Each of Cook's punches had the power of cannon fire, but now, due to his injuries and exhaustion, the power of his strikes had significantly diminished. Naturally, this left Cook feeling quite dissatisfied.
"Trying to run around like a coward again? Go ahead and run. Let's see how many of your islanders are still breathing by the time you're done."
Cook swung another punch, and though Wood initially intended to dodge, hearing Cook's words and seeing the grievous injuries among the townspeople, he gritted his teeth and charged forward with his sword.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out as Wood used his sword to block Cook's iron-clad fist. He felt an immense pressure on his right arm.
The powerful impact transmitted through the blade to Wood's arm, making his bones groan under the strain, as if they might snap at any moment.
With his left arm already broken and dislocated, he couldn't use it for support.
Just as Wood felt his right arm could no longer bear the force, he stretched out his right foot, pressing it against the back of his sword to help push away Cook's powerful punch.
Cook, surprised that his heavy punch had been deflected, had expected Wood to dodge or be sent flying, but he hadn't anticipated Wood using such a technique to counter his strength.
However, though his right-hand punch had been deflected, Cook still had his left hand. While not a left-hander, Cook was confident that a punch from his left arm could still severely injure Wood.
As Wood willingly rushed into his range, Cook aimed a sweeping punch at Wood's left side, intending to crush his kidney.
But as Cook's fist came toward him, Wood's face hardened with determination.
Just as Cook had said, the longer this fight dragged on, the worse it would be for Wood.
Or rather, the real danger wasn't to Wood himself but to the other people of Red Leaf Island.
Due to two years of pirate raids, most of the island's original inhabitants had already fled.
Those who remained were mostly women, children, and the elderly who couldn't leave, as well as a few people who were emotionally attached to the island.
Faced with the vicious "Iron Arm Pirates," these poorly armed women, children, and elderly residents stood no chance.
For every minute Wood delayed, more people on the island might fall to the pirates' swords. This fight with Cook had to end quickly.
Facing the sweeping punch that was coming with great force, Wood didn't dodge this time. Instead, he met it head-on with a knee strike.
Crack!
The outcome was predictable. Cook was naturally stronger than Wood, and his iron-clad fist only added to his advantage.
The collision shattered Wood's left kneecap almost instantly.
The sharp pain from his shattered bone made Wood bite down so hard that blood seeped from his clenched teeth.
But before Cook could celebrate the damage he had inflicted, he noticed that the boy before him, with a ferocious expression, was using his remaining right leg to leap directly at him.
Wood's eyes flashed with a fierce determination as the veins beneath the skin of his sword hand bulged prominently.
One-Sword Style: Iron-Cutting Slash!
Off-balance and caught off guard by the crazed expression of his opponent, Cook's face twisted in horror.
"You madman! You… monster!"
An ordinary person with a shattered kneecap might have lost the will to fight due to the pain.
But the boy before Cook now seemed like a demon, completely impervious to pain.
No matter how he looked at him, this kid seemed barely in his teens. How could he possibly possess such an indomitable will?
A flash of silver erupted in the air as Cook hastily raised his iron gauntlet to shield his throat, but he couldn't stop the blade from cutting through.
The iron gauntlet, along with his arm, was severed in one stroke, and a deep slash appeared across Cook's throat, releasing a torrent of blood.
Cook tried to stanch the flow with his other hand, but it was futile.
As he bled out, his consciousness began to fade, and his eyes, once fixed on Wood, gradually lost focus.
Having executed his Iron-Cutting Slash, Wood collapsed to the ground, his legs giving out beneath him. The impact as he hit the ground caused him to cough up a mouthful of blood.
The sword in his hand, after delivering such a powerful attack, had broken in two.
This sword had been taken from one of the pirates that had landed on the island earlier—it wasn't anything special. After enduring so many of Cook's punches and then withstanding Wood's Iron-Cutting Slash, it finally gave out.
Looking at Cook lying in a pool of blood, and then at the townspeople of Red Leaf Island who were slowly falling to the ground, Wood used the broken sword to prop himself up.
But after only a few steps, Wood's vision began to blur, and the scenery before him faded from view.
"You're an impressive kid. Not just in terms of strength, but your willpower—it's the strongest I've ever seen.
When I was your age, my strength and resolve were nowhere near yours.
You've done more than enough. Leave the rest to me…"
As Wood's vision darkened, he vaguely saw a white cape emblazoned with the word "Justice," and a hearty, powerful voice sounded beside him. Before Wood could collapse, a strong arm caught him.
Looking at the black-haired boy in his arms, his left arm and leg twisted at unnatural angles, Zephyr couldn't help but be moved.
He had arrived just in time to witness the final moments of the battle between Wood and Cook.
With his experience and skill, Zephyr knew that if Wood had fought Cook in a more methodical way, he could have won with far fewer injuries.
But instead, Wood had chosen to fight like a madman. At first, Zephyr couldn't understand the boy's thinking and assumed it was due to a lack of battle experience.
However, when he saw the boy, half-crippled, using a broken sword as a crutch to drag himself in another direction, even Zephyr, a veteran of decades in the Navy, was deeply moved.
What the boy had fought so desperately to uphold—was this what they called justice?