"Ding."
Satoru Gojo knew the mission was complete.
"The mission to kill Arlong is complete. Host has received a random reward. Open it now?"
"Open it!"
Satoru Gojo was very eager to see the system's reward.
"Congratulations, host! You have successfully obtained Esdeath from Akame ga Kill!"
"Huh?! System, you can summon characters too?"
"Yes."
Satoru Gojo had guessed that the system's random reward would be decent, but he hadn't expected it to be this good.
Before transmigrating, Satoru Gojo had been a diehard anime fan. Having watched Akame ga Kill!, he knew Esdeath could practically be called the pinnacle of combat power in that world.
"Would you like to summon Esdeath?"
"Summon her!"
A magic circle inscribed with strange incantations appeared on the ground. Blue light gradually gathered, finally taking human form.
Esdeath was successfully summoned!
"Are you my captain?"
Esdeath asked.
Although her tone was very respectful, Satoru Gojo could still feel her queenly presence.
"Yes. My name is Satoru Gojo, captain of the Jujutsu Pirates."
"Esdeath, at your service, Captain!"
She dropped to one knee and swore her loyalty.
"There's no need for that. From now on, we're comrades. You don't need to kneel to me."
As he spoke, Satoru Gojo helped Esdeath up.
"Yes, Captain!"
"Sir, bad news! Bad-"
Koratt pushed the door open and rushed in, but when he saw Satoru Gojo's hand holding a woman's arm, his voice abruptly cut off.
"Sorry, sir! Sorry to interrupt. Please, carry on!"
He backed away as he spoke, about to shut the door.
It seemed he had misunderstood something and thought Satoru Gojo was getting busy!
"Come back!"
Satoru Gojo stopped him.
"What is it?"
"Sir, my men said a Marine fleet is coming!"
"A fleet of warships? Hmph, they certainly move fast when there's credit to steal!"
Satoru Gojo snorted.
Satoru Gojo had originally told Koratt to spread the news of the Arlong Pirates' destruction precisely to draw out Captain Nezumi.
What he hadn't expected was for him to come so quickly. Since he was in such a hurry to meet his maker, Satoru Gojo would oblige him!
"Come on, take me there!"
Koratt led Satoru Gojo and Esdeath toward Cocoyasi Village's harbor.
At the harbor.
Koratt's men held their weapons, watching warily as the Marines closed in around them.
Some villagers from Cocoyasi Village also stood watching from a distance.
Out at sea, five Marine warships lined up abreast and moved to surround the harbor.
On the middle warship, a Marine captain with mouse-like whiskers stood on deck, his eyes narrowed.
"Reporting, Captain. We've arrived at Cocoyasi Village. There are also some armed pirates guarding the harbor."
A soldier reported.
"Understood."
Captain Nezumi stepped forward.
"People of Cocoyasi Village, you've suffered!"
"Yesterday, I received intelligence that a pirate crew was running amok here, so I immediately led my troops here to deal with them. Rest assured, the righteous Marines will wipe out every last pirate."
Before the fighting began, Captain Nezumi addressed the villagers.
"What hypocritical justice!"
"He didn't come when Arlong was here. He only showed up after Arlong was killed!"
"He's here to steal the credit, isn't he?"
The villagers murmured among themselves, deeply dissatisfied with Captain Nezumi.
"Your justice has such perfect timing! It only appears once evil has been wiped out!"
Satoru Gojo arrived at the harbor and spoke.
"Satoru Gojo, you're here."
Nami, who had been standing at the harbor, ran over to Satoru Gojo.
"Yeah."
"They seem to be coming after you."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
With that, he walked forward.
"You're the captain of the Jujutsu Pirates, aren't you?"
"That's right. I am."
"The Jujutsu Pirates have been burning, killing, and pillaging in Cocoyasi Village. On behalf of the Marines, I am placing you under arrest. Surrender!"
"If you're capable of it, come arrest me!"
Satoru Gojo spoke indifferently.
"Heh heh heh! You really have a death wish! Soldiers, hear my command! Kill every member of the Jujutsu Pirates!"
You won't surrender? Just what I wanted! Captain Nezumi secretly rejoiced.
This way, he could silence the Jujutsu Pirates and take the credit for wiping out the Arlong Pirates as well. Then his promotion would be a sure thing!
At once, hundreds of Marine soldiers charged off the warships.
"Koratt, take everyone and fall back!"
Koratt has done well since I beat him into submission. He shouldn't make a pointless sacrifice here. After all, I still need them to sail my ship.
That was what Satoru Gojo thought.
"Yes! Men, fall back with me!"
Koratt led his men back, leaving only Satoru Gojo and Esdeath facing hundreds of Marines.
"How brave! You actually dare to charge at us!"
Esdeath's gaze sharpened, and she slowly drew her sword.
"Open fire!"
Once all the Marine soldiers had disembarked, Captain Nezumi gave the order.
As expected of the Marines, their movements were swift, unlike pirates.
Hundreds of Marines raised their guns and aimed straight at Satoru Gojo and Esdeath.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With a volley of gunfire, hundreds of bullets shot toward Satoru Gojo and Esdeath.
Neither showed a trace of panic as they calmly watched the bullets approach.
"Limitless!"
The next instant, all the bullets stopped in front of Satoru Gojo.
"The bullets... they've stopped!"
Hundreds of Marine soldiers stared at the unbelievable sight, their faces filled with astonishment.
"Impossible!" Captain Nezumi cried out.
"Honestly, why does everyone react like that? Is this a reaction exclusive to weaklings?"
Seeing the Marines react much as Koratt and his men had when they first saw him use Limitless, Satoru Gojo quipped.
Koratt: "..."
Koratt's men: "..."
"Leave the rest to me!"
Esdeath was itching to charge in and begin the slaughter.
"All right, but don't kill them. Just stop them from moving!"
"Huh? I can't kill them?"
"No."
"Well, if you say so!"
Unable to carry out a massacre, Esdeath looked as aggrieved as a child denied candy.
"Ice Seal: Thousand Miles!"
Esdeath swung her sword, and ice rapidly spread from in front of her toward the Marines.
In a single instant, the feet of hundreds of Marine soldiers were frozen in place.
"I can't move!"
"So cold! So cold!"
The chill swept over them, leaving the Marine soldiers' gun-holding hands trembling.
"Fire! Fire! Hurry up and fire!"
With all his soldiers trapped in the blink of an eye, Captain Nezumi was terrified.
At that moment, Captain Nezumi realized that the Jujutsu Pirates were far more terrifying than the Arlong Pirates.
But now he had no way out. Only ordering his men to fire could lessen his fear.
"I said I'd spare them. I never said I'd spare you."
Satoru Gojo leaped into the air and slowly raised his index finger. Terrifying Cursed Energy frantically gathered at his fingertip, radiating heart-stopping fluctuations.
"Reverse Cursed Technique!"
"Red!"
The instant his indifferent words fell, a terrifying beam blasted from his fingertip.
Before Captain Nezumi could react, it struck the warship he was aboard.
With a thunderous boom, the tremendous energy erupted into a massive explosion.
In a single instant, Captain Nezumi and his warship were annihilated, leaving a huge crater that the surrounding seawater poured into.
The entire sea began to churn violently.
At that moment, everyone who had witnessed that terrifying power-Nami, the Marines, Koratt, and the villagers of Cocoyasi Village-was dumbstruck, unable to speak for a long time.
At that moment, Esdeath was the only one who could remain calm.
She knew how powerful Captain Satoru Gojo was. An attack of this level was merely the tip of the iceberg.
"The rest of you, get lost if you don't want to end up like him! Make sure you report my name properly: Satoru Gojo, captain of the Jujutsu Pirates!"
Before you continue