A few short men stepped forward. Some grabbed Ishishita's limbs, while another covered his mouth. Caught completely off guard, Yamaguchi gave a forceful yank and pulled the bamboo skewer straight out. They were banking on a surprise attack; if the villagers found out they were here, the pirates would surely suffer heavy losses. Ishishita Saburō broke out in a cold sweat. He had clenched his fists so tightly that beads of blood seeped from his palms, and his entire body trembled.
"That's enough. Just bear with it, and the pain will pass. These damn fishermen actually dared to set traps for us, so they can't blame us for being ruthless this time.
"Everyone, don't let a single one of them go later. We are taking everything. Whatever we can't carry, we destroy."
The two dozen pirates rubbed their hands together in anticipation. "That's right! Just like he said, don't even spare a single thread!"
