A Loli Has...

The blood-red afterglow stained the azure sea a magnificent yet slightly desolate purplish red.

On the deck of the Herman Revenge, the sounds of wooden crates knocking together and ropes scraping against one another intertwined. Everyone was inventorying the supplies they had just looted from the warship.

Dawn casually swept his gaze over the spoils piled on deck before it settled on Lucci, who stood with his arms folded beneath the shadow of the main mast.

"You did all right this time. Barely passing, I'd say."

Compared to the ferocious beast he had initially been—one who, upon entering battle, would lose himself completely in the thrill of slaughter, often forgetting the mission objective and knowing only to tear apart every living thing before him—Lucci at least remembered to replenish supplies after the mission now. That was already tremendous progress.

At that, Lucci merely let out a soft, cold snort through his nose. He did not even raise his eyelids, much less reply.

Dawn was not annoyed. He simply smiled and shook his head.

"Sir, we've reached the target island, but there seems to be a pirate ship by the shore."

Kaku's voice came from the crow's nest. He was temporarily serving as the lookout and still held the military navigational telescope they had seized from that warship.

Even now, Kaku had not completely shaken off the habit he had developed at the Cipher Pol training base of addressing his superiors as "sir."

Dawn raised an eyebrow slightly and curled a finger, manipulating gravity to bring the telescope floating before him. He looked toward the lush island ahead.

A rough-looking pirate ship lay quietly moored by the shore. Its sails had been furled, but the pirate flag hanging from it was clearly visible—a skull with bat wings wreathed in flames.

"Looks