For Justice!

Syrup Island, southern waters.

Boom!!!

The sudden explosion jolted awake everyone aboard the Black Cat Pirates' ship. They thought the Marines were bombarding them!

When the pirates rushed onto the deck, they discovered that the explosive flames were coming from the distant island. For a moment, they were all bewildered.

"What happened?"

"Go find the captain!"

"Captain Kuro isn't in his room!"

By convention, whenever they encountered a problem, they looked for the captain.

When the pirates discovered that Captain Kuro was not aboard the ship, while the distant island was lit up and explosions rang out continuously, it was obvious that a fierce battle was underway.

A terrible thought rose in their minds.

"Captain Kuro is in danger!"

Although the pirates' average intelligence was close to negative numbers, given the current situation, they still figured out the truth.

Captain Kuro was fighting!

If they lost their captain, the Black Cat Pirates would inevitably fall apart. That was common knowledge in the pirate world.

Jango did not hesitate for even a moment and immediately gave the order!

"Quick, bring the ship over!"

"Yes!"

Syrup Village, southern forest.

"Spoon Death!"

Right before every Marine's eyes, Kuro suddenly vanished without a trace. The aura of death instantly shrouded them all.

"Defensive formation!"

The Captains shouted with all their strength, unable to conceal the fear in their voices. Even though they had prepared themselves, the Marines still had no way to fight back against Kuro's most terrifying technique.

Until Kuro stopped, all the Marines could do was defend and wait!

Crack!

Without warning, a large tree on the left side of the road shattered into pieces!

The next second, five sharp slash marks appeared across the rock face on the right!

Luo Ya widened his eyes, trying to find Kuro's whereabouts, but aside from the suddenly appearing traces of attacks, he could not catch even a glimpse of him.

"Spoon Death," Kuro's strongest move, used high-speed movement and Cat Claw attacks to strike indiscriminately. Its most terrifying aspect was its speed—so fast that even the eye could not follow it.

Yet because it was too fast, even Kuro himself could not react in time and did not know what he would cut.

"Ahhh!!!"

"Help! Save me!"

The screams of Marines echoed in his ears!

Anyone touched by Kuro's Cat Claw would be seriously injured and collapse at best. In severe cases, they could even be brutally dismembered.

Luo Ya gripped his long blade tightly as cold sweat streamed down his forehead. Facing death head-on for the first time made his entire body tremble.

A figure stepped in front of him.

"Don't be afraid, Luo Ya."

Colonel Rhode came before Luo Ya and used his own body as a shield. His not-so-broad back gave Luo Ya more reassurance than anything else.

Luo Ya's heart shook. The fear engulfing him gradually subsided, his body stopped trembling, and his breathing returned to normal.

Even if Kuro's blade could strike him at any moment, he could not lose his composure. Once fear made him retreat, he would only put himself in greater danger.

Observe calmly. Wait for an opportunity!

As terrifying as "Spoon Death" was, it also had one enormous flaw. The constant high-speed movement and attacks drained too much stamina; it could not last for long.

The instant Kuro stopped would be the Marines' chance to counterattack!

One second, two seconds.

Time seemed to stretch in that instant, every second unbearably long.

Clang!

Suddenly, Colonel Rhode raised his blade before himself. Sparks burst from the blades, while several bloody wounds appeared along his waist!

He had blocked it, but not all of it!

"Colonel Rhode!"

"I'm fine! Don't break formation!"

Colonel Rhode covered his mangled waist. There was not the slightest wavering in his gaze. Having served as a Marine for more than twenty years, he had faced more than a dozen life-and-death crises. Such injuries were not enough to make him back down.

"Fullbody!"

"Understood!"

Luo Ya shouted and moved to Colonel Rhode's left. Fullbody also suppressed his fear and quickly moved to Colonel Rhode's right, protecting him at the center.

Colonel Rhode was the pillar and soul of the 153rd Branch. If the colonel fell, morale would inevitably suffer a blow, and they might rapidly collapse like pirates who had lost their captain.

Then it would all be over!

Veins bulged across Luo Ya's face.

Even if he died here, he could not give up a single step. He had not come here to be deadweight.

The thirtieth second!

The slashes stopped!

The next moment, Kuro suddenly appeared at the right side of the battlefield, gasping for breath. Already severely wounded, using "Spoon Death" had placed an enormous burden on his body.

When he saw the results of "Spoon Death," his breathing abruptly stalled!

The Marines' casualties were far lighter than he had expected. No, they were completely beyond anything he had anticipated!

"Shields?"

Kuro instantly discovered the reason.

Every Marine on the innermost side held a massive wooden shield, forming a Shield Wall that firmly protected the Marines within. The shields were even covered with a layer of Iron Skin.

The Shield Wall had limited the slaughter caused by "Spoon Death"!

The Marines had actually devised a way to deal with even his ultimate move.

Kuro felt a fear he had not experienced in a long time. Everything had veered from his expectations, leaving him at a loss.

Could he really die here?!

The Captains raised their blades and roared!

"Assault squad, attack!"

"For justice!!!"

"Roarrr!!!"

The Marines discarded their shields and launched a roaring charge.

"For justice!"

Luo Ya's eyes were bloodshot as well. He charged at the very front, and when he drew close to Kuro, he stomped the ground and leaped into the air, gripping his long blade in both hands as he brought down all his strength!

Clang!!!

The blade crashed heavily against Cat Claw!

The powerful impact made Kuro stagger backward uncontrollably. Before he could regain his footing, the other Marines had already rushed in!

There was nowhere to run!

"Silent Step!"

Kuro's feet flickered rapidly as he desperately dodged the Marines' encirclement. In his severely wounded and exhausted state, he could no longer use "Spoon Death," and the excessive blood loss made him dizzy.

If he could not change the situation, he would undoubtedly die!

"How could I die here?! How could I die at the hands of the Marines?!"

Kuro's eyes were bloodshot as he struggled desperately, but the growing wounds across his body made his movements increasingly weak.

The Marines were like madmen, completely unafraid of death. Every time he cut one down, another dozen rushed forward to fight him.

The fear of death gradually consumed Kuro's heart.

"There's still hope!"

Kuro raised Cat Claw and once again blocked the Black Hair Marine's full-force strike. For the first time, he placed his hopes on someone else.

He still had subordinates. Those idiots had surely noticed the battle here. As long as he held on until they arrived, he still had a chance to survive!

Suddenly, battle cries approached from afar!

"Men, take down the Marines!"

"Protect Captain Kuro!"

"Kill!"

Several dozen brutal pirates charged in from the Coast!

However, the Marines could no longer spare attention for the pirates appearing behind them. As long as they could kill Kuro, this war would be a victory for the 153rd Branch.

For the current situation, the 153rd Branch had wagered everything.

Bang!

Brilliant fireworks suddenly exploded in the sky!

Jango was at the front of the pirates. When he saw the dazzling fireworks in the sky, his entire body suddenly froze On the Spot.

Everything that had happened on Glass Bead Island surfaced in his mind.

"So that's how it was!"

He had betrayed Captain Kuro!

Looking at Captain Kuro, surrounded and slaughtered by the Marines, powerless to resist, Jango knew that he had to make a choice.

Should he join the Marines and gain freedom, or save Captain Kuro!

"Black Cat Pirates!"

Jango turned around and took out the Hypnotic Ring.

The pirates immediately stopped and stared fixedly at the ring. They knew their First Mate was about to strengthen their power.

Facing so many Marines, they had to become stronger.

Jango swung the ring.

"The enemy is extremely powerful. You must become stronger too!"

"Stare at this ring. When I say one, two, Jango, you will forget everything and become stronger and stronger. The only thing left in your minds will be killing the enemy!"

"One more thing to remember: your target is to kill Captain Kuro!"

Every pirate froze.

Had they heard that wrong?

"One, two, Jango!"

The ring was reflected in every pirate's pupils.

The next second, the pirates howled as their muscles swelled across their bodies. Endless strength surged forth, while their minds completely lost the ability to think.

"Roaaarrr!!!"

"Kill Captain Kuro!!!"