"Hmm!! Do you want to be like Kenya too?"
Just then, Phil walked over and looked indifferently at the group of wailing and suffering pirates, causing their cries to stop abruptly.
"Hehehehe, no, we wouldn't dare! Sir, please give us any instructions you may have, and we will do our best to fulfill them. Please, treat us like ants and spare our lives!!"
Seeing Phil's complete indifference to their lives, the pirates dared not cry out anymore, and knelt down before him, pleading earnestly.
"Hmph, a bunch of opportunists. I have no interest in your lives. Killing you would only dirty my hands. Now, tell me, which of you can operate a ship and determine a course? Step forward now so I don't have to search for you one by one."
Phil was disgusted by the shameless and obsequious nature of these pirates, but since he still needed them for the time being, he didn't attack them. He continued to stand there, looking down at them, and asked indifferently.
"Yes, I can repair boats..."
"I... I can control the flight path..."
"Me too, me too..."
As soon as Phil finished speaking, several people raised their hands and hurriedly echoed his sentiments.
"Well, let's have some people with special talents step forward, besides the combatants..."
Phil glanced around at them, nodded, and then addressed the others.
After he finished speaking, several more people raised their hands and stood up. They were doctors, cooks, or musicians, essential members for the pirate crew's voyage. After Phil selected the necessary personnel, only a dozen or so people remained below. These were all Kenya's most loyal henchmen, quite strong, but also the most vicious, ruthless, Greed, and greedy. Phil would not leave them alive.
"Um... Sir, what are your plans regarding us? Do you intend for us to join your team? If so, we will certainly serve you loyally and risk our lives..."
This group of people were unaware that Phil had already removed them from the list, and still naively believed that he would let them on with better treatment.
If Phil were merely a pirate captain aiming for the throne, he might have accepted their requests to join. After all, these individuals had already experienced real battles and bloodshed, and their strength was formidable; anyone else would have recruited them directly into their crew. However, was Phil an ordinary pirate? No, he was simply a Champion Fighter pursued strength while retaining a kind heart. He would never agree to their requests to join.
"No, I have a much better plan for you!! Hehehe, by the way, I remember that guy named Kenya said he was the most famous pirate in this area, right? So you must have some remarkable achievements to be removed from the list. Tell me about them, it will determine whether you can stay or not..."
Phil seemed to want to test their strength as a prerequisite for joining, but the group of pirates who only knew how to kill didn't understand his true intention and kept vying to tell him about their 'great' achievements.
"I... I... Lord Phil, please listen to me first. I am one of the most important combatants on the Kenya pirate ship. I followed the former captain and robbed and slaughtered nearly ten towns in Kenya, killing countless people... My combat strength is absolutely reliable. If you are willing to let me serve under your command, I will definitely clear all obstacles for you and help you ascend to the throne of the Pirate King..."
The pirate who eagerly introduced himself patted his chest and boasted, as if the title of Pirate King would be his for the taking if Phil really agreed to his request. Little did he know that a hint of murderous intent had already flashed in Phil's eyes upon hearing this, but he quickly concealed it and smiled at him again, saying "Okay."
Then, as if inspired by his words, the other pirates rushed to loudly introduce their own achievements and merits, even rambling on about the reasons why they had set sail earlier. In an instant, the Kenya pirate ship became a venue and stage for recounting their crimes.
"Hehehe, very good, very good. Is this all the 'achievements' you've made while following Kenya? Truly impressive! I never imagined such a small pirate ship could harbor so many Raging Tiger beasts. I really underestimated this place at first..."
That's good, all of you, get up. I'll arrange better positions for you based on your 'merits,' and I hope you'll all be satisfied!
As Phil spoke, he made the group of people stand up and face him. The look of disgust in his eyes became increasingly undisguised, but the gentle smile on his face prevented these roughnecks from discerning his true thoughts.
"Really? Sir, you've really decided to let us join your group? That's wonderful! With your immense strength and our help, this sea area will surely fall into your territory. Just thinking about it makes us impatient! We really want to let those fools witness your mighty name as soon as possible..."
Furthermore, please do not hesitate to ask for our services; we will do our utmost, even at the cost of our lives, to accomplish it for you!
One of the pirates, who seemed to be the second-in-command, actually believed Phil's words and thought he had agreed to their request to join his ranks. He then envisioned Phil's future power and began to present Phil with a grand plan for conquest.
He made those polite remarks at the end, but little did anyone know that these final words would become Phil's excuse to kill them.
"Oh!! Will you really serve me wholeheartedly, even at the cost of your lives, as you say?"
Phil heard his last polite words and asked quietly.
"Hmm?! It's true. Don't be fooled by our lack of loyalty to Kenya earlier; it was only because we witnessed your heroic bearing and overwhelming strength, Phil. Besides, we had already lost faith in that Kenya, which is why we didn't attack you. If it were you, sir, we would certainly give our lives to serve you..."
Hearing Phil's questioning tone, the junior pirate leader hurriedly explained the so-called 'reason' and the truth to him, and even went so far as to explain again, fearing that Phil might not trust him.
"Hehehe, that's quite a task for you. In that case, I'll assign you an important task. If you can complete it, I'll accept you as members and consider you my capable assistants, rewarding your loyalty. What do you say?!"
After listening to their explanations for their betrayal, Phil pretended to think it over seriously before making a promise to them.
"Yes, yes, yes, please give us any tasks you may have. We will complete them for you even at the cost of our lives."
However, if it is truly a task we are unable to complete at this stage, please reconsider. This is not a small matter of shirking responsibility, but rather, if our lowly lives end there, you will likely find it difficult to find subordinates as excellent and capable as us again...
After listening, the foreman first patted his chest and assured them that they would do their best to complete the task. Then, fearing that Phil might deliberately make things difficult for them and actually make them do some impossible tasks, he made it clear in advance. Then, fearing that Phil might doubt his loyalty, he gave a serious explanation.
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to do anything that will only make things difficult for you. You just need to nod and say whether you want to do it or not. The trial mission will be over soon, and there won't be much that will cause you any trouble."
Phil said this, but in his heart he was thinking that as long as they agreed, he would just punch each of them and send them down to join their loyal Captain Kenya. He still had that unchanging smile on his face and slightly shrugged.
"R-really? Sir, you just said that as long as we nod, we can pass your test smoothly?!"
After exchanging glances with his companions and reaching a consensus, the leader turned back to him again to confirm.
"Yes, it's true. So, do you want to join my group or not? If you want to join, you'll have to pass my test. Make a decision quickly, I'm not going to waste any more time with you guys!!"
Phil nodded to him affirmatively, then his expression seemed to gradually become impatient, and he raised his voice as he asked.
"Well, we're willing. Please specify the task..."
He gritted his teeth and agreed.
"Yes, that's more like it. Please close your eyes for a moment, it'll be over soon..."
"It's as simple as closing our eyes, sir. Rest assured, we will not be the first to open our eyes without your order..."
As he spoke, the junior leader closed his eyes first, and the other pirates followed suit.
"Very good... You've all closed your eyes. My trial will begin now. From this moment on, unless I speak, you are not allowed to make a sound no matter what you hear, and you are absolutely not allowed to open your eyes, understand?"
Seeing that they had all closed their eyes, Phil raised his hand, which was surrounded by a faint blue light, and waved it in front of them, speaking sternly.
"Yes!!"
"Very good, that's a proper subordinate. Let's begin... Swift Step... Shadow Instant Kill!!"
brush...
With that, Phil's figure One Flash Extreme Speed, leaving afterimages on the deck. The next moment, he had already passed by the group of pirates with their eyes closed. His fist, shimmering with light, had already pierced their chests before they could react. Because of the power of his Devil Fruit, he was able to strike so fast that their nerves didn't even have time to react before it was all over.
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
Tick-tock...
Drops of blood dripped from the holes in their chests. The pirates hadn't even realized what was happening yet. In the silence, only the dripping sound could be heard. They were all puzzled, but since Phil didn't speak, they didn't dare to ask.
"My lord, are you done? Have we passed all the trials you mentioned? May we open our eyes and take a look?!"
After a short while, the junior leader finally couldn't help but speak up and ask him a question.
"Alright, you can open your eyes now. Although you performed well, I'm sorry, but none of you have passed my test. Now, in my great mercy, I will let you take one last look at this mortal world."
One last reminder: it's best not to look at your chest. I'm going inside to rest for a bit...
Having said that, Phil ignored what the completely clueless pirates would do and went straight into the dining room inside the ship's cabin.
"Huh?! What happened? Did we fail your trial? Why did it end when we couldn't feel anything?"
Oh, no, I misspoke. I only heard the sound of water dripping. How did it end so quickly? And what's wrong with my chest?... Hmm... is this... a wound?"
Thump...
Phil's words left this group of brainless pirates completely bewildered. The minor leader muttered something as he watched Phil's departing figure.
Then a sharp pain gradually spread through his body. He couldn't help but look at the spot where the pain was coming from, the chest area that Phil had warned him not to look at. There was a bloody hole that had been punched through it. His eyes showed disbelief. Finally, his lips twitched a few times, and he lost consciousness, falling heavily onto the splint with a thud.
Thump thump thump...
Shortly after he fell to the ground, the other pirates felt the same reaction and collapsed as well.
"Why? Why do you want to..., sir?"
The last, toughest-looking pirate, still clinging to life, collapsed on the deck like the others. The deck beneath him was already stained crimson with his blood, but he paid no heed, enduring the intense pain in his abdomen. Finally, he reached out to grab Phil's back and questioned Phil.
"Huh?! It seems you still didn't listen to me about not looking at your chest area. Wouldn't it be better to just obediently watch this last ray of sunlight and then die without any pain?"
And all that talk about trials I just told you about was a lie. Scum like you have absolutely no right to join my team.
Furthermore, although I'm not particularly interested in what you've done, how can I tolerate you continuing to live after committing so many heinous acts?
Now you know, right? You can all go to hell and serve your captain.
Upon hearing the pirate's final, hysterical questioning, Phil stopped, turned back to him, explained his original intention, and then ignored them, continuing on his way back.
"So, so that's how it is? You were just toying with us all along. Heh heh, how laughable. None of us realized your true intentions and naively thought you would accept us. And pirates like us deserve to die for our sins. I have no regrets..."
Hideo...
The pirate finally understood his thoughts and realized that they had all been convinced by Phil's lies. In his final moments, as if he had truly transcended everything, he recalled his past experiences and fell to the ground without regret, ultimately dying.
"Ah!!"
Just as Phil stepped into the dining room, he heard the panicked cries of the other surviving pirates behind him.
The group of people watched in terror as their former comrades lay lifeless in pools of blood. They knew whose doing it was and feared Phil might use the same method against them. Their eyes were filled with dread as they looked at Phil.
"What's all the panicking about? They're just a bunch of dead men. Quickly clean them up and throw them into the sea to feed the fish, so they don't look disgusting. And who's the navigator?"
Phil ignored their reactions and didn't care whether they were afraid of him or not. As long as they were afraid of him and obeyed him, that was enough. He never intended to continue using these pirates. He could dismiss, kill, or send them to the Navy on the next island.
"Yes, sir, I am the navigator of this ship. Is there anything you wish to order me?"
Just then, as Phil called for the navigator, a thin man who looked to be in his forties approached and said tremblingly.
"What's the next island? How many days' Luo Chen will it take?"
Phil glanced at him and asked.
"Yes, the next island is Macaron Island, the Capital of Gourmet Food, which should take about two and a half days to reach."
"I don't care what methods you use, I'll give you a day and a half at most. When the time is up, I want to see the island's shadow, understand?"
"Yes, Your subordinate will do your utmost to accomplish this for you!"
Although it was difficult, the sight of the corpses of his comrades made the navigator dare not object and he could only grit his teeth and agree.
"Alright, I'll go rest for a bit then. Call me when we get there. Oh, and remember to clean up these corpses quickly. Okay, that's all I have to say. You can get started!"
After saying that, Phil ignored them and went into the cabin.