Chapter 246: Big Brother, One of Us
Chapter 246: Big Brother, One of Us
Behind them, Lida and Klah led the Navy in a rapid advance. Navy soldiers raised their guns, aiming at the pirates, instantly silencing the chaotic scene.
Dao Ge Wo Si swallowed hard. If these were ordinary soldiers, he might have confessed without hesitation. But these weren’t regular Navy troops—they could actually fly in midair, making them terrifyingly unique.
It wasn’t just about strength. The man radiating Killing Intent was obviously powerful, but Dao Ge Wo Si couldn’t shake the feeling that admitting guilt would leave him face-down in the dirt.
The other pirates stood silently, heads bowed.
Yuan Tong He Shang’s forehead dripped with cold sweat. The killer aura emanating from this man chilled him to his core.
Speaking out of turn would mean death!
“I’ll ask one last time—who did it?”
Kuro waved the ship’s rudder threateningly at the group. His original rage had barely simmered, but the sudden appearance of this cursed ship’s rudder in his grasp had only intensified his fury.
Among all things he despised, a ship’s rudder ranked first.
No one dared breathe, especially under the Navy’s gun barrels.
“You!”
Kuro pointed at the young man who had spoken earlier. The youth flinched at the sudden shout, trembling as he stepped forward. His eyes darted between Kuro and the fearsome Navy behind him. “Big Brother… one of us,” he whimpered.
Dao Ge Wo Si watched the young man speak and gesture toward his direction. The terrifying soldier’s gaze shifted straight at him.
Disaster!
Kuro approached Dao Ge Wo Si, rudder in hand. “Was it you?”
“I…”
Though taller than Kuro, Dao Ge Wo Si instinctively hunched his back and lowered his head as the other drew near, shrinking his imposing frame. He stared at Kuro’s grip tightening on his sword hilt, the words dying in his throat.
“A man should own his actions. Your cowardice disgusts me. As a pirate, do you have no honor?”
Kuro’s tone softened. “Don’t worry. Speak bravely—I won’t harm you.”
Hope flickered in Dao Ge Wo Si’s eyes. Could this man be a magnanimous soul? Perhaps confessing would earn admiration?
“If you insist… Yes, I threw it! You destroyed my ship—I was just venting my anger!” Dao Ge Wo Si nodded, embracing the truth.
Swish!
A black flash soared. Dao Ge Wo Si’s head spun skyward, separating from his body with a few midair rotations.
“Eh, I just meant to kill you.”
Kuro sheathed Autumn Water, tossing the ship’s rudder onto the corpse before spitting on it.
“Throwing a ship’s rudder at me? Don’t you know I hate this thing most of all?”
He turned to the trembling pirates.
“Hmph. Turning you in might earn rewards, but killing you all’s easier. Let’s call it even.”
He raised his hand to strike.
The pirates erupted into collective panic.
“Wait! Navy sir, please wait!”
A bald monk stepped forward, voice trembling. “Mr. Navy, my Buddha teaches that even killers can attain salvation by abandoning their blades. Killing so many now will bar you from meeting the Buddha in your next life.”
“What?”
Kuro froze mid-motion, staring at the monk with wide, bulging eyes.
Yuan Tong He Shang clasped his palms. “Mr. Navy, my Buddha teaches that violence is never justified. Regardless of our positions, senseless bloodshed is wrong. I’ve embarked on this voyage with a sacred mission—to spread peace’s preciousness. Destroying my life’s purpose through murder will invite the Buddha’s wrath upon you. You’ll descend to hell.”
A massive fragment of ruins crashed down, engulfing Yuan Tong He Shang and nearby pirates. Beneath the colossal debris, only bloodstains remained to mark their deaths.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Not a single word made sense.”
Kuro bit his cigar, eyeing the remaining pirates. “Your turn.”
“Hold!”
Bei Te Luo suddenly raised his hand, expression grave. He inhaled deeply. “Let me go first. Please… leave me intact.”
He pressed the pistol to his temple and fired. The lead bullet pierced his skull, scattering brain matter as he collapsed.
The sky-obscuring object above made resistance unthinkable.
Since survival was impossible, choosing a dignified death seemed wise.
Even pirates deserved honor in their end.
“I don’t want to die!”
One pirate wailed, trembling as he drew his blade.
“Let’s fight! We’ll die either way—why not gamble for survival?”
A figure who seemed a captain brandished his gun. “Follow me! Charge through an escape route!”
“Waaah!” The pirates roared, desperation fueling their resolve.
“Commander, approaching ships! Jerman Kingdom’s flagship!”
A Lieutenant descending from the warship pointed at the horizon. A fleet of five vessels approached.
“More here too!”
An Ensign on land gestured frantically. Another five ships emerged from the Grand Line’s direction—the Sukunai Kingdom’s fleet.
“Two kingdom fleets?”
The pirate captain grinned wildly. “They’ve surely uncovered our secrets! This is our counterattack chance! This island will descend into chaos! My men, charge! Stall until the fleets arrive!”
Boom!
Before his words faded, a ruinous fragment crushed him into pulp.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ruins rained down, obliterating the remaining pirates. Bloodied chunks lifted skyward, only to be drenched by sudden sea-water torrents. The cleansing deluge swept debris and gore into the Grand Line, leaving the port eerily pristine.
“Commander, what now?”
The Lieutenant approached Kuro, flanked by Navy soldiers.
The two kingdoms’ arrival threatened Moe Island’s fragile balance. Discovering the dwarf’s death would ignite war.
Kuro exhaled smoke. “Perfect timing. Saves me the trouble of notifying them individually.”
The fleets arrived swiftly. Jerman and Sukunai soldiers disembarked, instantly locking into combat stances at the sight of their rivals.
“Sa Luor, long time no see.”
A Sukunai noble general sneered at a young Jerman noble.
“Indeed.” Sa Luor’s cold gaze swept the Sukunai ranks. “Your problems seem dire.”
“Reciprocal, I presume? Your losses must be greater—you invested heavily in war beasts. Eliminating you here would cripple the Jerman Kingdom.”
Sa Luor smirked. “Funny. I’d planned to crush you too, completing our strategy.”
Tension thickened. A single gunshot would ignite carnage.
Sa Luor raised his hand. His counterpart mirrored the gesture. As attack orders teetered on their tongues, a colossal shadow plummeted from the sky, smashing between them.
“Mind your surroundings, would you?” Kuro drawled, cigar dangling. “We’ve got enough chaos here. You start shooting without my say-so?”
(End of Chapter)
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