Pirates Offering Treasure

"Have you decided how you want to die..."

Jin An's deep voice echoed over the island.

Marines, pirates, and civilians alike looked up at the not particularly imposing yet dignified Marine major in the sky.

The people evacuating the island in an orderly fashion unconsciously stopped when they heard Jin An's calm voice.

That voice was...

"Major Jin An is here!"

The Marines who had been dispersing the crowd suddenly erupted into cheers, the admiration in their eyes shining brightly beneath the sun.

"Leave some people behind to continue evacuating the civilians. The rest, come with me to provide support."

With Jin An's arrival, the Marines seemed to have been injected with adrenaline. They rubbed their fists together, eager to follow the person they admired into battle.

"You don't need to go over there. Just stay here and protect the civilians."

At the entrance to the town, a swaying figure covered his mouth as he walked toward the gathered Marines.

"Captain Kuzan!"

The Marines stood at attention and saluted, their expressions filled with respect for the man before them.

Kuzan waved a hand. "Dismissed. Get back to your duties, and make sure the civilians are safe."

He looked somewhat helpless as he watched the town entrance, guarding against pirates slipping in amid the chaos, though that was unlikely to happen.

"Urgh~"

He had flown too quickly earlier and still had not recovered.

Kuzan rubbed his stiff face. Major Jin An truly lived up to his name. In just five minutes, he had carried him twenty kilometers through the air.

At that moment, Henry Evan's arrogant laughter came from the shore.

"I thought some vice admiral from Marine Headquarters had arrived, talking so big."

"So it's just a tiny little major. Hahahaha, this is killing me."

"When I was fighting for my life on the seas, you were still pissing in the dirt and playing with mud!"

"I've killed not a hundred little brats like you, but at least dozens. Want to piss first and take a look at yourself, or do you need me to help?"

Jin An narrowed his eyes. Extreme foul-mouthedness was always especially irritating. He said lightly,

"What, did you piss your pants from fright just now and now you're busy pinning it on me?"

"Just like a child, always using nasty words to hide your panic."

Henry Evan spat disdainfully, then laughed in fury. "Then I really do want to see what you can do."

"No one can stop me from moving forward. Whoever stands in my way... I'll kill them!"

He swung his hand heavily toward Jin An.

"All of you, get him! Kill him! I want him dead without a body left intact!"

Violence and madness filled his eyes, and the rage in his heart drove him insane.

The atmosphere on the field suddenly became incomparably oppressive.

Under the pressure of the two men's presence, the pirates held their breath as they silently loaded and fired their guns, afraid that moving too slowly would let someone else snatch the credit.

Very quickly, the pirates discovered a problem.

Their attacks seemed to have had no effect at all, even though the bullets had clearly struck that Marine perfectly.

Yet when the bullets hit that man, they did not leave even the slightest wound.

The unknown was what frightened people most, but they had no other choice.

Bullets sprayed out like they were free, and they desperately hoped overwhelming firepower would suppress him and give them a little sense of security.

The men remaining aboard the pirate ships no longer hesitated, loading shell after shell into the cannons.

In an instant, blazing ammunition swept through the sky with heat waves, forming a barrage of bullets and shells.

"Hahahaha! Tremble beneath my cannon fire!"

He refused to believe that a mere major could withstand an attack powerful enough to destroy an entire town.

Inside the town, the Marines' expressions changed as the sounds of gunfire and cannons from the shore reached them.

"How do these damned pirates have so many cannons? Their ammunition supply is this plentiful too."

Some newly enlisted Marines grew anxious. This was their first mission, yet they had encountered such vicious pirates.

"Relax. Those pirates have no idea who they're facing..."

Kuzan, who had been by Jin An's side all along, was not worried in the slightest. He even felt like laughing. Those pirates only knew how to suppress ordinary Marines with sturdy ships and powerful cannons.

Their major's body could withstand more than cannon shells. Even a famous blade capable of slicing iron like mud could not leave a mark on him.

Kuzan patted the katana hanging at his waist with his left hand, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Just as the Marines were worrying about Jin An's safety, they were surprised to discover that the gunfire and cannon blasts from the shore had strangely stopped.

Could something else have happened outside...

At the shore.

A fierce gust swept in, and the smoke and dust dispersed...

The pirates discovered in shock that the Marine was still standing in midair.

His powerful body was exposed through his tattered uniform, and his wheat-colored skin looked especially glaring in their eyes.

"How is that possible..."

"He was hit continuously by cannons and guns for so long... and it... did nothing!"

"What kind of monster is he?!"

The mentally fragile pirates stared blankly at Jin An, their feet uncontrollably backing away. They were afraid.

Faced with an enemy whose strength they could not fathom, they could not summon even the slightest desire to resist.

"Ah..."

A sigh reached the pirates' ears, yet it sounded so clear amid the gunfire and cannon blasts.

"I'll have to apply for another uniform. Those people will definitely nag in my ear again. What a hassle."

Silence!

The world suddenly fell silent, as though time itself had stopped.

???

The pirates were filled with question marks.

We attacked so desperately, and you're thinking about that lousy uniform?

"Forget it. I won't play with you any longer."

Jin An crossed his hands and stretched.

"Ah~ Thanks for the massage. It's been a long time since I felt this comfortable."

"As thanks, I'll reluctantly send you all to hell."

"Pirates really do look much more pleasing once they're dead."

His tone was utterly calm, as if he were catching up with old friends, yet his words were so bloody.

While Jin An was speaking, Henry Evan had already flipped through the air, drawing the twin blades at his waist and lunging straight at Jin An's face.

His move was not flashy, but it was incredibly swift and vicious!

Yet Jin An seemed not to have seen the twin blades swinging toward him at all.

Instead, he stepped forward.

With a sharp smack, Henry Evan's blades missed and struck the open ground solidly.

But Jin An would not wait for him to continue attacking. He clenched his right hand into a fist and smashed it heavily into Henry Evan's face.

His face suddenly blossomed open. Before he could make a sound, he was sent flying backward onto his back.

When he climbed back up, he discovered that Jin An was already standing before him.

The mad flames in Henry Evan's heart seemed to have gone out. His hands trembled as he tossed his blades onto the ground.

"I surrender!!!"

"I'll never come to these waters again! I swear!!! I swear it to you!!!"

"Please, spare me!!!"

Seeing that Jin An remained unmoved, Henry Evan hurriedly said,

"I have lots of treasure! If you let me go, I'll offer all of it to you!!"

"..."

"If that still isn't enough, I... I have lots of beautiful women on my ship. I'll give you everything I have..."

"I can serve you like a beast of burden... I still have value..."

The other pirates also remained silent, as though they had accepted their fate.

Jin An silently watched this pirate's performance, somewhat curious about what was inside this man's head...

What made him think those things could tempt him?

Seeing that Jin An did not refute him, as though he had been moved, Henry Evan felt somewhat disdainful.

Sure enough, these Marines were no different from pirates. They were just as willing to betray righteousness for profit.

He raised both hands over his head and cautiously edged closer, looking as though he had completely given up resisting.