Within Seven Steps, a Gun is Quick and Accurate

The harbor was as quiet as a graveyard.

The pirates felt a cold dread as they mourned their fallen friends. The people, though scared, felt a tiny spark of hope ignite within them.

The Marine stood for order and safety.

Even though it was just one man, the fact that he was brave enough to stand his ground gave them courage.

"Go get 'em, big brother!" someone shouted.

"Drive those pirates away!" yelled another.

"Show them what Marines are made of!"

More and more people cheered Roya on, as if their shouts could give him super strength.

But the scene they imagined--the Marine, puffed up with pride, yelling something like, "I'll protect you! Justice will win!"--never happened. Instead, they got the opposite.

"Bang!"

A gunshot cracked through the air.

The Marine had fired!

"Shut your traps, all of you!"

He was yelling at them!

The harbor instantly became silent. Everyone clapped their hands over their mouths, afraid to even breathe too loudly.

Roya, his face red and his veins popping out, glared at the cheering crowd like they were the bad guys.

"I'm talking to you! You're not helping at all, just making a racket. You trying to get yourselves killed faster?"

"Instead of wasting your breath cheering me on, why don't you scram? You're just getting in the way!"

"Do you even understand, you bunch of blockheads!"

Roya, a true Marine, hated nothing more than useless people on his team!

They were being scolded!

The crowd, who had been cheering him just moments before, now felt hurt and angry. Some of the little girls even started to cry.

Hurt feelings quickly turned to anger.

"That awful Marine!" someone muttered.

"I'm going to report him!"

"You better not die, you jerk Marine!"

Finally, the people realized what they should do. They turned and ran, scattering into the island's center.

"Damn it, stop them!"

The pirates' eyes went wide with fury. If these people got away into the island, it would be much harder to steal their stuff. And if it took too long, a Marine ship might show up.

"Bang! Bang, bang, bang!"

Just as the pirates were about to chase after them, a line of bullet holes appeared in the dirt in front of them!

"You're fighting me!"

Roya stood there, his sword resting on his shoulder and a smoking gun in his other hand. He looked so tough that the pirates froze in their tracks.

While the pirates were distracted, Roya quickly glanced at the bullet holes. His eye twitched.

I was actually aiming at them when I shot.

This gun is garbage! A total waste of space. I'm throwing it away.

The crowd had vanished, leaving only Roya and a dozen angry pirates at the harbor.

"Damn Marine!"

Captain Roccio's face twisted with rage. His men were dead, and his looting plan was ruined. He pulled out his twin swords.

"Men, kill him!"

"Ooooh!!!"

The pirates, their eyes bloodshot, screamed as they charged.

Roya took a deep breath. He could feel the rush of excitement coursing through him. His mind felt sharp and clear.

As the pirates' swords came down, his body moved without him even thinking. He dodged the blades and swung his own sword in a flash!

"Thwack!"

The two figures brushed past each other.

The pirate stumbled forward, then blood suddenly gushed from his waist. He crumpled to the ground.

"Next!"

"Die, Marine!"

Three pirates rushed at Roya, swinging their swords with all their might. With a "clang," Roya blocked all three blades at once!

"Sizzle... Sizzle..."

Sparks flew as the blades scraped against each other.

The three pirates strained, their faces contorted in rage. But they couldn't overpower him. Instead, Roya slowly began to push their swords back.

How is this possible!

A look of horror flashed in their eyes.

"You'll need more than that to beat me!"

Roya, holding his sword steady, his arms bulging with muscle, had trained his body relentlessly. He was much stronger than any ordinary Marine.

He twisted his body, knocking the pirates' swords aside. Then, he swung his own blade, and all three pirates fell.

Before they could even hit the ground, Roya jumped forward, using the chest of the pirate in the middle as a stepping stone. He plunged his sword into the chest of the pirate behind him!

"Sixth!"

In the blink of an eye, six pirates lay in pools of blood. The remaining pirates backed away, their faces white with fear.

But not everyone was scared.

"Die!"

A pirate standing in the back held a rocket launcher. Ignoring his friends around Roya, he pulled the trigger!

"Boom!"

The rocket shot forward!

Roya's hair stood on end. Without thinking, he grabbed the pirate at his feet and held him up as a shield.

"Boom!"

A huge explosion lit up the sky!

Roya was thrown backward, crashing into a pile of crates. He coughed up blood.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

He struggled to his feet, hiding behind the crates to catch his breath.

He had managed to block most of the blast with the pirate's body, but the shockwave had still hurt him badly. His mouth was full of blood.

He hadn't expected these pirates to have a weapon like a rocket launcher.

Even the 153rd Branch doesn't have many of these!

As the smoke cleared, the pirates couldn't see Roya. They guessed he was hiding in the cargo stacks. This put them in a difficult position.

"That kid's still alive!"

"Captain, what do we do?"

"We have to kill him!"

The Warship could show up any minute. And after Roya had killed so many of their friends, they weren't about to let him get away.

Captain Roccio winked at his men. He approached the cargo stack from the front, while his men circled around to the sides.

As they crept closer, suddenly, swords came stabbing out from the side!

"Thwack!"

Several swords pierced through the target!

"Clothes?"

Hanging on the blades were clearly clothes.

At that moment, Roya, stripped to the waist, burst out from behind the cargo stack. He raised his sword to strike Captain Roccio's head.

"Clang!"

The blow was blocked by the twin swords.

"You think I'd be so careless?"

Roccio sneered. He had been expecting this. He easily blocked Roya's attack; he wasn't as stupid as his men.

"Idiot!"

Roya shot back. He raised his empty left hand, which now held a brand-new gun.

He had another pistol!

Roccio's eyes widened in horror. He turned to run.

But within seven steps, a gun is quick and accurate!

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

Roya pulled the trigger again and again, emptying the gun.

Roccio lay on the ground, riddled with bullet holes. Roya sneered. He raised his sword and plunged it into the captain's heart.

That man was worth 3 million. Better be sure.

Roya pulled out his sword and stabbed the corpse a dozen more times, not stopping until he was absolutely sure the man was dead.

Just in case he was faking it!

"And now, you."

When Roya turned his head, the pirates were no longer so brave. One by one, they dropped their weapons and ran for their lives.

The pirates, without their captain, were easily defeated.