Chapter 280: You Think You

That brand-new leather armor!

That shiny silver helmet.

And that small round shield, plus leather boots made of oxhide.

This... this damn thing is the Kingdom's army!!!

"Gentlemen, we're out! Are we clear now?" Gervas smiled at the bandits.

The bandits' bodies stiffened, fear flashing in their eyes.

Carlos's pupils contracted. "You... who are you?"

"Me? Let me introduce myself—I'm Gervas Gale, Lord of Stormhold. Guys, you've picked a hell of a fight. Know that?" Gervas smiled at them.

Carlos trembled, stunned that nobility actually existed here.

And this noble's soldiers? All fully armed, each one equipped with leather armor.

When did a viscount grow this wealthy?

Isn't it said that minor nobles rely entirely on peasant conscripts for war?

More elite guards emerged from the surrounding grass, numbering at least three hundred!

If they were on a ship, Carlos wouldn't necessarily fear them.

But this was land—not their pirate domain.

"Men, fight them! Kill!" Carlos roared suddenly.

He would never surrender.

Of course, after shouting, Carlos immediately dove backward into the crowd.

That left his men in terrible shape.

Gervas's group had been ready for this.

So, the moment he finished shouting, before his men could react—

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The crossbow team struck first—a rain of arrows claimed over a dozen pirates.

The first to fall were the pirate longbowmen drawing their bows.

They were instantly riddled with arrows.

Of course, the ordinary pirates fared no better.

"Storm Warriors, kill!"

All the guards charged forward; the pirates, just now reacting and swinging their mismatched weapons, were cut down in another wave.

Pirates, accustomed to fighting on water, rarely wore leather armor.

Even during landings, only a few elite carried armor.

So against fully armed Storm Guards, they were barely worth the effort.

Added to that, these nobles somehow possessed astonishing strength.

After only a brief struggle, the pirates grew terrified, fear taking root.

Just then, they saw their boss Carlos fleeing—each one immediately bolted toward the shore.

"Run, everyone! These guards are too strong!"

"Right! Carlos boss is running—let's get back to the ship and fight these bastards again!"

Three hundred pirates surged toward the shore in a chaotic rush.

Seeing this, Gervas would not let them escape.

"Chase them! Don't let them reach the ships!"

The Storm Guards and knights began sprinting after them.

But three hundred men running is no small thing—and Lei Meng and the knights hadn't brought horses.

In the end, over half the pirates reached the shore and scrambled onto the moored wooden boats.

Seeing safety within reach, Carlos exhaled in relief—then glared venomously at Gervas and his men, now at the water's edge.

"Damn nobles! I only wanted to raid the island and have a good night's rest before leaving!"

"But you've angered me. You're dead. Not only will I trap you on this island until you starve—I'll also sail to your lands and plunder them."

Damn! Gervas muttered "Damn!"

This was practically a direct insult!

"Pirate scum, you're so sure you've got me cornered?"

"Minor noble, on land, I can't touch you! But at sea, the One-Eyed Gang fears no one!"

"Unless a major clan's fleet arrives, we never fight head-on! But can you summon one?"

"And even if you could, how long would a major clan's fleet protect you? Ten days? A month?"

"They'll leave eventually—and when they do, I'll come back for revenge! Ha!"

Allen nodded. Clearly, the enemy thought he had him pinned down.

This was the nuisance of pirates—only major clans weren't afraid of them.

Otherwise, minor nobles all trembled at the mere mention of pirates.

"Pirate scum, you're right. And I can't summon a major clan's fleet to protect me!"

"Ha! Then die! Damn noble, I lost at least a hundred brothers just now—but I'll avenge them!"

"I'll make you pay tenfold for the One-Eyed Gang!" Carlos's face twisted with fury.

"No, no, no! Pirate scum, you're wrong. Your words reminded me—against men like you, mercy is weakness!"

"So, rest easy. You're all going to die." Gervas smiled coldly.

"Huh?" Carlos froze.

Just then, screams echoed from nearby.

"Boss! Something's in the sea!"

Carlos instantly looked out at the water.

In the clear, shallow sea, dozens of dark shadows appeared.

"This... these are fishmen?!"

Splash! Splash!

The fishmen, moments ago darting beneath the surface, burst upward and dragged the pirates leaning over the boat edges straight into the sea.

Aaaah!

Screams and wails erupted continuously.

Those dragged under were instantly stabbed to death with short blades, blood blooming in the water.

"Damn it! Don't go near the gunwales! Row faster to the warship! Once aboard, we're safe! Hurry!"

Carlos couldn't understand why the fishmen had appeared so suddenly.

And why were they only attacking their small boats—not the men on shore?

Normally, fishmen didn't attack ships, since they preferred fish and shellfish.

They became the ocean species most hostile to humans because, when they came ashore to rest or feed, they mistook nearby humans for invaders.

So normally, fishmen only attacked people on land.

Those on ships posed no threat to them.

But now wasn't the time to think about this—getting back to the warship was the priority.

Once aboard the tall ships, the fishmen couldn't threaten them.

Yet, soon, desperate cries reached Carlos's ears.

"Boss! Look at the hull—these damn fishmen are drilling through our boats!"

Thump! Thump! The muffled sounds grew louder; the thin hull visibly warped, then leaked, then spouted water like geysers.

"Bastards!"

This was Carlos's final shout.

The next instant, he and his men sank into the sea.

Leather armor, soaked, immediately absorbed water—turning their lifesaving gear into deadly anchors.

But in this life-or-death moment, Carlos wouldn't just die. He activated his battle aura.

"Get off me!"

With a violent swing, the fishmen dragging him underwater were flung away.

Then, he abandoned all caution and swam toward shore.

It wasn't that he didn't want to swim toward the distant warship.

But out at sea, even more fishmen were rushing toward him.

So, compared to the open sea, he'd rather face the noble on land.

At least then he could still fight back!

Hmm!

At least, that's what he believed.