Skull-Crushing Maniac?

"Too weak. No threat at all. I need stronger opponents."

Xia Luo shook his head, deeply dissatisfied with Ghost Hand. The man's strength had not been as great as he had imagined. His bounty had clearly been inflated, likely because of his brutal methods.

Then Xia Luo turned his gaze to Blood Axe, his eyes eager with anticipation.

Noticing Xia Luo's "restlessness," Kana hurriedly called out, "Xia Luo, stop looking around and come help!"

Hearing that, Xia Luo looked around. The battle nearby seemed to have reached a stalemate. Both sides traded blows back and forth. The Blood Axe Pirates had the advantage in numbers, while the Marines held the initiative through superior equipment such as flintlock guns.

Unfortunately, flintlock guns had abysmal accuracy and mediocre power. Unless they struck a vital point directly, they were not particularly lethal.

With limited ammunition, if the standoff continued, the Marines would inevitably run out of bullets first and be forced into close combat with the pirates.

The pirates vastly outnumbered them. Once it came to hand-to-hand combat, the Marines would surely suffer casualties.

Of course, casualties were common and unavoidable. But things were different now. Xia Luo had already freed up his hands. He could join the battlefield and end the fight quickly, preventing losses, rather than abandoning his comrades to challenge a stronger opponent.

At least, that was how Kana saw it. If it were him, he would never interfere in Colonel Whiteman's battle.

Because he believed Colonel Whiteman could handle his opponent. What Kana needed to do was protect his subordinates as best he could.

"All right."

Xia Luo did not insist. With a hint of regret, he joined the battle. Facing a pack of pirate grunts, he sent one flying with every swing of his club, leaving no one alive.

No matter when, he could not forget his persona.

I hope this battle ends soon, and then...

As Xia Luo clubbed pirates to death, he kept an eye on the battle between Whiteman and Blood Axe. Clearly, he had not completely given up.

However, Colonel Whiteman did not give him the chance.

On the other side, Colonel Whiteman burst into laughter. "Blood Axe, you're finished! So are your men! Just accept your death!"

Blood Axe finally realized what had happened. His gaze swept through the crowd. Where was Ghost Hand?

Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure lying in a pool of blood, with less than half a head left. "Rute?!"

Blood Axe's head buzzed. He had been waiting for Rute to finish his opponent and come help him. He never expected Rute to have already been killed. Who had done it?!

With his mind in disarray, Colonel Whiteman seized the opening. He grabbed Blood Axe by the throat and smashed him viciously into the ground.

Boom!

Wooden planks exploded outward. Blood Axe crashed through two decks in an instant and fell into the cabin below. Under the tremendous impact, his consciousness blurred as Colonel Whiteman raised his axe.

Splat...

With a lift of his hand and a downward swing of the axe, blood sprayed everywhere. Blood Axe died on the spot.

In the end, he had failed to split Colonel Whiteman in two. Instead, just like those he had murdered, he himself was split in half.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

After dealing with Blood Axe, Colonel Whiteman dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. Sweat soaked through his military uniform.

Though the battle had not lasted long, it had not been easy. Blood Axe was only slightly weaker than him, and he had held no overwhelming advantage. He had only managed to kill his opponent after Blood Axe lost focus.

Otherwise, it would have taken him some time to defeat Blood Axe.

After catching his breath for a moment, Colonel Whiteman stood and gave his orders.

"Kana, take some men and clean up the battlefield. Count the casualties."

"Lock up all the remaining pirates and take them back to base. Once the prison ship arrives at the end of the month, throw them aboard."

"Yes!"

Kana's eyes gleamed. This battle had been a resounding victory. The Marines had suffered barely any casualties. Only a few had carelessly sustained minor injuries; everyone else was unharmed.

The Blood Axe Pirates, on the other hand, had suffered countless dead and wounded. Their captain and first mate were dead. Of their two or three hundred members, only thirty or forty remained alive, all of them injured. They now raised their hands in surrender, obediently put on shackles, and were locked in the temporary prison aboard the warship.

Whenever they passed Xia Luo, terror filled their faces. Trembling with fear, they unconsciously quickened their steps.

Move, move! Get away from this killing god! The first mate and more than a hundred comrades were all crushed to death by a single blow from him. Their deaths were horribly miserable.

Suddenly,

Xia Luo glanced at them.

They were so frightened that they dropped to their knees on the spot, crying out desperately.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

"Waaah... I know I was wrong! Please, spare me!"

"Didn't you say you wouldn't kill those who surrender? I've already surrendered! Please let me go!"

"Could the people in front hurry up?!"

"My legs are weak. I can't walk..."

Xia Luo: "..."

No, I only looked at you. I was just wiping my spiked club while I was at it. Why were you all getting so worked up?

Seeing this, Kana could not help laughing. "Ahem, Xia Luo, stop scaring them. If they wet themselves, I don't want the whole ship to smell like piss."

"I didn't do anything." Xia Luo looked utterly innocent.

"Hahaha, good kid!" Colonel Whiteman walked over and patted Xia Luo on the shoulder.

"Well done!"

Then his tone shifted. "But you were a little too ruthless. You smashed all their heads apart. How are headquarters supposed to identify them now?"

"Let it slide this time. With Blood Axe's body here, the credit for Ghost Hand probably won't disappear. But you need to be more careful next time."

"If they can't identify the bodies, it won't count as credit. And there won't be any bonus either."

Colonel Whiteman spoke earnestly.

When the Marines killed or captured pirates, they did not receive the pirate's full bounty, but they did receive a portion of it. The remainder was converted into military merit.

Hearing that, Xia Luo pointed at Blood Axe's corpse. "Uh, Colonel, it seems you weren't much better than me."

Colonel Whiteman glared. "Nonsense! At least mine can still be pieced back together. What about yours?"

"Well... all right. I'll be more careful next time. I'll try not to hit their heads."

"Don't tell me you have some kind of special fetish, kid. Skull-Crushing Maniac?"

Colonel Whiteman stared at Xia Luo suspiciously.

What the hell kind of Skull-Crushing Maniac is that?

Xia Luo shook his head repeatedly and flatly denied it. "I'm not. I don't. Don't believe rumors or spread rumors. Don't make things up."

"Oh, I'll believe you for now."

Colonel Whiteman's trust was clearly reluctant. Then he continued, "Still, your strength is highly unusual. This is the first time I've seen a recruit as powerful as you. It looks like I need to change your training plan. Ordinary training won't do you much good. Let me think..."

"Hmm, perhaps I could go ask him for advice. I wonder whether that busy man still remembers me..."

As he spoke, Colonel Whiteman began muttering to himself. He mentioned "him" several times, making Xia Luo extremely curious about this person.

Could that "him" be Zephyr?

Black Arm Zephyr, currently an Admiral candidate, a future Marine Admiral, and one of the Marine's legendary figures.