The battle ended quickly and Hiroto returned from the sea.
The moment he stepped aboard, he saw Gin struggling up for another round, Zoro debating whether to finish him, and Carina standing over a heap of defeated pirates.
"Captain!"
Nami's eyes lit up and she darted from behind Koushirou to the safer shadow of Hiroto.
"Captain…"
Carina echoed, ignoring the blood and bodies underfoot, gaze expectant.
"Well done."
Hiroto praised—Carina had indeed improved fast. By his gauge, she was already worth a few million berries in combat terms.
"All settled?"
Koushirou glanced over, asking though he knew the answer, admiration and envy of young talent plain in his eyes. Even by his standards, wiping out a fleet single-handedly at that age deserved praise.
"Mm." Hiroto nodded with a smile.
At the same time, Gin, forcing himself upright, caught the scent of blood on Hiroto and the direction he'd come from.
Realization hit and he snarled, "Why from that way… what did you do!?"
"Only destroyed your Krieg Pirates' fleet."
Hiroto looked at him, recognizing the famously loyal Gin.
"Fleet Admiral Krieg?!"
"Dead. Beheaded by me."
"Impossible…"
Gin stood frozen.
He knew the man before him was the 40-million-berries bounty Hiroto and had feared his strength from the start. Yet he had never imagined it would end like this.
A fleet of twenty-three large ships, thousands of pirates, and hundreds, even thousands of cannons, along with Fleet Admiral Krieg's various equipment...
This kind of power was theoretically enough to destroy a small kingdom and slaughter every living soul.
Yet now, it had been defeated by a single person?
A monster!
A monster beyond imagination!
Just how did he do it... No, there seemed to be no point in thinking about that anymore.
With Krieg dead, he no longer knew where to go. As if his backbone had been removed, Gin slumped to the ground, his presence rapidly weakening.
A person who has lost their conviction can never stand up again.
Hiroto watched him silently, then shook his head.
Another story character had died before him. However, Gin was more of a positive figure, which left him feeling somewhat sentimental. But it also made him realize once again just how much influence conviction and will have on a person in the One Piece World.
When Gin stood up just now, his momentum hadn't diminished much, he could have even continued fighting. Once he was certain Krieg was dead and the Krieg Pirates were destroyed, he lost his spirit and succumbed to the injuries inflicted by Zoro.
Seeing the enemy die, Zoro sheathed his sword, first glancing toward the Krieg fleet. Then he looked at Hiroto, hesitating to speak.
"Ask whatever you want." Hiroto chuckled.
Zoro's expression shifted before he blurted out, "How does it feel to destroy a fleet single-handedly?"
The corner of Hiroto's lips quirked up, and he waved his hand dismissively. "It's just so-so."
"I see."
Zoro took a deep breath and silently walked to the side to reflect, he wouldn't be going onto the island after all.
He would train on the ship—if it didn't kill him, he'd train until it did.
Johnny and Yosaku emerged from the cabin to clean up the battlefield. In the battle just now, they had held off two fodder pirates. They had fought with a series of bangs and crashes for a long while, but no one had paid any attention, and eventually, Carina had finished them off.
Nami and Carina joined in the cleanup. Although there was blood everywhere, these two weren't exactly delicate young ladies. At most, Nami was a bit more timid and stayed further away from the bloodstains.
Hiroto looked at Koushirou nearby and asked with concern, "How was the exertion?"
"It was a decent workout. I've been getting rusty from not fighting all these years."
Koushirou smiled gently, then walked over unhurriedly and asked, "How does it feel to annihilate a fleet?"
"There's a sense of achievement."
Hiroto raised an eyebrow, knowing Koushirou's words had another meaning.
He said, "But the consumption was high, I feel a bit exhausted."
"That's normal. A Flying Slash, as you've realized, is an extension of a swordsman's will. Anything used must be consumed. Using it many times will take a significant toll on your vitality and spirit."
"After all, the essence of a Flying Slash is to compensate for a swordsman's lack of long-range attacks, rather than being a primary skill. Clashing blades is the most efficient way to face an enemy."
Koushirou taught from experience in a gentle tone, "The dangers at sea are countless, and sudden direct threats are common. So, you must be stingy with your stamina when facing enemies."
"I've learned a lot." Hiroto responded very seriously.
Actually, the consumption wasn't that great, but he didn't contradict Koushirou. This old swordsman, who was nearing retirement, was essentially sharing the experience he deemed useful from his perspective as a veteran.
"You will go very far." Koushirou's smile widened.
This rising star, as young as his own disciple, surprisingly lacked any arrogance. Being able to humbly accept advice and reflect on oneself makes it easier to go further on this dangerous sea. He began to have expectations for Hiroto's future.
"If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me. I shouldn't be leaving the island for a while."
Leaving those words behind, Koushirou departed.
Binmock still needed protection to repay a favor from the previous generation.
—
Inside the port of the island.
The merchants who had scrambled back in a panic, wanting to flee, finally came to their senses.
The Krieg Pirates had attacked, and Krieg had said that unless he died, no one on the island would be left alive.
As it turned out, Krieg kept his promise: he was dead, and the people of the island were still alive.
And the source of all this... came from that Going Merry.
The merchants, finally having time to sort through the situation, discovered a truly shocking fact. Krieg's fleet had been annihilated at sea, and the one who destroyed it was the Head-Chopping Swordsman Hiroto, with a bounty of 40 million.
The one who blocked the initial bombardment was also from the Hiroto Pirates.