Stepping forward, Bill felt Rans on his right and Sasha with Ricky on his left.
"Lower your weapons! Surrender! This is the Marines!"
None of the armed people moved, and almost immediately afterward, a foul stench spread through the area.
Determining the source of the smell, Bill saw a hunched, mouse-like man intently watching them.
The man grinned with an impossibly wide smile and laughed, "Welcome to Trump Castle, Marines.
Men, attack!"
With hammer in hand, Bill didn't wait another second.
Among the crowd of pirates, Bill and his team were like wolves amidst a flock of sheep.
With each swing of his hammer, three people, both men and women, fell with bent backs. Was he killing them? Bill didn't know, and frankly, he didn't care.
Seeing all these pirates dressed identically, Bill realized that the middle-aged engineer couple hadn't lied. These people were predators, and as a man, he felt it was his duty to hunt predators.
Moving like a hurricane, Bill, Sasha, and Ricky pushed ever forward. Rans, having immediately targeted Wall One, vanished from sight.
After several minutes of fighting, hundreds of pirates lay in heaps on the ground, yet more continued to arrive, armed with various weapons.
Sticks, sledgehammers, sabers, and machetes were the most common weapons, but among them were marksmen, making them the most dangerous since they were armed with something more serious than flintlock rifles. Their gun barrels looked more like long screws, giving their bullets a dangerous spin.
Without needing instructions, the trio first targeted the marksmen, and within a few minutes, it seemed there were no more marksmen left. Then, from the castle barracks, the half-giants surged forward.
Seeing this, instead of feeling fear, they felt relief—for them, the half-giants were just big targets.
Raising his hammer high, Bill struck a large man directly in the chest, and he collapsed instantly. Another blow made another one vomit, and he lost consciousness.
Glancing back at Sasha and Ricky, Bill saw Ricky was more effectively fending off a large number of enemies, while Sasha was almost as quickly taking down the half-giants as he was.
He thought both had become incredibly skilled.
Ricky moved lightning-fast with his two swords, and static electricity was visible to the naked eye. Sasha, on the other hand, acted with mathematical precision—each of her strikes landed at a perfect angle, her strength lay in her directness, as her blade never wavered off course.
Her favorite stances were "Side" and "Plow," and fighting these opponents, she seemingly saw no need to use the "Fool" or "Ox" stances.
After they dealt with the half-giants, the remaining pirates scattered. Looking around, Bill didn't see Rans, but Wall One's scent wasn't present either.
Bill fully trusted Rans, knowing he was an expert in all the leg-based techniques of the Six Powers. At eighteen, Rans hadn't fully perfected them, but he was on the path to mastering them.
This fact, coupled with his natural superhuman strength, gave Bill little reason for concern.
Thinking about this, Bill slung the battle hammer over his shoulder and gathered with Sasha and Ricky.
"Since it's come to this, we will take control of this area. We can't allow the island to be in danger.Nodding in understanding, the trio entered the castle through the main entrance.
The interior was large and richly decorated. Bill thought it would have been beautiful if not for the graffiti of worms, diamonds, clubs, and spades everywhere.
Looking around, it became clear that the throne room was something of an elevator. With the elevator raised up, they had to look for a staircase.
It was Ricky who found the way, and as they began to climb the spiral staircase, they encountered occasional resistance. If a crowd of hundreds hadn't been able to stop the three of them, then groups of six to ten barely slowed them down.
As they climbed the spiral staircase, they soon reached a circular room with a rotating pillar. Astonished, Ricky quickly asked, "What is this?"
Examining the object closely, Bill replied, "It's probably the island's key that the middle-aged couple mentioned. It's like a fulcrum that keeps the island balanced."
Taking a few steps closer, Sasha cautiously touched the glass barrier and asked, "It looks fragile. Why would they risk their lives for this?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Bill answered as best as he could, "The island likely wasn't always so high. Judging by the gears, it seems people continued to build based on the original design."
Sasha nodded without saying anything further, and the trio continued on their way.
The corridor with the key ended with a final staircase, but now there were no pirates, and the Marines were able to ascend directly to the throne room without hindrance.
Entering the large room, someone who looked like a jester shouted, "Where is Stank One?!"
A fat man responded with a grunt, "He's just dealing with those Marines."
Replying to this man, the group apparently hadn't noticed Bill and the others yet. A big man with a hairy face shouted, "Let him take his time! The important thing is that he doesn't miss the wedding!"