Seven miles is roughly thirteen kilometers.
In Sean's previous life, this wouldn't have been considered a great distance; even a boat wouldn't have taken long to cover it. But in this world...
Fortunately, the warship Sean brought from Headquarters was equipped with more than just sails; it had a set of auxiliary rotating wheels. This propulsion system had been specifically designed for navigating the Calm Belt, where sails were useless. However, when necessary, these wheels could be used in tandem with the sails to achieve much higher speeds.
Even so, it still took nearly half an hour before they finally pulled alongside the other ships.
The decks of both vessels were drenched in blood; it was a massacre. Over two hundred corpses—a mix of Marines and pirates—were strewn across the area.
Scanning the scene, only one Marine Lieutenant Commander remained. He was currently using his sword to prop up his trembling body, looking as though he were on the verge of collapse.
"What are you standing around for?! Hurry over and save him!"
Seeing this, the captain of Sean's first squad, his eyes bloodshot with rage, barked an order to his men. However, as he turned to lead the charge...
Sean's right hand shot out, blocking his path.
"Commodore?"
"Everyone, form a combat line. Advance slowly, and deliver finishing shots to the vital organs of every pirate corpse along the way!"
...
'Is he really being this cautious?'
That was the first thought that crossed the minds of all the Marines. The second was that the Lieutenant Commander over there looked like he was about to give up; he needed immediate medical attention. If they delayed like this...
"Did you not hear my order?"
'BOOM!!!'
Seeing his subordinates hesitate, Sean let out a shout and instantaneously released a burst of Reiatsu.
The sudden pressure sent a jolt through the hearts of every Marine.
"Yes, Commodore!"
Dozens of Marines instantly snapped into a combat formation, advancing forward one slow step at a time. As they approached the first pirate corpse, two Marines raised their rifles and aimed directly at the corpse's forehead and heart.
'Bang! Bang!'
Two shots rang out. But the expected spray of blood never came. Instead, to the absolute astonishment of the Marines, the pirate's corpse suddenly rolled over, dodging the gunfire.
While the sight shocked them, these were elite Marines from Headquarters, not some disposable fodder from the four seas' branches. Several Marines in the line immediately raised their rifles.
'Bang bang bang bang bang...'
After a volley of gunfire, the pirate who had escaped the first attempt was finally riddled with holes.
'No wonder the Commodore gave that order. So that's what's happening!'
The Marines finally understood. Sean had suspected that these pirates were merely playing dead. Had they rushed in blindly, they would have been blindsided by a coordinated ambush from "corpses" suddenly springing to life. The results would have been catastrophic.
'Clap, clap, clap...'
At that moment, the numerous pirates who had been lying on the ground began to stand up one by one. From behind the crowd of pirates, the sound of rhythmic applause echoed.
The pirates instinctively parted, revealing the source of the applause. It was a slender man dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. By all appearances, he didn't look like a bloodthirsty pirate at all.
"Impressive. To think there's someone like you in the East Blue Marines who can see through my strategy so easily."
"However, I am curious. How exactly did you figure it out?"
Kuro stopped clapping and lowered his hands, stepping forward. "During the half hour it took for you to dock, my men performed their roles with great dedication. Logically, you shouldn't have been able to tell they were faking their deaths."
A trace of genuine appreciation flickered in Kuro's expression as he looked at Sean.
"They did perform well. In fact, I'd say every one of your subordinates could be an award-winning actor," Sean replied. "As for how I knew... it's simple. When I first spotted you, you had only lost a few men before slaughtering the 153rd Branch down to a dozen survivors. Now you expect me to believe that a dozen wounded Marines managed to kill nearly a hundred of your men? Are you insulting my intelligence?"
"I see... that was indeed an oversight on my part!"
Kuro nodded, appearing genuinely enlightened. But in the next instant, his calm expression vanished, replaced by a look of savage cruelty.
"But... the result will be the same!"
"It's just a little more troublesome now!"
As he spoke, Kuro raised his hand, preparing to strike.
Meanwhile, within the Marine line:
"Lucci, look after the other Marines. Leave Kuro to me!"
"Yes, Commodore!"
'Looking after the Marines?'
To Lucci, this seemed like an incredibly inefficient way to fight. Furthermore, what did it matter if a few Marines died in battle? Weakness was a sin.
The old Lucci would have thought exactly that. But now, as Sean's adjutant and having served in the Marine for some time, that mindset had faded. Personality isn't decided at birth; it is forged by one's environment.
Though Lucci hadn't changed much—only a tiny bit—Sean was confident that as long as Lucci continued to serve under him, he could eventually make him completely forget the tenets of 'Dark Justice.'
"For Justice, eliminate the pirates!"
"Kill every last Marine!"
In the next heartbeat, both sides erupted into battle cries simultaneously!
'Bang bang bang...'
'Clang clang clang...'
The air was filled with the roar of gunfire and the clash of steel. The two forces collided in a chaotic brawl.
In terms of numbers, the Black Cat Pirates had nearly a hundred men, while Sean had only about fifty, having brought only half his force. Consequently, every pirate, including Kuro, believed they would make short work of these Marines.
The reality, however, was the exact opposite.
The pirates found themselves completely overwhelmed.
The truth was... these Marines were simply too monstrous.
Several of them possessed strength that surpassed the executives of the Black Cat Pirates. Sean had recruited several individuals from the Elite Training Camp, and after ten consecutive days of eating specialized Sea King meat, their power had surged. Two of them had even seen their Doriki break one hundred.
Even the ordinary Marines had a minimum Doriki of around twenty. This was not something the Marines of the four seas' branches could compare to.
While the average member of the Black Cat Pirates might be stronger than a typical branch Marine, against the elites of Headquarters, they were nothing more than fodder.
Not to mention, these were Headquarters elite Marines who had spent ten days augmenting their strength with the flesh and blood of special Sea Kings. It was like wolves descending upon a flock of sheep.
Outside the fray, one person from each side remained idle: Sean and Kuro.
At this moment, Kuro's expression was grim. He had meticulously planned everything, and just as he was on the verge of success—finally escaping the endless pursuit of the Marines—this unforeseen variable appeared. He felt as though his intelligence was being insulted.
However, he also knew for certain that these were not Marines from the East Blue branches. Furthermore, the situation no longer allowed him to remain a spectator.
In the next heartbeat, he equipped his Ten-blade Cat Claws, and then—'whoosh'—he vanished completely.
A Marine, locked in a blade-clash with a pirate, failed to notice the black silhouette manifesting behind him, radiating a dense, suffocating killing intent.
Even Lucci was caught off guard. He hadn't imagined Kuro's speed could reach such a level. After all, Oda himself had stated that the speed of Kuro's "Nuki Ashi" was virtually on par with Soru.
Considering that this version of Lucci had not yet reached the peak he would achieve three years later, and that he was currently managing the entire squad of Marines, it was only natural that he didn't react instantaneously.
Lucci may have been slow to react, but someone else wasn't.
'Clang!!'
A white blur appeared instantly behind the Marine, intercepting Kuro's blades with a sword!