The dark muzzle pointed straight at Bellemere's head. The faint smell of gunpowder filled her nostrils, yet the anger in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest because of Captain Mouse's threat.
On the contrary, that familiar scent of gunpowder reminded Bellemere of her days in the Marines, and a dangerous aura began to emanate from her.
Bellemere had been a rank-and-file Marine. By the time she retired, she had reached the rank of lieutenant junior grade. For someone of her gender and background to rise from the lower ranks to that position, she had had to carve her way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Her hands had been stained with the blood of many pirates as well.
Faced with Captain Mouse's threat, Bellemere showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, such threats only made her more ferocious and bloodthirsty.
"If you've got the guts, kill me right here!"
Bellemere's pupils contracted slightly. Facing the black muzzle, she actually reached out and grabbed the barrel, pressing it hard against her forehead as a crazed smile spread across her face.
Her fearless appearance made Captain Mouse's eyelids twitch. He might have been a disgrace to the Marines, but he knew very well what could and could not be done.
If he killed Bellemere, a former Marine, in public, then once word got out, no matter what excuse he came up with, he would never get past an inspection.
Captain Mouse knew exactly what would happen if the things he had been doing were exposed. That was precisely why he could not hand others such obvious evidence against him.
His "business" had always been conducted in secret. Even if Marine Headquarters uncovered some superficial evidence, he could still explain himself. At worst, he would lose his position in the Marines,