"Speaking of which... I feel like you really hate pirates, don't you?" Ain blinked, asking curiously.
"My homeland was destroyed by pirates, and my parents died because of them. Our family lived a peaceful life, carefree and untroubled, until that idyllic, fairy-tale existence was shattered a month and a half ago."
As a transmigrator, Cage had no grand ambitions. Primarily, he lacked the capital: no money, no power, and no system to help him rise. He wisely chose to live as an ordinary person.
But fate had other plans. Just because you don't provoke others doesn't mean they won't provoke you. Pirates destroyed the home he relied on for survival, and with no other choice, Cage eventually joined the Marines.
He would seek revenge against every pirate in this world.
"I'm sorry, I brought up painful memories," Ain quickly lowered her head to apologize. No wonder Cage always blew pirates' heads to pieces.
"Ahhh!"
A shrill scream ripped through the night's tranquility. Cage and Ain immediately turned their heads to look.
Under the dim moonlight, they could see a group of pirates secretly landing. Some recruits had already been killed.
"Damn it, it's an enemy attack!"
Ain was startled. Just as she was about to shout, several gunshots rang out. Cage had already opened fire, and all the sleeping Marine recruits awoke.
"The enemy is coming in strong," Cage's Observation Haki spread out, thoroughly filtering the attacking pirates. Their numbers actually exceeded those of the Marines.
Ain opened her mouth, turning to Cage and saying, "Let's go together..."
Whoosh!
Cage darted into the night, his presence vanishing like a ghost. He was merely a sniper; direct close-quarters combat with enemies wasn't his strong suit.
Bang bang bang bang bang bang...
Only about ten seconds passed before gunshots swept through the area. Cage fired a dozen shots at top speed, launching a bloody sniping spree against the invading pirates. Whether they had bounties in the tens of millions or were nameless nobodies, all were instantly blown apart by Cage's precise shots to the head.
"Everyone, calmly engage! Don't forget what I told you earlier: pirates aren't fearsome in themselves. What's fearsome is your fear of them... Once a person fears their opponent from within, you are guaranteed to lose!"
Zephyr had also awakened by this time, his booming voice reaching the ears of every Marine recruit.
Outwardly calm, Zephyr's heart was grim.
Why hadn't Momonga, who was on night watch, discovered the enemy's invasion?
Or... had he been taken down?
Thud thud thud...
A series of dull thuds came from where the pirates had landed. Zephyr's gaze immediately swept over.
The night sky was pitch black; it was impossible to clearly see who the newcomers were. But through his Observation Haki, Zephyr sensed an immense threat from them.
A massive figure leaped from the pirate ship, carrying a person in his hand... This person's clothes were completely drenched in blood.
"Damn pirates!!!"
Zephyr's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his iron fist clenching, emanating an overwhelming killing intent.
Vice Admiral Momonga was one of his students, and Zephyr could no longer sense Momonga's life force, realizing he was on the verge of death.
Meanwhile, Cage, from his hidden position, also immediately spotted the figure who had jumped from the ship. He was corpulent, six or seven meters tall—an enormous figure.
Most, most, most importantly, Cage realized he recognized this person.
"Edward Weevil... the self-proclaimed son of Whitebeard?"
Cage's heart sank. Seeing Zephyr actively move towards Edward Weevil, he inwardly sighed in dismay.
This battle was a major turning point in Zephyr's life. As an instructor, he would be defeated, lose an arm, and all his students would be gone except for Ain and Binz.
"I don't care if you're the first Whitebeard or the second Whitebeard! As long as you're a pirate, I'm going to blow your head off!" Cage decisively aimed his rifle at Edward Weevil. After a moment of calm, he instantly pulled the trigger.
BANG!!!
A bullet ripped through the night sky, streaking towards Edward Weevil. Just as it was about to hit his head, the large man suddenly shifted his body, evading the incoming bullet.
"He detected it in advance... Observation Haki?"
Cage's brow furrowed slightly. It seemed his previous thinking was a bit naive; attempting to kill a pirate with a bounty in the hundreds of millions with such "dirty" tactics was completely unrealistic.
Bang, boom boom boom!!!
The tiny, pinky-finger-sized bullet ultimately slammed into the ship. The battleship erupted in a massive explosion, shattering into fragments.
Zephyr, witnessing this, gaped. Even a cannon wouldn't have that kind of power!
"No wonder Cage can easily kill pirates with bounties in the tens of millions. With that kind of power, killing them is like child's play. But is this Cage's own ability, or the power of his firearm?"
"That was really dangerous just now, Momma! You scared me," Edward Weevil cried out, holding his large naginata and looking at the wrecked pirate ship. "The ship's gone! How are we supposed to get back now? Waaahhh..."
Tears streamed down his face. Both Zephyr and Cage, witnessing this, were left speechless.
"Weevil, there's no need to worry. Our ship is ruined, but the Marines have plenty of ships. After we kill Zephyr, we'll just take a Marine ship."
Behind Edward Weevil emerged a short, elderly woman with a face like withered tree bark, a chilling smile playing on her lips. "Zephyr, long time no see."
This woman was Edward Weevil's mother—Miss Buckin.
Edward Weevil had low intelligence and lacked independent decision-making. His current attack on Zephyr could be 100% attributed to Miss Buckin's manipulation.
"Your son has some skill, but why are you, an old hag, coming out to join the fun?"
Cage immediately aimed his gun at Miss Buckin. As long as they were pirates, regardless of age or gender, they would be shown no mercy!