tan Leg was mixed in from time to time. His powerful kicks landed with cracking bones, sending Pirates flying in every direction. Some were kicked straight into the sea.

More than a dozen Pirates were wiped out by Carlos in just two breaths, each meeting a miserable end!

Carlos's white shirt and white casual pants were splattered with countless scarlet droplets and stains. His hands hung naturally at his sides, fingers curled as blood slowly dripped down. Shreds of flesh and white matter still clung to them. Killing intent surged around him, bloodlust clinging to his body. His left eye was deathly pale, his right eye crimson, making him look like the most vicious and violent demon ghost from hell!

Even the battle-hardened Pirates felt a chill in their hearts at the sight. None dared move recklessly. Those who were slightly more timid unconsciously swallowed, a sign of extreme tension...

"My name is Lucifer Carlos. Come on—follow this Boss into battle. That is the only way you'll have a chance to survive!"

"Otherwise, no one can save you. The only ones who can truly save yourselves are yourselves!"

Carlos's actions and words shattered their fear of the Mad Bull Pirates. The powerful expert had appeared as promised, and their desire to live caused their courage to explode as they launched an attack on the Pirates.

Although the Pirates outnumbered them by nearly three to one, they now had a sliver of confidence that they could survive!

The cruel close-quarters battle began. Real combat was far more brutal than glorified anime!

Please bookmark and vote with recommendation tickets! Also, I recently discovered something new—new book investment. If you can, please invest as well! Y(^_^)Y