In this Great Age of Sail, perhaps because of the limitations of firearms or the difficulty in training, the killing power and presence of a gunman often paled in comparison to that of a swordsman or a martial artist.
This led most pirate groups to prioritize melee combatants in their crew composition.
Even someone as strong as Jesus Burgess, one of the Four Emperors, had to rely on physical strength and Armament Haki to remain relevant in the later stages of his career, lest he drag his team down.
And since they all had to improve their physical strength and Armament Haki, wouldn't focusing their energy on cold weapons or pure martial arts yield more immediate killing power?
Looking at the Kings of the Sea, which of them didn't wield cold weapons or specialize in martial arts?
This was where snipers found themselves in an awkward position.
But in specific situations, snipers could undoubtedly become the most troublesome existence for the enemy.
For example, now.
The Pointed Bull Pirates, forced to defend a fixed position, became living targets for Alex.
With just ten shots, Alex had taken out eight of their men.
This gunfight, unfolding in the night, was witnessed by many spectators.
It was inconceivable that the Pointed Bull Pirates, despite their superior numbers, were being suppressed by a single gunman.
The hidden scouts from other pirate groups, eager to take a bite out of the Pointed Bull Pirates, saw an opportunity in this gunfight.
Though they didn't know which pirate group's ruthless sniper had struck, driven by profit, they didn't care. Each notified their bosses, preparing to swoop in for their own gain.
The prying eyes of jackals lurked in the darkness.
Meanwhile, Alex, positioned on top of the warehouse, quickly adjusted his sniper point.
The entire process was carried out without any pressure.
The advantage of the enemy's "light" and his "darkness" was fully exploited at this moment.
After shifting to a suitable sniping point, Alex set up his rifle and aimed at Wells and the others, who were still practicing suppressive fire tactics.
"First."
The people he had shot earlier weren't even in Alex's eyes.
His target had always been the three names he had memorized in his book.
With his icy gaze fixed on Wells, who remained unaware of the impending danger, Alex pulled the trigger.
The lead bullet flew into the distant night.
As smoke filled the air, Alex put away [Usopp] without looking and jumped down from the warehouse to the ground.
With Wolf Rat and Tatamu no longer guarding him, Alex didn't dare to continue firing recklessly.
While reloading, he quickly moved toward the Pointed Bull Pirate Ship moored at the dock.
Just a few meters out, an extra star point appeared on the cover of the Hunter's Notebook in his consciousness.
The instantaneous feedback of physical gains made Alex feel as if he were soaking in a hot spring, and he couldn't help but exhale a long, comfortable breath.
Feeling the feedback, which was different from before, Alex realized something.
With a thought, the Hunter's Notebook materialized in his hands.
The many silver star points on the black cover transformed into meteors, pulling long, thin silver trails across the surface, like a meteor shower.
Finally, the rain of stars converged on the right side of the "Physique" column in the Requirements section, slowly forming a hollowed-out star frame: ☆
Looking at the "☆" next to "Physique," Alex's eyes lit up with joy.
"It's forming a star frame so quickly. If I can kill Kazet tonight, I might be able to fill the star frame in one go. Then, I'll be able to make my first exchange!"
Alex was surprised and excited but quickly calmed himself.
He could celebrate after a successful hunt.
Withdrawing the Hunter's Notebook, Alex looked at the distant Pointed Bull Pirate Ship, his eyes gleaming.
The formation of the star frame was something he hadn't expected.
Originally, he thought he'd need to take out at least 5-8 more targets like Evan Watt before the star frame could be completed.
Now, he realized it was likely the Fishman Sam he had hunted during the auction that had boosted his overall gains.
"Next, as long as I can take out Kazet..."
Alex slung [Usopp] over his back, and a more secure plan formed in his mind.
He could rendezvous with Wolf Rat and Tatamu, combine their efforts to eliminate the special attack squad sent by the Pointed Bull Pirates, and then launch a full assault on the ship.
However, considering the risk of losing the kill to someone else, Alex preferred to face Kazet alone.
With [Heart Drop Fist Hearing], even if things went south, he could retreat in time.
Drawing his dagger, Alex headed toward the Pointed Bull Pirate Ship.
On the Deck of the Pointed Bull Pirate Ship
"Captain Wells!!!"
A gunman's heart sank as he looked at Wells, who had been shot in the temple and lay dead on the deck.
Even their captain had been taken out.
When they looked further into the night, even though the enemy's gunfire had ceased, an inexplicable fear lingered—they didn't know when they might be killed by a single shot.
This was the invisible pressure created by a sniper in the depths of the night.
Moreover, the poor performance of the remaining three gunmen made the melee fighters hiding behind cover increasingly uneasy.
In this situation, they couldn't even perform basic vigilance.
With hidden scouts from other pirate groups lurking around the ship, the pressure on their shoulders grew heavier.
Tick tock.
Beads of sweat fell onto the deck, splashing tiny droplets.
Every member of the Pointed Bull Pirates was on high alert.
They could only hope that Captain Gabaldon would eliminate that sniper.
A full minute passed without a shot from the sniper, which meant...
"Did Captain Gabaldon succeed?"
At the thought of this possibility, the members of the Pointed Bull Pirates felt a glimmer of hope.
Especially the three gunmen, who were instantly relieved.
The sniper hadn't stopped firing since the gunfight began, and this was the first time he had gone silent for over a minute.
Even if Gabaldon hadn't killed the sniper, he must have forced him to retreat or held him in check.
That was the only explanation.
But how could they have known that the terrifying sniper had switched to a dagger and was sneaking toward them?
When this impossible thought became reality, the gunman's mind was filled with incomprehensible doubt.
Alex, holding the dagger, appeared and slit the throat of one gunman.
Under the gunman's disbelieving gaze, Alex stabbed his heart to finish the job.
Immediately, Alex grabbed the short flintlock pistol from the gunman's body and quickly moved toward the second gunman, following the route he had planned before boarding the ship.
Two clean cuts later, the second gunman was dead.
By the time Alex killed two people in a row, the rest of the Pointed Bull Pirates finally reacted.
Bang!
Alex shot and killed the last gunman who was closer.
Tossing the emptied pistol aside, Alex used the rifle and flintlock pistol he had taken from the corpses to fire several more shots.
The precise close-range shots left four more bodies on the deck in moments.
From the time he boarded the ship until now, in just over ten seconds, Alex had taken out seven members of the Pointed Bull Pirates.
Despite this, there were still quite a few pirates on the deck, rushing toward Alex with murderous intent.
Alex, however, wasn't afraid.
Preferring to use a gun didn't mean his melee skills were weak.
The fact that he had dealt with Abbey's [Speed Sword] was proof of that.
Gripping his dagger tightly, Alex, whose physique had long been enhanced, met the charging pirates head-on.
As the dagger flashed, blood splattered in all directions.
In a short while, the pirates on the deck were all killed by Alex's dagger.
If he had been using a long knife, he probably would have finished them even faster.
In the Captain's Room
Kazet could no longer sit still.
Cursing the incompetence of his men, he pushed open the hatch and stormed onto the deck.
What met his eyes were the bodies of his crew scattered across the floor.
Kazet glared furiously at Alex, who was cutting down his men.
When he saw Alex's face clearly, his rough features twisted with rage.
"U. Sopp. Pu!"
He shouted the name Alex was using, each word dripping with killing intent.
The voice, filled with rage, echoed through the night sky.
The surrounding hidden scouts were shocked when they heard the name.
So it was Usopp, the newcomer who had recently made a name for himself...