In just a few seds, all the injured were swallowed by the darkness.

  Seeing this, not only the civilians but even the nearby Navy soldiers were left in shock.

  Was this still the same Smoker, the captain known for his gentleness, even to the point of indecision, when dealing with civilians?

  Zephyr’s veins bulged as he lost all restraint. Ign the presence of the Celestial Dragons, he rushed forward and grabbed Smoker by the colr.

  “Smoker… I need an expnation!!”

  Smoker looked at him calmly, gripping Zephyr’s wrist and applying slight pressure.

  “Zephyr-sehis is an order from the Celestial Dragons.”

  Zephyr caught the signal in Smoker’s eyes and stared into them for a few seds before relutly letting go.

  Bancroft cpped his hands and ughed as he walked over.

  “Well done, sailor! Your name is Smoker, right? You’ve done very well! I’m growing more and more fond of you!”

  His agents had already firmed that the injured civilians’ life signs had disappeared.

  This Smoker was not bluffing—he had really killed them. It seemed not all Navy officers defied orders i.

  Smoker bowed slightly. “It is the greatest honor to receive your approval, sir.”

  “Haha, excellent! Truly excellent!”

  Meanwhile, in the distance.

  The civilians hiding on the mountainside had a clear view of what was happening and were so shocked that they couldn’t help but cry out.

  “Monster…”“Executioner…”

  Whispers and murmurs started to rise among them.

  Even the mayor was stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.

  He trembled as he approached Hina. “Miss Hina, why is this happening…?”

  Hina stood still, her expression unging.

  “Hina trusts Smoker. Also, it’s too noisy back here.”

  She g the crowd. “Tell them—if they don’t want to die, they’d better keep quiet!”

  The mayor froze, then quickly returo the group, nervously trying to calm them down.

  Though the pza wasn’t too far from the mountain, the noise could still reach the ears of the CP agents.

  Ba the pza, Bancroft grew bored as he looked at the ruiown.

  “This pce is dull. Let’s leave.”

  He turo one of his agents. “By the way… how many sve colrs do we have left?”

  A stepped forward. “Bancroft-sama, yht 200 colrs with you on this trip. Currently, there are 109 sves on board, leaving 91 colrs unused.”

  Bancroft frowned slightly.

  “Only 109 left? These sves really don’t st long.”

  His eyes sed the kneeling crowd until they nded on a middle-aged man.

  “That one looks det. Take him.”

  The man’s face turned pale as a sheet.

  Then, as if remembering something, Bancroft’s expression shifted.

  “Never mind. With so many colrs left, just take 91 peasants from here to fill up my sve ste.”

  The agents bowed slightly. “As you wish.”

  One of them stepped forward, closing in on the middle-aged man.

  The man, trembling, backed away on his kears streaming down his face. “No! Please, no! I have children to care for!”

  At that moment, a little girl, about three or four years old, ran out of nowhere. She threw herself at the agent’s legs, g, “Don’t hurt my daddy!”

  The agent turned, coldly staring down at the child.

  The girl froze, her hands loosening their grip. She stood there, rooted in fear.

  Bancroft pulled out a pistol, his face torted in anger. “How dare a filthy peasant stand before me!”

  “No!”

  The middle-aged man panicked, his voice crag. “I’ll be your sve! Just spare her, please!”

  But Bancroft ignored him and pulled the trigger.

  At that instant, Smoker disappeared.

  In the moment, he reappeared, grabbing the little girl by the ned lifting her into the air.

  The bullet missed her by inches.

  “Even a child ot offend a Celestial Dragon,” Smoker said coldly. “Bme your cursed fate.”

  Bck mist swirled around his hand, and the girl screamed as the darkness engulfed her.

  Though Bancroft had missed his shot, he was satisfied to see Smoker swiftly elimihe child. His anger dissipated.

  The middle-aged man colpsed to the ground, as if all his strength had been drained.

  “Now, colr sve number 110,” Bancroft said dismissively. “What a noisy pce this is!”

  "Yes, Lord Bancroft!"

  As the CP agent approached, the middle-aged man suddeed in fury, pointing at Bancroft and shouting.

  "You damned devil! She was just a child! I'll fight you to the death!"

  "You i fool! What did you just say?!"

  Bancroft roared like a wild boar struck by a spear, his voice shrill and enraged.

  The CP agent raised a finger, ready to kill the man with a finger gun.

  But Smoker moved faster. In a fsh, he used "Shave" to appear beside the man and delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him flying several meters.

  The middle-aged man colpsed, uo move after the blow.

  "If you 't let go of your daughter, theh her," Smoker said coldly. "sider this your punishment from the heavens."

  Darkness enveloped the man, swallowing him whole. When it dissipated, there was nothi—not eveones beh him remained intact.

  Bancroft's fury eased slightly as he saw the father and daughter who had dared to defy him obliterated.

  "I'm tired. Let's retur 91 sves from this lot and bring them back," he anded.

  The CP agents bowed. "Uood, Lord Bancroft."

  Suddenly, Smoker stepped forward.

  "Lord Bancroft!"

  "Hmm? What is it, Smoker? Are you daring to block my path?" Bancroft's eyes narrowed. "Without a valid reason, I won’t five you!"

  Nearby, Guernica was stunned.

  Bancroft was notoriously capricious, punishing people for even the smallest offenses. Yet, he seemed to have some toleranoker.

  Dangerous. Guernica thought to himself, his sense of rivalry fring.

  "Honorable Lord Bancroft," Smoker said with deference. "I must point out—these people are not suitable as sves."

  Bancroft’s gaze sharpened. "And why is that?"

  "In their eyes, I see rebellion," Smoker replied.

  Bancroft sed the crowd.

  True enough, although the vilgers were kneeling, their trembling hands were ched in fists. Some had their fingers dug into the dirt. And while fear was evident in their eyes, a burning anger y just beh the surface.

  But Banerely waved his hand dismissively. "I’ve seen such looks tless times. They’re meaningless. With CP here, my safety isn’t your !"

  Guernica stepped forward, his voice calm but his dissatisfa obvious. "Captain Smoker, proteg the Celestial Dragon is CP's duty."

  "My apologies if I overstepped," Smoker said smoothly. "But there’s another reason—one even more important."

  Bancroft raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What reason is that?"

  "These people are weak, injured oners. They aren’t worthy of serving someone as great as you."

  Bancroft’s irritation faded as he sidered this.

  "Lord Bancroft deserves only the stro and most capable sves," Smoker added with a fident smile.

  "Well said!" Bancroft nodded approvingly but then frowned. "But where are such sves?"

  Smoker’s eyes glinted. "If you trust me, allow your ship to remain docked for one day. By this time tomorrow, I’ll present you with sves worthy of your status."

  "Fine. I’ll give you one day," Bancroft replied with a grin. But his expression quickly darkened. "However, if you fail…"

  "You may do with me as you please," Smoker said firmly.

  "Good! Let’s return!" Bancroft barked. He mounted a sve and, apanied by his guards, made his way ba grand fashion.

  The Navy soldiers stood motionless, watg the procession disappear.

  As soon as the Celestial Dragon was gone, Zephyr stormed up to Smrabbing him by the colr.

  "You bastard! That was just a child proteg her father! How could you kill her?!"

  "And why should we find i people to ensve?!" Zephyr shouted, his voice trembling with anger. "Don’t you know being a sve is worse thah?!"

  The surrounding soldiers and vilgers gred at Smoker, their expressions full of rese.

  "Zephyr-sensei," Smoker said calmly. "If we ’t take i people… ’t we take those whuilty?"

  Everyone froze. Even Zephyr hesitated, loosening his grip.

  Smoker adjusted his colr, stepping back.

  "Attention, all hands!" he barked.

  "Yes, sir!" the soldiers replied in unison.

  "Board the ship immediately. Full speed ahead to pursue the Fang Pirates!"

  "Yes, sir!"