Aboard the Vidalya Glory, after a brief bout of chaos, Marine Aig looked at his comrade Lawrence.
Under the laws of Vitalia Island, anyone traveling with a noble had the duty to protect that noble's safety. If the noble was assassinated, everyone traveling with him would be guilty.
Jordas was a noble, and also the trusted confidant of Jabus, the island's lord.
Now that Jordas had been assassinated by Hawkins, with Jabus's iron-fisted methods, once they returned to Vitalia Island, there would be only a dead end waiting for them.
Aig's gaze fell upon the second mate, who was crouching on the ground and holding Jordas's corpse. He suddenly swung his blade and chopped off the second mate's head.
Before the Marines could react, Lawrence said in a low voice, "Jordas is dead. Even if we return to Vidalia, Jabus will certainly execute us. The death of one noble means all of us have to be buried with him. Brothers, do you think that's fair?"
"Of course it isn't fair. Going back means a dead end. We might as well head out to sea and become pirates." Holding a blood-dripping scimitar, Aig answered through gritted teeth.
Marine Sas hesitated. "No, I can't become a pirate. My wife is pregnant and will soon bear my child. If I become a pirate, the nobles won't let her go."
"Then we need to kill the first mate and Jordas's personal guards, then get rid of the Son of Pirates. We'll pretend to be members of the Blackblade Pirates and spread rumors that the Blackblade Pirates sank the Vidalya Glory.
"Then we won't be traitors, but heroes who died gloriously. Not only will our families be safe, they'll receive compensation, and we won't have to die either!" Aig stared at Sas as he laid out his plan.
"But the Son of Pirates knows witchcraft!"
"That witchcraft cost him an arm!"
"What if Jabus takes action?"
"That's why we flee as soon as we spread the news. As long as we escape the bounds of the Seven Seas, Jabus won't be able to do anything to us."
"Going back now means a dead end. Brothers, choose!"
"I don't want to die, and I don't want to drag my family down with me. Captain Aig, I'll listen to you."
"Me too. I don't want to be hanged!"
After a round of discussion, all the Marines were persuaded.
It was not a difficult choice. Between survival and death, anyone who did not want to die would choose survival.
The first mate was Jordas's steward, his true confidant, so he had to die.
Since they could not be sure whether the remaining Marines were trustworthy, Aig led the Marines in slaughtering those who had not gone with them earlier.
After everyone had been killed, Aig turned to face the others and said sternly, "Brothers, there's no turning back for us now. Only by killing the Son of Pirates can our families remain safe, and only then can we survive!"
"Kill the Son of Pirates!"
"Kill Hawkins!"
"Kill the Son of Pirates!"
The Marines were brimming with killing intent as they responded one after another.
Aig looked at the sailors who had joined them and ordered, "Keep the Glory stable. It can't sink yet. The rest of you, come with me to the Black Knife."
"But there's still a storm raging outside. We can't just walk over like the Son of Pirates did." Sas said worriedly.
Aig thought for a moment, then smiled. "I have a way."
His method was very simple. He tied a thick rope around his waist, then climbed across using the chain. If he fell into the sea, everyone only needed to pull the thick rope and haul him back aboard. If he reached the Black Knife, the rope would become a safety line, and the other Marines could easily make their way over as well.
The method was indeed simple and effective. After failing twice, he climbed onto the Black Knife.
"Let's go. Kill the Son of Pirates. This ship will be ours from now on." Aig drew his blade and headed straight for the cabin.
Inside the cabin, Hawkins had not closed the captain's quarters door. Beyond it was the passage leading directly to the deck.
His seat faced the door, so he noticed the Marines as soon as they entered, and a helpless expression appeared on his face.
"What a strong smell of blood. How many people did you kill?"
After Aig and the others blocked the doorway, Hawkins swallowed the last piece of dried meat he had found in the room and voiced his question.
Though Hawkins made no move, his calm, unhurried gaze from where he sat in the room successfully intimidated the Marines.
Aig was still wary. After all, the method Hawkins had used to kill Jordas earlier was something unheard of and unseen. If Hawkins was willing to sacrifice his right hand, he could still kill one of them.
"Jordas was a noble. You killed Jordas, so even if we return to Vitalia Island, there will only be a dead end for us. So... Captain Hawkins, we've decided to follow you." Aig lowered his head slightly as he explained.
Hawkins asked worriedly, "Quite a few of you have families, don't you? Once you betray Jabus, what will happen to them?"
"That's why we need your help, Captain. You can tell the outside world that you defeated Jordas and killed every crew member aboard the Glory. As long as Jabus thinks we're all dead, he naturally won't trouble our families." Aig said.
Hawkins nodded after hearing this. "Good idea. Then let's do that."
"Thank you for taking us in, Captain." Aig said gratefully, bending at the waist in a bow.
Hawkins smiled. "I don't actually bear any ill will toward you. If we can coexist peacefully, that would be best."
"That's what I think too. If we can coexist peacefully, that really is... wonderful." As Aig spoke, he rose to his feet. The moment he finished saying "wonderful," he suddenly flung a throwing knife.
Hawkins leaned slightly to the right and effortlessly avoided the throwing knife. Then his right hand made an incomprehensible motion behind him, directly catching the knife that flew past the left side of his neck between his fingers.
He looked at Aig regretfully and said, "Did you know? When people lie, their scent is actually different from usual. And plenty of microexpressions betray what you truly think."
"Attack!" Aig roared.
He was the first to rush through the door, raising his blade to slash at Hawkins. But the next instant, he saw the sharp tip of the throwing knife.
Hawkins threw the knife, rising and stepping forward in the same motion. Just as the throwing knife struck Aig between the brows and he fell, Hawkins seized his right hand with his own.
He raised Aig's blade to block Lawrence's attack, then gave it a slight tug. Aig, who should have fallen, abruptly rose and, under Hawkins's control, blocked Sas's path. Sas crashed straight into Aig's corpse.
After taking the blade from Aig's hand, Hawkins became like an elegant dancer, leisurely dancing among the Marines. The sharp edge easily sliced through their skin and claimed their lives.
With his brain overclocked, the Marines' movements were like a slowed-down video. Hawkins took only half a minute to deal with them all.
"We could have gotten along just fine. Why did you insist on turning your blades against me?"
Looking at the corpses strewn across the floor, Hawkins sighed helplessly. Then he tossed the scimitar in his hand onto the ground and returned to bed to rest.
This body was far too weak. If he had not just eaten, he might really have been unable to defeat those Marines. Now he had to sleep; his body could no longer hold on.
Once Hawkins's body entered a sleeping state, the controlled Marines in the other rooms emerged one by one and began clearing away the corpses on the floor.