Chapter 26 - Weakness

26 - Weakness

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Boom!

The members of the Steel Blade Pirates only heard the wind howling above their heads. Then, in a flash, the deck beneath their feet exploded with a deafening roar.

A massive hole appeared on the deck in front of Ralph. Splintered wood flew everywhere like darts, hitting the pirates and eliciting screams of pain.

The mast creaked and started to tilt. The sails tore apart, becoming tattered rags.

The violent force of the impact made Ralph squint against the wind and shout in confusion.

"What's happening? Is it a cannon attack from the warship? How can it be so accurate? You useless fools, what are you waiting for? Fight back!"

But the screams of the pirates behind him made Ralph feel even more absurd.

"The bottom of the ship is smashed through, seawater is flooding in! We're sinking!"

The pirates screamed in terror.

"Stop joking! Are you saying the cannonballs fell from the sky?"

Ralph grabbed the terrified pirate, squeezing him until his face turned purple.

"No, it wasn't cannonballs!" The old navigator, trembling, pointed at the large hole in the deck.

"What? Not cannonballs? What do you mean?" Ralph frowned, throwing the nearly suffocated pirate aside and taking a step toward the hole to look down.

There, at the shattered keel, a silver-haired boy clung to the edge of the hole, looking up at Ralph with a somewhat shy smile.

"What the…"

Ralph's mouth moved, just about to mutter when he heard the keel crack. The silver-haired boy, half-submerged in seawater, gripped the edges of the hole and shot up like an arrow.

In an instant, he landed in front of Ralph, shocking him.

"Damn Navy! Die!" Ralph reacted quickly, slashing at the boy with his twin steel blades.

Rosha grinned, showing his white teeth, and didn't dodge. He let the steel blades strike his body.

"Tekkai!"

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal clashing rang out, accompanied by sparks flying. Ralph's hands trembled, blood flowing from his cracked knuckles.

"This is impossible!" Ralph's eyes widened in disbelief, and he swung his steel blades again, this time aiming for the boy's face.

"You're too weak," Rosha said, stepping forward and punching Ralph's abdomen with lightning speed.

Boom!

The air whistled with the sharp explosion. Ralph's mouth gaped, his back arched, and his spine protruded as if it was about to burst from his body.

The steel blades clattered to the deck. Ralph, bloodshot eyes wide, collapsed heavily, sprawling on the deck.

"Captain! Captain Ralph… has been taken down with one hit!" the pirates screamed in panic.

"It's over! We're finished! I said we should've retreated faster, Ralph's arrogance killed us all!"

"The ship's flooding, it's going to sink!"

"Navy! We surrender! Please let us board the warship; I don't want to die at sea."

Ignoring the pirates' clamoring, Rosha's eyes turned cold as he darted forward like a nimble leopard.

"Sorry, but for pirates who've committed unforgivable crimes, my stance is… zero tolerance!"

Boom, boom, boom!

His fists and feet struck like a storm. Rosha's figure flickered among the dozen pirates, each strike hitting vital points.

The terrifying power shattered bones and muscles, causing pirates to collapse one after another. In less than ten seconds, the infamous Steel Blade Pirates were annihilated.

"Huff, huff… Who are you? With this strength, how can you be a mere ensign?" Ralph's weak voice came from behind.

Rosha turned to see the pirate captain, who had a bounty of 25 million berries, struggling to stand up.

"Let me introduce myself: I'm Rosha, Ensign of the 177th North Blue Branch."

Rosha watched as Ralph slowly stood up, then kicked him in the chest with explosive force, like a cannonball.

Splat!

Blood was sprayed everywhere. Ralph's eyes bulged as his body crumpled, his heart crushed by Rosha's boot.

Rosha retrieved his bloodied foot, kicked up a steel blade, and caught it with a swift motion. With a quick slash, blood splattered as Ralph's head was severed.

Grabbing the head, Rosha darted forward, leaping from the sinking ship like an arrow, and splashed into the sea.

A long trail of water rippled behind him as he swam swiftly toward the warship. Nearing the ship, he burst from the water, landing gracefully on the deck.

Sunlight glinted off his silver hair, and he dropped the head onto the deck with a thud, smiling at the stunned sailors.

"Mission accomplished. The Steel Blade Pirates have been eliminated. Patrol duty complete."

A sailor picked up the head, nodding to Rosha. "Congratulations, Ensign, on another big achievement… dammit!"

The head fell again as the sailor pointed to the ship's damaged bow and the numerous cracks on the warship.

"Please, don't be so reckless next time! You had fun, but the warship is almost wrecked. This is our third warship! Every time we return, Officer Jennifer punishes us with hellish training. I want a new officer…"

"Hahaha, got it. Sorry about that. And the training from Lieutenant Commander Jennifer isn't that hard, right?" Rosha said, scratching his head.

"Easy? Only for a monster like you! For us, it's hell! Damn it!"

"Huh? Is that so? I thought everyone was enjoying it," Rosha said, laughing awkwardly.

"Enjoy it? Not even close!"

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