In the Name of Justice

Meanwhile, aboard the pirate ship at the harbor.

A pirate staggered toward the captain's cabin, drenched in sweat and disheveled, having even run out of one shoe.

"Bad news, Captain! The warehouse, the warehouse..."

He braced himself against the cabin door, gasping for breath. "Th-those prisoners have all been released! Not a single one is left!"

"What?!"

The captain slammed his palm down on the wooden table before him. The liquor bottle on it was instantly knocked over, spilling wine across the tabletop.

The flesh on his face twisted with fury, and his already vicious gaze seemed ready to spit fire as he roared through gritted teeth, "Quick! Come with me and take a look!!"

As soon as he spoke, he seemed to remember something and added sharply,

"That's right! Bring all the mortars with us!! Blow those bastards who dared ruin my business to pieces!"

The pirates did not dare delay. They hurriedly pushed four pitch-black mortars along with them, rushing messily toward the warehouse.

Several worn-out oil lamps around the warehouse gave off a faint glow, casting the surroundings in shifting light and shadow.

The warehouse doors, which had been tightly sealed and bound with heavy iron chains, had now been forced open, covered in cracks of varying depths.

The warehouse stood empty. The five hundred captured kingdom soldiers who had been held there had long since vanished.

"Damn it! That brat must be behind this!!"

The captain stared at the empty warehouse, trembling with rage, the fury in his chest seeming ready to burst free.

"That brat actually let my valuable hostages escape! Once I catch him, I'll skin him alive and show him what I'm capable of!!"

He suddenly raised his right hand and smashed it against the mortar beside him with all his strength.

With a deafening clang.

The surrounding pirates shrank back, and even the ground beneath their feet cracked slightly.

Just then, a loud, resolute voice suddenly rang out from all directions, tearing through the silence of the night.

"Throw down your weapons and surrender, pirates!!"

The pirates froze, then abruptly turned their heads. Dense ranks of kingdom soldiers were pouring out from the alleys around the warehouse and from behind the rooftops.

Every soldier held a long rifle, their expressions stern as their gun barrels aimed uniformly at the pirates, surrounding them completely.

"You are surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender, and you will be spared!"

"Hahahaha!"

The captain froze for a moment before bursting into laughter, the anger on his face instantly replaced by contempt.

He swept a disdainful glance over the kingdom troops surrounding them and sneered,

"Have you forgotten how we beat you into a panicked rout last time? And you still dare come after me?"

As he spoke, he slapped the body of the mortar. The pirates behind him immediately understood and swiftly adjusted the barrels, swinging the black muzzles toward the soldiers in unison.

"I'm afraid you won't get that chance..."

A cool voice suddenly sounded from the direction of the warehouse. It was not loud, yet it reached every person's ears with perfect clarity.

The unexpected voice startled every pirate. They all whipped their heads around, their eyes filled with vigilance and confusion.

From the shadows at the warehouse entrance, a youth dressed in a pure white suit slowly emerged.

He stood tall and walked with ease, his spotless white clothes especially striking in the darkness.

"Who the hell are you?!"

The captain was both shocked and furious, his brows tightly furrowed and his eyes full of disbelief.

Why was another brat showing up?!

Where was the brat who had released the prisoners earlier?!

He had no time to think further. His heart hardened, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.

Forget it. Whoever you are, brat, if you dare ruin my plans, I'll just blast you to death!

He roared at the pirates beside him, "Aim half the mortars at that brat! Blow him to pieces!"

"Fire!!"

Meanwhile, in the open ground at the rear, under the tight protection of layers of soldiers, the king and several ministers watched the scene nervously, their faces full of concern.

They exchanged glances, seeing unease in each other's eyes, before unanimously turning toward the cold-faced youth in the black suit beside them.

"Mr. Lucci, will this really be all right?"

The king's voice trembled slightly as he stared fixedly at the youth in white, who was being targeted by the cannons.

"Those pirates' mortars are extremely powerful. Last time, our soldiers suffered heavy losses from those weapons. That child..."

Not long ago, Beiyuan Heng had suddenly appeared before them and calmly told them that he had rescued all five hundred captured soldiers. He told the king to immediately gather the royal guards and remaining soldiers to wipe out the pirates.

At the time, the king had hesitated greatly. The pirates possessed a large number of mortars and tremendous firepower. They could only proceed slowly and could not attack rashly, lest they harm the nearby civilians.

But Beiyuan Heng had merely smiled faintly and said in a relaxed tone, "It's fine. Leave this to me."

That was how things had become what they were now.

Lucci raised his eyes slightly and calmly looked toward the battlefield ahead, his face utterly expressionless.

"Just watch carefully. The World Government's decisions do not make mistakes."

Though he and Beiyuan Heng did not get along, pirates of this caliber could not possibly pose any threat to Beiyuan Heng.

"Fire! Fire already! Blow this brat to bits!"

The captain roared.

At his command, pitch-black shells shot toward Beiyuan Heng in unison with piercing whistles.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!

Explosions rang out one after another. Flames surged into the sky, and scorching shockwaves swept forward, blasting the surrounding ground into craters as thick smoke billowed everywhere.

The blasts were so powerful that the earth itself trembled slightly. No wonder the king and the soldiers feared these pirates so greatly.

"Hahaha! Serves you right, you little bastard!"

The captain watched the flames filling the sky and laughed triumphantly, his face covered in a cruel grin.

"Now you know how powerful I am, right? This is what happens when you oppose me!"

The other pirates joined in the laughter, as though they could already see Beiyuan Heng being blown to pieces by the shells.

But the next second, all their laughter stopped abruptly, and the smugness on their faces was instantly replaced by stunned disbelief.

From within the blazing flames, a tall figure of a youth slowly walked out. His steps remained unhurried, his expression as calm as ever, and even his white suit was completely undamaged.

At the sight, the captain's smile froze. His eyes widened, his mouth opening wide enough to fit a fist, his voice filled with terror and disbelief. "Th-this is impossible?!"

He pointed at Beiyuan Heng, trembling all over. "Y-you, what kind of monster are you?! Even cannon fire can't kill you?!"

Beiyuan Heng stopped and raised his eyes to look at him. His gaze was cool, his voice calm and without the slightest ripple as he replied word by word, "CP9, Beiyuan Heng."

"I will judge you in the name of justice!"