"Wait, that's Ely!"
"And there's Annie and Eve..."
"They're all the girls working at the tavern down the hill! How could this be..."
Shano was about to turn and leave, but upon seeing this scene, his steps stopped and his gaze instantly turned cold.
"Hey, bad dog, what are you up to!"
Jax was fumbling, bending down and picking things up one by one, while grumbling, "These are my freshly collected treasures that I was planning to enjoy—they're not for eating. If you're hungry, don't worry; once I join, I'll feed you a pile of roasted meat every day..."
"Kuina."
Shano said expressionlessly.
"Yes, master."
The calm voice of the Young Swordswoman echoed.
As soon as the words were spoken.
Swish!
A bright white sword light flashed by, cutting Jax's muttering to a halt.
He stared blankly, looking down at the line of blood that had suddenly appeared on his neck, and at Kuina who had somehow already sheathed her sword.
"So fast..."
That was Jax's last thought.
Thud!
The Great Pirate, whose bounty surpassed one billion Belly, fell straight into the pool of blood, the splattered blood staining the treasure chest behind him.
Kuina's figure emerged, not giving the corpse on the ground a glance. She indifferently sheathed her Wado Ichimonji and silently stood behind Shano again.
"Boss!!!"
"How could this be!"
"We came to pledge ourselves as allies, Master Shano!"
The underlings shouted in fear, instantly descending into chaos. Among them were loyal old subordinates who, with tears in their eyes, drew their swords to avenge Jax.
What a racket.
Shano frowned slightly, releasing a hint of Supreme King Haki.
Buzz!
An invisible pressure swept through, and the dozens of pirates collapsed like a harvested wheat field, their eyes rolling back.
The street suddenly fell silent.
"Do me a favor, take these girls'... these bodies to their families."
Looking at the heads of the girls on the ground, Shano sighed and spoke to the surrounding local residents.
"Yes, yes!"
A few brave residents quickly stepped forward, carefully wrapping the heads in cloth, eyes filled with anger and sorrow.
"As for these pirates..."
Shano glanced at Jax's unconscious men on the ground.
"I'll leave them to you to handle. The Navy's battleships come regularly with the sea trains to this island, right? You can hand them over then."
"Thank you, Master Shano!" The residents expressed their gratitude tearfully.
This Jax, with his mighty strength, wasn't afraid of the patrolling battleships that might arrive at any moment. He and his subordinates wreaked havoc across the island for two days, and no one dared to stop him.
But now, he finally faced the justice he deserved!
What does one call this?
The evil restrained by another evil?
Some half-grown kids whispered, "Who knew some pirates could be good people."
"I can hear you, you little brats."
Shano glanced over.
"Waaah!" Several teenagers instantly burst into tears, hugging each other tightly.
"No need to be afraid, I'll make it clear—I have never been, nor will I ever be, a pirate."
Shano said calmly, "Speaking of which, there are quite a few pirates lingering on this island, right? You can help spread the word: as long as I'm on this island, they need to behave themselves, or they'll end up like Jax."
"Moreover, tell those guys not to think of pledging allegiance to me. I have no interest in recruiting weaklings who can't even defeat my crew."
Leaving these words, he departed the street with his companions.
Watching their departing figures, some instinctively looked towards the dozen open treasure chests.
So many treasures—if exchanged for cash, it must be worth several billion Belly?
A few people were tempted, but were immediately smacked on the head by respected elders, harshly scolded:
"Fools, are you trying to get yourselves killed by having such thoughts!"
"That Lord Shano seems reasonable, but if you touch his spoils and anger him, the wrath is something our town cannot bear!"
Indeed!
Thinking about Jax's fate just now, those who were greedy broke out in cold sweat, and finally woke up under the scornful stares of the surrounding residents.
"What now?"
"Isn't Lord Shano's ship docked at the southern pier? Everyone pitch in and help Lord Shano load these boxes onto the deck."
"Understood!"
Soon, the residents on the street organized spontaneously, carefully lifted the treasure chests, and formed a queue heading towards the southern pier.
......
Inside the humble wooden house in the northwest corner of the pier.
"Dad?!"
The burly young man lying in bed suddenly sat up, the heavy wooden bed groaning under the strain.
He rubbed his eyes and gazed at the familiar figure standing in silhouette at the door, his face first disbelieving, then bursting with joy.
"Is it really you, Dad!"
Jack nearly jumped out of bed, his massive eight-meter-tall frame causing the floor to shake violently.
He was full of eagerness, taking strides to reach Pike, wanting to embrace him like when he was a child, but at the last moment, he suddenly realized, and quickly hit the brakes.
—Now his power and weight far exceeded that of his youth. If he collided with him, he might have to bid farewell to his long-lost dad all over again.
He squatted down, grinning foolishly while waiting for Pike to approach, then opened his arms and hugged tightly together.
"You brat, you've grown so big!"
Pike laughed heartily, reaching out to pat Jack's sturdy arm, but suddenly noticed—