A Pirate's Spring Awakening

Just as Chardin was growing increasingly frantic, the sailors fired several cannon shots. Unfortunately, they missed everything.

The pirate ship, riding the wind, was rapidly approaching. A dozen or so pirates clung to the masts, ready to jump onto the merchant ship at any moment.

"Lord Bellamy, the pirates are almost here!" Chardin couldn't help but urge him.

"I know, I know. If you're scared, go hide in your cabin."

This woman was really annoying.

"Just watch. The real show is about to begin."

As Bellamy had anticipated, as the two ships drew closer, a desperate boarding battle finally erupted.

The pirate ship came alongside the merchant ship on the port side, and then a dozen grappling hooks flew through the air, landing with perfect accuracy on the railings.

"Cut them loose!"

The sailors rushed forward, trying to sever the hooks. But before they could swing their blades more than a few times, several large pirates dropped from above, cutting them down.

Swinging his blade and felling a sailor, the pirate assault captain waved his arm forward. "Charge, you scallywags!"

BANG!

A gunshot rang out, and the assault captain leading the charge collapsed with an agonized cry.

The merchant ship's boatswain directed the sailors to return fire.

A brutal melee broke out on the deck.

Pirates sporadically leaped out from all directions, even from above, swinging their blades wildly in a frenzy, trying to carve a bloody path through the crowd. The sailors formed a tight circle, responding in an orderly fashion under the boatswain's command.

But these pirate scum seemed to have drunk a lot of alcohol before their attack.

Several shirtless, burly men, braving bullets and blades, charged headlong into the sailors' ranks, tearing a gaping hole in their formation. Naturally, they were instantly cut to ribbons and collapsed, their fates unknown.

But once this gap was opened, the boatswain immediately knew they were in trouble.

"Close the gap!"

"Hahahaha! The Portgas Trading Company has truly fallen!"

"Lads, charge! Kill them all!" A shrill laugh suddenly came from behind the crowd.

A one-eyed pirate wearing a fox-fur hat emerged, accompanied by a dozen well-equipped pirates. This guy must be the captain of this pirate crew.

"Grey Fox Anm, it's you!"

Someone recognized him. He seemed to have some notoriety.

"I've heard the Portgas Trading Company is rich. Today, I, Grey Fox, will have my fill!"

Anm sneered a few times and charged forward with his men.

In the wheelhouse, Chardin couldn't help but scream at the sight, "Lord Bellamy, please save them!"

Bellamy thought he'd seen that one-eyed pirate with the fox hat somewhere before.

"Ah, I remember. Grey Fox Anm, with a bounty of 2 million."

"How boring."

Trash with a mere 2 million bounty wasn't even worth a second glance from Bellamy. He had absolutely no interest in such a lowlife.

"Don't be afraid. My subordinate is down there. He'll step in when the time is right."

Ross was currently mingling with the sailors. He was just slacking off because Bellamy hadn't given him the order to act.

In the short time they'd been talking, several more sailors had fallen on the deck.

Chardin couldn't take it anymore. "Mr. Bellamy, you're truly awful!"

With that, she hurried out of the wheelhouse and ran towards the deck.

"Her father must have sheltered her very well," Bellamy said, slowly taking a sip of his tea. "A merchant ship just needs to change its flag to become a pirate ship."

"Sailors just need to pick up weapons to become pirates."

This sea was, after all, known for its chaos.

Did these sailors not have blood on their hands? Good and evil, right and wrong, weren't so easily distinguished.

On the deck, littered with blood and severed limbs, the battle had finally reached its climax.

Grey Fox Anm swung his long saber, forcefully repelling several sailors who were trying to surround him. He then delivered a swift kick to the boatswain's groin.

The situation immediately took a drastic turn.

With their core fighter incapacitated, several key combatants were cut down in succession while trying to protect the boatswain. Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a bullet suddenly flew out from the shadows, striking Grey Fox precisely in the abdomen.

"Get out of my way, Grey Fox!"

An angry roar came from the rear of the deck. The voice felt strangely familiar.

It was the young mistress!

The sailors were shocked and horrified by her appearance. They never expected the usually gentle and fragile young mistress to have the courage to fight. But why would she come out at a time like this?!

"I know you. You're the daughter of the company president," Grey Fox said, clutching his abdomen in pain, his face clouded with malice. "Don't worry, I won't kill you."

"I'm going to sell you on the black market."

With Chardin's tall stature and good looks, she would definitely fetch a good price. Thinking of this, Grey Fox suddenly felt the pain in his abdomen lessen.

"Lads, kill them all!"

"Remember to leave that woman alive. I'll let you all have a taste of her tonight, hahahahaha!"

Hearing this, the pirate scum were instantly invigorated. They had never had the chance to play with such a high-class woman before.

"Boss, you go first. We'll take our turns after you."

"Hahahaha!"

The pirates laughed wildly as they furiously charged at the sailors' ranks. The situation on the deck began to deteriorate rapidly.

Ross, who had been hiding in the crowd, finally found it difficult to keep dodging. If he kept slacking off, all the sailors would be killed. "The boss said to wait for the right opportunity."

"When exactly is the right opportunity?"

Dodging a clumsy slash, Ross tried to decipher Bellamy's intentions with his limited brainpower.

Just then, three ferocious-looking, blood-soaked pirates broke through the sailors' ranks and charged towards Chardin at the rear of the deck.

"Oh no, Miss, run!"

Seeing these murderous pirates charging towards her, Chardin's legs turned to jelly.

"Help! Someone help me!"

"Father, where are you?!"

The pirates grinned savagely, reaching out with their bloodstained hands, about to grab her head.

Just then, Chardin heard a low voice near her ear, "Finger Pistol."

A fragrant breeze brushed past her, followed by a few swift jabs.

Crack.

The pirates' skulls caved in abruptly upon contact with the slender finger. As if they had been struck by an iron rod in the center of their foreheads, the three pirates died instantly.

Pulling Chardin behind her, Muret looked at the injured and dead littering the deck and sighed. "Ross, what are you waiting for? Clean up this trash already."

Muret was starting to regret not coming out sooner. With so many injured, she was going to be busy for a while.

"Ah, is it okay to attack now?"

Receiving the order, Ross's eyes lit up. After being chased by a bunch of trash for so long, was it finally his turn to shine?

"Hehehehe, it's time for the great Ross to show his power!"

"Get out of my way!"

A brute suddenly leaped out of the crowd, knocking a large group of pirates flying.

"Hehehehe."

With a lewd grin, his mouth missing several teeth, Ross pushed past the sailors in front of him and proudly stepped forward.

The two sides of the battle paused momentarily, turning their attention to this strange kid. Nobody seemed to recognize which side he was on.

Just as everyone was looking at him with suspicion, this guy suddenly shouted an incredibly chuunibyou declaration.

"The great Ross, makes his magnificent entrance!"

Ross tilted his head slightly, placed his hands on his hips, and struck a pose in the middle of the battlefield.

The pirates, unsure of his strength, didn't dare to rush him immediately. The sailors were also glad for the respite, giving them a chance to catch their breath.

The fierce battle had suddenly reached a stalemate.

Bellamy, sitting in the wheelhouse, frowned at the scene. "Battle is not a game. Just because he's practiced Iron Body for a few days, does he think he's invincible?"

Even if Ross wanted to show off his strength, he should have neutralized the enemy's fighting ability first. Since he liked to show off so much, he could have two extra hours of Iron Body training every day.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside.

"It's bad, Mr. Bellamy! A storm is approaching rapidly!" Chardin rushed into the wheelhouse, bringing him this urgent news.

"A storm?"

The two things that could never be avoided on the sea: storms and pirates. He had actually encountered both at once.

"In that case, this farce should end."

Bellamy naturally wouldn't be concerned about a few small-time pirates, but the power of nature was not something he could ignore at his current level.

Bellamy's expression immediately turned serious. The next second, his figure vanished from the wheelhouse.

As his first mate, Drake quickly took over the helm and, following the navigator's instructions, immediately put the rudder hard to port.

The sailing ship began to turn sharply. The pirates still on the pirate ship immediately noticed something was amiss.

But before they could react, a figure abruptly appeared at the forefront of the deck and grabbed a cannonball with his bare hand.

"Consider yourselves unlucky." Bellamy lightly hefted the cannonball and casually tossed it.

The moment the cannonball left his hand, it vanished into thin air.

Then, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air, and the small pirate ship was split in two from the middle by an immense force.

Before the two sides clashing on the deck could react, Bellamy turned and delivered a kick.

A sword-like slash erupted from his toe. The sound of air being rapidly cut filled the battlefield.

"Heavens, a swordsman!" The pirates mistook the Tempest Kick for a sword slash.

But whether it was a Tempest Kick or a swordsman's slash, it was not something they could withstand.

The ten-meter-long slash covered the entire deck. With no way to avoid it, all the pirates were instantly cut in half.

The vacuum slash continued until it slammed into Ross, who forcibly blocked it with Iron Body.

"Argh!"

"Iron Body, hold!"

Ross roared, straining every muscle in his body, bracing his arms to block the vacuum slash.

In an instant, his body was pushed back several meters, leaving a deep groove on the deck. The sailors behind him were spared thanks to this.

"It's Bellamy!"

"What did he just do?"

The sailors, regaining their composure, looked at the scene in disbelief.

The broken, sinking ship and the bisected pirates were a bloody testament to Bellamy's terrifying power.

"Ah!"

With another roar, Ross thrust his hands upward, lifting the slash into the sky.

"Huff... huff... huff..." Two shallow cuts appeared on his arms.

Muret, standing not far away, saw the long, narrow wounds and rolled her eyes. It seemed she wouldn't be getting any rest today.

On the other side, Ross stared blankly at his captain.

"Not bad. Your Iron Body is well-trained," Bellamy praised him, a rare occurrence.

But now wasn't the time for that. The storm was coming.

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