"Out of my way! Move!"
Zoro, gripping a single sword, stepped across the sea of corpses and leapt onto the pirates' ship under the terrified gazes of the remaining crew.
"Don't let him take the ship! If he does, we'll all end up as shark food!"
"He's just one man! There's so many of us. Even a bounty hunter can't kill us all before he runs out of strength! Charge!"
The pirates guarding the ship shouted as they rushed forward. They were at sea, not on land—without their ship, the only fate awaiting them was to sink beneath the waves.
Some of the more cowardly and cunning pirates had already fled, rowing away in small boats. Others noticed this and, furious, began to fight among themselves over who could escape first.
The deck descended into chaos. Blood splattered everywhere, and where Zoro stood, the planks had turned crimson.
Amidst the pandemonium—
A small pirate with pink hair hid inside a cabin, peeking through a crack in the door. His eyes widened as he watched the green-haired swordsman cut through men as if walking through an empty field.
He didn't feel fear or anger—only elation.
"I… Koby… can I finally escape from this wretched pirate ship!?"
From the moment Zoro had boarded Alvida's ship, his ruthless slaughter had painted the deck red. The difference in strength was simply too vast; pirates who crossed his path either fell dead or jumped overboard in terror.
But those remaining aboard the Gus saw an opportunity.
"Catch that guy! He can control the bounty hunter!"
"If we capture him, we might live!"
The situation had turned desperate. The Alvida Pirates knew that if they didn't gamble now, they were doomed.
A pack of pirates, eyes crazed with fear and resolve, charged forward—just enough to make the Gus crew hesitate.
After all, everyone feared death, especially surrounded by corpses.
"Damn it! Protect Mr. Ren!"
Captain Saren roared, drawing his sword and rushing forward to block the attackers. The foolhardy pirates still hadn't realized what was really happening.
The man who determined everyone's fate wasn't them—it was Zoro.And the one commanding Zoro was Ren!
If Ren could command the bounty hunter to kill them, he could also order him to stop!
"Outta the way, old man! Stop talking about honor—everyone, attack together!"
A pirate with rotting yellow teeth bellowed, and several men lunged forward. Four or five of them immediately engaged Captain Saren, forcing him back.
The Gus crew tried to come to his aid, but another group of ten pirates cut them off, blades flashing.
They had already spent their musket ammo during the earlier fighting, and there was no time to reload amidst the chaos.
Now, it came down to cold steel—a man-to-man slaughter.
Blades clashed. Sparks flew.
Despite their courage, the Gus crew found themselves pushed back by the ferocity of the desperate pirates.
Captain Saren could only grit his teeth helplessly—until he noticed Ren drawing his sword.
But even an untrained eye could tell from Ren's stiff stance—he had no idea how to wield it. Even a trainee swordsman would do better.
Meanwhile, Zoro had already vanished below deck, faithfully executing Ren's earlier command.
Seven or eight pirates spread out, forming a semicircle around their target.
The yellow-toothed pirate grinned and shouted, "Surrender, Ren! If you make that damned bounty hunter stop, we won't hurt you!"
"You shouldn't come closer," Ren said coolly. "The closer you are, the higher your chance of dying to my Iai Slash."
His eyes sharpened. With a single motion, he sheathed the straight blade, resting one hand on the hilt while tucking the other behind his back.
At that moment—he truly looked like a swordsman.
The yellow-toothed pirate faltered for an instant, but then burst out laughing when he noticed Ren's awkward posture.
"Ha! Kid, that's not how you hold a sword! 'Iai Slash'? You think you're some samurai? Can you even spin your blade?"
He twirled his cutlass, producing a gleam of steel as he advanced, intending to intimidate the boy.
Ren's face was young and unscarred—soft, untested.A little fear would make him crumble easily.
And so, step by step, the pirate closed the distance.
Ten steps. Eight. Five.
And then—
"Iai—Gun!"
The shout was followed by a thunderous bang!
A flash of light burst across the deck. The yellow-toothed pirate froze mid-step, then collapsed. A smoking hole gaped in his chest, blood pouring freely as a crimson mist erupted from his back. Bits of flesh and viscera splattered the wooden boards.
Ren stood unmoving, one hand still pressed to his sword hilt.In his other hand gleamed a silver Desert Eagle, smoke curling lazily from the barrel.
This was—American-style Iai.
"…"
The remaining pirates stared in shock, eyes wide, faces pale.That strange weapon in his hand—it wasn't a flintlock pistol they'd ever seen before.
Then, fury took over.
"You bastard! You said it was a sword slash—how dare you use a gun!?"
"Forget about angering that bounty hunter!"
"Get him! He's only got one gun—he can't reload fast enough!"
"We've got numbers!"
The shouting ended almost as soon as it began.All at once, the pirates rushed from every direction.
But they'd miscalculated. Ren's weapon wasn't a slow, single-shot flintlock.
Bang! Bang! Bang!Flashes of fire lit up the deck as the semi-automatic weapon spat death. In mere seconds, a rain of bullets cut through the air.
Each time the black muzzle turned, another pirate screamed and fell.
Distance, once an advantage for pirates, became Ren's territory instead.
Beyond seven steps, the gun was fast.Within seven steps, the gun was fast and precise.
Once the gap closed, accuracy no longer mattered—only speed did.
Click!
The final bullet fired. The silver Desert Eagle's slide locked open with a metallic snap.
Out of bullets.
"...Damn. Pushed it too far, huh?"
Ren's pupils contracted. He recognized the sign—the slide locking back, meaning the magazine was empty.
He'd experienced it before on the island—when the gun stopped firing, he had to replace the magazine and hit the slide release to resume shooting.
But now, in the chaos of battle, there was no time.
"He's out of bullets!"
"Go! If we don't move now, we'll be shark bait!"
Only two pirates remained. They had been backing away, pale and trembling—but when they saw the gun jam and Ren retreat a step, their eyes lit up with savage hope.
Better to die fighting than flee and be cut down later!
They bared their teeth and charged, faces twisted with madness.
Three meters. Eight steps. Six.
Just as their blades came into range, Ren's lips curled into a fierce grin.
He slid the silver Desert Eagle back into his belt. Energy surged within him, roaring through his veins.
[Strength +3][Constitution +2]
The stat window flashed before his eyes.
[Strength: G++][Constitution: G+]
Indestructible Vajra Body!
(End of Chapter)