Guzen who had an enthusiasticlook on his face leaned forward, eyes practically sparkling. "500 million berries?" His grin was as wide as a crescent moon, filled with a childlike excitement. "Sounds like a powerhouse, that one!" His voice practically vibrated with eagerness, the thrill of facing a challenge like this evident in every word. "Can't wait to see what he's made of. What's a man with that kind of bounty gonna do when he faces someone like me?"
Nixon, cool as ever, adjusted his coat and tapped his fingers against the edge of a barrel with a measured rhythm. His gaze never faltered, never showing fear, just the usual calm uncertainty. "Well, this complicates things, doesn't it?" he murmured, his tone a mix of quiet reflection and sarcastic politeness. His accent, polished and precise, made his words feel almost patronizing. "Seems we might've bitten off a bit more than we can chew." A slight chuckle escaped him, but it was far from comforting. "And here I thought we'd be dealing with some low-level scoundrels. But then again," he added with a sly smile, "we are nothing if not adaptable."
Laffitte's eyes flashed, but before he could respond, the calm demeanor of Joshua cut through the tension, his voice deceptively light, as though he were talking about something trivial. He leaned back, the casual ease of his posture hiding the predatory intent beneath. "Ah, yes, my dear friend," he said with a dry chuckle. "It seems all our lofty decisions might have led us here." His eyes flicked toward the distance, his gaze unfocused as though contemplating the vast horizon. "It seems we're now at a crossroads, don't you think?" He let the words hang in the air for a moment, the silence itself thick with meaning. "No way forward without consequences."
Laffitte smiled stretched unnarurally wide as he futher spoke "Isn't that so, Captain?"He tilted his head slightly, the eerie smile never fading, as if he found some twisted pleasure in the tension that hung heavy in the air.
A chilling smile crept across Joshua's face, one that could freeze a man's bones. "It seems we might need to reconsider our course of action, after all," he mused, adjusting his coat with a subtle flick of his wrist, the movement deceptively graceful. "After all," he continued, his voice suddenly laced with a venomous sweetness, "facing off against monsters like the Black Seraphs pirates? Well, that's just... suicide on our part." His smile widened, and for a moment, it was as though his eyes glinted with a murderous delight. "Perhaps it's time for a little tactical retreat, hmm?" The words, while polite, held a quiet threat beneath them—like a serpent coiling in the grass, ready to strike at the first sign of weakness.
Right after these words were uttered, a low murmur rose from the Black Seraph Pirates, mocking the Black Flame Pirates in their usual creepy, detached way. "Oh, look," one said, his voice oozing with mock sympathy. "They're starting to realize the weight of their little mistake. Poor things." Another one chuckled darkly. "I suppose they thought they could handle a crew with a captain worth 500 million berry bounty. Guess they really have a death wish, huh?"
Another pirate joined in, its tone dripping with mockery. "Look at them now, all worried. Probably didn't expect to find someone that strong." Another chuckle, cruel and bitter, escaped as the pirate continued, "Maybe they were hoping they'd be fighting something easier, like some scrawny rookies. But no, not today. Not with us."
The Black Seraph Pirates all around him erupted into cruel laughter, the uneasiness that they felt as the heavy tension that was in the air and around them, slowly dissipated as they realized that the the Black Flame pirates were afraid their captain and crew's might. These moment made them sigh out the foul air and did also gave them some breathing room. So what if they defeated the navy and the warlord together, it does not add up to nothing as they still can't add up to their captain and main forces.
Corbin's voice rumbled like thunder, a low growl thick with quiet, suffocating contempt. "A pack of dogs…" he sneered, each word a weighty accusation. His massive frame seemed to stretch and fill the air between them, like a looming shadow. His dark eyes—cold and piercing—narrowed to dangerous slits as they swept over the Black Flame Pirates.
He took a deliberate step forward, the ground seeming to tremble beneath his boot, and his voice dipped even lower, oozing disdain. "You honestly we were going to give you what's ours because of some bluff of yours?" His lips curled into a sneer that spoke volumes. "Delusional… but then again, what's a little delusion worth to a man?" His gaze hardened, his words laced with venom. "Usually… it's his life."
The Black Flame Pirates, standing on the edge of the brewing storm, exchanged looks of nervous impatience. Guzen, ever the eager fighter, cracked his knuckles with a sharp pop, his grin wide enough to split his face. "Well, well, well," he said with a heavy, mocking tone. "Seems like the time for talks is over, huh?" His voice was thick with the thrill of battle, an excitement that could only come from someone who lived for the fight. "Guess we've got no choice but to throw down with these monsters."
Nixon, ever the refined strategist, adjusted his coat and gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, how tragic," he said, a sarcastic edge lacing his words. "It seems all that lovely conversation was just... window dressing." He raised an eyebrow, glancing at Joshua. "Seems like we've run out of 'goodwill,' Captain. Now, it's just us and them. How... unfortunate."
Laffitte, in his usual unsettling fashion, let out a low, chilling chuckle, his smile widening unnaturally. "And here I was hoping for some real adventure," he said, his voice light, almost playful, but with something sinister lurking beneath. "Nothing quite like a heart-pounding day on the seas, exchanging stories, reminiscing about old battles. But it seems," he continued, his gaze drifting toward the Black Seraphs, "it all comes down to bloodshed now, doesn't it?" His eyes sparkled with a twisted kind of amusement as his smile deepened, as though the idea of a fight was the most delightful thing he'd heard all day. "Such a disappointment. So much for that peaceful, little chat, hmm?"
His eyes glittered with sadistic amusement as he gazed toward Corbin, who was preparing himself for the battle ahead. "How quaint." The smile stretched wider, impossibly so, as if his face was about to crack. "Nothing like a good old-fashioned slaughter, hm?"
Joshua's composed demeanor didn't falter, yet there was something in his eyes—something sharp, as if the calm was the calm before a storm. "Ah, yes," he murmured, his voice smooth, each word dripping with venomous sweetness, like honey laced with poison.
"What a pathetic spectacle," he continued, his tone almost thoughtful, as if considering the absurdity of it all. "Here we were—talking, negotiating, pretending there was any hope of avoiding this moment." He let out a soft, almost regretful sigh, shaking his head, as though the whole charade had bored him.
A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes, and his lips curled into a cold, knowing smile. "How naive we were, truly," he said with mock sincerity, his voice low and contemplative. "But really… what is the struggle between good and evil, if not an illusion? A convenient story to justify the blood we're about to spill." His gaze sharpened, predatory and cold, like a serpent preparing to strike. "And when the fight finally comes, it's not about who's right or wrong. It's about who's left standing."
Enel, whose patience had been wearing thin since the moment the Black Seraph Pirates appeared, let out a frustrated hiss, his voice dripping with condescension. He stood straighter, his posture regal, almost divine, as if he were surveying an insignificant insect. "What a waste of time," he spat, his words cutting through the banter like a blade. His eyes flared with a deadly arrogance that only one with his god-complex could wield. "We're still here, yapping with these mortals?" He sneered, disgust twisting his features as he looked toward the Black Seraph Pirates, who were walking towards them woth blood red eyes filled with killing intent and dark gloomy auras surrounding them as they them as the manisfestion of the iaslnad itself.
"Why bother speaking to these insects? Let's put them out of their misery—granted by the mercy of a god." he added while a streak of lightning crackle along his staff.
Motoa, coughing in his usual sickly, almost detached manner, wheezed out, "Patience is key, gentlemen." His voice was weak, every word sounding like it took far too much effort, but his tone still carried that dry humor. "You know, peace is always the better option, despite what our dear friend Enel may think." He coughed again, a strained sound that barely masked the sardonic edge in his words. Another harsh cough wracked his body, reverberating through the fog-choked air. His hand rested weakly against his chest, but the motion did little to mask the biting sarcasm in his next words. "Yes, peace... the finest weapon of all," he mused, the irony thick in his tone, as if he were the only one in the entire crew who could appreciate the absurdity of the situation.
Enel, the towering figure of self-proclaimed divinity, turned his cold, calculated gaze toward Motoa. His face was an unreadable mask of superiority, and his very presence radiated a quiet, oppressive power only worthy for a god such as him.
"No you old bastard," Enel said, his words slow and measured, as though addressing a mere insect. "Now is not the time for your... ridiculous notions." The contempt in his voice was palpable, his god-complex suffocating every syllable. His eyes flashed with superiority as he continued. "Peace? Ridiculous. What would peace accomplish when I could obliterate every one of them with but a flick of my wrist?"
"Hahahahaaa, i kinda agree with him for once." Its our short-sightedness for thinking we could all come together and sing kumbaya," Guzen said as he licked his lips a sick gleam flashing in his eyes as his hunger for treasure and violence became all too clear.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, the tension so thick it could almost be felt. The sounds of the waves crashing against the ship, the shrieks of distant meteors as they tore through the air, faded into a tense silence. It was only after a long, pregnant pause that Violet's voice broke the silence, his words quiet but chilling. "We're leaving," he said, his tone flat, as though he were discussing the weather.
The Black Seraph Pirates were momentarily thrown off balance, their confident postures wavering as they tried to process the words that had just been spoken. Corbin's grip on his massive sword tightened, the tension in his body palpable as a dark glint of confusion flickered in his eyes. His gaze shot from Violet to his crew, as if trying to decipher some hidden meaning.
"Leaving?" Corbin's voice rumbled, thick with disbelief, the words barely escaping in a growl. "Just like that? We're going to walk away?"
He shook his head slowly, as if the very idea offended him. His lips curled into a mocking sneer as his gaze locked onto the Black Flame Pirates. "You can't be serious." His tone oozed contempt. "You'd turn your back on the treasure, that we should have taken to to the captain.
The murmurs among the Black Seraphs pirates began to rise, confusion and doubt mixing with a sense of unease. A younger crew member, visibly shaken, spoke up, his voice laced with confusion. "Wait, what do you mean we're leaving? Are we really afraid of them?" he asked, his eyes darting toward the Black Seraph Pirates. The question hung in the air, a stark reflection of the growing uncertainty.
"We're leaving," Violet said again, his voice colder this time, cutting through the thick fog that hung in the air. There was a finality to his tone, as though the decision had already been made and there was no room for argument. His usual calm demeanor was replaced by something sharper—something lethal. His eyes, once calm, now flashed with the intensity of a predator's gaze. They gleamed like the sharp edge of a blade in the moonlight, cold and unforgiving. "And if you don't understand, it's not my problem. The decision is made."
There was no hesitation, no wavering in his resolve. The words cut through the air with the clarity of a command. "We will leave before this turns into something more costly than we can afford. No fight is worth the price of our lives." His gaze shifted over the crew of the Black Flame Pirates, as if daring any of them to question him. The air itself seemed to grow thicker with every word.
Corbin's eyes narrowed, his face a mask of barely contained rage. The sudden shift in the atmosphere wasn't lost on him, and the challenge was clear in his posture. "You're not leaving," he snarled, his voice thick with venom, each word laced with defiance. "Not without a fight. Not after you've made it this far." The threat hung heavily in the air, and his massive hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. The air around him seemed to hum with a barely contained ferocity.
But there was something else in his eyes—a flicker of doubt. A moment of hesitation. Despite his words, despite the fierce bravado, Corbin wasn't as certain as he wanted to appear. The Black Flame Pirates had always seemed weak in his eyes, just another ragtag group of pretenders. Yet, in that moment, something told him that maybe, just maybe, they weren't as powerless as he'd thought.
Violet didn't flinch. His gaze remained locked on Corbin, the two of them standing face to face in a silence that felt like the calm before a storm. The tension in the air was palpable, thick and suffocating, like the impending crack of thunder. Violet's voice broke the silence, as cold as ice and just as deadly. "You don't want to test me, Corbin," he said, his words laced with a quiet menace that sent a shudder through the crew. "I'm giving you a chance to live. Don't waste it."
The words hung in the air like a final warning, and for a brief moment, the only sound was the distant crash of waves against the hull of the ship. Violet's posture was effortless, but there was a danger to it—an undeniable certainty that he was fully prepared to follow through if necessary.
Corbin's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding as he stood tall, his fury burning hotter with each passing second. The air around him crackled with tension, and the grip on his sword tightened. He wanted to lash out, to cut through the smugness in Violet's voice, to put an end to this little game. But his gaze flickered over to the crew of the Black Seraph Pirates—their cold, calculating eyes watching with quiet amusement.
A part of him knew that no matter how much he hated it, this wasn't a fight he could win, not against Violet and the rest of the Black Flame Pirates. And yet, that part of him, the one that thrived on the thrill of battle, refused to back down. The bloodlust in his veins screamed for action, for violence, for the chance to prove that he was the stronger one.
His grip on the sword tightened further, the metal of the hilt biting into his palm. "So, you're just gonna leave without putting up a fight?" he asked, his voice seething with anger. "Really? After all this?"
Violet's lips curled into a small, chilling smile, his eyes never leaving Corbin's. "I'm not interested in letting this escalate, Corbin. But if you want to test me…" He let the words hang in the air, the unspoken challenge clear. "I'm more than happy to oblige. But know this: The moment you decide to draw that sword, the moment you make the first move, there's no going back."
Corbin's eyes burned with fury, his teeth gritted so hard that they could have shattered. The urge to fight—to kill—was so strong that it almost consumed him. His mind screamed to attack, to tear the Black Flame Pirates apart and wipe them from existence. But the rational part of him, the part that understood the balance of power, held him back. For now.
Nixon, who had been casually leaning against the mast, straightened with a fluid motion. His smile stretched into something sharp and predatory, the glint in his eyes as cold as steel. "Splendid. Absolutely splendid," he said, his voice dripping with silk as he gave an exaggerated bow. His refined accent added an almost theatrical quality to his words.
"It seems there's at least one of you with some sense, after all," he continued, his voice thick with sarcasm, like he was congratulating Violet on some brilliant insight. "Someone who knows when it's time to retreat." He paused, letting the words linger in the air with a mock elegance. "Perhaps you finally understand, then, that this is not a fight worth pursuing."
The tension in the air thickened as Violet, standing tall amidst the creeping fog, gave a slow, deliberate glance at the Black Flame Pirates. His voice was cold and edged with warning as he addressed them. "Don't take this as a sign of weakness," he said, each word deliberate and carrying an unspoken threat.
Laffitte, ever the creepy figure, tilted his head, his eerie smile widening as he leaned forward slightly. "Oh, we won't," he crooned, the words flowing from him like venom. "Don't worry about it, love." His voice was like ice, a mockery of politeness that only made his presence more unnerving.
With that, Violet and Corbin began to walk away, their steps calm and assured as they made their way toward their ships with other Black Seraph Pirates. The atmosphere grew heavier, the fog swirling around them like some living entity, suffocating the space between them and the Black Flame Pirates. The Black Seraph Pirates closed in, their cold, unnerving smiles never leaving their faces. Their eyes glinted with a cruel amusement, their presence pressing in like a storm on the horizon.
But just as they reached the edge of the battlefield, something shifted. The air grew thicker, colder, and the uneasy steps of the Black Seraph Pirates faltered, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Joshua's voice, calm and slow, pierced the stillness like a knife through glass.
"Actually..." His words slithered into the quiet, a calculated pause between each syllable, as if savoring the tension he'd drawn out of the moment. His tone was deceptively calm—too calm. The kind of calm that chilled you to your core, like the calm before a storm that would tear the sky open and drown everything in its wake. It was the calm of someone who had already decided the outcome, who had already seen the end before the battle even began.
The Black Flame Pirates' eyes gleamed, not with excitement, but with an eerie certainty, their predatory smiles widening just a fraction.
Joshua's grin stretched slowly, a predatory glint in his eyes that hinted at something darker, something far more dangerous than mere threats. He paused again, as if relishing the moments before the world came crashing down.
"I've changed my mind." The words came like a whisper—sharp, deliberate, and carried by an undercurrent of malice which made the skeletons which have been here on the island and in the sea which splashed with huge waves quiver in fear.
The world seemed to freeze.
It wasn't just the words. It was the sheer weight of nothingness that followed. The sounds of the ocean ceased to exist. The wind, once sharp and biting, became still. Even the faint whispers of the Black Seraph Pirates seemed to vanish into the abyss of silence. Time itself seemed to stop—not in the sense that things slowed down, but that they simply... paused.
The tension, that momentary peace that had almost lulled the Black Seraph Pirates into a false sense of safety, hung in the air like an unbearable pressure. It was as if time had taken a breath—and forgot to exhale.
Joshua's eyes gleamed with something cold, something far darker than the space they stood in. The air around him felt thick with malice, the silence only deepening as his soft smile stretched wider—until it felt like the very corners of his mouth could swallow the world whole.
The words fell, each one like a stone dropped into an abyss.