Chapter 11: The Enemy Cannot Break Through the Defense

"For pirates, treasure can be even more important than life..."

Henry Evans, his head lowered, quickly pulled out a dagger from his chest.

Suddenly, he let out a sinister laugh. He was only a step away from Renji, and at this distance, he was confident he could deliver a fatal blow. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for—his last chance.

This dagger was something he had stolen from the Rocks Pirates' treasury when the crew disbanded. It was said to be able to cut through anything, indestructible and unstoppable.

"Take this!"

If bullets and cannons couldn't kill this Navy officer, then a sharp blade would.

With this thought, Henry Evans licked his lips, trembling with excitement. He lunged forward, the dagger whistling through the air as he aimed for Renji's neck from behind.

But in the next second, he was stunned to find that the full-force strike he had delivered felt like hitting a steel plate. The dagger stopped at Renji's skin, unable to go any further.

"Tsk, I gave you a chance, but you just couldn't make it work."

Renji shook his head. He had deliberately left such a big opening, hoping to see if this man could actually hurt him. But alas, no surprises here.

Buzz... buzz... buzz...

The dagger trembled against Renji's neck, unable to penetrate further.

"Alright, I'm done playing with you."

Renji turned around, grabbing the blade of the dagger with his hand and yanking it away.

In the next moment, the dagger flipped and twirled in Renji's hand as effortlessly as if it were a wooden toy.

"This is how you use a dagger."

Under Henry Evans' horrified gaze, Renji lightly flicked the dagger through the air. In an instant, every pirate within his line of sight was decapitated.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, the pirates' faces frozen in their final expressions as their heads rolled to the ground.

In mere moments, the ground was dyed a deep crimson.

"Don't make that face now. I liked your unruly attitude from earlier much better."

Henry Evans gritted his teeth, but they still chattered uncontrollably. Suddenly, he roared, "You had the power to kill us from the start!"

He had been given hope, only to have it cruelly crushed.

Renji smiled faintly and plunged the dagger into Henry Evans' skull.

"In your next life, try to be a good person..."

"Wait, no... someone as wicked as you should probably come back as livestock..."

With Henry Evans' death, the battlefield fell into complete silence.

"The wind today is quite noisy..."

...

"Listen, the coast has been quiet for a long time now."

"Did the lieutenant commander win?"

"Probably. There's no more shouting from the pirates."

People gathered together, discussing the situation. The Navy soldiers remained silent, their focus razor-sharp, alert to any movement around them.

Tap... tap... tap...

The sound of leather shoes hitting the ground grew closer.

"Hey, is everyone alright?"

Renji walked in, shirtless, his tanned skin and well-defined muscles gleaming under the sunlight.

Gulp...

The sound of people swallowing their saliva echoed across the square. Shy women quickly covered their eyes with their hands, though a few curious peeks escaped through their fingers.

"Lieutenant Commander Renji!"

Kuzan stood at attention and saluted.

"Take some people and clean up the battlefield. Gather everything and bring it back to the base. We'll distribute rewards based on merit."

Renji casually took the coat Kuzan handed him and draped it over his shoulders. Strange, it felt a bit cold even though it was broad daylight. It had been fine just moments ago.

"Ah, much better..."

He took a cup of tea from a Navy soldier and sipped it contentedly.

"All of you, go do your jobs. Don't mind me."

He didn't like being stared at like some kind of spectacle.

With that, he closed his eyes and pretended to nap.

...

Some time later.

Kuzan approached, his shoes stained with a faint red.

"Lieutenant Commander, it's confirmed. All the pirates were killed with a single strike. No survivors."

Renji opened his eyes and nodded slightly. He had killed them himself, so he already knew.

"None of these pirates were Devil Fruit users. Just small-time crooks, easily dealt with."

"Understood. I'll include that in the report."

Kuzan pulled out a notebook and began updating the mission log.

The Navy typically avoided killing Devil Fruit users outright, preferring to capture them alive and send them to Impel Down for secure imprisonment. This prevented the Devil Fruits from reappearing elsewhere.

"This operation resulted in zero casualties among our forces and the civilians." Kuzan paused, then continued, "All 502 pirates have been eliminated."

"The bodies have all been cremated..."

This was standard procedure for the Navy. Large numbers of corpses, if buried or left exposed, could spread disease and pollute water sources after rain.

"There were 22 women held captive in the ship's hold. They've all been rescued and are currently on the warship. We'll contact their families once we return to the base."

Renji nodded. "Handle those matters as you see fit. Make sure they're properly taken care of."

Kuzan hesitated. "What if some of them don't have families?"

Renji thought for a moment. "Ask them about their wishes first. If necessary, we can arrange some suitable work for them in the Sorbet Kingdom."

Now, it was time for the more pleasant topics.

"This was a huge haul. The pirate ships contained 5 million Berries, 1,000 taels of gold, and 10 crates of gemstones and jade."

"650 guns, 50 cannons, and 1,050 assorted melee weapons."

Renji nodded in satisfaction. The rewards were indeed substantial, offering some comfort to his system-wounded heart.

[Ding!]

[Mission complete. Rewards being distributed...]

[+2,000 points. +1 hour of training time.]

[Keep up the good work, host. May you soon marry a beautiful, wealthy woman and reach the pinnacle of life.]

Pinnacle my foot! Is this all you've got? Why not throw in a Devil Fruit or two? These scraps are barely worth anything.

[You killed a small fry and want a Devil Fruit? Should I just send you flying into the sun next?]

Oh, you've got some nerve...

Over the years, the system had become increasingly cheeky...

[Friendly reminder: The system shop has everything you could ever want. Spend your points, and you can pick any Devil Fruit you like.]

Renji glanced at the system shop.

Animal Fruit: Commoner Form

Door-Door Fruit

Dark-Dark Fruit

...

Renji rolled his eyes. It would be faster to search the world for these fruits than to buy them from the shop.

The more he looked, the more frustrated he became. Eventually, he simply closed the system interface.

"Lieutenant Commander Renji, Lieutenant Kuzan, the troops are ready. Shall we return to base?"

"Let's head back."

Renji led the way to the warship, the neatly lined-up soldiers following closely behind as they marched toward the port.

Behind them, thousands of civilians spontaneously gathered to see the Navy off. They were truly grateful to live in the waters under Renji's protection.

If they lived anywhere else, their graves would probably be overgrown with weeds by now...