The world outside had truly become an Inferno.
The screams coming from the deck gradually thinned out, finally falling into a dead silence.
Some Trainers resisted along the way, but the highest-ranked among those on the ship were only at the Intermediate level.
Their resistance was all bark and no bite, and they were soon slaughtered to the last person by the pirates.
Laic's furrowed brows finally relaxed slightly, and he exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
The massacre was over.
He looked sideways at Leon; the youth was still sitting cross-legged, his eyelids not even twitching.
"It's over."
Laic's voice was somewhat hoarse.
Only then did Leon slowly open his eyes, giving a soft grunt of acknowledgment.
At that moment, a flurry of messy footsteps and crude curses approached from a distance.
"Hahaha, we struck it rich today! There are even a few pretty babes on this ship, what a windfall!"
"It's just a pity; they were so good-looking, but they were killed right after we finished with them."
"The Captain said, as pirates, looting treasure is our top priority! Once your strength improves, you won't be lacking for women!"
"Makes sense! Hahaha!"
The pirates began their second task—looting.
The sound of metal being pried open, wooden crates being smashed, and the pirates' arguments over the unfair distribution of loot were clearly audible.
Leon and Laic exchanged a glance, both seeing the same message in the other's eyes.
The time was almost here.
They were like two predators lurking in the shadows, patiently waiting for their prey to walk into the trap.
"Damn it, what good stuff could be in this hellhole?"
A grumbling voice sounded at the door of the storage room, followed by a "creak" as the door was kicked open.
Blinding light flooded in, breaking the dimness of the room.
Two pirates wearing tattered vests and covered in strange tattoos blocked the doorway.
"Bad luck! The Captain told us to search this bottom layer too. This crappy storage room doesn't even have a window, what treasure could be hidden here?"
One tall, thin pirate spat inside, his face full of disdain.
The other, a short, fat man, peered around with shifty eyes. When his gaze swept over the piled-up canvas, he suddenly stopped.
"Hey, Buck, look over there."
The short, fat man nudged his companion with his elbow, an ill-intentioned smile appearing on his face.
"That canvas... did it just move?"
The tall, thin Buck looked in the direction he pointed, his eyes lighting up as he also began to grin lewdly.
"Oh? There really is something! Hiding in a place like this at a time like this, hehe, it couldn't be some little beauty who didn't manage to run away, could it?"
"Tsk tsk, hiding so tightly, it must be a top-tier one!"
The short, fat man rubbed his hands together, walking in with a lecherous grin.
"Let big brother take a look, which family's little kitty is it?"
The two of them walked toward the canvas, one after the other, filled with excitement.
In their view, even if it wasn't a woman behind the canvas, it would at most be an ordinary passenger scared out of their wits, nothing to fear at all.
They got closer and closer to the pile of canvas.
Five meters.
Three meters.
One meter.
The short, fat man had already reached out, preparing to tear away the covering.
Hidden behind the canvas, a cold light flashed in Leon's eyes.
Now!
"Go!"
With a low shout, a dark shadow suddenly appeared!
The Sandile that had been crouching at Leon's feet lunged out like an arrow from a bow!
"What is that?!"
The short, fat man only had time to let out a cry of surprise; he didn't even see what had lunged out before he felt a heart-wrenching pain in his neck!
"Crack!"
That was the crisp sound of bone being Crushed.
The Sandile's massive jaws, filled with sharp teeth, clamped down hard on his throat.
Blood sprayed out like a fountain, splashing all over the face of his companion, Buck.
"Ah... ugh..."
The short, fat man's eyes bulged, and a wheezing sound came from his throat; he instinctively reached for the Poké Ball at his waist, his last hope.
However, another dark shadow was faster than him.
Leon's figure flashed out from behind the canvas, the dagger in his hand tracing a cold arc through the air.
Puchi!
The dagger precisely severed the short, fat man's arm as it reached for his waist. The severed arm, along with the unactivated Poké Ball, fell to the ground together.
The expression on the short, fat man's face froze—pain, horror, and despair finally turned into a dead silence. His body convulsed twice before he slumped down, his life extinguished.
The entire process took no more than two seconds.
Decisive, ruthless, without a single trace of hesitation.
On the other side, the tall, thin Buck was completely terrified by this sudden scene.
Warm blood covered his face, and his companion's horrified expression was right before him.
His mind went blank, and his only thought was—run!
However, just as he turned around, he felt the back of his neck being firmly clamped as if by iron pincers. An irresistible, massive force came, lifting his entire body up.
"Where do you think you're going?"
A refined yet cold voice sounded in his ear.
Buck turned back in terror, meeting a pair of emotionless eyes.
It was the man wearing a suit, his hair combed meticulously.
A playful smile hung on Laic's face, but his gaze was as cold as ice.
He grabbed the back of Buck's neck, clenched his other hand into a fist, and delivered a heavy punch to Buck's temple!
Bang!
The dull sound echoed in the small storage room.
Buck's head felt as if it had been hit by a sledgehammer. Stars danced before his eyes, and nosebleeds and tears instantly gushed out.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Laic didn't stop, punch after punch, hitting the same spot mechanically and efficiently.
Buck's body swayed like a broken sandbag; he couldn't even let out a scream and soon lost all resistance.
Finally, as if Laic found this too slow, his arm muscles suddenly bulged, and veins popped out. He unclenched his fist, wrapped both hands around Buck's neck, and twisted hard!
"Snap."
The crisp sound of a neck bone breaking rang out.
Laic let go, and Buck's corpse went limp and slid to the ground, his head drooping at a bizarre angle.
Having done all this, Laic acted as if he had only performed a trivial task.
He took a clean white handkerchief from his breast pocket, carefully wiped away the non-existent dust on his hands, and then tossed the handkerchief onto the corpse with disgust.
He straightened his slightly wrinkled suit collar, returning to his refined, Superior appearance.
The entire storage room fell into a brief, dead silence.
In the air, the thick smell of blood mixed with the scent of engine oil and rust, forming a nauseating atmosphere.
Looking at Laic, Leon's gaze changed slightly for the first time.
He knew Laic was an Intermediate Cadre of Team Rockets and that he was ruthless, but he hadn't expected... that this man, who looked so refined on the outside and even resembled a corporate executive, would have such a combat style.
Those punches just now—each one contained a terrifying force that an ordinary person could never possess.
This guy... was actually a strength-type fighter?
A sense of absurdity flashed through Leon's mind.
The contrast in image was just too great.
Laic seemed to notice Leon's gaze. He turned his head and gave Leon an appreciative smile: "Well done, Leon. Your moves were clean and decisive; you're good material."
The look of admiration in his eyes toward Leon grew even stronger.
This kid not only had a good head on his shoulders but was also ruthless enough in action; he was practically a talent tailor-made for Team Rockets.
"You weren't bad either."
Leon replied succinctly, his gaze falling on the hand Laic had just used to throw punches.
The knuckles of those hands were well-defined, looking no different from an ordinary person's, but Leon now knew that these hands contained the power to easily crush a human skull.
It seemed that indeed, none of the cadres in Team Rockets were simple characters.
In the brief moment of their exchange, an impatient shout suddenly came from the direction of the deck outside the storage room.
"Hey! Buck, Roche! Where the hell did you two bastards go? How long are you going to take to search one crappy storage room?!"
The voice was loud and full of displeasure.
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