“Reporting, sir!
We’ve tracked down the Overlord Pirates!”
The man removed the cigar from his mouth and exhaled a plume of white smoke.
His expression immediately sharpened at the report, his eyes turning cold and focused.
His name was Theodore Andry, a Marine officer born and raised in the South Blue.
At just twenty-one years old, he had already attained the rank of Marine Colonel.
One more promotion, and he would be transferred to Marine Headquarters to become a Headquarters officer.
He had never received training at the Marine Headquarters boot camp.
The reason he had risen so high at such a young age was his formidable strength and ruthless decisiveness.
He was an unmistakable hardliner.
There were very few people who could match his rate of promotion.
The last one had been one of the Marine’s three monster Vice Admirals—Kuzan, also known as Aokiji.
“Where are they?”
“Tawaragar.
An informant reported seeing someone from the Overlord Pirates in the waters around Tawaragar.”
“Excellent!
Set a course for Tawaragar.
Move out!”
…
On an unnamed island near the Kingdom of Tawaragar, ten ships were moored along the shore, with dozens of people gradually disembarking from them.
During the recent giant shark incident, the Overlord Pirates had lost two ships and dozens of men.
Although three days had already passed since the incident, the crew had yet to completely shake off the grief hanging over them.
Still, they would encounter things like this all the time in the future.
Sooner or later, they would have to get used to it.
It had been a week since they left Dunro Island, and the ships had been sailing continuously across the sea ever since.
The pirates needed a day or two of rest before they could continue their voyage.
If sea storms and sea monsters were the most terrifying things on the ocean, then boredom and monotony were undoubtedly in second place.
Even being attacked by another pirate crew or pursued by the Marines wasn’t as unbearable.
Long periods at sea could easily affect the crew’s mental state.
Every so often, they needed to set foot on land and relax.
The ships themselves couldn’t sail indefinitely, either.
Every time they reached land, they needed maintenance and repairs to ensure the vessels would remain seaworthy for as long as possible.
And now, they had discovered a natural island, so they decided to stop here for a while.
The crew members disembarked one after another and went wherever they pleased on the island.
The Captain had ordered everyone to return before sunset.
On the beach, Kweiv was preparing the ingredients and cooking utensils for the feast.
His leg was still wrapped in bandages, but he could basically move around freely now.
Elik and Lucas were helping him nearby, with laughter and noisy banter occasionally drifting across the beach.
The main ingredient was the giant shark meat they had hunted previously.
Nearby, Adrian was vigorously swinging his massive hammer on another stretch of beach.
Over the past few days, Valsa had been deeply impressed by Adrian’s attitude toward training.
He had been working extremely hard.
Adrian was always blaming himself.
Whenever they encountered a powerful enemy, the Boss was always the one standing at the front and taking the brunt of the pressure, while Adrian himself couldn’t seem to contribute much at all.
Because of that, he had doubled his daily training regimen.
Quans was discussing something with several pirates under his command, while the shipwrights worked hard on repairing the vessels, filling the air with the steady clang of hammers.
As evening approached, a cool breeze swept across the island.
Bonfires were lit along the beach, and the pirates gradually returned from the forest.
Some even carried wild game they had hunted along the way, including rabbits and wild boars.
Feasts were the most popular and eagerly anticipated events for pirates at sea.
Here, they could sing at the top of their lungs and dance to their hearts’ content.
They didn’t have to struggle for their livelihoods or deal with the complicated relationships of society.
They could eat huge mouthfuls of meat, drink as much as they wanted, and do whatever they pleased.
It was their freest and happiest time.
Before long, darkness completely enveloped the island.
Only the light and warmth of the bonfires remained.
To Valsa’s surprise, quite a few members of the crew were actually talented singers and dancers.
It just felt like something was missing.
Right.
There was no music.
Singing a cappella simply didn’t have the same soul.
Looks like we’ll have to recruit a musician for the crew.
We don’t even have any instruments aboard.
Those bunch of roughnecks should be satisfied just knowing how to sing and dance.
The aroma of roasting meat drifted across the beach, whetting everyone’s appetite.
Even though they had brought back only a small portion of the giant shark’s flesh, it was still enough to feed the entire crew for several days.
Valsa swallowed a large chunk of roasted meat, feeling it slowly slide down his esophagus before finally reaching his stomach.
Huh?
Almost immediately after eating it, he felt a faint warmth spreading through his belly.
Oh?
I didn’t expect the meat of this thing to contain so much energy.
Just one bite, and I already feel considerably stronger.
No wonder this world is full of terrifying muscle-bound monsters.
If people eat high-energy food like this every day, they’d better grow several meters tall to justify how much they’re eating.
While everyone was happily eating and drinking, Quans suddenly frowned.
“It seems like there are still some people who haven’t returned.”
The Captain had explicitly ordered everyone to return after sunset.
There was no way those people would have the nerve to disobey him.
Could there be something on this island…?
Just then, Valsa suddenly stood up.
Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and followed his gaze.
“Wait.
Someone’s approaching.”
Valsa waved his hand, silencing the feast.
His eyes turned toward the forest beside them.
The depths of the pitch-black forest seemed to conceal some terrifying monster, one waiting to devour anyone who ventured near.
The sound of footsteps grew closer.
And they were extremely hurried.
The other members of the crew finally heard them as well.
They all stood up and drew their weapons, preparing themselves for whatever danger might emerge.
“Help… help me…!”
A figure suddenly burst out of the forest.
But the instant he emerged, something pierced straight through his skull.
“ARGH!”
He let out a scream before collapsing dead, blood spilling across the ground.
Quans’s expression darkened.
“One of our men.”
Valsa’s interest was piqued, and he gave a faint smile.
“Actually, I sensed something strange about this island the moment I set foot on it.
Looks like there really is something fishy going on.”
Valsa quietly waited for the enemy to reveal themselves.
He could feel someone in the forest watching him.
Neither side made a move.
“Heh.
You’re not coming out?”
Valsa grinned, narrowed his eyes, and strode toward the forest.
Seeing their Captain’s actions, the others revealed cruel smiles of their own.
After a few seconds of silence, Adrian hoisted his enormous iron hammer onto his shoulder and followed behind the Captain.
Quans adjusted his glasses, the firelight flashing across the lenses, and followed as well.
Elik laughed heartily, transforming both his hands into scythe-like blades.
Lucas rolled up his sleeves and followed.
The rest of the crew followed suit.
“You dared mess with the Overlord Pirates and still don’t have the guts to show your face?
Then get ready to face our fury!” Elik shouted into the forest from behind.
Valsa suddenly stopped.
The people behind him stopped as well.
From within the forest came the intermittent sound of footsteps.
One slender figure after another emerged from the trees.
The moment he saw their appearance, Valsa’s pupils widened.
That appearance?
That form?
Could they be…?
How is that possible?
This is unbelievable.
I’ve never even heard of this race existing in this world.
◇ THE STORY DOESN’T END HERE…
◇
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