Chapter 9: Big Pirates?! That's all?!

Seeing that the gunshot didn't hit Qin Ge, Barton naturally didn't think that it was because Qin Ge had dodged the bullet. Subconsciously, he thought he had missed and, in annoyance, started shooting again.

Bang bang bang!

Several gunshots rang out, but Qin Ge, who was already on guard, naturally had measures in place. The moment the gunshots sounded, he dashed out like a cheetah, swiftly taking cover behind a thick ship's mast. This caused Barton, who was pursuing and shooting, to only create bullet holes in the mast.

After emptying a round of bullets, Qin Ge remained unharmed. When the gunshots stopped, he walked out from behind the mast with cold eyes.

"You brat, don't get too cocky. I am going to become the Great Pirate King!" Barton's face darkened as he threw the empty handgun aside. At the same time, he lifted the nearly two-meter-long horse-chopping saber in his hand, emitting a ferocious roar.

"The Great Pirate King? When did that title become so cheap? With a bounty of only five million, you're nothing more than a low-level character in the Grand Line at best!" Qin Ge coldly laughed, his face openly showing disdain and contempt.

"You're seeking death!" Barton suddenly flew into a rage, clearly provoked by Qin Ge's words. Brandishing the enormous horse-chopping saber, he charged forward like a mad bear.

The massive horse-chopping saber whistled through the air as Barton swung it, carrying a fierce momentum as it aimed to strike Qin Ge's head.

Ding!

Bang!

Upon seeing his provoked opponent, Qin Ge's previous disdain and contempt instantly disappeared. It was all just part of his strategy to make the opponent lose control.

Blocking with his blade, the horse-chopping saber immediately clashed violently with the long knife, sparking dazzling fireworks. The impact not only caused the deck beneath Qin Ge to crack severely but also launched sharp wooden spikes into the air.

Qin Ge immediately felt the powerful force transmitted from the clash. He slightly bent his knees to counteract the applied force.

There was no doubt that even as a pirate with a bounty of only five million berries, Barton possessed strength surpassing that of ordinary pirates. Just the fact that he could wield such a massive horse-chopping saber proved his arm strength was extraordinary.

Sensing the pressure coming from the horse-chopping saber, Qin Ge immediately realized that his opponent's strength was exceptional. If it could make him feel pressured, the opponent's strength must be close to a force of a thousand kilograms.

Merely having such strength as a pirate with a bounty of five million berries surprised Qin Ge and made him deeply understand how terrifying the power levels were in the world of One Piece.

However, despite being surprised, Qin Ge remained calm and responded accordingly. He rotated his sword, tilting it to one side, causing a collision of the cutlass to slide along the blade and deeply crack the deck.

As a result, Barton's strike missed its mark, and his cutlass got stuck in the crack on the deck, making it impossible to immediately pull it out.

Qin Ge blinked his eyes and without hesitation, swiftly kicked out like a scythe, aiming for the opponent's lower leg.

It wasn't that he didn't want to attack the opponent's vital points, but the physical disparity between them was significant.

Barton stood over two meters tall, like a small giant, while Qin Ge, at the age of eight, was barely close to 1.4 meters. The difference between the two was like that of an adult and a baby, so Qin Ge could only target the easier-to-reach lower legs.

With a loud impact, Qin Ge's sweeping kick landed heavily on Barton's lower leg. Although his leg seemed slender and had a noticeable contrast to Barton's muscular lower leg, Qin Ge's compactness also contained great strength, which instantly produced a powerful booming sound.

Barton let out a cry of pain as his leg, struck by Qin Ge's kick, left the ground, causing him to stumble and almost fall.

Furthermore, it could be seen that Barton's lower leg visibly swelled at a rapid pace, indicating the terrifying force behind Qin Ge's kick.

Seeing his opponent falling to the ground, Qin Ge naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity. With a cold and ruthless gaze, he swiftly wielded his sword with both hands and aimed to slash the approaching neck that was getting closer to the ground.

Barton also sensed the danger of death and, in the face of the incoming sword, his shock and anger fueled his ferocity. His eyes turned bloodshot.

"Die, damn it!" A roar erupted as Barton, in the moment of falling, forcefully raised his arm and his enormous fist came crashing down on Qin Ge's head.

This was Barton's final counterattack when faced with the danger of death, also aiming to force Qin Ge to retreat and create an opportunity to save his own life.

However, things didn't go as Barton had expected. Faced with the fierce punch, Qin Ge calmly leaned his head to the side, bearing the powerful impact with his shoulder, while his sword remained unaffected and continued to swiftly cut into Barton's neck.

With a tearing sound of tendons and bones, hot gushing blood immediately sprayed out. Barton widened his eyes as his head, seemingly unwilling to close its eyes even in death, rolled off his shoulder and left a trail of bloodstains, rolling several meters away like a ball.

At the same time, Qin Ge, whose shoulder had endured Barton's final blow, suddenly sank, causing the deck under his feet to crack and burst open, creating a messy hole.

However, before his figure fell into the hole, Qin Ge forcefully slapped an intact section of the deck with the hand holding the sword. His body swiftly flipped and landed beside it.

Witnessing this scene, the remaining pirates on the deck were filled with astonishment. They were shocked by Captain Barton's death and intimidated by Qin Ge's ferocity.

The passengers and sailors on the merchant ship were equally stunned, looking at the black-haired youth standing with a sword, radiating an imposing aura. No one could have expected that the terrifying pirate just moments ago would have his head severed by this young boy.

"A great opportunity! What are you all waiting for? Grab your weapons and eliminate the pirates!" Cecil, also shocked but quickly recovering, showed a face of delight. He hurriedly shouted to the sailors on the ship.

Although he hadn't anticipated having such a powerful young boy on his ship, this was undoubtedly a great opportunity to overcome the crisis.

As the pirate captain Barton had already died, and more than twenty pirates had been killed by Qin Ge, not counting the remaining pirates on the pirate ship, only one-third of the pirates on the merchant ship remained.