The Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist hadn't been ineffective—it simply hadn't finished. That bastard had armored his vital points with Haki, but the rest of his body? Completely exposed. Most of his pressure points had been struck. The bleeding was only a symptom—inside, his body had taken serious damage.
A heavy injury like that? There's no way he can still fight.
—"Rankyaku!"
Ennio aimed a slicing kick right at Sarge's head. The sharp shockwave tore through the rain like a guillotine. But Sarge leaned back, body arching with fluid precision, and thrust his leg forward like a drawn blade—impaling Ennio's bloated stomach.
Boom!
The kick sunk deep into his gut. His Haki hadn't flared in time.
"Hokuto Softbreaker Slash!"
Sarge didn't let up. His leg blurred into motion, kicking Ennio all over with pinpoint precision.
The man's body shuddered violently. Blood mixed with rainwater, soaking through his once-glittering clothes. He stumbled back, swaying, tried to raise his fist—
—but couldn't even lift his arm.
"Falling apart already?" Ennio muttered, staring at his limp right arm, blood now dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
Just like the Hundred Crack Fist, this technique didn't just strike pressure points—it devastated the body on a deeper level. His arm looked intact on the outside, but inside? Probably turned to paste.
Sarge flexed his fingers, spine curving slightly, voice icy.
—"My techniques aren't something you can just brush off."
Ennio coughed violently, looked over at Lily still collapsed on the ground, then at the bandits frozen like rabbits, and the citizens still fleeing from the soldiers.
He spat blood and screamed:
—"You think beating me will change anything? That this country will magically get better?! Never gonna happen!"
His voice grew manic:
—"The Heavenly Tribute has already been finalized! Even without me, you'll still have to pay! Even if there's a new king, nothing changes! If we don't pay, we're no longer a member of the World Government—we'll lose their protection! Worse—we'll be punished! You think life's bad now?! It'll be a thousand times worse!"
—"You won't even have the luxury of being mountain bandits. You'll suffer everything this world can throw at you! If you run now—you lose EVERYTHING! I won't let you leave this country! Colonel Nezumi—arrest them! Stop them before the tribute escapes!!"
He snarled at Sarge, eyes wide with desperation.
—"Especially YOU, pirate scum! If you want them to escape, then you'll have to walk over my dead body!!"
"…Huh?"
Sarge blinked, momentarily confused. Pirate?
He was thinking of ditching bounty hunting for piracy eventually… but not today.
But then, something clicked.
His expression twisted.
…He can't be serious, right?
Behind them, Colonel Nezumi finally pulled out his musket, rallying the remaining Marines to chase down the fleeing citizens.
The battle had stunned him—but he hadn't forgotten his real job.
He was here to escort the Heavenly Tribute.
If he failed… his life was forfeit.
—"Suppress the riot!" he roared.
The Marines surged forward, indistinguishable from the soldiers now, brutally shoving citizens back. One civilian tripped and crashed to the ground—right in Nezumi's path.
Nezumi, already enraged, raised his musket.
"—No! Please!" the man begged, trembling.
But in this chaos, no one was listening.
With a boss like Nezumi, what kind of subordinates could you expect?
The 16th Branch's colonel was a greedy, corrupt coward—of course his men were no better. Even if they saw him commit murder, they wouldn't say a word.
—"Die!" Nezumi snarled, finger on the trigger—
—but then, shffft!
A flash of steel burst through his chest.
"...You…"
He turned, stunned—
—to see the resolute face of Lily, golden curls drenched in rain, eyes ablaze.
She pulled her rapier free.
Colonel Nezumi collapsed.
Rainwater washed the blood from her blade, streaking down her mud-streaked face.
She turned, voice cutting through the storm:
—"Set sail!"
For a heartbeat, everyone froze—bandits, citizens, even soldiers.
Shing!
Lily moved like a dragon in the rain. Her blade shone like lightning, slashing through the advancing soldiers, parting them like waves. A shockwave rippled through their ranks, knocking back their reinforcements.
Ennio's words had made her decision for her.
Yes—the Heavenly Tribute would still need to be paid.
Even if she became queen, she couldn't erase it. There had never been a case in history where it had been waived.
But the people… they couldn't bear it anymore.
So then—
—"*Set sail! Head for the harbor! If we escape, we won't have to pay the Tribute anymore! We'll have a chance at a new life—*so let's all sail together!!"
Her voice rang out with every ounce of strength she had left.
The bandits and citizens stared—shocked—not toward the harbor, but at Ennio.
The once-feared tyrant stood drenched and broken, bloodied, arm hanging useless at his side.
He didn't look like a king anymore.
The soldiers had been defeated. The golden-haired girl, the one they'd once called princess, had overwhelmed them all. No one could stop them now.
Set sail…?
No more taxes.
No more torment.
Could life really be different?
In the Kingdom of Oykot, even joining the Marines was frowned upon—let alone setting sail like a pirate. They'd seen firsthand the devastation of wars between pirates and Marines. Escaping? It was unthinkable.
But if they didn't set sail…
They'd be crushed by taxes, driven to the mountains, forced to become bandits anyway.
At least out at sea, they might still have a choice.
Being a bandit is already criminal… sailing might not be!
It wouldn't be worse than this.
One bandit bolted toward the harbor—
—and that was all it took. Like a fuse lit on dry powder, the rest followed, surging together toward the docks.
Some citizens didn't even know what was happening, but seeing the crowd stampede for the sea, they joined in.
More and more people poured into the streets, running for the port.
Ennio watched it unfold with a twisted grin…
Then his expression hardened.
His body—round and heavy like a cannonball—launched toward Sarge in a brutal charge.
Sarge braced with a deep stance, twisted sideways, and struck like a serpent—two fingers aimed right at Ennio's temple.
—"Hokuto Downstrike Finger!"
Smack!
Ennio twisted his broken right arm forward, intercepting the strike. Sarge's fingers sank into his mangled limb.
—"Hrrgh!"
Eyes flashing, Ennio grabbed Sarge's wrist and hurled him skyward.
BOOM!
As soon as Sarge's fingers left his arm, Ennio's right limb exploded into a spray of blood and shredded meat.
But the tyrant didn't flinch.
He stomped the air—Geppo!—and launched into the sky.
His feet spun in chaos.
—"Rankyaku Barrage!"
Shhhhhh—!!!
Dozens of slicing arcs rained down like blades from the heavens, ripping through soldiers and Marines alike. Most of those still chasing the civilians were shredded where they stood.
The survivors looked up in horror—
But from their perspective, it was that white-haired guy again.
Ennio's suicide strike gave Sarge the opening he needed.
He didn't hesitate. His fists blurred into a storm of shadows—
—"Hokuto Hundred Crack Fist!!"
This time—there was no Haki to save him.
…