Bang!
The loud gunshot startled the residents, and no one noticed the pirate leader's moment of panic. However, it didn't escape Auguro's keen eye.
The pirate leader then pointed the gun at Auguro, threatening, "Kid, make your lackeys drop their swords and surrender quietly!"
There was no way he could let this betrayer of his boss go!
He had to break his limbs and chop off his head in front of everyone, letting him die in extreme agony!
Only then would others not dare to entertain thoughts of resistance!
Auguro merely gave the pirate leader a cold look in response to the threat. Now that the link between these pirates and the fat Lord was confirmed, the rest was simple!
"Ōura, Hanatarō, finish this quickly!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the pirate leader felt a chill in his left hand. The next second, a severed hand flew past his eyes, still tightly clutching the pistol. Blood spurted from his stump!
"Were it not for the Lord Soul King's direct order, the sin of offending the Lord Soul King would warrant a much crueler punishment!" Hanatarō Yamada held his Zanpakutō, Hisagomaru, against the pirate leader's neck, his voice chilling.
The pirate leader was completely stunned. They had been nearly ten meters apart just a moment ago; how had Hanatarō appeared next to him instantly?
Feeling the cold blade on his neck, the pirate leader didn't dare move, placing all his hope on his subordinates.
"They only have two people. If we can just capture that little brat, I still win!"
The pirate leader thought, quickly tilting his head to glance at his men. That single glance nearly made him wet himself.
Ōura was using Flash Step, his figure flickering in and out of sight among the pirates like a ghost. Pirate after pirate fell beneath his Zanpakutō, unable to even figure out what was happening. Some frantically raised their guns to retaliate, but couldn't even graze Ōura's clothes, instead hitting their own comrades.
Blood blossomed like flowers under the flashing blade.
In less than two breaths, Ōura stood in the center of the street, slowly sheathing his Zanpakutō. The corpses of the pirates lay scattered all around him!
"Wh-who... who exactly are you?" the pirate leader stammered, terrified.
The fighting prowess of these two men surpassed even the guys at the Marine Branch!
Auguro chuckled coldly. Although Ōura was drawn from the White Pool, he was still an official member of the Tenth Division. His combat strength was comparable to a Marine Headquarters Ensign!
Hanatarō Yamada, a genuine seated officer, was even stronger—even a Fourth Division seated officer's combat ability was at least on par with a Marine Headquarters Commodore!
"We are the subordinates of the Lord Soul King, known as Soul Reapers!" Hanatarō Yamada proudly announced their identity.
Soul Reapers? The pirate leader hadn't expected them to use such a title! But then he thought of Ōura's easy, nonchalant way of harvesting lives. Perhaps the title was fitting!
Auguro slowly approached, looking down at the pirate leader with cold disdain.
"Now, tell us everything about your business with the fat Lord."
The pirate leader trembled. He couldn't understand how Auguro, just an ordinary town kid, had suddenly become some kind of "Soul King" with two powerful swordsmen as subordinates!
Unfortunately, he would never know the truth.
With Hanatarō, the medical expert, present, only a small bit of gentle persuasion was needed on the pirate leader before the man broke and confessed everything.
"It was all orchestrated by Lord Chagurot! Please, just give me a quick death!"
The pirate leader collapsed on the ground, his eyes bulging, his body convulsing violently as if electrocuted.
"You know the truth now. How to deal with this person is up to all of you," Auguro said, handing the fate of the man over to the residents.
The residents, furious at learning the truth, would never let go of the murderer who had killed their loved ones. In less than a minute, the pirate leader went silent amidst the shouts of vengeance. The gruesome state of his corpse was best left unmentioned.
Once the residents' anger had mostly subsided, Auguro suddenly announced:
"Everyone! Lord Chagurot conspired with pirates to rob us! He is unfit to hold the title of Lord!"
"I have decided to overthrow his rule over Papaloko Island today. Who will join me?"
Everyone was shocked by Auguro's sudden declaration. Overthrow the Lord's rule? For ordinary people, this was unthinkable, let alone something they would dare to do!
The old town elder stepped forward to dissuade him. "Auguro, the pirates have been eliminated. We are safe now. There's no need to take such a huge risk!"
Everyone echoed his sentiment. They clearly didn't dare to engage in such an act of rebellion. Just look at Dragon of the Revolutionary Army—he was labeled the world's most heinous criminal and forced to live on the run!
Hearing their fear, Auguro let out a disdainful sneer.
"Do you truly believe you're safe just because those pirates are dead?"
"The pirates are gone; of course, we're safe!" someone whispered.
"Heh heh!" Auguro sneered dismissively.
"If this batch of pirates is gone, can't Chagurot just hire another batch? It doesn't cost him anything; he just takes the money from your homes!"
At those words, the residents' faces instantly changed. Auguro's statement had a very high chance of becoming reality!
Auguro didn't give them time to react, adding a final, decisive point: "Furthermore! You all just killed the pirate leader he appointed."
"With his cash cow gone, do you honestly think that petty Lord will act as if nothing happened?"
Now, everyone's heart sank halfway. Many regretted their moment of rage and why they had acted so impulsively.
"We'll go!"
Suddenly, a chorus of childish voices rang out. It was the children Auguro was housing—his cheap subordinates.
"Big Brother Auguro! We'll go with you! That Chagurot killed our parents! Why should he continue to live like a king on this island? I won't stand for it!"
"We won't stand for it! We won't stand for it!"
Children's thoughts are the purest. Listening to their voices filled with hatred, and remembering the friends and family who had died and could not rest in peace, the remaining backbone of the adults was finally ignited.
"Screw it! Let's do it! He's just a fat pig. Since he doesn't want us to live, why should we let him live!"
"That's right! We're just fighting to survive! We've done nothing wrong!"
"Let's go!"
Finally, a torrent of people slowly formed, surging toward Chagurot's mansion!
Inside a vast mansion, Chagurot was happily calculating his ledger.
"With this haul, I'll have enough to buy a higher noble title! I really have these lowlifes to thank!" Chagurot fantasized. The territory and its residents were merely tools for him to amass wealth; he didn't care if they lived or died.
Boom!
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from outside the gate. Chagurot jumped in fright and tumbled off his chair. "What is it? What happened?!"
A bodyguard rushed in frantically. "Lord! The townspeople have broken in! They're screaming for revenge for their families! There are at least a hundred of them!"
"What?! How dare those lowlifes!" Chagurot was both shocked and enraged. "Kill them all!"
Clearly, his conspiracy with the pirates had been exposed. These commoners could not be allowed to live!
Chagurot was confident in his bodyguards. Fearing for his life, he had spent a fortune equipping all of them with muskets. Dealing with a bunch of commoners should be child's play!
Bang!
Indeed, a gunshot echoed from the courtyard. He figured this farce would be over soon! Chagurot thought triumphantly.
However, in the very next second, a series of terrified screams erupted from the courtyard. A few seconds later, the entire courtyard fell completely silent. The gunshot never rang out a second time.
Boom!
The next moment, the door to Chagurot's study was violently blown open.