The cold seawater slapped against the jagged rocks, making a rhythmic splashing sound.
Aiden took a deep breath of the freezing air and shook his head to clear the last bit of dizziness. The chaotic fall from earlier hadn't caused him much damage. However, clashing directly with Squard a few times had left his chest feeling tight and his blood racing.
He looked down at Rosinante, who was lying unconscious on the rocks at his feet. The "big blonde" was pale, his lips were turning purple, and there was a cut on his forehead from a sharp stone. He was soaked through and looked like a total mess.
Aiden reached out to check his breathing. He confirmed the man was still alive; he had simply fainted from swallowing water and the force of the impact.
"Tch, as long as you're alive," Aiden muttered. He shook his head and bent over to hoist the nearly three-meter-tall Rosinante onto his shoulder.
He couldn't just leave the guy here. It wouldn't be safe if a pirate patrol came by or if something in the sea tried to drag him away.
Carrying Rosinante, Aiden immediately expanded his Observation Haki, scanning the small island hidden in the thick fog. The island wasn't large, but its terrain was quite complex.
"There are about thirty pirate presences... they are scattered across different corners of the island. Their strength isn't much; they are all just grunts."
Aiden frowned slightly. "Are the stronger ones all with Squard on those ships?"
He tried to push his Observation Haki out toward the sea. However, the chaotic battlefield where the speedboat had been was now completely cut off by the heavy fog. He could no longer sense the presence of Commander Dal or the other Navy soldiers.
"...They most likely didn't make it." Aiden stopped walking, a flash of regret crossing his mind.
He had a decent impression of Commander Dal, who was tough but fair. "In that situation earlier, I used almost all my strength. But in the end, I still lack experience in this kind of chaotic naval battle. I couldn't finish off Squard before the ship fell apart... otherwise, I might have been able to save them."
He took a deep breath, and his eyes turned cold again.
"Since that's the case..." Aiden whispered to himself, "I'll start by collecting some interest here."
More importantly...
"That guy Squard is definitely a monster."
Aiden thought back to the terrifying power from their brief clash. "With my current physical strength, a direct head-on fight is still a bit difficult. I wonder if there are one or two slightly stronger ones among these grunts who can help push me to break through?"
He knew very well that meeting Squard again was only a matter of time.
Carrying Rosinante, his figure flickered a few times as he moved deep into the island's interior. He quickly found a dry cave hidden by hanging vines. After settling Rosinante in the back of the cave, Aiden didn't waste a single moment.
He drew the sword at his waist. The blade glinted with a cold light in the dim environment.
With a flash of movement, Aiden vanished like a ghost into the fog-covered jungle of the lonely island.
The hunting hour had begun.
On the west side of the island, inside a coastal watchtower:
Two pirates on guard duty were sitting around a campfire. They were drinking and complaining about the terrible weather and their boring mission.
"Dammit, this fog is getting thicker. I can't even see the Boss's ships anymore."
"What's the rush? Once the Boss slaughters those Navy guys, we'll definitely get our share of the loot! I wonder if there are any female sailors on that boat..."
The two were laughing crudely. They had no idea that a dark shadow had already appeared silently in the darkness of the watchtower.
Aiden's Observation Haki had long ago locked onto their positions. He stepped off the ground with a burst of speed, his figure closing in instantly!
Squelch! Squelch!
Before the two could even react, the cold blade had precisely sliced through their throats!
The smiles on the pirates' faces froze instantly. Without even making a sound, they clutched their necks and collapsed into a pool of blood.
Two pirates. They contributed over 900 Sin Points in total.
Aiden calmly sheathed his sword. He glanced at the numbers jumping on his system panel. Without stopping, he vanished into the fog once more.
On the east side of the island, a five-man pirate patrol was on the move.
They were cursing as they walked along a muddy path, their guard completely down. As they passed a pile of rocks:
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
Five pebbles covered in pitch-black Armament Haki shot out from different angles, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound through the air!
"Argh!" "What?!"
The five pirates didn't even see their enemy's shadow before the incredibly accurate pebbles pierced their throats or temples. They died instantly!
Another five pirates, contributing over 1,500 Sin Points.
Aiden stepped out from behind the strange rocks and brushed the dust off his hands.
"The efficiency is still too low..." He frowned. "I have to be faster. I need to clear out these small fry before Squard finds his way over. I need to see if I can find the chance to break through!"
Over the next half hour, Aiden became the most efficient grim reaper on this lonely island.
He stopped trying to be perfectly silent. Instead, he moved like a phantom through the mist, hunting down every pirate he sensed at amazing speed.
Whether it was a sniper hiding in a tree, a gambler ducking in a cave, or a pirate searching the shoreline for washed-up wreckage... every target Aiden set his sights on was killed in a single strike!
+420!
+580!
+1,350!
+610!
The number of pirates on the island was dropping at a shocking rate! Only a few pirates gathered near the temporary base at the top of the mountain were left.
The smell of blood in the fog grew thicker and thicker, like ink that wouldn't wash away...
Just as Aiden was preparing to finish off the last few pirates, his Observation Haki suddenly caught a familiar presence!
"Hm?!" Aiden stopped abruptly. He turned to look in the direction the presence was coming from, his eyes turning sharp.
"This presence... there's no mistake!"
"Great Whirlpool Spider Squard!"
"He really did come back!"
Aiden could clearly sense that Squard had just stepped onto the island's beach. He was alone. It was obvious that their ships had also been affected by the earlier chaos.
"Perfect timing!" A cold desire for battle flashed in Aiden's eyes, along with... excitement!
Aiden's figure flickered, moving past the last few pirates like a ghost. After a few soft sounds, the final pieces of small fry were cleared away.
"The little pirates are already out."
Aiden wiped the blood off his sword. He looked calmly toward the direction Squard was charging from.
Unfortunately, there were no stronger pirate officers on this island. Relying on these grunts alone wasn't enough to help him complete his final transformation.
But Aiden didn't plan to wait any longer.
The naval battle he just went through, the unknown fate of Commander Dal and the sailors, and the bloody slaughter he just carried out on the island seemed to have ignited something that had been quiet inside him for a long time.
Hiding and running? That wasn't what he wanted!
Aiden needed a heavy-hitting opponent to prove whether his path was correct.
"I'll use you as the stepping stone for my breakthrough!"
Aiden's figure flashed. He no longer hid his presence and actively moved toward the direction where Squard had landed!
A true fight to the death was about to begin on this fog-shrouded island!