Is There a Problem with This Operation?

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Bang!

Before the words even finished, the sound of a bullet being fired echoed in the air. Through the dissipating smoke from the gun barrel, the one-eyed man coldly watched the bullet fly forward, a cruel glint flashing in his eyes.

"Die, you little runt…"

In his mind, the moment he pulled the trigger, the boy standing dumbly on the deck was already as good as dead.

After all, he was the sniper of the Silver Shark Pirates, a pirate with a bounty of over a million berries…

On the deck, watching the bullet hurtling toward him, Shanuo narrowed his eyes slightly, his lips twitching.

"So this is what pirates are like, huh? They act without warning and don't even try to reason…"

Although his words seemed casual, Shanuo's body reacted without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, his hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword, Tōya Lake. With an unusual technique, he gently unsheathed the blade.

At first, the movement was steady and slow. As it reached the mid-point, it quickened, and as the tip of the blade was about to leave the scabbard, it created a series of afterimages. The speed was as swift as a flash of lightning!

"Iaido: Steel-Slicing Flash!"

In an instant, a flash of cold light surged forth. Following Shanuo's low shout, Tōya Lake swung forward with a speed almost impossible for the naked eye to track, precisely aiming to intercept the oncoming bullet.

Swoosh!

A sharp gust of wind rose. Amid the crossing sword shadows, a small shockwave shot out from the tip of the blade. In the next moment, the menacing black bullet collided with the shockwave and was instantly torn into countless fragments, scattering across the deck.

"What?!"

On the shore, the one-eyed man's smirk froze as he watched this scene unfold. His expression turned into one of utter disbelief.

The pirates standing around him, who had been ready to enjoy the show, were also stunned.

As his crewmates, they knew the one-eyed man's marksmanship was nearly flawless. His modified handgun was exceptionally powerful.

How could it be blocked by a boy who looked no older than twelve or thirteen?

"You little brat…"

Missing his shot felt like being slapped in the face a second time in front of his crew. The one-eyed man gritted his teeth in anger, his frustration growing. He raised his gun again, aimed at Shanuo, and grinned viciously as he placed his finger on the trigger.

However, before he could fire—

A low hum suddenly emanated from the wings of the Tado Pirates' ship, grabbing everyone's attention.

Moments later, several square planks on the ship's body began sliding upward. Under the watchful eyes of the pirates, massive cannons—each with a diameter of half a meter—emerged silently, their dark barrels aimed directly at the pirates on the shore.

At the same time, a rough voice filled with mocking laughter echoed from the deck.

"Ah, well, well, if it isn't our old pals from the Silver Shark Pirates. Long time no see!"

The members of the Silver Shark Pirates froze, their expressions shifting. When they looked up, they saw that the previously empty deck was now crowded with armed men—at least twenty of them by a rough count. Holding swords and blades, they gazed down at the pirates with disdain.

In the center stood Kalal and Biggie. Kalal had a cigarette in his mouth, his expression indifferent, while Biggie's eyes gleamed with amusement. Clearly, the mocking laughter had come from him.

"Where did these guys come from?"

The sudden turn of events left the pirates dumbfounded. They hadn't seen anyone emerge from the cabin, so how had all these men suddenly appeared?

What they didn't know was that Shanuo, who had seen everything, was even more confused than they were. He still hadn't recovered from his shock.

"This… is a thing?"

Shanuo squinted at the floorboards near the railing, muttering to himself.

Just moments ago, as he was preparing to counter the one-eyed man's second shot, a row of floorboards in front of him began to buzz and flip downward, revealing hidden compartments. The next instant, these scruffy-looking men armed to the teeth had emerged, placing themselves between him and the pirates.

Damn it, I've been on this ship for days now—eating, drinking, sleeping, and practically living on the deck—and I never noticed this kind of tech?

While Shanuo was still staring at the floorboards in a daze, Biggie turned around, gave him a thumbs-up, and grinned.

"Ah, not bad, Shanuo! Blocking that one-eyed guy's shot—your swordsmanship's impressive!"

"Impressive, my foot!"

Shanuo was flabbergasted. He shouted at Biggie, "Can you not act so calm about this? With so many pirates down there, how are you guys only coming out now? Were you that confident I wouldn't get shot to death on the deck?"

"Ah, well, Shanuo, don't get so worked up."

Before Biggie could respond, Kalal lit a cigarette and spoke lazily, "We were busy prepping for the banquet and didn't have our weapons ready. That's why we were a bit late. As for your safety—"

He glanced past Shanuo toward the second-floor cabin with a faint smile. "Someone was keeping an eye on things. No need to worry."

They didn't even mention the hidden tech, acting as if this was completely normal!

Shanuo grumbled silently, then sighed and nodded weakly in response.

In truth, he wasn't really mad—just startled by the sudden appearance of these burly men. Unless the pirates below decided to charge at him all at once, he hadn't considered the one-eyed man's gun much of a threat.

After all, during his time at sea, Shanuo's growing strength had gradually made him more confident. If this had happened back in Orange Town, he wouldn't have been so calm facing pirates.

"Oh, by the way, Biggie," Shanuo called out, glancing at the pirates below. "Who are these Silver Shark guys anyway?"

He asked out of genuine curiosity, unable to recall any mention of them in his knowledge of the world. The East Blue was the weakest of the four seas, with only a handful of pirates boasting bounties over ten million. For them to pick a fight with the Tado Pirates, they couldn't be nobodies.

"Ah, just some losers we beat up before. Not worth worrying about," Biggie said with a grin. "We clashed a year ago, and they ran with their tails between their legs. Taking them out would be easy."

"Yeah, Shanuo," Kalal added, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Just stay on the ship. No need for you to get involved."

He smirked. "After all, it's about to get real down there—blades clashing and bullets flying. No one's holding back. Your swordsmanship may be good, but you lack battle experience. In a chaotic fight, if someone gets the better of you, we won't be able to explain it to Redfoot."