Several nautical miles away from the island where Ryder's mansion was located.
A tall but round figure, resembling a middle-aged woman, stood at the bow of the ship. She held a steel mace as thick as an adult's thigh.
Footsteps sounded as a bald pirate walked over cautiously. "We're almost there, Captain Alvida."
"Koby, who is the most beautiful woman on the seas?"
Alvida turned to look at the bald Koby, a ferocious smile appearing on her fat, ugly face. "Answer me."
"Of... of course it's you." Koby answered, trembling.
The last guy named Koby was thrown into the sea to feed the fish by the captain because he told the truth.
"But there's a guy who doesn't think so. Although he didn't say it, that look in his eyes has always made me unhappy."
Alvida nodded with satisfaction and looked at the island harbor's outline quickly appearing on the sea.
"I heard that bastard found a powerhouse to be his guard."
"Ha, that idiot Ryder has no idea how strong I am. No master can withstand a single strike from my mace."
"After I smash that so-called powerhouse's head, I'll ask him again—who is the most beautiful woman on the seas?"
As she spoke, she pointed toward the island, her fat, ugly face wearing a ferocious grin.
In the distance.
The butler hurriedly put down his binoculars in fear, murmuring with a grim expression, "Alvida..."
"What's wrong?"
"She seems to know I'm watching her. She pointed right at us. It looks like she's coming with ill intent."
Hiroto narrowed his eyes and said, "Such an overbearing aura. It seems she doesn't want to live."
"Killing her isn't necessary. With your strength, just knocking her down will do. Ryder-san has a partnership with her."
The butler quickly offered a compliment, while also slipping in a request and his own lack of trust.
"If you feel it's inappropriate, you can back off."
These words were very restrained, meaning if he couldn't win, he shouldn't fight.
"Are you teaching me how to do things?" Hiroto frowned.
"Of course not. That is the employer's right." The butler's expression changed, and he shook his head with a forced smile while quietly looking back.
Those two girls were being watched by the guards, but that wasn't the important part. It was the person he had sent to find Ryder.
Soon, Alvida's pirate ship arrived at the port. Before it even stopped, a figure suddenly jumped from the bow.
Like a ricocheting bullet, she slammed onto the pier, her massive weight making the ground shake.
The pirate ship behind her began preparing to dock, and a group of pirates grew busy, shouting and yelling.
"Alvida-sama."
Seeing the figure, the butler hurried forward to meet her, while calling for the guards to help the pirates dock.
"Has Ryder become more and more cowardly? He doesn't even dare to show his face now?"
Alvida shouldered her mace and sneered, "Or is he waiting for the miracle of his 'powerhouse' defeating me?"
"This..."
"Move."
Alvida ignored the butler and bumped into him, knocking him head over heels.
She scanned the cargo area ahead, her gaze finally locking onto a figure among the guards. That person gave her a different feeling from the others.
"Is it you?"
Alvida gave a ferocious laugh and charged forward, swinging her mace.
"No matter what you have to say, since you're the backbone Ryder relies on to talk back to me, you'd better lie in a hospital bed before you speak."
Her massive body and the swinging mace were like an unstoppable charging tank, the whistling air demonstrating the combination of kinetic energy and mass.
The guards on the path fled with pale faces, leaving only Hiroto standing there.
He stared at the charging Alvida, his mind flashing through her fighting style.
Powerful and heavy, but the attacks had a very long recovery time. Her observation and reaction skills were not great.
Then...
[Incoming Chaos] triggered.
One-tenth of his stamina was instantly consumed, and an image of Alvida swinging her mace at his head suddenly appeared in his mind.
'I see it.'
Going all out, Hiroto didn't dodge. He grabbed a handful of sand and gravel from the ground and threw it up. Then, holding his sheathed long sword, he flicked the guard with his thumb. The blade popped out, turning into a streak of cold light, followed by a surging gale.
Thrust!
"You dare face me head-on? Then I'll crush you!" Alvida roared as she brought down her heavy mace.
"Too slow."
A voice sounded along with a figure enveloped in a gale, as wind and sand blew into her face.
The iron mace slammed down, instantly creating a deep crater in the ground, but the center of the pit was empty.
A flash of light bloomed into blood as they crossed paths.
Pfft—
"Ah! You despicable bastard!"
Alvida's eyes teared up as she crouched down in pain.
Covering her wounded ankle with one hand, she gripped the mace with the other and performed a crouching horizontal sweep.
Whoosh—
The mace swept through, then hit nothing.
Enveloped in the wind and sand, Hiroto dashed around Alvida frantically, using [Thrust] after [Thrust]. Streams of air were generated, turning into a surging gale.
Then, through continuous stacking, it became a visible cyclone with Alvida at the eye of the storm.
The gale of sand and gravel whipped up, interspersed with flashes of light.
He specifically aimed for her wrists, ankles, and other joints. With the enhancement of the gale, each strike was more powerful than the last.
Splashes of blood flew out like a crimson brush painting randomly on the ground.
Alvida swung her iron mace like a madwoman, but not a single strike hit Hiroto as he treaded on the wind.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it! Go to hell!"
Alvida roared, squinting her eyes as she swung the mace into a blur of afterimages. The fierce sound of the wind proclaimed the power of each strike.
Then, miss—miss—miss—still a miss!
Hiroto, who had activated [Thrust] and stacked the gale over a dozen times, had cold eyes.
He suddenly rushed toward Alvida, a slash abruptly appearing on the wrist holding the mace.
Squelch—
Blood splattered as Alvida's wrist fell off like a hot knife through butter.
The mace flew out and hit an unlucky fellow, instantly folding him in half and sending him flying nearly ten meters away.
'This power... good thing I wasn't hit.'
Hiroto marveled in his heart, then with extremely fast hands, he cut off Alvida's other hand.
"Ah!"
Alvida screamed shrilly.
The cuts at her wrists were smooth, and blood was gushing out. She was crying in agony, her previous ferocity completely gone.
"So strong... Alvida was defeated!?"
Nami and Carina, who were cowering and watching from the side while seeing if they could steal a ship, were shocked.
"Is that a fake?" Nami couldn't help but ask.
"No, I've seen her bounty poster." Carina shook her head.
"It's lucky that man didn't have any killing intent toward us, otherwise... Wait! Footsteps!"
She quickly pulled Nami into hiding and then saw a guard rushing over from behind.
Ahead, there was a clamor.
The pirates who had been eager to jump onto the pier to watch the show were now terrified.
"How is this possible!"
"Alvida... Captain Alvida was defeated, and her hands were cut off!"
"Damn it, what's with that guy? He's too fast."
"Wait, we have to save the captain!"
The butler and the guards mixed in were also stunned. The butler looked blankly at Hiroto, who had crippled Alvida in two consecutive strikes.
Wait, I told you to subdue her, not to cripple her!
Ryder still needs to cooperate with Alvida to strike at his rivals!
Do you know how useful a pirate's identity can be?
But soon, he didn't have to worry about that.
Because some pirates had targeted him.
"Grab the butler! Don't let that bastard lay another hand on the captain!"
The pirates instantly moved against the nearby guards. The First Mate decisively kicked over several guards and rushed over to hold a blade against the trembling butler's neck.
Then he shouted toward Hiroto, "Stop! Stop, or your man is finished!"
Hiroto looked over, suddenly grinned, and raised his hand—swinging his sword.
[Thrust] stacked with the surrounding gale. As the long sword swung down, it turned into a massive air blade that hissed out.
Boom!
The visible air blade blew away the group of pirates along with the butler. The dissipating air currents whistled like knives, carving wound after wound onto their bodies.
Some unlucky ones had their throats cut and died on the spot.
The butler, who luckily survived, was filled with shock and anger. He never imagined Hiroto would be crazy enough to kill him as well.
If he killed him, how would he explain it to the boss?
At that moment, a shrill cry rang through the sky.
"Butler, the boss has been killed!"
The butler, who had just climbed up, trembled violently, then snatched the weapon from the pirate beside him.
He roared, "Give me the weapon! We are not enemies. Join forces with me to kill that bastard!"
"That bastard killed Ryder-san. He is our real enemy!"
Koby looked at the roaring butler in a daze, unable to react for a moment.
Wait, wasn't he just a hostage?
Why was he now going to team up with them, the kidnappers, to deal with that terrifying man?