Hot-Blooded Resolve and Steel Cutlasses

This was, after all, a bustling town. From the moment the Steel Cutlass Pirates appeared in a group with blades in hand, countless passersby who knew better than to court danger had already begun scattering in all directions.

It did not take long for the once-noisy, bustling street to fall completely silent.

Shops shut their doors at top speed, residents bolted their doors and windows tight, and the passersby had all but vanished without a trace.

The Steel Blade Captain naturally had no interest in those ordinary civilians. His gaze was fixed entirely on Garen, clad in heavy armor and carrying a greatsword.

It was not Garen's burst of strength that had intimidated him. Like Nami before him, the Steel Blade Captain's greed for treasure had been stirred by Garen's magnificent armor and peerless sword.

"This guy really is rich."

Greed flashed in Steel Blade's eyes as he waved at his subordinates. "Surround that Iron Can!"

The lackeys obeyed at once, forming layer upon layer of encirclement around Garen until not even water could pass through.

Their standardized long blades were held uniformly in their hands, and from a distance, they looked like a forest of steel had sprung up.

Yet the lackeys did not attack immediately. They merely flaunted fierce expressions, confronting the surrounded Garen at close range.

Garen's immense strength might not have frightened the powerful Steel Blade Captain, but it was more than enough to intimidate these third-rate lackeys.

The lackey whom Garen had casually sent flying was still sprawled on the ground, screaming miserably.

Judging by the bizarre angle at which his body had bent, he would probably spend the rest of his life with a wheelchair, a bed, and a urine bag.

Garen did not make a move either, because this was his first time engaging armed thugs in a real fight.

Big Teddy's trial had given him the courage to fight for his life, but it had not given him experience in cutting people down with a sword.

As the two sides faced off, the silence was suddenly broken.

A small squad of uniformed men hurried to the scene with rushed, disorderly footsteps.

Both Garen, who was surrounded, and Steel Blade, standing proudly with his sword raised, turned to look with curiosity.

These uniformed men were not Marines, but Peacekeepers found in every moderately important town. They normally maintained order in the marketplace and occasionally dealt with weak, small-time pirates.

Hearing that someone was causing trouble in the town center, they naturally had to come and go through the required procedures.

But the Steel Cutlass Pirates were clearly not the sort of small-time pirates that an amateur peacekeeping force like theirs could subdue.

When the Steel Blade Captain saw these unimposing Peacekeepers, he immediately slung his great blade over his shoulder and pointed without courtesy at the Peacekeepers who had just arrived and had yet to grasp the situation.

"The Steel Cutlass Pirates are here to kill people, and you worthless trash dare come meddle in our business?"

"Stand still and behave yourselves!"

Steel Cutlass Pirates.

The moment that renowned name was spoken, a thin layer of cold sweat appeared on the forehead of the middle-aged Peacekeeper captain at the front.

This was absolutely not someone he could afford to provoke. Being able to offer protection money and keep his life would already be fortunate enough.

Thus, the worldly middle-aged Peacekeeper immediately put on a helpless smile, and the word "misunderstanding" was just about to leave his lips as he nodded and bowed.

But at that moment, a hot-blooded young man who had only recently joined the Peacekeepers stepped forward indignantly. Pointing at Steel Blade's gigantic body, a full meter taller than his own, he spoke without fear.

"You damned pirates!"

"I will never allow you to run wild in my hometown!"

"Shut up!"

The middle-aged Peacekeeper was the first to turn pale as he shouted. He quickly rushed over, intending to drag the reckless youth back.

But it was already too late.

"Oh?"

"Among this bunch of worthless trash, there's actually a warrior?"

Steel Blade tightened his grip on his great blade, a savage grin spreading across his face.

"Hahaha!"

"My blade loves nothing more than tasting a warrior's blood!"

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, muzzle fire flashing.

The young man, burning with youthful passion, collapsed at the sound and struggled in agony in a pool of blood.

"Y-you..."

Blood foamed at the young man's mouth, but he still glared resentfully at the shamelessly evil pirate before him and rebuked him.

"What happened to the blade you talked about?"

"You fucking used a gun..."

The Steel Blade Captain's old face reddened. He slowly returned his Flintlock Pistol to the holster at his waist, then, in embarrassed rage, waved his gleaming great blade at the young man.

"I'll use whatever the hell I want!"

"You dare complain? Looks like you don't want to live!"

As he spoke, Steel Blade's massive body, nearly three meters tall, slowly advanced toward the trembling Peacekeepers.

The broadsword flashed with cold light, and a bloodthirsty aura washed over them.

He truly would kill—kill even more people—even though these Peacekeepers posed no threat to him at all.

Not only would it let Steel Blade savor the thrill of tormenting the weak, it would also spread his vicious reputation farther across the seas.

There was a certain grim irony to it:

The Navy and the World Government had spent tremendous effort and money establishing a comprehensive bounty system for pirates.

Yet in the end, those wanted posters had not motivated Pirate Hunters. Instead, they had become guideposts for choosing their targets.

Most of those mediocre fools only followed the bounties to pick on minor pirates, while turning a blind eye to the great pirates with high rewards.

Even many Marines who marched beneath the banner of justice wished they could avoid those great pirates entirely.

They gradually lost the Courage to throw punches at the strong, while the pirates' morale soared because of it.

Bounties became symbols of status and strength, even glorious titles pirates used to announce themselves when they met.

For that special badge of identity, pirates instead deliberately caused even more pointless destruction and bloodshed.

Steel Blade Captain was one of countless pirates pursuing ever-higher bounties.

He had no qualms about using the lives of the weak to embellish his reputation. Like these pathetic Peacekeepers before him.

"Everyone, retreat!"

The middle-aged Peacekeeper captain gave the dispiriting order without hesitation.

The crowd immediately scattered. They had wanted to run long ago.

Steel Blade's killing intent was simply too overwhelming. They were so frightened that they tossed their weapons and gear all over the ground as they fled.

Yet the Peacekeeper captain who had given the order did not run.

The middle-aged man, whose temples were faintly streaked with gray, stood firmly before the gunshot-wounded young man, then—

Heavily dropped to his knees before Steel Blade.

"Lord Steel Blade!"

The middle-aged Peacekeeper prostrated himself on the ground. His voice trembled, yet remained clear and forceful.

"The child is ignorant. Please be magnanimous and forgive his disrespect!"

"I-I wasn't—"

The hot-blooded young man still struggled in the pool of blood, unwilling to yield even now.

Veins bulged across the middle-aged Peacekeeper's forehead.

If not for the younger man's injuries, he would have wanted to turn around and give that blockhead a few hard slaps.

But now, he had no other choice. He could only bend his back lower, deeper, more humbly.

"Ha ha ha!"

Steel Blade stopped advancing and burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the deathly silent street.

Then it abruptly stopped.

His face turned cold as he said in a voice twisted with savage delight:

"Too late."

"I want to kill someone."

The broadsword rose high.

The middle-aged Peacekeeper closed his eyes helplessly.

"Enough!"

A thunderous roar exploded through the air, blazing with fury.

Steel Blade halted his blade, then turned toward the voice with keen interest.

It was the man with the heavy armor and greatsword.

Surrounded by the crowd, Garen's eyes burned with unprecedented rage.

"So this is what pirates are?"

Garen, whose worldview had been thoroughly overturned, gripped his greatsword so tightly in his fury that his knuckles turned white.

"Thank you so much for showing me firsthand."

Among the enormous pirate population of this world, dreamers pursuing freedom like those in manga were ultimately only a minority. Even purely evil schemers were rare.

The most numerous were scum like those before Garen, who found pleasure in tormenting the weak.

Garen felt a profound disgust toward them.

For the first time, he felt the urge and desire to fight of his own accord—to fight for those who could not fight.

Garen tightened his grip on his greatsword, then turned slightly and shouted behind him:

"Nami, make sure you protect yourself!"

"Huh?"

What answered Garen was the confused grunt of a pirate lackey.

Behind Garen, the Orange-Haired Girl had long since vanished.

Never put herself in danger if there was any chance to avoid it—such was Cat Burglar Nami's survival wisdom.

"Ugh."

Garen was utterly helpless. "I got played again."