Then his figure flickered, and he appeared before Hawkins in an instant.
Hawkins's eyes narrowed. He did not move; against speed like that, he could not make any effective attempt to evade.
River slowly extended his right index finger, aimed it at Hawkins's forehead, and flicked lightly.
Boom!
Hawkins's seated body shot backward, smashing through the stone pillar at the center of the fountain and a string of buildings behind it, sending dust billowing into the sky.
"I'll spare your life!"
His casual voice drifted away. By the time the pirates reacted, River had already walked off and vanished from the scene.
They sucked in sharp breaths.
The remaining pirates trembled inwardly, while also feeling the relief of having survived a disaster.
Facing someone so terrifying, they felt a suffocating pressure even when he did nothing at all.
"He's terrifying!"
"So that's the former Marine Admiral!"
"Daytime Tiger, River?"
At that moment, that simple name became deeply etched in the pirates' minds, leaving a shadow that would haunt them for the rest of their lives.
"I want to go home!"
"The Marines have someone like that? It's terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!"
"I miss my family. I miss my parents."
Some who witnessed the scene even abandoned the idea of being pirates altogether.
Elsewhere.
River strolled casually through the streets of the various districts. His battles with the Supernovas had relieved the tedium of his recent days.
They had also given him a rough understanding of the strength of this era's pirates.
"The Great Pirate Era, huh?"
"The rookies really do seem stronger than they were back then!"
A smile curved his lips as River murmured to himself.
Greater strength also meant the era would spiral out of control faster, putting more pressure on the Marines. After all, unlike twenty years ago,