At the back of Gat Island, near a makeshift dock.
Garrote's deep gaze swept over a group of pirates carrying food and fresh water, becoming alert.
Soon, a pirate little bro ran over, panting, and said, "Old Boss, we couldn't find that Marine. He must have left directly!"
"Worthless!"
Smack!
Garrote slapped him, making him spin in place, and took a deep breath. "Inform everyone, no one is allowed to sleep tonight! If anyone screws up at a critical moment, I'll skin him alive!"
"Yes!"
The little bro covered his face, trembling, and hurriedly ran to convey Captain's orders.
After some thought, Garrote still felt uneasy and ordered his men, "Hang the hostages outside the ship, give each of them a few lashes, and don't stop until they scream!"
Hiss…! The little bros who received the cruel order were startled but quickly nodded. "Understood!"
"I want to see if the Marines dare to open fire on me!"
Garrote snorted coldly, then turned and headed towards the pirate ship.
Having ruthlessly suppressed and cleared away the naïve and reckless pirates, those who remained were like Garrote, cruel, cunning, and despicably wicked – they were the true evil scum that could be described with all derogatory terms that one could think of!
Desperate people will do anything, let alone humans… when it comes to tormenting and torturing their own kind, humans are uniquely skilled.
"These actions are truly unsightly… If you fear the Marines so much, why not give up your pirate life and go home to live your days peacefully?"
Suddenly, as Garrote stepped onto the deck, he froze as a voice sounded out from behind him and he turned around in disbelief.
At the front end of the deck, a tall and robust middle-aged man, dressed in coarse clothes, stared at Garrote with his cloudy eyes.
Garrote was certain that just seconds ago, there was no one there. So, where did this guy come from?!
Clang!
The pirates were also startled, and their swords were unsheathed.
Garrote held his curved blade toward the old man, his eyebrows furrowing tightly. "Who are you? Are you a Marine?!"
Based on the information obtained from the residents, Garrote was sure that the man before him was not the one who came to the island today. This meant there was a second intruder!
Where did this guy come from?!
Grinding his teeth in anger, Garrote wanted nothing more than to skin and gut this man, but he didn't dare to act rashly without knowing this man's capabilities.
On the other side, Issho shook his head in response to Garrote's question. "I am just a passing old man, I am not a Marine."
"I can see that. Marines won't take in a blind man like you!" Garrote sneered, looking disdainful at Issho's blindness.
A blind man, no matter how strong, was still limited in his capabilities.
With a wave of his hand, Garrote ordered, "Attack him, kill him!"
"Yes!"
The pirates leered and raised their curved blades, pouncing on Issho. Eyes were essential organs for a human, and without the ability to see, one would lose a significant way of observing the world. If a normal person suddenly went blind, it wouldn't be surprising for them to be driven mad.
One pirate coldly raised his curved blade and taunted Issho, who was still tilting his head to listen.
"You old fool, you really don't know what's good for you, you dare to come and piss us off!"
"In your next life, don't pass through such a dangerous place!"
After speaking, the pirate swung down his blade.
Hoo!
Ding!
Sharp wind sounds filled the air. At that moment, Issho's hands holding the short sword suddenly became blurred. The hand gripping the sword hilt seemed to move, and in an instant, he deflected the swing of the curved blade. The short sword was already out of its sheath and back in his hand.
Before the attacking pirate could be shocked, he felt an irresistible monstrous power in his hands, making them suddenly feel as heavy as a thousand catties.
With heavy hands, his body was forcefully pushed down, ruthlessly smashing onto the deck.
"Ah!!!"
Under the effect of Issho's Zushi Zushi no Mi (Gravity-Gravity Fruit), the hands that were covered in the innocent victim's blood felt like weights, smashing the deck and causing his finger bones to be rapidly twisted and crushed.
The pirate screamed in pain as he writhed on the ground.
"Blindness allows one to see more clearly at times…" After completing this, Issho spoke calmly, "I advise you all to not act recklessly."
With the screams of his companions ringing in their ears, and even the evening breeze on the island becoming chilling, the inexperienced pirates were suddenly panicked.
"Monster!"
"What did you do to him?!"
"Open fire, kill the monster!"
"Quiet, everyone!"
At this moment, Garrote shouted angrily, his face looking grim as he slowly spoke.
"Devil Fruit Ability user!"
"That's right!" Issho calmly acknowledged, then continued, "In that case, Garrote Captain, would you mind releasing the hostages you've taken?"
"What if… I say no?" Garrote's expression darkened as he spoke.
"In that case, I'll have to kill all of you and then rescue the hostages!" Issho said, his tone unwavering, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Issho was not a naive goody-two-shoes. While the lives he held in his hands were those of wicked people, over the years, they had accumulated to a significant number, separated only by commas.
Garrote was angered by Issho's arrogant remarks. "Then I'll kill the hostages first!"
As he spoke, Garrote turned around and swung the curved blade at the hostages brought out from behind him.
At that moment, everyone noticed that while they were hesitating, Garrote had already arranged for the hostages to be brought here.
Issho was blind. Without the killing intent, solely relying on his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), he couldn't distinguish between hostages and pirates, at least not yet, allowing Garrote to take advantage of this loophole.
Realizing this, their expressions changed, and they acted hastily.
"Gravity Wave!"
Ding!
Bang!!!
The sound that followed was Garrote being struck by the downward force of the Gravity Wave, his entire body smashing onto the deck.
As for the sound before that…
Patting the wrinkles on his clothes, Rowen clicked his tongue and remarked, "You actually put the hostages in danger… Do you intend to have the hostages pay for your carelessness every time, Issho-San?"
Hua La La!
The wide Justice cloak fluttered, and the members of the Garrote Pirates and the hostages behind them stared dumbfoundedly at the figure before them, each with their own emotions of sorrow and joy.
It was the Marines!
And it was the Marine Headquarters' Vice Admiral!
(End of this chapter)
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