Hati Island and Skull Island weren't just separated by the sea—they were practically mirror images of each other, identical in every way except for their orientation.
However, Hati Island was now in ruins. It was said that John had disappeared from that very island, and the scene suggested a fierce battle had taken place.
Perhaps his subordinates had joined forces to attack him, but by now, all the capable officers of Captain John who could have done such a thing had vanished from this world along with him. Only legends continued to spread across the sea.
Initially, the battle traces left on the island attracted most people's attention, but after they found no clues there, others shifted their focus to Skull Island.
Skull Island still had ordinary residents, and the fighting there hadn't spread to them. In truth, the inhabitants of this island had no idea what had happened until just a few days ago.
They were just living their normal lives, offering goods in exchange for John's protection. Then, they suddenly realized their island's master had vanished, and countless pirates, like sharks smelling blood, had gathered, making them tremble with fear.
The living residents of the New World were so pitiful and tragic—without power of their own, they could only be at the mercy of others. Even when finding so-called protectors, they couldn't guarantee complete safety.
Their peaceful lives were shattered so easily.
The flag of the John Pirates that had once stood on the island had been broken and discarded like trash. The entire town was noisy and chaotic, with ragged pirates constantly passing through the streets, leaving a mess behind.
Most shops had closed in recent days, but places like taverns or inns remained open. It wasn't that the owners were brave—they didn't dare to interfere.
With so many pirates coming to drink, could they really refuse them service?
As they walked through the streets, Matsuri disdainfully dodged everything in her path. The streets were filled with all sorts of filth. Rotten vegetables and fruits were crushed into pulp, and the hacked-up bodies of pirates or civilians lay uncollected.
Dried blood had turned black-red, making the entire street feel sticky underfoot.
This scene reminded Ren of the hell on earth he had first seen when arriving in Kuri. In truth, there was no difference at all.
They encountered trouble on the road. With a beautiful woman like Matsuri by his side, how could those pirate scum resist?
They didn't attack immediately, merely wondering if there were any bounty posters for these two at sea. With so many pirates gathered here, they might run into someone they couldn't handle.
But as they recalled the bounties issued over the years and found no matches for Ren or Matsuri, they grew bolder.
Several pirates reeking of sweat approached with disgusting gazes, their eyes clearly fixed on Matsuri.
"Hey, kid!" The burly leader at the front looked at Ren with contempt and disdain, treating him as easy prey. They arrogantly reached out, intending to humiliate Ren, but before they could speak, a curtain of crimson filled his entire vision.
"Thump!" Two hands instantly fell to the ground.
The scene happened too suddenly. Before anyone could react, Matsuri had already cut off the man's hands. Pirates watching nearby stared wide-eyed, their gazes fixed on Matsuri's waist.
"Clang—"
That was the sound of Matsuri sheathing her sword.
No one saw when she had drawn her blade, or even when she had struck. When they came to their senses, the man had permanently lost his hands, and the blade that had severed his arms was already back in its sheath.
However, not everyone completely missed Matsuri's attack. A man sitting in a pavilion by the street had seen her movements clearly, even recognizing the appearance of her blade.
"Are those cross-eyed notches? A fine sword indeed."
Ren's gaze lifted slightly, meeting the eyes of the elegant man. He seemed harmless, gently waving his glass of red wine in Ren's direction.
'The Red Count·Redfield?'
Ren recognized him, though they had never crossed paths before. Ren was just puzzled why someone like him would appear here.
Ren ignored him and walked past the pirates who were looking for trouble.
The leader, an idiot who didn't know when to quit, had lost his hands and was now pale with terror, backing away. Ren didn't spare them a glance—Matsuri would handle it.
Matsuri lightly raised her arm, and a ghostly blue flame ignited in her palm. This flame was as eerie as will-o'-the-wisp. Without even throwing it, several pirates' insides caught fire!
"Ahh—"
They screamed, writhing frantically, but the flames seemed to burn from within their bodies, erupting from their eye sockets and mouths!
They desperately tore at their own bodies with their hands, the scorching heat within causing excruciating pain.
"Hel... hel... ahh!"
This gruesome sight cast a huge shadow over the pirates who had also come looking for trouble. They quickly backed away, avoiding the three people ignited by the strange flames, not wanting to be contaminated by the flames that would cause them to die in agony.
Matsuri smiled coldly. When the flames burned out, all that would remain would be grim, fear-filled human skins, while their insides would be completely turned to ash!
Over the years, Matsuri had grown too. Five years ago, when Ren had fought with the Skypieans on Sky Island, she had been reluctant to kill. Now she could act without changing her expression.
Of course, these opponents were very different from those back then. The knights on Sky Island hadn't been bad people—they were merely trying to protect their sacred land.
These pirates, however, were all scum.
After this incident, the gazes of other pirates toward Ren and Matsuri turned to fear and wariness, but trouble couldn't be completely avoided. After all, not many had witnessed the scene, and when it came to pirates, there would never be a shortage of fools who overestimated their own abilities.
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