"Captain Jack, ahead is the fleet carrying the fleeing nobles and royals of the Joromia Kingdom," a former member of the Jack Pirates reported on the Mammoth.
"Prepare for battle! Our target is the fleet ahead—leave no one alive!" Jack commanded coldly.
"Yes, sir!" the crew member responded immediately.
Another crew member hesitated before asking, "Captain Jack, are we really going to keep following that man's orders? Now that we've escaped, why not enjoy our freedom on the seas? Why bother being the escort fleet of some small kingdom like Joromia?"
Jack shot him a cold stare. "Are you questioning my decision?"
"No, not at all!" The crew member broke into a cold sweat.
Seeing his fear, Jack looked away, deciding to ignore him. If it weren't for the fact that this crew member was his trusted navigator, he would have been dead already.
Of course, Jack had no interest in being the protector of the Joromia Kingdom. But for now, he had to endure. Until he found a way to break free from the Silent Seal, he had no choice. At that moment, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
On the Joromia royal fleet, panic spread like wildfire.
"It's the Mammoth! Jack's pirate ship!" Someone screamed in terror.
"How is this possible? Weren't the Jack Pirates attacking Joromia? How did they catch up to us? Does this mean… the kingdom has already fallen?" a noble asked in disbelief.
"That can't be! There were so many people in Joromia—it's impossible for them to have been wiped out so quickly!"
"Damn it! What are you waiting for? Increase speed! We cannot let them catch us, or we'll end up just like those filthy commoners!"
Before they could flee, cannon fire rained down from the Mammoth.
The nobles had already lost their nerve. Instead of resisting, they focused solely on escaping. But they had taken all of Joromia's treasures with them, unwilling to abandon their wealth. Their heavily loaded ships were slow and sluggish, making it easy for the Mammoth to close the distance.
Screams of despair echoed across the fleet. These nobles were even more pathetic than the commoners of Joromia. The moment Jack appeared, they didn't even dare to resist. The former captain of the Joromia Royal Guard, a man who had only attained his position through connections, was even weaker than Frost. He was instantly crushed to death by a single palm strike from Jack.
"Take all the treasure! Spare our lives!" a noble begged.
Jack sneered. "How boring… Kill them all!"
The Jack Pirates grinned wickedly and charged forward.
"I am the king of Joromia! Joromia is a member of the World Government! We are under their protection! I have already contacted the Navy—if you don't want to be wiped out, you should leave now!" the former king of Joromia pleaded, trembling.
Jack's eyes darkened. "You idiot… Are you threatening me?"
With a single move, he grabbed the king and slammed him into the deck.
The impact shattered the wooden planks, and the king lay there, his face covered in blood, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"Bastard! Bastard! BASTARD!" Jack roared, lifting the king and smashing him into the deck again. And again. And again. Even after the king had long stopped breathing, Jack continued his violent assault, using him as an outlet for his frustration.
Finally, he stopped, looking at the bloodied remains beneath him.
"Kill them all! Leave no survivors!" he ordered coldly.
"Kill!" the Jack Pirates cheered as they lunged at the helpless nobles.
Back in Joromia…
"Your Majesty, the reconstruction of the city walls requires 700,000 Berries."
"Your Majesty, the citizens urgently need wood for rebuilding their homes."
"Your Majesty, over 10,000 wounded civilians require immediate medical attention, but we lack enough doctors."
"Your Majesty, most of the villages and towns were destroyed by the pirates, leaving countless people homeless."
"Your Majesty, the royal treasury is empty, and without funds, the kingdom's operations cannot continue."
Rosinante hadn't expected ruling a small kingdom to involve so much work. In his previous life, he had just been a university student—how could he possibly have experience handling state affairs? His head was starting to ache.
"Are you saying there's no treasure left in the palace?" Rosinante asked.
Frost replied, "Your Majesty, when the royals and nobles fled, they took everything of value. Right now, the kingdom is in extreme financial distress. Without funds, the kingdom is on the verge of collapse."
He wasn't exaggerating. The people of Joromia had just survived a massacre and were in a state of extreme anxiety. They desperately needed the government's support to recover. If the kingdom failed to provide aid, unrest would soon follow. And where there was instability, opportunists would emerge.
Though Rosinante had saved the kingdom, many still resented the idea of an outsider ruling them. This world was filled with ambitious individuals, and the New World was no exception.
People's loyalty was fickle—when they were in danger, they welcomed a savior. But once the danger passed, they started thinking about their own interests.
If Rosinante couldn't meet their expectations, they would begin to wonder: "If an outsider like him can be king, why can't we?" And once that thought took root, their greed would make them forget his strength.
Rosinante sighed. "I understand. I'll figure out a way to secure funding. As for housing—since the nobles abandoned their homes when they fled, we'll confiscate their properties. Any noble who refused to stand with the kingdom in its time of crisis is no longer worthy of their title. Revoke their status and distribute their homes to those in need."
"I wonder if Jack has caught up to those nobles yet… Now that I'm king, their wealth rightfully belongs to me. I can't let them escape with it."
With that, Rosinante bent his knees and kicked off the ground, soaring into the sky. He took a step forward, pushing off the air itself, creating a sonic boom. His body shot forward at incredible speed, heading straight for the fleeing nobles.