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Striding forward with large steps, Jason didn't care at all about the deck beneath his feet constantly collapsing.
His goal was destruction; whether this ship lived or died was entirely outside the scope of his concern.
Seeing the opponent charge across the shattered deck with an imposing manner, fierce and relentless, the pirates' eyes twitched. They mustered their courage, gripped their weapons tightly, and charged forward once more.
"Charge!"
Ordinary pirates were about 1.75 meters tall, the taller ones reaching around 1.8 meters. Compared to Jason's towering 2.5 meters, the difference was staggering.
This tall-versus-short contrast, despite the pirates' numerical advantage, visually conveyed a feeling that Jason alone completely suppressed them with his imposing manner.
Taking a few more steps, Jason swung his massive hand, grabbing a pirate just about to pull the trigger. Under the terrified gaze of his target, Jason twisted the long gun into something resembling a fried dough twist, then grabbed the pirate's head and began swinging him around.
"Whoosh!"
A fierce gust of wind arose. Jason used the pirate as a weapon, just a single sweep sent several enemies flying.
"Attack!"
After swinging away a few more, over a dozen pirates charged forward again, weapons raised high.
Seeing the blades and swords in their hands, Jason was somewhat wary. Although he was powerful, he was still made of flesh and blood. Unable to help himself, he stepped back.
With that single step, the dozen weapons all swept into the air, but the pirates quickly reacted.
Their blades and swords had lost momentum, but they were now within less than a meter of Jason.
"Ram him! Knock him into the seawater!"
The dozen men roared, picking up speed as they ran at him.
Jason's eyes shifted. He raised his arm to counterattack, but the pirates were faster. All of them crashed into him.
In that instant, a powerful impact hit Jason, forcing him to take a step back.
"Ram him!"
The pirates shouted again, channeling their strength, bracing themselves, and charged once more.
"Boom!"
The force exploded. Jason's expression changed again as he staggered back three more steps.
After those three steps, his face turned grim, his foot had stepped into seawater.
The front section of the ship had started leaking after his earlier attack.
"Cut his feet with your weapons!"
At that moment, the pirates shouted again.
"Swish!"
Blades and swords slashed through the air, aiming at Jason's legs.
Jason's face turned pale with fear. He quickly retreated, but lost his balance and fell on his butt, landing in a shallow pool of water.
"Damn!"
The aura of the sea instantly enveloped his whole body, causing his strength to vanish rapidly.
With the last of his remaining power, Jason bounced up and leapt several meters away to a dry section of the deck.
"The ship is leaking, patch it up, quick!"
Seeing the accumulating water, the pirates panicked and shouted.
In the blink of an eye, some pirates rushed toward the damaged area with ship repair tools in hand.
The rest kept a nervous eye on Jason.
At that moment, Jason was completely soaked. That brief contact had already let seawater soak into his whole body. Fortunately, the water seemed like freshwater, only draining a portion of his strength.
"That was really dangerous. If I had stayed there a moment longer, I might've been completely powerless."
The sea is the nemesis of Devil Fruit Users. Brief contact with small amounts could still be resisted, but prolonged exposure could cripple even the most powerful Devil Fruit user.
Jason cautiously glanced at the pool of water, then looked once more at the pirates across from him.
"Next, I'll take care of all of you."
He bent his knees slightly, and the deck beneath his feet began to crack again. In the next instant, a terrifying power exploded from within him, and his figure suddenly vanished.
"Whoosh"
Even the air seemed to tear apart. In the blink of an eye, he was already standing before the pirates.
With a cold gaze, a menacing face, and an enormous build, Jason, in that moment, was unstoppable.
With a swing of his giant hand, several pirates were sent flying. While still mid-air, blood sprayed from their mouths before they crashed into the wall behind them with a heavy "bang."
Jason strode forward with ease, as if taking a stroll. Every step swept away multiple enemies.
These pirates were like helpless chicks before his overwhelming strength, utterly powerless to resist.
"Too... too strong!"
A pirate holding a long rifle stared at Jason, eyes full of fear. He hesitated, frozen, not even daring to pull the trigger.
"Madman! Shoot! What are you scared of?!" At that moment, one of the pirates who had been knocked away shouted loudly.
Stimulated by the shout, the rifle-wielding pirate suddenly pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
A muffled gunshot rang out. Jason, standing just a short distance away, instantly narrowed his eyes, and then burst forward once more.
"Boom!"
The deck beneath his feet shattered with a loud crack, splinters flying everywhere. In the next second, he was already in front of the gunman.
"I hate it when people point guns at me."
His sinister tone made the pirate tremble in terror.
A large hand swiftly grabbed the pirate's head. The pirate felt himself being lifted into the air, then slammed into something hard. His whole body went numb, and he lost consciousness.
In just a few minutes, Jason had completely subdued every pirate aboard the ship.
For a moment, only the sounds of nervous breathing and gulps could be heard.
No one dared shout at Jason again. No one dared fire a single shot.
"All done?"
Jason scanned the surroundings and saw that no one dared approach him.
Suddenly, the previously battered cabin door creaked open with a "squeak." It slowly pushed outward.
Everyone's attention instantly turned to the opening door. At first, the pirates looked excited, but that quickly turned to dread.
Jason noticed the pirates' strange expressions and grew curious.
As the door opened wider, the first thing everyone saw was a swirling mist of white smoke. Then, a rugged, even slightly savage-looking face appeared.
He wore a long black robe, his slicked-back hair impeccably styled, his face stern and commanding. But most striking of all was his height. This man, who had suddenly appeared, stood as tall as Jason, around 2.5 meters.
The difference was, he appeared leaner than Jason, not as bulky.
The towering silhouette, cigar in mouth, surveyed the scene calmly as he stepped through the doorway. Then his gaze fixed on Jason.
"You know, ever since I entered the Grand Line, my biggest regret has been recruiting such a bunch of weaklings."
"Tap, tap, tap"
The sound of leather shoes echoed on the deck as the figure slowly walked forward.
His robe fluttered in the night wind, and with every step, he exuded a dominating imposing manner.
Within a few steps, he stood face-to-face with Jason.
Then he paused, the corners of his mouth curling into a confident, condescending smile.
"I really appreciate you. Be my subordinate."
(End Of This Chapter)