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[Starting as a Class 5 Mutant]
[Hogwarts: I Really Am a Model Wizard]
[Marvel: I Summon Heroes From Various Worlds]
"Is that King, the one with the terrifying power to destroy beaches?"
"Damn, did that troublesome guy predict our presence and deliberately stay on the ship to wait for us?!"
Seeing the formidable and oppressive face of King, the Tactician was taken aback and hurriedly signaled his subordinates to stop the pirate ship, which was advancing at full speed.
Unlike the loyal Gin, the Tactician followed Krieg more for the unrestricted plundering of treasures than for loyalty. The idea of sacrificing his own life to support Krieg was absolutely out of the question!
"Sir Tactician, what should we do now? If we charge ahead, that man will definitely blast us to smithereens, won't he?"
"The terrifying sound of his heartbeat, just like the one described in the news, he's intent on killing us, Sir Tactician!"
The thumping sounds, like an invisible shadow, loomed over the hearts of all the pirates on the ship.
Under this fearsome pressure, some of the weaker ones didn't even dare to look directly at the muscular, blonde "monster" across from them.
The leading Tactician was also panicking now, the light from the lantern on his head brightening as he frantically thought through his options.
Turning to flee would certainly result in brutal punishment from Krieg;
Charging straight ahead would lead to a disastrous end!
Whoosh! While the Tactician was frozen in indecision, King, who had also spotted the group, took the initiative.
Expressionless, he slowly unfolded his arms and, under Gin's puzzled gaze, walked over to the mast to lower the sails.
Knowing his significant responsibility to protect the Endless Dream, he intended to follow Zyhark-san's earlier instructions to steer the ship away from the enemy.
Although it might seem futile, he wanted to do whatever he could.
Whoosh!
The large sails, catching the sea breeze, began to distance the Endless Dream from the pirate ship.
"Sir Tactician, that man is trying to escape!"
One of the pirates, fierce-looking and seemingly a hothead, stepped forward and suggested, "Let's quickly bombard that little ship and sink it!"
Escape?
That man with tremendous power wants to escape?
The Tactician ignored the subordinate's suggestion, his gaze fixated on the gradually receding sea restaurant.
Or more precisely, on the indifferent-looking blonde man aboard the sea restaurant!
After a few seconds of painful thought, as if realizing the "true intent" of the other party, his expression drastically changed.
"Quick! Chase after them, don't let them get away!!!"
The pirate blinked, tentatively asking, "Should we fire the cannons?"
"Fire your mother's cannon!"
The flustered Tactician backhandedly slapped him.
"Dammit, pay attention! The reason he wants to distance himself from us is because he's worried about damaging his own ship while unleashing that power capable of destroying beaches."
"If we damage the sea restaurant and provoke his wrath, you, me, and this pirate ship will all be reduced to ashes in an instant!"
"That sea restaurant is now our lifeline!!"
After his analysis, the pirate who had shouted about firing the cannons was left dumbfounded.
Especially since, even from such a distance, they could clearly hear the murderous sound from the other side.
The other pirates, terrified and pale, didn't wait for the Tactician's prompt; driven by fear, they hurriedly adjusted the sails and turned the rudder.
Thus, the pirate ship accelerated, desperately racing to stick close to the Endless Dream.
Aboard the Endless Dream, as King watched the approaching pirate ship, his hands helplessly fell to his sides, his brow furrowed, his heart racing with anxiety.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he was caught up to.
Such a grave and troubled expression, seen by the Tactician, perfectly confirmed his earlier speculation: The other party's terrifying power to destroy beaches must have a range limitation, preventing its casual use!
Thinking he had stalled the most troublesome opponent with his wits alone, the Tactician of the Krieg Pirates felt immensely proud, taunting King from afar, "So, having seen through your real intentions, what will you do next?"
The pirates behind him raised their weapons in cheer.
"Hahaha! It's truly the right decision to follow you, Sir Tactician!"
As long as they could perfectly stall that man, not only would they avoid death, but they might also receive a substantial reward from Lord Krieg afterward!
Huh? The terrified King was momentarily stunned: What should I do next?
How should I know?!
Although he was unsure of the specifics, from their demeanor, it seemed they had no intention of attacking.
He quietly sighed with relief.
Beside him, Gin, with wide eyes, alternated his gaze between the arrogant pirates and the seriously troubled King.
Eventually, he too realized the "fact" that King was restricted by the Endless Dream and couldn't help but sigh softly, "The Tactician's thinking is still as vicious as ever!"
Hearing this, King, the person involved, was genuinely baffled: So, can anyone tell me what exactly you are talking about...
Thus, the quiet and prolonged standoff between the sea restaurant and the pirate ship continued until the battle on the main front concluded.
"You've lost, Krieg."
On the shattered heavy deck, Zyhark held his sword against the severely wounded Krieg's neck.
Using the power of dual Haki, far beyond the understanding of pirates in the East Blue, he successfully broke through Krieg's golden armor and defeated him completely.
Despite this, the explosive war spear had left numerous wounds on his body.
Krieg, bleeding from his mouth and gasping for breath, kept his gaze fixed on the young man before him.
Underneath, his hand slowly reached for a smoke bomb hidden in a secret pocket of his clothing.
However, before he could act, Zyhark's Haki-covered fist came crashing down, knocking him out cold.
"Why do you mountain bandits and pirates always carry smoke bombs on you?"
Zyhark withdrew his fist, and the exhaustion welling up forced him to sit down and rest right there.
On the other side, Aqua, using her ability to move freely underwater, had worn down the Iron Wall Baloo to exhaustion on the wooden deck.
Fortunately, this time, the goddess of foolishness hadn't caused too much trouble for her teammates—if you don't count the incident where she summoned a flood to clear out nuisances, accidentally sweeping Zyhark away in the process...
Seeing that they had lost, the Tactician, although unwilling, raised a white flag in surrender under the overwhelming pressure, choosing to give up.
Thus ended the fleet led by Pirate Admiral Krieg, with the overlord of the East Blue forever becoming a legend.
(End of Chapter)