Chapter 12: Submit or Die

The next second...

Boom!

The pirate ship seemed struck by a cannonball; a huge hole was smashed directly into the deck, planks flew everywhere, and the mast was snapped in two.

Zangao dodged the flying planks, but his gaze remained fixed on the cold-faced figure in the center of the deck, sending a shiver down his spine.

Though the newcomer spoke not a word, the aura he radiated gave Zangao the illusion of facing Xiang Keluo directly.

Thoughts churned in his mind as Zangao gradually connected the appearance of the youth before him with a wanted poster from his memory:

"Knight Gao Wen? Bounty eight million?"

As he spoke the number, Zangao's voice trembled.

Damn it!

My own bounty is nine million; how can an eight-million pirate possess such terrifying killing intent?

In an instant.

Zangao judged that he was absolutely no match for the newcomer; if he wanted to survive, his only chance was to wait for Xiang Keluo's support!

"I can explain..."

"Submit or die!"

Gao Wen looked coldly at Zangao, his tone indifferent; he only wanted to suppress the pirates before him as quickly as possible.

After all, the potential of the people on his own ship had already been exhausted; he urgently needed fresh blood, and these pirates before him were the perfect leeks.

As for right and wrong, who on this vast sea can truly tell the difference?

He never considered himself a good person; unlike some, squeezing the common people was already the limit of what he could do.

"I..."

Zangao swallowed hard, but before he could continue, the surrounding pirates had already raised their flintlock pistols, looking at Gao Wen with twisted faces...

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

After several consecutive gunshots, Gao Wen's figure had already vanished from the deck; just as Zangao was puzzled, a cold voice entered his ears from above:

"It seems you made the wrong choice."

"I am sorry."

Everyone looked up.

They saw Gao Wen lightly wave his knight sword; immediately, a silver-white sword energy shot forth, carrying a sharp aura that gradually completely filled everyone's vision...

Sss!

After a crisp sound, the pirate ship, over fifty meters long and nearly ten meters in diameter, split in two from the middle.

Two unlucky pirates, unable to dodge in time, were struck directly by Gao Wen's slash, leaving behind one arm and half a body each.

Blood sprayed forth.

The crimson color and the sinking pirate ship awakened everyone's reason; when they looked at the slowly descending figure, only fear remained in their eyes.

"Monster!"

"A monster just like the captain!"

Zangao stood on the deck, watching Gao Wen land slowly; only fear remained in his eyes.

Even the captain, who in his perception was invincible, could absolutely not achieve such a feat with mere blades!

"Run!"

Someone let out a cry of shock, and everyone finally snapped out of their shock; but the sea was vast, the ship was destroyed, and where could they flee to?

The words Gao Wen had just spoken reappeared in Zangao's mind; without a shred of hesitation, he made his choice:

"Submit! We submit!"

"Be careful of Xiang Keluo; that guy has a skill called 'Spoon,' extremely fast, invisible to the naked eye."

The high-ranking officer raised an eyebrow:

"Faster than me?"

"I don't know."

Zangao shook his head.

Since the two had never truly fought, he had no way to judge, but he knew exactly how terrifying Xiang Keluo was.

That was a ruthless man who miscalculated nothing; in every battle against enemies, the Black Cat Pirate Crew could be said to have enjoyed all three advantages of heaven, earth, and man.

Logically, under such circumstances, the casualties within the Black Cat Pirate Crew should have been kept to an extremely small number.

But the reality was exactly the opposite; in every battle, the Black Cat Pirate Crew paid an extremely heavy price.

The vast majority of those people did not die at the hands of enemies, but fell under Xiang Keluo's indiscriminate attack ability!

"I admit you are strong, but Xiang Keluo is also a genuine monster; his bounty and combat power do not match at all!"

"In recent years, most of the pirates and Marines missing in the East Sea have become Xiang Keluo's prey!"

Zangao's expression was Solemn.

Regarding betraying the captain, he felt not the slightest psychological burden; or rather, bowing to the strong was the instinct of the vast majority of pirates.

"Is that so?"

Gao Wen neither confirmed nor denied it, turned to look at the pirates still struggling in the seawater, and said:

"You try to survive for now; at least hold out until this battle ends. I will go test Xiang Keluo's mettle..."

Having said that.

Gao Wen stomped heavily beneath his feet; the terrifying force completely crushed the wreckage of the pirate ship beneath him into the water, while he himself, using that force, shot toward the warship a hundred meters away.

A pirate handed a lifebuoy to Xiang Gaowen, then immediately turned to look at Gao Wen's figure, asking in confusion:

"Boss, are we really betraying our captain like this?"

"Betraying?"

Xiang Gaowen hugged the lifebuoy, the corner of his mouth curling into a sneer:

"If Gao Wen wins, our surrender serves as our pledge of loyalty; if Kuro wins, who here would voluntarily expose this matter?"

"Either way, we cannot lose."

"Besides, you don't actually think Kuro would trust us, do you? How could he possibly be unaware of those little tricks the Cat Brothers were pulling behind his back?"

"He simply doesn't care; to him, everyone in the pirate crew is merely a tool."

"I only just realized this myself; truly, on the day Kuro completes his plan, our existence will become his only flaw."

"Given Kuro's personality, what do you think our fate will be?"

The pirate froze for a moment, then felt a chill rise from the depths of his heart, even more biting than the icy seawater.

……

……

……

Boom!

Gao Wen landed steadily on the warship, not even getting his clothes wet, while the pirate ship that had been pursuing them in the distance was already swallowed by the sea.

This exaggerated record of achievement made the people on the warship regard him almost as a deity; while showing awe, a sense of confidence also arose within their hearts.

As long as the captain has not fallen, the Gao Wen Pirate Crew will not fail!

Gao Wen took in the excited gazes of the crowd but had no mind to pay them attention, turning instead to look at the first mate beside him:

"How is the battle situation here?"

The first mate replied respectfully:

"Our people haven't had time to familiarize themselves with the cannons on the warship, so their aim is off; the Black Cat Pirate Crew's equipment is inadequate, so they cannot damage the warship either."

"To truly decide the victor, we must rely on boarding—!"

"They're coming!"

Suddenly.

The lookout let out a startled cry.

Gao Wen looked up.

He saw only the flag of the Black Cat Pirate Crew rapidly approaching; it seemed the other side had the same idea as the first mate.

With Gao Wen's eyesight, he could already clearly see the thin man standing on the opposite deck, his face stern and his expression sinister.

On the man's ten fingers were oddly shaped claw blades; the sharp edges of the blades forced him to use his palms to push up his glasses.

Yet this awkward motion only made the aura emanating from his entire body appear even more ferocious.

"It's not Morgan?"

In the distance.

Standing on the deck, Xiang Keluo froze for a moment, his expression suddenly sinking.

It was not Morgan, yet he was on Morgan's ship, and the other party's attire clearly indicated he was not a Marine; there was no need to say more about what had happened.

"No wonder the moves used earlier didn't seem like Morgan's techniques."

"Forget it."

"A script where pirate crews clash, both sides suffer losses, and Captain Kuro Heavy dies from severe injuries, while not as secure as being arrested by the Marines, is still passable."

(End of Chapter)