The Power of Pawns

Chapter 042: The Power of Grunts

Iska's wails sent shivers down Ace's spine.

He admitted he had a soft spot for Iska, and she for him, but that wasn't the reason for his sudden unease.

It was this formation of guns, it was too creative.

Too lethal.

Even he, no, the entire Spade Pirates, if caught unprepared and undefended against such a gun formation, wouldn't fare any better in terms of casualties.

Most of their crew wouldn't survive such a dense volley of gunfire.

Even without the Flame-Flame Fruit, it would be incredibly difficult for him to dodge such shots.

If Haki were involved, these projectiles could even kill a Logia-type Devil Fruit user—though, at that point, it would come down to the depth of each side's Observation Haki.

Currently, even most Devil Fruit users couldn't withstand this barrage-style musket assault.

This newly emerged tactic maximized the numerical advantage of the grunts.

By the third volley, over thirty Marines had fallen on the deck.

Keep in mind, the enemy force was less than a hundred.

The gap in troop strength immediately widened to eighty versus seventy.

Furthermore, the extremely intense gunfire made the enemy hesitant to charge forward.

Only the groans of wounded Marines and Iska's screams echoed above the two ships.

"Advance, twenty paces," Leo called from the mast.

The entire formation suddenly moved forward in unison, startling everyone.

It wasn't a perfectly neat advance.

It was a soldier's formation.

It was them, still slightly uncoordinated, marching forward in step.

What Leo perceived as messy and imperfect appeared to others as if a single entity was moving, a wall slowly pressing forward.

They ignored the Marines lying in pools of blood and continued to the ship's railing, raising their muskets to aim at the Marines on the opposite bow.

When an army loses ten percent of its strength, it considers retreat; when it loses over thirty percent, it breaks; and when it loses over fifty percent, it surrenders.

This was a naval battle, and the camaraderie among sailors on the same ship was much stronger. Their commander was still on the opposing ship, but their morale had already collapsed.

They hesitated, reluctant to take another step forward, while the enemy had already pressed to the ship's railing, black muzzles pointed directly at them.

Iska, only hit in the thigh, shouted loudly from within the crowd.

"We surrender! Stop killing! Stop killing my subordinates! We surrender!"

Ace's expression was complex. Seeing the woman who had so vigorously pursued him now collapsing in tears, snot and tears streaming down her face, made him feel deeply uncomfortable. He practically leaped to Leo's side in two bounds and asked, "That's about enough, isn't it?"

"That depends on whether the enemy soldiers surrender."

Leo shrugged, not denying it.

The pirates below wouldn't fire without his command.

He was confident about that.

The pirates remaining at the rear of the formation nervously loaded their muskets.

"Teacher" Michael keenly observed that their loading process used paper-wrapped charges of gunpowder, which they could bite open and pour directly into the barrel. This differed greatly from the loading quantities of other musketeers.

A musket expert like himself could naturally pour the precise amount of gunpowder in a battlefield environment—they could even adjust the amount of powder based on the actual situation. If engaging distant enemies, they'd use more powder; for closer targets, less powder meant faster loading.

But these pirates, using a paper packet, achieved loading speeds comparable to experts. It was truly astonishing.

Could that man, who had transformed these pirates, also transform the Spade Pirates?

Thinking that the Spade Pirates had now joined Leo's side, he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. He wondered what the Spade Pirates would be like when they underwent their transformation...

What Leo and Ace said in the crow's nest went unheard by those below.

However, the pirates, who followed Leo's orders implicitly, held their guns, aiming at the Marines, their formation unwavering, everyone motionless. It was unclear if they were preparing to fight or had decided not to kill.

Only Iska's hoarse wails echoed in the air, the entire scene eerily silent.

It was as if a switch had been flipped in the Marines' hearts. One by one, they dropped their weapons onto the deck. The sound of weapons clattering against the deck was incredibly satisfying, bringing smiles to the pirates' faces.

In normal times, they never had this level of skill or combat power. Faced with Marines, they would usually be trembling and ready to flee.

But now, they had defeated the arrogant Marines, even winning with a numerical disadvantage. They could hardly believe it.

In reality, when a person doesn't believe in themselves, they can accomplish nothing. Conversely, confident individuals succeed easily in whatever they do. Just like Luffy's single-mindedness, his absolute belief that he could become the Pirate King was incredibly persuasive; just like Zoro's unwavering conviction that he would become the world's greatest swordsman allowed him to bravely draw his sword against Hawk Eyes.

These pirate grunts were merely the lowest rung of the pirate world. Where would they find such confidence?

But now, Leo had instilled that confidence in them. It was as if they were losers who had been suppressed their entire lives, suddenly awakening. Every pore on their bodies seemed to breathe, making them feel incredibly exhilarated.

"Long live Leo!" Finally, someone couldn't help but shout.

Then, everyone in the Cutlass Pirates roared in unison: "Long live Leo!"

All sounds were drowned out, even Leo's commands.

Leo grinned at Ace, gave him a wink, and then, as he slid down the mast, he became serious and stern.

Ace, needing no props, jumped directly from the crow's nest and landed beside Iska, pressing down on her wound.

"Ace?!" Through her tear-blurred, collapsing vision, she saw a familiar face and, forgetting everything else, hugged Ace's waist tightly, crying out loudly.

PS: First update, seeking recommendation votes.