"You were exposed because that little brat by your side sold you out. Even though you're about to die, I, Lord Bebbart, have always been merciful, so I'll generously give you a chance for revenge before you die."
As Bebbart finished speaking, the pirates surrounding Wood and his group displayed excited yet cruel smiles.
They loved seeing expressions of despair, and they believed that Robin, who thought she could save her life, had no idea that their boss was never one to show mercy.
These treacherous Navy men must hate Robin to the core now, and Robin probably hates them too. But it doesn't matter; Robin will soon die at the hands of these Navy men, and these Navy men will die at their hands.
The One-Eyed Pirate Crew will be the ultimate winners. Both the treasure and the Navy's ship will belong to them.
As Wood slowly approached the trembling Robin, the members of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew grew increasingly excited, expecting to witness Robin's despair and death in the next moment.
However, they were soon disappointed. The bloody scene they imagined did not unfold.
Instead of harming Robin, the Navy Major gently embraced her like an older brother, softly stroking her black hair to comfort her.
"Who said she betrayed us? Robin has been on our side from the beginning. You fools, it's not us who will die here today; it's you disgusting scum!"
Wood's actions took the One-Eyed Pirate Crew by surprise, and One-Eyed Bebbart, in particular, was displeased.
He was sure that Wood was deliberately trying to provoke him, and he had to admit that it worked. He was now furious and didn't want to waste any more time. Grabbing his large machete, he signaled to his subordinates to chop Wood and his people into pieces.
Although Bebbart was a pirate with a bounty of 25 million Berries and not a Devil Fruit user, his physical strength was impressive.
One-Eyed Bebbart charged ahead, appearing before Wood and Robin in a flash. With both hands gripping his giant machete, he aimed a horizontal slash at Wood and Robin, intending to cut them both in half at the waist!
"Clang—!"
However, when the machete struck Wood's waist, it made a crisp sound like metal clashing against metal.
The cruel smile on Bebbart's face quickly turned to one of shock upon witnessing this.
"Rankyaku!" (Tempest Kick)
Still holding Robin, Wood spun around, and a blue arc of energy shot out from his foot, slicing through the air. The astonished expression on Bebbart's face froze permanently.
The thick machete in Bebbart's hands was cleanly cut in half, with the smooth cut gleaming. Bebbart still held the handle, but the other part of the blade was deeply embedded in a nearby tree trunk.
As a line of blood became increasingly visible, not only was Bebbart's machete cut in half, but his body was also sliced in two, falling heavily to the ground.
His death was as gruesome as his weapon's fate, his body severed cleanly in half at the waist.
This all happened in less than a minute. Many of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew members who had just seen their captain rush forward had been preparing to follow suit and show their loyalty.
But before they could take more than a few steps, their captain had already been killed!
"The captain is dead!"
"A pirate with a 25 million Berry bounty was just killed like that!"
"A monster, this guy is a real monster!"
One second, they were thinking about how to split the loot and celebrate after obtaining the treasure. The next second, the entire One-Eyed Pirate Crew fell apart mentally.
And how could they not? Their pride, the 25 million Berry bounty pirate, One-Eyed Bebbart, didn't even have a chance to fight back before being instantly killed!
This was a 25 million Berry bounty pirate, not a 2,500 Berry one! In the West Sea, such a bounty didn't make him the strongest, but it did make him a significant figure. Yet now, he couldn't even survive a single blow.
For the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, who had never seen such power, even if someone told them Wood was a Marine Admiral, they would have believed it.
With their leader, One-Eyed Bebbart, dead, the remaining members of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, despite their numbers, were immediately filled with fear after witnessing Wood's overwhelming strength.
Thus, a ridiculous scene unfolded. The pirates, who had been vicious and eager to attack, suddenly froze in place, then collectively fled toward the shore.
It was simple logic: if their 25 million Berry bounty captain was killed in a single blow, the enemy was clearly a monster among monsters.
Staying meant certain death, and no one was foolish enough to think about revenge for the captain.
"Since I finally managed to lure you here, letting you run away now would make us look bad. Since you killed the townsfolk on this island, you should stay here and keep them company in death!"
Wood drew one of his swords, Tenku, and with a casual slash, he cut down every tree within a dozen meters in front of him.
And among the fallen were dozens of One-Eyed Pirate Crew members who had tried to flee.
With just one slash, Wood reduced the One-Eyed Pirate Crew's numbers by a fifth. There were no survivors among those struck, as they all died on the spot.
Even though these were just ordinary pirates, the fact that Wood could kill a hundred with a single swing made even his own crew members like Russ gasp in awe.
Just as Wood was about to draw his sword again to finish off the remaining pirates fleeing in other directions, Russ stepped in to stop him.
"Captain, we know you're strong, but give us a chance to show off too. Besides, there might be other bounty heads among the One-Eyed Pirate Crew. If you accidentally cut off their heads, we won't be able to collect the bounty."
Wood thought for a moment and agreed with Russ. He sheathed Tenku and said, "Make sure you keep an eye on those with bounties on their heads. Don't let them get away. If you can't catch them, stake out at the ships. They'll have to go either to their ship or try to steal ours if they want to escape the island."
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 230+ at patreon.com/Betek.