**Chapter 9: Ah Captain, My Captain**
"Brother Sham!"
"What did that guy just do!"
"Couldn't even see his movements!"
The crowd of pirates below looked on in panic. Looking at Allen again, their eyes held only fear and disbelief.
Sham's speed and agility far surpassed that of ordinary people, only slightly inferior to Captain Kuro himself. Yet he had been defeated in a single move, unable to even react...
*Gulp—*
Butchi swallowed hard, a bead of cold sweat forming. He stared intently at Allen, unconsciously tightening his cat-claw gloves.
This guy's strength... is probably no weaker, and perhaps even stronger, than Captain Kuro's!
"Dammit, if only Captain Jango were here...!"
Butchi gritted his teeth. It looked like they were really going to be defeated by this guy today.
But he wasn't ready to give up yet.
If he could get his pirate underlings to hold the opponent off, he could take the chance to escape, go to Syrup Village to find Captains Kuro and Jango, then come back for revenge...
Having made up his mind, Butchi raised a hand and pointed at Allen, shouting loudly:
"There's no need to fear him at all! There are so many of us here, all of you, attack together!"
Hearing this, the pirates present quickly raised their weapons, aiming at Allen, their gazes hesitant and mixed with fear.
But pressured by Butchi's authority, some gritted their teeth, steeled themselves, and took the lead in charging forward.
"He's right! No matter how strong he is, can he really kill all of us?"
"Brothers, charge!"
"Kill!!"
When a few stubborn pirates initiated the charge, it triggered a chain reaction. The remaining pirates also raised their swords and guns and surged forward together!
Allen tapped the ground with the tip of his toe, his eyes playful.
These were all his future subordinates. He couldn't hit them too hard. Especially the ones leading the charge—they had some guts, very suitable for being pirates.
"Die!!"
A ferocious-looking pirate reached him, leaped high into the air, and viciously smashed down with a morning star held in both hands.
Allen glanced up, lifted his leg casually, and delivered a high kick to the other's foot.
The pirate holding the morning star instantly lost his balance. His entire body flew over Allen and out into the sea with a *splash*.
Immediately after, two more pirates holding cleavers charged from the left and right.
*Thump!*
Allen lifted his leg, sweeping it right to kick one pirate off the rock, then using the momentum, his whip leg violently lashed across the other pirate's face.
"Pwah—!"
That pirate was sent flying like an arrow, his cleaver flying from his hand, spinning several times in the air before clattering to the ground.
The pirates charging up from behind met the same fate. Allen's leg became a blur. Every pirate who charged up was sent flying after a single encounter.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
"Argh—!"
"Wah—!"
For a moment, the shore was filled with cries of agony, figures flying through the air.
Seeing this, Butchi couldn't help but grit his teeth. "This guy... just what is his background!"
Taking advantage of this gap, he hurriedly jumped down from the rock, weaving left and right until he reached the unconscious Sham.
He lifted Sham onto his back, looked around left and right, then set off, sneaking all the way to the shore.
Just as he was preparing to escape by rowboat with Sham, a figure descended from the sky, landing lightly with a *tap* behind him.
"Yo, where are you planning to go?"
"So fast!!"
Hearing the mocking voice, Butchi's pupils contracted in shock. He spun around sharply, slashing out with his cat claw.
Allen leaned his upper body back slightly. His throat passed a hair's breadth away from the claw's edge. Then he kicked upward, his heel slamming hard into the other's chin.
*Thump!*
"Ugh—!"
Butchi's eyes rolled back. He spat out bloody foam and broken teeth, his feet leaving the ground as he was sent backward with a *whoosh* into the sea surface. His vision went dark as he fell unconscious.
Allen twisted his neck, stretching a bit. He looked back at the rocky shore, littered with pirates groaning in pain.
"Just finished warming up... What a letdown."
It was like just finishing preparing the tissues, finding a comfortable position to lie down ready for a big event, when suddenly there's a knock at the door.
Extremely annoying.
"Sigh~"
Allen shook his head and sighed.
...
The sun sank low on the horizon. The sunset dyed the sky red. Flowing clouds seemed to gradually vanish as if burning.
On the rocky shore, pirates were busily coming and going. Some were carrying logs to build a bonfire tower, others were preparing ingredients, starting fires to cook food.
Below a tall, imposing rock.
Sham, bruised and swollen, slowly opened his eyes. The red-glowing sunset first appeared in his blurry vision, followed by the scattered figures of people.
When his vision cleared, he was shocked to realize his hands were tightly bound behind his back. And beside him, in the same condition, was Butchi.
"Butchi? Hey, wake up Butchi!"
Sham hurriedly called out to Butchi.
Soon, both regained consciousness. They looked around and realized the surrounding faces were all their former, familiar underlings.
But now, these people passed back and forth right before them, yet all ignored the two completely.
"Hey! What are you doing? Untie us right now!"
"What the hell is going on!"
The Cat Brothers shouted several times, drawing the attention of those around.
The pirates stopped in their tracks and looked over, yet not a single one stepped forward.
"You two are being too loud."
Just then, a voice came from above behind them.
The Cat Brothers turned their heads back in bewildered shock.
Moving their gaze upward, they saw Allen sitting atop the rock, a cigar clenched between his teeth, looking down at them from above.
"If you want to give orders, give them to your own underlings. Why are you yelling and screaming at my people?"
"Oh, right."
Allen pointed at the pirates below, lowering his eyelids, saying flatly:
"Except for you two, everyone here is now my subordinate."
"Don't be ridiculous! You bas—!"
Sham glared over angrily.
Before he could finish, a pirate with a white headband rushed forward and slapped him on the forehead, shouting:
"How dare you speak to our Captain like that! Watch your mouth!"
"Karl! What are you doing...!"
Butchi glared over furiously.
The white-headband man was also bold. He glared back fiercely and similarly slapped Butchi on the forehead.
"What are you looking at! If I scold him, does that mean I'm not scolding you? One more disrespectful word to Captain Allen and I'll smash your mouth!"
The Cat Brothers got a taste of what it meant for a cat to fall on hard times and be bullied by mice.
Looking at the surrounding underlings who once held them in high esteem, now each holding weapons and surrounding them, Sham and Butchi chose to wisely shut their mouths.
"Alright Karl, you all go back to work now."
Allen called the white-headband man to a halt, waving his hand to dismiss them.
In the short while the Cat Brothers were unconscious, he had already persuaded all the other pirates through physical means.
Pirates surviving at the very bottom of the food chain rarely held extremely high loyalty towards their captain. Being like reeds in the wind was the norm.
They were originally a bunch of desperate men forced into piracy because they couldn't survive otherwise. Naturally, they bent with the wind.
The tip of the cigar glowed brightly. Allen looked down expressionlessly at the Cat Brothers, his eyes cold.
"Now it's time for you to make a choice. Are you going to call me Captain, or will you continue to pledge loyalty to your Captain Kuro who disappeared for three years."
...
Sham and Butchi's throats rolled as they swallowed, tentatively asking:
"If we choose the second option... what will happen to us..."
"Well..."
Curling smoke obscured half of Allen's face.
He didn't answer directly. Instead, the corner of his lip lifted into a playful look.
"I'll tell you after you make your choice."
"..."
The Cat Brothers fell silent. They glanced at each other, seemingly already seeing the answer in the other's eyes.
Finally, Sham and Butchi unclenched their tightly balled fists, letting out a sigh of complete resignation.
The Cat Brothers bowed their heads as if accepting their fate, speaking together:
"Yes, Captain Allen."
"We are at your service..."