Bugs?

When the pirate behind Rocky finished speaking in that mocking tone, his companions showed sneers on their faces, while the pirates and pirate hunters throughout the tavern all cast ill-intentioned looks at Luo Ze.

Most of these pirates were exceptionally vicious people. They had few hobbies in life, but they did enjoy bullying the weak and harassing commoners. Now that they saw Luo Ze targeted by Big Chopper Rocky, they felt as though they were cats watching a mouse.

Ellie stopped biting her nails, raised her head to look at Rocky, and said angrily.

"We were here first! Why should we move aside?"

As soon as she spoke, all the pirates in the tavern burst into unrestrained laughter.

"Hahahaha! Little sister, being first doesn't always mean you get to keep the spot. To hold onto a place, you need the corresponding strength. But clearly, neither you nor that brat over there has any, so you can only let others butcher you."

"Haha, little sister, it's fine if you don't understand this world's rules. Big Chopper Rocky is especially patient with children like you. He'll get to know you very thoroughly."

""

Big Chopper Rocky also let out a wild laugh. Being praised by so many people in the tavern made him feel as if he were floating, and a smug expression involuntarily appeared on his face.

He reached his large hand toward Ellie and said, "Little sister, uncle will take good care of you. Hahahaha!"

But just as his hand stretched out, Luo Ze's brow suddenly furrowed.

With one hand, he drew the steel sword from its sheath. A clear sword cry suddenly rang out, instantly reverberating through the entire tavern.

Then, Luo Ze coldly glanced at Rocky. With a flick of his right hand, a breeze swept past as he slashed with his sword.

Luo Ze drew his sword with incredible speed. Nearly everyone present failed to react in time.

In that instant, Big Chopper Rocky only heard a piercing sword cry that seemed ready to shatter his eardrums.

Then a flash of silver light passed before his eyes. Before he could even raise a defense, a heart-rending pain spread through his nerves.

After that, he felt nothing at all.

Because Luo Ze's sword had fallen without mercy. The previously arrogant and overbearing Big Chopper Rocky had already become a cold corpse beneath that single strike.

Moreover, his death was exceptionally gruesome—Luo Ze had cut him into three pieces.

Bright red blood flowed from Rocky's corpse and dripped onto the floor with soft "drip, drip" sounds. Yet to everyone present, it did not sound like dripping water, but like thunderclaps that shook their hearts.

None of them had expected it.

Rocky, who had been shouting so arrogantly just moments ago, had been instantly killed by a single sword strike!

And he had died so horribly!

"H-Hey, that was Big Chopper Rocky! A pirate with a fifty-five-million bounty! He just died like that? What a miserable death!"

"What a terrifying guy."

""

Seeing Rocky's gruesome corpse, everyone's expressions tightened. They all turned their gazes toward Luo Ze, their hearts filled with deep apprehension.

"H-Hey, Captain, no way! How could this happen?"

"The captain died just like that?"

""

Rocky's crew members stiffened as well. They looked at Luo Ze in terror and instinctively took several steps back.

Even their captain had been killed. If they did not run now, they would lose their lives too.

"Still trying to leave?"

Luo Ze snorted coldly.

They had dared to speak disrespectfully to Ellie right in front of him, yet they still dreamed of leaving alive. What wishful thinking.

He casually slashed with his sword. Like a rainbow piercing the sun, it became a streak of silver light that instantly swept across several heads.

The light flashed by in an instant. Yet after it vanished, the pirates' heads all strangely flew into the air, while streams of bright red blood violently sprayed from their necks.

Very soon, several more cold corpses lay on the ground.

But Luo Ze did not stop there.

Gripping his steel sword, he fixed his gaze on a pirate seated ahead. With a turn of his right hand, he casually swung his sword, sending out a bloody slash that seemed capable of tearing through everything as it hurtled toward the pirate.

"Damn it!"

The pirate had never expected Luo Ze to suddenly attack him. His eyes narrowed as he drew his weapon to defend himself.

But the slash was too fast. Before the pirate could raise his weapon, the bloody attack had already mercilessly passed through his body.

The slash tore viciously through his flesh, cutting his body directly into two halves. Flesh and skin separated, and white bone could be seen in the middle.

Thud.

Another corpse fell, blood flowing across the tavern's wooden floor and quickly pooling there.

That pirate's companions glared furiously at Luo Ze, their eyes filled with killing intent.

Killing Big Chopper Rocky was one thing. But their companion had no grudge against Luo Ze and had not provoked him in any way. What right did he have to suddenly attack?

Luo Ze paid them no attention at all.

He calmly swept his gaze over them, then sheathed his steel sword.

He said, "That's what you get for talking too much."

From beginning to end, he had not risen from his seat even once. His words and actions were filled with casual disdain, making it clear that killing those pirates required no effort from him at all.

"You!" The pirates glared coldly at Luo Ze. Having been treated with such contempt, they were so enraged they were nearly about to explode.

"Get lost on your own. I don't want something like this to ruin Ellie's appetite," Luo Ze said calmly.

If Ellie had not been about to eat, and if he had not feared that she might lose her appetite, it would not have been just these pirates. Every person present who had mocked Ellie earlier would have died beneath his sword. The fact that he was not killing them now was already an act of great mercy.

"What arrogance. Do you really think you're invincible just because you killed Big Chopper Rocky? Let me tell you, there are plenty of people in South Blue stronger than Big Chopper Rocky!"

The pirate slammed his palm onto the table, the force making the entire table tremble slightly as he roared at Luo Ze.

But Luo Ze was starting to lose patience.

He was sparing these pirates, yet they had no idea what was good for them and insisted on courting death.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, Luo Ze drew his sword again. A flash of sword light streaked out as he sent a slash toward the people at that table.

The slash was still incredibly fast, instantly shredding the foolish pirates to pieces.

The next second.

Everyone in the restaurant was shaken once more.

Every customer was utterly horrified, staring at Luo Ze warily and not daring to make a sound.

They finally understood Luo Ze's personality.

He was a madman who would kill at the slightest disagreement.

"Waiter, clean this up. Also, it smells a little bad on the floor. Get a mop and wipe it up. I don't want it affecting my sister's meal."

Luo Ze called out to the waiters. Though his tone was calm, it carried a faint pressure that left the waiters unable to muster any resistance.

"Y-yes, sir." The waiters' hearts tightened as they hurriedly grabbed their tools and cleaned away the corpses and bloodstains from the floor.

Afterward, the restaurant owner personally rushed into the kitchen to urge the chefs on. He also had the waiters hurry into the kitchen and bring out all the dishes Luo Ze had ordered first. They even added many drinks and dishes Luo Ze had not ordered, sending them over as complimentary items.

"Ellie, let's eat."

Luo Ze placed a large platter of meat in front of Ellie and smiled at her.

"Okay, Brother."

Ellie nodded obediently.

After Luo Ze's careful guidance, the last traces of unnecessary kindness in the girl's heart had completely vanished.

Now, she only knew that anyone who treated her or Luo Ze badly deserved to die.

As for anything else, it did not matter.

Watching Ellie begin to eat, Luo Ze smiled indulgently before he too began wolfing down his food.

The entire restaurant fell silent for a time. Though the other pirates continued eating, most of them did not dare utter a single word, afraid of offending those two terrifying figures over there.

However, the silence did not last long.

Suddenly, a pirate hunter recognized Luo Ze's face and cried out involuntarily.

"It's him! The rookie from the newspaper a month ago—the pirate with a bounty of one hundred million, Ghost Sword Luo Ze!"

His shout quickly caused an uproar throughout the restaurant.

At that moment, every pirate and pirate hunter looked at Luo Ze with wary eyes, a chilling fear rising in their hearts.

Because they had learned of Luo Ze's astonishing deeds from that earlier report.

He had slaughtered an entire country by himself!

He had stormed a Marine branch alone and cut down every Marine inside!

He...

One shocking deed after another surfaced in their minds, making them shudder uncontrollably.

Only then did they stare foolishly at Luo Ze over there.

They had never expected that they had blindly offended such a madman just moments ago.

They had even foolishly mocked him for lacking strength?

If even he lacked strength, then what did that make them?

Bugs?