"We're withdrawing immediately!" Kloros ordered, his expression grim.
When the flagship carrying the Ghost Captain suddenly unleashed its fury, driving Dark Shadow back with a barrage so dense it made their eyes twitch, Kloros knew... this operation had ended in utter failure!
"Yes, sir! I'll order the fleet to withdraw immediately!" His subordinates all breathed sighs of relief.
They knew nothing about Kloros's Decapitation Plan, but the pirates' Right Route Army and Twin Stars were now racing toward them at full speed. The enemy had surrounded them on three sides. If they didn't leave now, they would never leave at all.
"I said... we are withdrawing!" Kloros emphasized the word "we."
Everyone shuddered and stared at Kloros in disbelief.
Everyone present was shrewd enough to understand what he meant.
He intended to leave the fleet behind to cover his escape!
It made sense. If the fleet tried to retreat now, all three enemy forces would surely pursue and intercept it. Whether they could escape was uncertain. But if the main force stayed behind to tie down the enemy and draw their fire, a small group would undoubtedly have a better chance of survival.
But...
Abandoning their subordinates to save themselves would leave an enormous stain on their records. Who would ever trust them with an important position again?
Before the conflicted officers could decide, Kloros had already walked off the flagship's bridge without looking back.
Hmph! Spineless sentimentality!
Anyone who lacked even this much resolve wasn't worth saving.
Seeing him leave, the others exchanged glances and immediately followed.
After all, without a present, how could they have a future?
Yet shortly after Kloros and his senior officers left, a streak of light shot toward them from afar, appearing directly ahead of the fleet like a meteor tearing across the night