Amid the crash of shattering glass, Sanosuke dropped from above with a man beneath his feet.
Norton and the two women, who had been strolling around, hurried over to see what had happened.
Up close, they realized that the man beneath Sanosuke's feet was a pirate from the Redbeard Pirates!
"What happened?" Norton asked with a frown.
The pirate was already dead. Sanosuke's kunai had slit his throat, and blood kept pouring from the wound.
Funing went pale with fright, and Nami quickly covered her eyes.
"My lord, he disobeyed your orders," Sanosuke said, lowering his head.
A commotion broke out inside the castle. Guards converged on the noise, and the butler arrived shortly afterward.
"Miss Funing! Come over here! Get away from those dangerous people!" the butler called urgently when he saw Funing standing with Norton and Nami.
"What exactly happened?" Funing asked, biting her lip. Though frightened, she tried hard to remain calm as she asked for details.
"These guests... no, some pirates got drunk and harassed the maids in the castle. Then the pirates started fighting among themselves!" the butler explained loudly. "That Ninja killed several people!"
Norton's expression gradually hardened. "Where are the others?" he asked Sanosuke.
"They're all in the banquet hall. The guards should have them under control by now," Sanosuke said.
"How many did you kill?" Norton continued. "Did you kill everyone who caused trouble?"
"Seven in total. I killed them all." Sanosuke wiped the blood from his kunai.
Norton turned to the butler. "Bring the rest here to see me!"
Why should I listen to you? Don't order me around like that! the butler wanted to say.
But the moment he met Norton's eyes, his nerve failed him. That gaze brooked no defiance and made him feel lowly.
"Bring them here for this lord to deal with!" The butler wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.
A few minutes later, the guards brought the remaining pirates before Norton.
Several pirates reacted fiercely at the sight of Sanosuke, shouting angrily, "Sanosuke, you traitor! We've been comrades all this time, and you actually did this!"
Sanosuke's gaze remained calm. He felt little attachment to the Redbeard Pirates.
Even before he met Norton, the pirates in the Redbeard Pirates had never particularly welcomed him. Only Redbeard had treated him reasonably well, because he wanted to make use of Sanosuke's strength.
But not treating him badly hardly meant treating him well.
So when these pirates broke Norton's rules, Sanosuke had shown no mercy.
Norton pointed at the pirates who had shouted at Sanosuke. "Arrest them and send them to the nearby Marine Base."
Their willingness to berate Sanosuke right in front of him showed that their loyalties still lay with the Redbeard Pirates. Keeping them around would only invite trouble.
Then Norton slowly walked past the assembled pirates, studying their faces one by one.
In the end, Norton singled out everyone whose face showed resentment, whose eyes burned with anger, or who was holding back their fury, and ordered them sent to the nearby Marine Base.
Norton knew perfectly well that these pirates were only obeying him temporarily because of his strength. Given an opportunity, they could flee or cause trouble at any moment.
Norton did not mind rebellious thoughts among his subordinates. He was confident he could keep anyone under control.
As long as they did nothing wrong, Norton would leave them alone.
But once they stepped out of line, they deserved punishment. Even if Sanosuke had not acted, Norton would have killed the troublemakers himself.
The guards obeyed Norton's orders and led away the pirates he had singled out.
The remaining pirates all breathed a sigh of relief. To them, it made no difference whether their captain was Redbeard or Norton. They had gone to sea simply to make a living.
Call them cowardly or coldhearted; all they wanted was to survive.
As Sanosuke watched the guards lead the pirates away, killing intent flashed through his eyes.
Without sparing the pirates another glance, Norton instructed the butler, "Lock up the rest for now."
"Yes!" the butler answered instinctively.
"And please convey my apologies to the women who were harassed," Norton added sincerely after a pause.
"I will, my lord." The butler bowed slightly.
Nami blinked in surprise. She had not expected a man as domineering and proud as Norton to apologize so sincerely. Her opinion of him rose a little.
"If there's nothing else, everyone can go. Thank you for your efforts," Funing told them.
The butler nodded. Once the bodies and blood had been cleaned up, he and the guards led the remaining pirates away.
Before long, only Norton, Nami, Funing, and Sanosuke remained.
"Would you like me to continue showing you around the castle?" Funing's face was still somewhat pale.
As the Duke's beloved daughter, Funing had never witnessed such a bloody scene. Not throwing up was already brave of her.
"Never mind. Let's just stay here," Norton said.
Nami nodded in agreement. After something like that, she was no longer in the mood to keep sightseeing either.
"I'm going to the restroom," Sanosuke said.
"Do you need a servant to show you the way?" Funing asked, rising to her feet.
Sanosuke shook his head. "No need. I went there earlier."
Norton watched Sanosuke leave, his gaze inscrutable.
Once he was out of Norton's sight, Sanosuke did not go to the restroom.
That had only been an excuse.
He caught up with the guards and the pirates being escorted to the Marine Base, then followed them.
When the guards and pirates entered a secluded street, he struck without hesitation.
Before the guards could even get a clear look at Sanosuke, he knocked them unconscious.
"It's you! Sanosuke! What are you trying to do?"
One pirate managed to recognize their attacker amid the confusion.
Sanosuke had no intention of hiding his identity. He only needed to make sure the guards were unconscious.
Because Sanosuke intended to kill every last one of these pirates!
Having pledged his loyalty to Norton and accepted him as his new lord, Sanosuke felt obliged to eliminate threats on Norton's behalf.
Cut down weeds without pulling out their roots, and they would grow back with the spring breeze.
Though these pirates were weak and could not possibly threaten Norton, Sanosuke still had no intention of sparing them.
A Ninja's duty was to destroy anything that might harm his lord!
"A Ninja is his lord's blade, one who lives in the shadows and clears every obstacle from his lord's path."
His teacher's voice still echoed in Sanosuke's ears.
"So this is... the way of the Ninja!" Sanosuke murmured to himself.
His kunai flashed back and forth, and the pirates fell one after another, their scarlet blood staining the street.
Only after killing every pirate did Sanosuke vanish in a flash.
A few minutes after Sanosuke left, the guards slowly regained consciousness and discovered the pirates' bodies.
Standing amid the blood, the guards were utterly dumbstruck.
Sanosuke returned to the Duke's castle, where Norton, Nami, and Funing were discussing the White Pearl. Whenever ships came up, Funing's enthusiasm poured out in an endless stream. For the most part, she talked while Norton and Nami listened quietly.
Seeing Sanosuke return, Nami asked curiously, "What took you so long?"
"A little constipation." Sanosuke offered the first excuse that came to mind.
Norton gave Sanosuke a brief, impassive glance and said nothing.
Yet Sanosuke felt the depth of Norton's gaze, as though he could see through everything. He quickly lowered his head to avoid meeting Norton's eyes.
Just then, the Duke approached from a distance, looking troubled.
"Dad, where's His Majesty's attendant?" Funing asked, standing up.
"He's already returned to the palace." The Duke looked at Norton. "Mr. Norton, you may have to leave sooner than planned. His Majesty the King has ordered me to send the White Pearl to the palace immediately!"