"I've never seen someone so shameless in my life!"
That was Jack's first reaction. You used your own subordinates to block bullets, and yet you can say that with a straight face?
But Rocco wasn't the kind to care about such things, and those around him were already used to it. If he didn't do something like that, now that would be shocking.
It was also the reason there were no officers left on this ship—
They'd all been sacrificed as human shields!
In that brief moment of distraction, Jack found himself swiftly approached. Anyone with half a brain knew what happened when a sniper got engaged at close range.
Rocco's face twisted with a cruel grin, as if victory was already his.
But nothing unfolded the way he expected.
Bang!
The sound of a face slamming into a rifle butt!
...
...
Rocco's face twisted from the impact, several teeth knocked clean out of his mouth.
"What just happened? Did the Captain just ram his own face into a rifle stock? Is this some kind of new technique?"
"Could be. Like, using a powerful impact to knock out your own teeth, then spitting them out at the enemy to deeply humiliate them. That drives them into a rage, which makes them easier to defeat—classic psychological warfare!"
"Yeah! The Captain's added a whole new method of torment to his arsenal. Truly worthy of the title—what a genius tactician!"
"You're absolutely right! That's exactly what I planned to do!" Rocco declared, standing up proudly like he was giving himself a pep talk. "Only ultimate humiliation can demonstrate ultimate strength! Now witness my counterattack—cheer for me!!"
Jack heard every word of the crew's absurd commentary through his Observation Haki. What is wrong with these people? he wondered. They're seriously imagining all that? Can't they see their captain is crouched over clutching his face in pain?
Are they blind?
His face is literally deformed from pain!
Jack didn't dare let his guard down. Knocking out Rocco's teeth had been due to more than just his own half-year of strength training—it was partly luck.
He had predicted Rocco's attack trajectory and timed it perfectly, slamming the rifle stock forward. Realistically, a pirate with such a high bounty should've been able to dodge.
But surprise, surprise.
"You're going to enjoy dying, kid," Rocco growled as he picked up a massive greatsword—easily twenty meters long.
"Hey, Mr. Broody! Need a hand?" Kadun called out casually while kicking away a hapless pirate minion.
"Mind your own business. Just deal with the small fry," Jack replied, expression serious.
This was the first time he'd ever faced such a powerful opponent head-on. He couldn't afford to be careless. If he wanted to become one of the world's top snipers, he had to keep pushing himself against the strong.
This was a challenge he had to face on his own.
"If your friend won't help you, kid, then just die! I'll slice you in half!"
With a crazed grin, Rocco raised the enormous sword above his head. The wind howled from its sheer size as he swung it in a wide arc. Some of the pirates nearby ducked instinctively—one nick from that thing and they'd be minced meat.
"As long as my sword's long enough, my enemies can't even get close!"
A whirlwind roared up as Rocco swung. Jack leapt into the air with ease—at that speed, he was never going to get hit. In fact, the distance only gave him a clearer shot.
He fired several rounds mid-air, each bullet aimed directly at Rocco's head. Spiraling trails tore through the air before vanishing.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Rocco brought his massive blade up just in time, blocking the bullets with the wide flat of the sword. To a normal pirate, those shots would've been fatal.
"Such is the tragedy of a gunman," Rocco sneered. "Once you run out of bullets, all you can do is stand there and take it."
He charged forward, confident the fight was already over. In his mind, he could already see Jack sprawled out on the deck, moaning in pain.
"You're right," Jack said calmly. "But who told you I was out of bullets?"
No trace of panic—just calm determination. As Rocco drew closer, Jack's eyes lit up with a flash of excitement.
"This is what I've been waiting for—Explosive Rounds!"
Jack threw two small black spheres from his pocket and swiftly retreated. He had built these himself and knew exactly how powerful they were.
He'd been planning the concept during training, and after several successful trials, finally crafted a few after purchasing the right materials yesterday.
"What the hell is this? Ammo? You laying eggs now, kid? Hahaha!" Rocco picked up one of the black spheres, utterly unimpressed. Bullets were less threatening to him than blades.
He didn't even care that Jack had dodged his last attack. To him, prey that resisted made for a more entertaining hunt. Who gets more excited—someone hunting rabbits, or someone hunting tigers?
BOOM!
A blast of black smoke and fire erupted from the deck, engulfing Rocco at its center.
From outside, only a shadow could be seen through the thick smoke and flames. It wasn't moving. It looked like the explosion had done the job.
Jack didn't relax. His Observation Haki sensed that Roccos life force had wavered—but it wasn't fatal.
"Explosives still aren't enough against someone this strong. Even after modifying it based on Buggy's bombs..." Jack clenched his jaw, hungrier than ever to master Armament Haki.
"Damn it, kid, that hurt!"
Rocco jumped out from the flames. His face was scorched in places, and his long hair was shriveled against his scalp. His clothes were burned and clung to his body. The scent of roasted flesh filled the air.
His absurdly large sword lay discarded on the deck. In his hand, he now held a small, sharp dagger that gleamed menacingly—even in the firelight, it exuded a chilling aura.
"Let's get serious now, little bunny. Let's see how long you can last."
Now wounded, Rocco finally dropped the theatrics. He wasn't about to let the prey toy with the hunter.
If he hadn't used Armament Haki to shield himself at the last moment, his face would be in far worse shape.
A blur crossed the deck. Jack's expression shifted. He sensed Rocco's movement through Observation Haki and reacted instantly.
Slice!
The dagger grazed Jack's face, leaving a thin line of blood across his cheek.
Rocco licked the blade, tasting the blood—then suddenly grabbed his throat in mock agony.
"This blood... it's poisoned!"
Jack stared blankly as Rocco collapsed dramatically onto the deck.
My blood is poisoned? Since when? Is that even possible?
Suddenly—
"HAHAHA! Fooled you, brat! Didn't see that coming, did ya?"
Rocco sprang back to his feet with a kip-up, clutching his belly as he laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.
A few dark lines appeared on Jack's face.
"You're completely insane."
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