Chapter 281: The Foolish Caros!

"Let me see, who's back?"

"Hah! Isn't this the pirate scum who just boasted about avenging our lord?"

Unsurprisingly, as soon as Caros dragged himself onto shore, he was met with a wave of mockery.

Migen and several knights chimed in with taunts.

Caros glanced at his subordinates beside him.

Of the two hundred plus men who had fled to the small boats, only two remained.

Both of them, like himself, had escaped the merfolk's grip only by activating their battle aura.

"So, pirate scum, still planning to trap me on this island and then raid my lands?" Gervas sneered.

"Damn noble! I'll fight you to the death!"

This time, Caros truly meant to fight to the death—he had nowhere left to run.

Still, given his imminent breakthrough into Silver Knight status—essentially Bronze Peak—plus his two titled knight subordinates, there might be a sliver of hope.

With a roar, the three charged toward Gervas and his party.

"My lord, leave them to us?"

Seeing them rush forward, Mick and the others saw a perfect chance and stepped forward to volunteer.

"Fine!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

Mick and the others immediately beamed with excitement and delight.

Finally, they had found a chance to prove their loyalty.

Their reaction, however, left Caros and his men stunned and furious.

When had the chance to fight become something to rejoice over?

And didn't they think too little of the three of them?

"Hey! Come on, you damned pirates! How dare you offend the great Lord Gervas? Let us teach you a lesson!"

"Old comrades, kill!"

"Kill!"

Of course, Mick paid no mind to Caros's thoughts—he roared and charged forward with Mac and the other four.

As the two sides closed in, battle aura flared violently.

Caros had still harbored some confidence he could cut down these seemingly weak opponents.

But who knew this man in a linen tunic and tattered leather armor was a Silver Knight?

CLANG! Caros's wrist went numb from the shock.

"You're a Silver Knight?"

"Correct. Though I'm no true Silver Knight, defeating a Bronze Knight like you is more than enough."

"Come! Face punishment for daring to offend Lord Gervas!" Mick sneered, channeling his aura again, his sword slashing relentlessly.

"Madman! You're a Silver Knight—you could live in comfort, yet you've sunk to this poverty. Even if you're poor, why fight for him? You're insane!"

Unaware of the truth, Caros thought the world had gone mad.

First, the merfolk attacked only his group, ignoring these nobles entirely.

Now, a Silver Knight dressed like a beggar—worse off than his own men—fought with burning zeal.

SPLAT!

While Caros was lost in thought, he finally couldn't block Mick's strike—his right arm was cleaved open.

Aaah!

With a shrill scream, Caros collapsed to the ground.

Of course, his two subordinates fared no better.

Each faced two of Mick's titled knight enforcers.

Within moments, they followed Caros's fate.

"Lord Gervas, these pirates who defied you have been captured—your orders!"

Mick and the others were very obedient, dragging the barely alive trio forward.

"You've done well."

Of the three, the other two were nearly dead—only Caros, with one arm severed, still had consciousness.

"Noble, even if you kill me, don't rejoice—you've angered the One-Eyed Gang. Our boss will come for revenge!"

"Then you'll be dead!"

Good heavens! Gervas exclaimed inwardly.

Still mouthy even as death looms!

Coldness flashed in his eyes; Gervas stepped forward. "Is that so? You're threatening me? Do you know what happened to the last man who threatened me?"

Caros sneered. "Hmph! Noble, I'm just stating facts! Ha! My three warships already know what happened here—they've got over a hundred crewmen stationed here. They'll bring every detail back to the One-Eyed Gang."

"Then you'll be dead! Ha ha…"

SLAP!

"Ugh…?"

Caros's triumphant laughter died instantly—he was dazed.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"Still mouthy even as death nears, eh?"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"You're threatening me, are you?"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"You think your One-Eyed Gang will avenge you, do you?"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"You like laughing, do you?"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"Go on, laugh now!"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

"Keep laughing!"

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

Amid the relentless slaps, Caros could no longer laugh.

He had assumed that falling into noble hands meant death was the worst fate.

But he never imagined something worse than death existed.

His head spun dizzily; his mouth and face felt utterly numb.

His vision was reduced to a thin slit.

"I… I'm sorry… please… spare me! Noble… give me a quick death!"

At last, Caros broke.

He found this worse than torture—he begged for mercy at once.

He'd rather be cut down like his two subordinates, dying swiftly.

Than be beaten to death by slaps.

Mick and the others stood frozen in shock.

Was this the merciful noble Gervas they knew?

This… this was terrifying.

Look at that man's head—could anyone recognize his former face?

Even his mother wouldn't recognize him now.

Of course, none of them pitied the pirates.

These pirates were no different from bandits—every place they raided ended in ruin and death.

Women were often raped.

Gervas finally stopped.

Not out of mercy—but to let this man see what awaited him beyond the sea.

So he wouldn't die too comfortably.

"Now, take a look at your backup plan."

Gervas turned Caros to face the ocean.

The next moment, Caros saw a sight that would haunt him to his dying breath.

The three warships he'd counted on to escape had never even raised their sails.

Their anchors hadn't been retracted—they were still tethered to the seabed by thick ropes.

In other words, the anchors remained firmly fixed to the ocean floor.

Now, not only were noble soldiers rowing small boats toward the three warships, but three large vessels were approaching from the open sea, surrounding his fleet.

"See clearly now?"

Hehehe!

Carlos wanted to speak, but his mouth was numb.

Numerous teeth and frothy blood clogged his throat, leaving him only able to rasp like a broken bellows.

Gervas laughed, "So you've finally seen clearly—then you'll die with your eyes open. That pleases me!"

"All the innocent people you monsters killed must be satisfied too!"

Then Gervas tossed Carlos back to Mick and gave him a glance.

Mick understood instantly and dragged Carlos to the side.

Plop!

A longsword pierced Carlos's chest, swiftly devouring his life force.

With a thud, Carlos collapsed onto the soft sand, gazing at the blood-red sky beneath the setting sun.

It reminded him of that evening raid in his youth—the beginning of his bloody sins.

"Ugh…"

Finally, Carlos's head tilted sideways, dying in resentment, his eyes still wide open.

Carlos, dead!