The next second—
Boom!
The pirate ship shook violently as if struck by a cannonball. A massive hole was torn through the deck, planks flew in all directions, and the mast snapped with a thunderous crack.
Jango narrowly dodged the flying debris, his eyes locking onto the imposing figure now standing at the center of the deck. A chill ran down his spine.
The man didn't speak, yet the sheer force of his presence made Jango feel like he was facing Captain Kuro himself.
His thoughts raced. Slowly, the young man's appearance aligned with a memory—one tied to a wanted poster.
"Knight Gawain? Eight million bounty?"
Jango muttered the name and number, his voice trembling.
Damn it!
My own bounty is nine million—how can someone with a lower bounty emit such a terrifying murderous aura?
In that brief instant, Jango made a grim assessment: he didn't stand a chance against this man. His only hope for survival lay in stalling—long enough for Captain Kuro to arrive.
"I can explain—"
"Surrender, or die."
Gawain's cold gaze fixed on Jango, his voice devoid of emotion. He had no intention of wasting time. These pirates needed to be subdued as swiftly as possible.
His own crew was running on fumes—their potential pushed to the limit. They needed fresh blood, and the pirates before him were ripe for the taking.
As for the question of good and evil—on these lawless seas, who could really tell the difference?
He had never seen himself as a righteous man. Unlike others who ravaged villages, Gawain merely took what was necessary. That, to him, was the line.
"I…"
Jango swallowed hard, but before he could finish, the pirates surrounding him raised their flintlocks, snarling as they aimed at Gawain.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A volley of gunfire erupted—but Gawain's figure had already vanished from the deck.
Just as confusion crept into Jango's mind, a cold voice echoed from above:
"Seems you made the wrong choice."
"Then die."
Heads snapped upward.
Gawain hovered in the air, his knight's sword raised. With a graceful motion, he swung it—unleashing a gleaming arc of silver-white sword energy. It shimmered with lethal intent, expanding until it consumed their entire field of vision.
Swish!
With a clean, slicing sound, the pirate ship—over 50 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide—was cleaved clean down the middle.
Two unfortunate pirates caught in the slash didn't even have time to scream. One lost an arm, the other half his torso.
Blood sprayed. The deck ran red.
The carnage and the sight of their sinking ship snapped the crew out of their stupor. Their gazes shifted to the descending figure in the air—every one of them filled with a single emotion:
Terror.
"A monster…!"
"Just like the captain!"
Jango stood frozen on the splintering deck, watching Gawain descend slowly like a death sentence from the sky.
Even Kuro—undefeated in Jango's eyes—couldn't have done this with a single slash.
"Run!"
Someone screamed, and chaos followed. But the ocean was vast. Their ship destroyed. Where could they possibly flee?
Gawain's earlier ultimatum echoed in Jango's mind. This time, the decision came without hesitation.
"We surrender! We surrender!"
"Watch out for Kuro—he has a move called 'Death Walk.' It's fast—too fast to follow with the naked eye!"
Gawain raised an eyebrow.
"Faster than me?"
"I… I don't know."
Jango shook his head. He had never truly fought Kuro, so he couldn't judge. But he knew all too well how dangerous his captain was.
Kuro wasn't just powerful—he was calculating. Every battle was fought on his terms. Time, terrain, numbers—they were always in his favor.
And yet, despite that, the Black Cat Pirates always paid a heavy price in blood.
Not from enemy attacks, but from Kuro himself—indiscriminate, deadly, and remorseless.
"I admit you're strong," Jango said solemnly, "but Kuro… Kuro's a monster too. His bounty doesn't match his strength."
"Most of the pirates and marines who've vanished in the East Blue recently… they were his prey."
He spoke without shame. For pirates, loyalty to strength was instinct.
"Is that so?"
Gawain turned his eyes toward the struggling survivors still floundering in the sea.
"Try to live—at least until this is over. I'll go test Kuro's quality for myself."
With that, Gawain stepped forward.
The force of his landing crushed the remnants of the pirate ship beneath him, launching him skyward toward the warship stationed over a hundred meters away.
A nearby pirate tossed Jango a lifebuoy. Then, glancing back at Gawain, he asked hesitantly:
"Boss… are we really betraying the captain?"
"Betraying?"
Jango caught the lifebuoy, a smirk curling on his lips.
"If that man wins, we're just switching sides. If Kuro wins… do you really think anyone here will be alive to tell him we surrendered?"
"Either way, we don't lose."
"Besides… you think Kuro ever trusted us? He knows what the cat brothers have been up to behind his back."
"He just doesn't care. To him, we're all just tools."
Jango's voice grew cold.
"And once his plan is complete, the only loose ends left… will be us."
"Think about it. What do you think Kuro would do then?"
The pirate went pale, a deeper chill rising inside him—one that even the freezing seawater couldn't match.
Bang!
Gawain landed cleanly on the warship. Not a drop of water touched his coat.
Behind him, the pirate ship that had chased them had already disappeared beneath the waves.
His overwhelming display of power left the warship's crew stunned—many now looked at him with a mix of awe and worship. Their morale soared.
As long as Gawain stood, they believed their side would never fall.
But Gawain ignored their reverence. He turned to the first mate standing nearby.
"What's the situation here?"
"Sir," the first mate reported respectfully, "our crew hasn't had time to master the warship's cannons. Accuracy is poor. But the Black Cat Pirates' weapons are outdated—they've barely scratched us."
"If this battle is going to end decisively, it'll be through boarding combat—"
"They're coming!"
A lookout cried out, cutting him off.
Gawain looked up.
The Black Cat Pirates' flag was closing in fast. Clearly, the enemy captain had come to the same conclusion as the first mate.
Gawain's sharp eyes picked out the silhouette on the opposite ship: a thin man with a severe expression and a dark, brooding aura.
The claws on his ten fingers glinted menacingly in the light. He couldn't adjust his glasses with his fingers—only his palms—yet even that awkward gesture amplified the sense of danger surrounding him.
"That's not Morgan…"
Far across the water, Kuro stood on his own deck, narrowing his eyes at Gawain.
"Not Morgan… but he's using Morgan's ship. And judging by that outfit, he's no Marine. No need to guess what happened."
"That last move—definitely not Morgan's style."
He exhaled slowly, eyes sharpening.
"No matter."
"Two pirate crews tearing each other apart, both sides bloodied, and I come out just injured enough to play the victim. It's not as ideal as being captured by the Navy—but it's acceptable."