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[TIOP] Chapter : 4
🕑 Added 2025-02-02 20:48:11 +0000 UTC“Who the fuck did this? Spread out and find them—now!” The pirate captain, a towering figure clad in armor, bellowed in rage as he surveyed the blood-soaked bodies of his fallen men.
“Captain, could it have been someone from the village?” A bespectacled pirate suggested, crouching to examine the scene.
“The villagers?” The captain sneered. “I kept those ingrates alive to serve us, but it seems they’ve forgotten their place. Round them up! Search every corner, and when we find the culprit, I’ll snap his neck myself!” His face twisted in fury as he barked out orders.
Just as the pirates regrouped to storm the village, a fresh scream echoed from the ship behind them.
Jack stood casually at the ship's railing, a faint smirk on his face, showing his middle finger to the pirates on the beach. Before the pirates could react, he plunged into the sea, leaving behind a scene of chaos—every pirate left on board behind them now lay lifeless.
“Get that bastard!” The captain’s roar filled the night, the pirates charging toward the ship in a frenzy, though none had caught a clear glimpse of Jack. His audacious challenge left them seething with fury, determined to hunt him down.
“Hah, just a dozen or so left. One more ambush, and I can take them head-on,” Jack muttered as he climbed ashore, his eyes fixed on the furious pirates still scouring the area.
Despite his growing physical prowess, Jack knew he couldn’t afford recklessness. Unlike the near-invincible characters in anime, he had only one life to lose—and he intended to keep it.
“Captain, it's likely the enemy isn't very strong. If they were, they wouldn’t need to resort to these hit-and-run tactics,” observed the bespectacled pirate, adjusting his glasses with a calculating look.
“Enough with the chatter!” The captain roared, veins bulging in his neck as he surveyed the bloodied deck. “Find that fucker—now! The moment I lay eyes on him, I’ll carve him to pieces!”
Frustration simmered beneath his fury. Their numbers had already been halved, and they still hadn’t even identified their assailant. The uncertainty gnawed at his pride.
In every battle before, foes faced them with swords drawn and guns blazing—defeat or retreat was clear-cut. But this time, they faced something far more infuriating: an elusive ghost striking from the shadows.
This time, the pirates had grown wiser. Instead of splitting up, they stayed together, searching as a group to avoid being picked off one by one.
“Captain, we've scoured the area thoroughly but found nothing. Besides, it’s the middle of the night, and everyone’s exhausted,” reported the bespectacled pirate, his frustration evident. “The crew needs rest.”
The pirate captain, now more composed, asked, “What’s our next move?”
“We rest tonight. No one separates—everyone stays together. At dawn, we’ll march straight to the village and use the locals as leverage. That’ll flush him out,” the pirate with glasses suggested, a sly grin creeping onto his face.
The captain grunted in agreement. “Fine. But tomorrow, I’ll handle him myself.”
Meanwhile, Jack lay hidden in the grass along the shore. Although unaware of the pirates' exact plan, he refused to leave, wary of them causing trouble in the village. He remained vigilant, silently restoring the internal energy he had expended.
As dawn broke and the sky lightened, Jack’s strength had fully returned. Checking his status, he noticed a small but noticeable increase in his inner energy—a welcome sign of progress.
"No wonder they say experience and pressure are the best teachers. You can’t gain experience this fast just training alone," Jack murmured with a smile as he observed the experience bar now sitting beyond four-fifths full.
Stashing his weapon back into his backpack, Jack slipped into the water once more, swimming steadily toward the pirate ship before climbing aboard with practiced stealth.
"As expected, they’re all here... That big guy must be the captain," he noted while peering through a cabin window. Inside, the pirates lay sprawled in disarray, fast asleep. Two guards posted at the door were barely awake, nodding off between half-hearted attempts to stay vigilant. At the center of the cabin sat a burly man clad in armor, head slumped and drooling as he too succumbed to sleep.
Jack took a steadying breath, drawing the pistol he had captured earlier. His lack of experience with firearms didn't concern him—at this range, precision hardly mattered.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He emptied the magazine at the pirate captain, the gun sounds shattering the quiet night. Without hesitation, Jack vaulted onto the upper deck, discarding the pistol into the sea to create the illusion he had escaped by diving overboard.
By the time the disoriented pirates charged outside in search of their attacker, Jack had already disappeared into the shadows, leaving only confusion and chaos in his wake.
"Captain, are you alright?" one pirate called out urgently.
"That bastard! I won’t let him get away with this!" The captain roared, his voice thick with rage.
From his vantage point, Jack winced, rubbing his head in frustration. 'I was that close and still missed the kill shot? My marksmanship is so embarrassing—practically a joke.' He shook his head at the thought.
Just then, the pirate captain emerged from the cabin, clutching his wounded arm.
"At least I grazed him," Jack muttered quietly. "Good thing I didn’t blow my cover completely."
"Captain, there's no point wasting time hunting him down here," the bespectacled pirate suggested, his own frustration mounting. "If we head to the village, he’ll have no choice but to come out."
"You're right," the captain sneered viciously. "Grab your weapons, boys! We’re going to raze the village, take their food and treasure, and leave nothing behind!"
A chilling cheer erupted from the pirates. The lure of slaughter and plunder momentarily washed away their fear, rekindling their savage excitement.
Jack crouched quietly on the upper deck, withdrawing two pistols from his inventory. This time, he wasn’t aiming solely for the pirate captain—his target was every last one of them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire shattered the night as Jack opened fire on the unsuspecting pirates below. The sudden barrage left chaos in its wake, with several pirates collapsing before the rest scrambled for cover behind barrels and crates.
"You brat! Jack, is that you?" The pirate captain roared furiously after recognizing the attacker. "If you're a real warrior, come down and fight me face-to-face!" His voice echoed with both anger and disbelief—he knew Jack from his crew, who shared about a kid who bought drinks for them at the village bar.
Click!
Jack’s cold response came as another shot was fired directly at the captain, forcing him back into hiding.
"Curse that kid!" The captain made a move to charge forward, but the bespectacled pirate beside him grabbed his arm and shook his head firmly.
Jack remained calm, keeping his finger on the trigger. "Let's see how brave you really are," he muttered under his breath.
Jack tossed aside the empty pistol, grabbed a long knife from the ground, and leapt down from the upper deck with a sly smile. "Didn’t you challenge me to a fight? Here’s your chance. I even ditched the gun—don’t say I victimized you. Come on out!"
"Die!" The pirate captain, seeing Jack had truly abandoned his firearm, charged out from behind the barrel, weapon raised.
Jack dodged effortlessly, weaving around the attacks using swift footwork. His eyes flicked briefly to the other pirates, wary of them rushing in to overwhelm him.
"Is that all you've got? Running away like a rat, huh?" The captain bellowed in frustration.
"Relax—just warming up. What’s the rush?" Jack taunted, his voice steady now that the other pirates seemed content to stay back, clutching their weapons but hesitant to engage directly.
Clang! Clang!
The clash of steel echoed as Jack’s blade struck the pirate captain repeatedly, each blow deflected by the thick armor.
"Hah! Is that all you’ve got? You can’t even scratch me!" The captain mocked, his laughter booming with confidence.
"This is one of the armors of the Great Pirate Captain Kreig himself!!!" The pirate captain boasted.
Seeing their leader unshaken, the other pirates relaxed, emboldened by his apparent invincibility. Their fear melted away, replaced by smug grins. "Just a kid after all," one sneered, emboldened by the captain’s bravado.
"This armor is such a headache... I forgot you’re the one in charge of Kreig’s equipment. Well then, let’s try something new!" Jack discarded the long knife, clenched his fist, and channeled his inner energy, charging straight at the pirate captain.
"You fool! Without a weapon, how do you expect to fight me?" The captain sneered, a cruel grin spreading across his face as he swung his fist, already envisioning the ways he’d torment Jack.
Boom!
Their fists collided, but the outcome was far from what the captain expected. Jack's punch sent the burly man hurtling through the air. The captain's arm twisted grotesquely mid-flight, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth—he was clearly gravely injured.
The remaining pirates stood frozen, mouths agape, unable to process what they had just witnessed. It wasn’t until their captain crashed to the deck, creating a gaping hole, that they snapped back to reality, their wide-eyed gazes shifting to Jack in fear.
Jack, momentarily stunned by his own power, quickly shook off the surprise. Now wasn’t the time for hesitation. With swift movements, he launched himself at the remaining pirates, skillfully defeating them in a series of rapid strikes.
"Don’t kill me! I know where the captain's treasure is. Let me go, and I'll take you to it—" The bespectacled pirate's plea was cut short as Jack delivered a swift kick, knocking him unconscious.
"I didn't expect just defeating pirates would still grant exp points," Jack mused, glancing at the system notifications as he stroked his chin. "Looks like killing them isn’t necessary after all."
This realization brought him some relief—deep down, he had no desire to carry out a massacre.
When Jack approached the pirate captain, the man glared at him in disbelief. "You... How could someone like you defeat me?" His voice dripped with reluctance, as though he refused to accept defeat at the hands of a mere youth.
"Tch, what a chatterbox." With another well-placed kick, Jack rendered the captain unconscious. He then began gathering his spoils.
The first task was securing the unconscious pirates, binding them tightly. Afterward, he systematically collected their food, treasures, weapons, and gear, stowing them neatly in his inventory. He placed the cash, neatly bundled in notes, into a separate bag before setting off toward the village.
Upon reaching the village mayor, Jack spoke directly. "Chief, the pirates have been dealt with. Here's the money I recovered from them—please distribute it back to the villagers. As for the pirates, I'll tie them up on their ship. I’ll leave it to you to decide their fate."
Despite his outward composure and apathy, Jack knew he owed a great debt to the village. After the death of his parents, it had been the kindness and support of the villagers that allowed him to survive. Now was his chance to repay that kindness.
