Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"I won't waste words with you. You, come here first." The Rear Admiral stopped in front of the pirate captain he had said he would kill no matter what, back in the cabin standoff.

The pirate, who seemed to be the captain, hung his head and dared not meet the Rear Admiral's gaze. The Rear Admiral placed his sword against his neck, "Speak, which one is the captain?"

Upon hearing the Rear Admiral's question, the pirate felt a glimmer of hope and mustered his courage to ask in return, "If I tell, if I give up the captain, will the General spare my life?"

Before he finished speaking, the Rear Admiral's sword had pierced through his left ribcage. Shocked, he looked at the Rear Admiral and then at his own chest where the sword had sliced through his heart.

As the sword was withdrawn, the pirate fell forwards as if his soul had been drained from him, blood pouring out beneath him.

Even though Winters had seen bloodshed that day, his heart softened a bit at the sight of the pirate's death, and the Rear Admiral's ruthless cruelty shocked him. There's a difference between killing on the battlefield and executing a bound prisoner.

But he said nothing, nor did his classmates. The only sound on the deck was the sea, as the young ensigns silently watched and learned from the senior officer's methods.

"Such a waste of words." The Rear Admiral shook the fresh blood off his sword with disgust, and turned to question another pirate next to the one just dead, "Speak, which one is the captain?"

With a body still bleeding next to him, the second pirate called upon felt a coldness in his groin and had already wet himself. He agreed hastily to help identify and pleaded for mercy.

Rear Admiral Layton did not rush to have this pirate identify anyone but simply lifted him by his shirt collar with one hand as if picking up a chicken.

Rear Admiral Layton had the pirate look carefully at the faces of his still-living comrades before smiling at all the pirates, "I will have you turn around, and let this piece of trash in my hand point someone out among you and these bodies first. Then I will bring another person forward, and if you don't point out the same one, you'll both die."

Winters quickly understood why the Rear Admiral was using this peculiar method; it was still about making the pirates betray one another, avoiding casually pointing out a corpse as the captain.

"If you're going to kill, just kill. Why play with us? These men of mine aren't so loyal that you would need to employ such tactics," an indignant voice came and Gold could no longer refrain from standing out, "But you promised us, surrender and you spare our lives!"

"Hahaha," the Rear Admiral laughed even more joyfully, his laughter extremely discordant amidst the bloody scene, "When did I ever promise you surrender would spare you from death? I only promised I wouldn't kill you, but if my officers act, that has nothing to do with me."

The pirates grew restless, Gold stood up even more angrily, spewing a string of sailor's profanity that Winters couldn't understand.

The Rear Admiral tossed the pirate he was holding to the ground and strode over, one hand grabbing Gold's hair, and the other slamming the sword's pommel into Gold's mouth with force.

Once, twice, three times.

Everyone on the deck could hear the clear sound of metal crushing flesh and teeth breaking, even Winters felt a bit frightened upon hearing it.

Winters caught Bard's eye, feeling his stomach churn, and he saw a flicker of fear in Bard's eyes as well. No one wasn't afraid of such a brutal person, even if he was one of their own.

The crew of the Bandit Gull had long since sought quiet corners to hide, avoiding the bloody scene.

The Rear Admiral said through clenched teeth, "What do you think you are? To negotiate terms with me?"

Three blows were far from enough to satisfy the Rear Admiral's anger, and he hammered down a fourth time, "When I ask something, you answer!"

Gold, now unable to speak clearly, could only nod desperately.

"Why didn't you retreat upon seeing the naval flag?"

When Gold opened his mouth, blood mixed with saliva streamed out non-stop. Having been hit by Layton's four vicious blows, his teeth and tongue were severely damaged, and it was impossible to understand what he was saying.

Major Moritz couldn't stand to watch and sighed, offering a solution, "General asks, you nod or shake your head, understood?"

Gold nodded desperately again.

"Listen carefully," Rear Admiral Layton paused, then asked the question lingering in everyone's mind on the Bandit Gull, "Did you intentionally come after us?"

Upon hearing the question, Gold nodded heavily.

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