Until the moon in the sky gradually sank westward and the night began to recede in color, the battle between the two sides continued. But at this moment, with Gin's loud roar, the spinning flail slammed down like a fan, smashing the resisting soldiers into the ground, and the impact blew away the surrounding soldiers, leaving behind a ground full of corpses and severely injured individuals.
Still standing, only five hundred men!
Three hundred of them were from the Demon Race, injured but none dead, along with some survivors.
The junior officers led by Gin were also panting heavily, with Bellamy sitting carelessly on a corpse, his hands and feet covered in sticky blood, unaware of how many people he pierced through during the spring-like impact.
A brief battle might be exciting, but prolonged fighting, with numerous deaths and injuries, ultimately leads to a sense of bewilderment.
"Is this war?"
Bellamy took several deep breaths, inhaled deeply, but the thick smell of blood that permeated the air made him cough. He swallowed slightly, pursed his lips, and looked at the surrounding tragic scene with a hint of awe in his eyes.
This is war!
Previously, Bellamy didn't understand. He was a pirate who abandoned dreams, seeking a way to survive in the new era, believing that pirates should just plunder and revel, without needing things like dreams and treasures.
This also fostered an arrogant and domineering personality, which even after following Master Sage, didn't change.
Sage didn't mind such things, as long as there was loyalty and action. Even if Bellamy went wild secretly, wasn't he still a mad dog?
Even when they first started moving two days ago, it was a one-sided massacre; no one could withstand Lady Lily's Supreme King Haki. Apart from simplicity and joy, there were no other feelings with such victories.
But this time is different...
He truly felt the bloody slaughter.
In the past, the dead were mostly those who died during robberies, not too many.
Perhaps it was a bit sad since they were companions, but everyone had become accustomed. Being a pirate was inherently a life-risking affair, and Captain Sage's handling was fair, so even if someone died, there were no complaints.
This time, too many have died!
Those newly joined pirates were slightly better off; it's only been two days since they set out. Although they fought together, they certainly didn't have deep feelings as previous companions did.
But those companions who spent days and nights together, who shared drinks and laughed at banquets, all died here. Initially, they brought one thousand two hundred people, and now, only over five hundred remain.
Excluding the three hundred from the Demon Race, there are just over two hundred companions left...
At this moment, Bellamy instead cherished peace.
Dang!
Amid the entangled fight, the two once again separated, with Lily swiftly darting to the air in the rear, brandishing her thin sword to unleash a slash. Tihana retreated two steps, her whip blade danced into a snake shape, shaking before suddenly straightening out, striking the incoming slash, sending out a shockwave that pushed her back several steps.
"Ha, ha..."
Tihana breathed heavily twice, her chest constantly heaving, making her already high bosom appear even higher. Lily landed from the air, with her breath becoming rapid and disordered, and tiny sweat appeared on her face, making her skin even whiter.
Two hours of continuous intensive attacks and defenses had consumed both sides' stamina greatly.
At this moment, Tihana glanced around, her breathing suddenly paused, showing a sorrowful look in her eyes.
"You've lost." Lily raised her thin sword, aiming at her.
Her soldiers were gone, while her side's officers remained unscathed. For Sage's plan, she could abandon the glory of the Sword Master's battle!
"I haven't lost!"
In that instant, Tihana's gaze regained its resolve. She raised her hand tightly gripping the whip blade's hilt and shouted:
"There's still a chance. As long as I take you down, I can personally head to Augustine Castle!"
Lily slightly calmed her breath, and said, "Even if you reach Augustine Castle by yourself, what can you do? You have no soldiers."
"Soldiers can be recruited again. Speaking of which, we should thank your captain for killing those nobles. Though I dislike your ways, I must say, it indeed helped me greatly."
Tihana said, "Without those nobles obstructing, I can enter Augustine to recruit citizens, and that's enough!"
She suddenly swung her whip blade, like waving a gymnastics ribbon, with the whip blade circling around herself in waves and transforming into crescent shapes, turning into one huge moon after another.
Tihana charged at Lily, "I won't lose. I can't afford to lose!"
She clenched her teeth at this moment, her eyes bloodshot, losing her previous calmness, her pupils bloodshot, as if... betting.
"When not calm, Observation can't be concentrated. Your mind is chaotic..."
Lily looked over, slowly sheathing her thin sword, her knees slightly bent, adopting an Iaido stance, "It's a pity, I wanted to defeat you honorably. But now, you lack the qualification!"
"Stop it. Can you break my Absolute Defense? You can't even dodge!"
Tihana's arm shook, and the black moonlight surrounding her suddenly blossomed outward, presenting white moonlight slashes, like the 'Twin Moon' released before.
These slashes are capable of tracking and also able to achieve a blockade effect, preventing others from dodging. As long as she herself gets close, she can rely on the surrounding Haki Slashes to defeat the opponent!