Chapter 136: Crushing Defeat, the Annihilation of the Pirate Crew!

Although Wood and his group were no longer part of the Navy, they found it difficult to harm innocent civilians. After all, they had been in the Navy before, even if they were now forced to become pirates.

They still adhered to a basic code of ethics and standards, refusing to be equated with ordinary pirates. However, as Robin had mentioned earlier, the members of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew were not good people. They had slaughtered a small town, so killing them didn't cause any psychological burden.

Even low-ranking officers from the Navy Headquarters were far superior to the scum pirates from the Four Blues. Moreover, these pirates had already lost their will to fight. As a result, when Russ and the others faced the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, the battle was completely one-sided.

Meanwhile, Robin, still held in Wood's arms, was utterly shocked by what she saw.

Robin wasn't stunned by the brutal scene before her. On the contrary, having survived the Buster Call as a child and traveled through several pirate crews, she was long accustomed to blood and fire.

What shocked Robin was the combat prowess of Wood's group! No wonder they had completely dismissed the One-Eyed Pirate Crew earlier—there was no comparison between the two sides.

In Robin's eyes, the terrifying and powerful One-Eyed Bebbart couldn't even withstand a single blow from the young man in front of her.

Even Russ, whom Robin had previously thought of as a joke, turned out to be incredibly strong. He took down members of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew with ease, nearly one after the other.

To think that these same people had been fighting over a piece of roast meat the night before, leading Robin to believe they were idiots.

But now, these supposedly ridiculous individuals seemed far stronger than One-Eyed Bebbart in Robin's eyes.

Even though they were outnumbered five hundred to about a dozen, Robin could hardly believe that it was Wood and his group—whom she had little faith in—who emerged victorious with such crushing ease!

"It's a pity, Captain. It seems that aside from their captain, the rest of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew haven't been given any bounties by the Navy. And there should still be a few dozen crew members left on their ship. What should we do now?"

More than half of Russ and his team had mastered "Soru," one of the Six Powers, making it nearly impossible for ordinary pirates to escape them. In less than half an hour of chasing through the forest, the ten or so members returned, all covered in blood.

"Russ, take a few men and deal with the rest of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew on their ship. Since so many people scattered and ran, some might have slipped away to report back. I'll take the others to the town on the island to check things out and buy some supplies. Now that we've found the treasure on this island, we should be leaving soon."

As Wood spoke, he hoisted the wooden chest full of Berries onto his shoulder and had Robin lead the way to the town on Asuka Island.

Like Wood's hometown of Maple Leaf Island, the town on Asuka Island wasn't particularly prosperous, but it was a peaceful place with harmonious inhabitants.

After the Great Pirate Era began, the island was frequently visited by pirates. However, the town's mayor was quite shrewd and always managed to buy the residents' safety with Berries.

But no one expected the One-Eyed Pirate Crew to be so greedy this time. After the mayor refused to pay the exorbitant "protection fee," One-Eyed Bebbart killed the well-respected mayor in a fit of rage and looted the entire town.

When Wood and his men arrived in town, it was already somewhat deserted. As they walked through the streets, Wood could sense hidden presences around them.

Clearly, although the One-Eyed Pirate Crew had slaughtered many, there were survivors who had managed to hide.

At this moment, they likely believed the pirates had returned, causing them to hide anxiously.

Wood was frustrated by this. The next island was a long way off, and their ship's supplies were nearly depleted. They urgently needed to replenish their stocks.

Perhaps due to the influence of the Heart of God, Lífþrasir, Wood's appetite had grown considerably. Even if the dozen or so members of Russ's group combined their food intake, it wouldn't match his own.

"It's that sister from before. She's a... good person."

A pair of small eyes peeking from behind a door window recognized Robin and started to say something before a nearby adult quickly covered their mouth.

At the same time, Wood forced a smile that he thought was friendly and knocked on the door.

"Hello, we're adventurers... I mean, pirates who just arrived on this island. We're in urgent need of fresh water and food. We're willing to pay for them. Could you help us?"

"..."

Wood considered this his first time speaking so kindly, and he believed that with his handsome appearance and "friendly" demeanor, the people inside would surely trust him.

However, the actual response was a strange silence from behind the door.

"I know you're in there. If you don't answer, don't blame me for flipping out! I'm here to buy things, not rob you. If you don't open the door, I'll break it down!"

As it turned out, sometimes violence was indeed more effective than reasoning.

"Creek—"

Accompanied by a grating sound, the door in front of Wood slowly opened.

The one who opened the door was a young woman holding a kitchen knife, trembling as she faced Wood, as if this was her last means of defense. Beside her was a boy, around seven or eight years old.

Seeing the scene before him, Wood's anger subsided, and he tried to speak in the friendliest tone possible.

To gain their trust, he even pushed Robin, who appeared the least threatening, forward.

It seemed the earlier commotion had been caused by the boy, who recognized Robin.

"Mom, this is the sister who secretly helped us escape from the bad guys."

The boy, excited to see Robin, eagerly tugged at his mother's sleeve, explaining that the black-haired lady before them was their savior.

The young woman, hearing her son's words and glancing over Wood's group again, relaxed and slowly lowered her knife, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.