[T.L: punisher87]
The pirates continued running without realizing that Jin and his companions were secretly following them.
They stopped by a well.
Like most of the abandoned island, the well had long dried up and lost its function. It seemed to be used as a secret passage leading somewhere else.
The pirates jumped into the well.
"Hmm."
Jin and his companions shrugged at each other.
"Is there some secret space inside and they intend to hide there?"
"They talked about something that was able to outrun Vermont's naval fleet, so maybe that's the case."
"But they didn't seem too clever. They might just be hiding. They don't even seem to realize why the fleet surrounded the island."
"That's true."
Kashmir and Alisa nodded as they spoke.
"Let's follow them and be prepared to swim back if it's not worth it. Let's hope they have some tricks up their sleeves."
Jin and his companions approached the well. There were no traces of the pirates left inside the well. They had vanished into another space connected to it.
One by one, Jin and his companions jumped into the well, only to see a metal lid covering the bottom.
It was some kind of door, tightly closed without a handle. It seemed difficult to open it without being opened from the inside.
Of course, that applied to ordinary people.
Clang! Bam!
Jin crushed the metal lid with his bare hands, tearing it apart.
"Oh, you've gotten stronger? Kid, you're tearing the metal like it's paper."
Murakan said casually, but Syris couldn't help but shudder as she touched the crumpled lid.
As they were about to descend into the passage again.
Swoosh!
A dagger flew towards them. It was enveloped in 3-star aura, but Jin waved his hand and brushed it aside, causing the dagger to bounce and roll on the ground.
Without even shouting who threw the dagger.
Jin narrowed his eyes and closed the distance with a fierce gaze. The pirate, seeing Jin approaching in an instant, couldn't even scream properly.
Snap! Jin grabbed the pirate by the collar. It turned out to be one of the pirates who were being chased by Jin and his group.
"Sorry for startling you, but I won't harm you. Let's go together. You guys seem to have a way out."
Flash!
As Jin finished speaking, the dark passage inexplicably lit up with torchlight, illuminating the surroundings. It was another group of pirates who had opened the metal lid to allow the two pirates’ entry. Jin and his companions were taken aback when they faced them.
‘How many of them are there?’
It wasn't just one or two. At first glance, there were dozens, if not over a hundred. It was impressive that so many pirates had gathered in this underground passage, but it didn't pose a threat to Jin's party.
Whether there were a hundred or a thousand pirates, they couldn't be a threat to Jin's party.
The pirates who held the torches had all drawn their weapons and were glaring at Jin and his companions.
"Damn, who's the last one to arrive? Looks like those guys are followed."
"It's Chikol and Belv. Those idiots."
"Fortunately, not many managed to follow us. Captain, what should we do? It would be better to just kill them all for now."
Chikol and Belv were the names of the pirates who had been followed by Jin and his group. While the pirates were grumbling and boasting, Jin and his companions smiled as if amused.
"Silence!"
Someone in the pirate group shouted, and stepped forward.
He was someone Jin knew well, the leader of this pirate gang. Cosmos, the Pirate King, the mastermind behind this secret passage.
"So, you must be the captain."
Huh?!
As Jin spoke, Cosmos's pupils widened.
"Jin Gray...!?"
"What?"
"You're Jin Gray!"
"Who's that? What are you talking about all of a sudden, pirate?"
Jin pretended not to know, but Cosmos spoke with conviction.
"It's you, Jin Gray!"
"Who is that? What's all this about, suddenly?"
"Do you think I would forget that voice? Thanks to you, I'm still burdened with debt. Nice to meet you, you bastard!"
"Huh, Captain. What are you talking about? Is this guy really Jin Gray?"
"Jin Gray? Last year's champion? The guy who made our captain broke?"
Jin shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing he could do. Despite looking completely different due to his blond hair and makeup, anyone who knew Jin's original face could recognize him.
"Well, fine. Since you know who I am, there's no need for long explanations. Cosmos, do you understand the situation outside? The Bellado Fleet has surrounded us. How do you plan to escape? I doubt you all gathered here just to hide in this passage."
Jin brazenly asked, causing Cosmos to tremble.
"Regardless, do you think I would help you?"
"We don't exactly have any kind of relationship, do we? Why are you being so hostile?"
"Shut up! It's because of you that our pirate crew is still paying to your fancy friend...!"
"My friend?"
"Veradin Zipfel, that devilish man!"
"Ah."
It came back to Jin.
Jin Gray! Let's go!
The sight of Veradin betting 100,000 gold coins on Jin while shouting like that during his match with Paul Mick (Dante Hairan). At the time, Jin's winnings were three times the bet.
Since that day of Jin's victory, Cosmos had been spending his days paying to Veradin, who was accumulating wealth. The debt had grown like a snowball, and Veradin turned out to be unexpectedly ruthless when it came to money. Cosmos had already repaid the principal, but he was still paying even more significant interest.
It was unthinkable for even a pirate king to embezzle money from someone like Veradin "Zipfel."
"...Well, that's unfortunate. No, it's not unfortunate. To earn money in such an underground martial arts competition, one must be prepared for that level of risk, right? If Paul Mick had won, you would have been sitting on a pile of money."
"Don't you dare talk about that guy!"
"Captain, why hesitate? Just kill them all! We don't have time. Let's finish this quickly and leave."
The pirates roared, their eyes blazing.
However, Cosmos himself was calculating various things in his mind.
‘It's evident that he's also from a prestigious clan like Paul Mick, aka Jin Runcandel, or Veradin Zipfel. He is not alone either. His companions seem to be powerful as well.’
Cosmos still believed that Paul Mick was Jin Runcandel.
Murakan and Cuicantelle interrupted while pirates were arguing.
"Hey, kid. Let's just rough up a few guys and capture the captain as a hostage. Why are we silently listening to their conversation?"
"I agree. We don't have time, so let's beat them first and ask questions later. Let's find out for sure if there's a way off this island or not."
As Murakan approached confidently, the pirates were ready to charge forward.
"Hey, Cosmos. If that guy starts throwing punches, you might all really die. So, I have a proposal for you."
"Nonsense!"
"Listen. Whether it's you or us, we gathered here in chaos to escape this island, right? I don't know what method you've prepared, but if you help us escape, I will repay all your debts."
"What are you saying?"
"Just what I said. I will repay your debts and even throw in a generous reward."
Swoosh!
The moment Cosmos drew his sword, Jin revealed his energy. The presence caused over a hundred pirates to stagger and step back.
At the same time, Murakan rushed forward and subdued Cosmos, shattering his sword.
Jin looked down at him silently and whispered in a soft voice which other pirates could not hear.
‘Just in case you were considering refusing or negotiating, let me tell you in advance. My name is not Jin Gray, but Jin Runcandel. The one who fought against me in the finals was Dante Hairan, not Paul Mick.’
‘...Huh, so you're not Paul Mick, but Jin Runcandel?’
‘That's right. It's no coincidence that Dante Hairan and I met you in the arena. And also the fact that Veradin Zipfel was watching.’
Finally, Cosmos could understand.
Why Veradin Zipfel rescued "Paul Mick," known as the reserve flagbearer of Runcandel. Until now, he had only accepted it as the whim of the rich or some kind of trade.
The other pirates could sense that Cosmos, who had been subdued in an instant, was rolling his eyes.
‘Now that I see it, it seems the fleet was deployed not because of us but because of you. I have one more condition, Jin Runcandel.’
‘Tell me.’
‘After escaping from the island, swear to guarantee the safety of our pirate crew.’
‘Does that mean protect you from the pursuit of Bellado?’
‘No! It means ensuring that you, your companions, and Runcandel’s Guardian Knights will not wipe us after you become a flagbearer. I am not afraid of Bellado.’
Cosmos was unaware, but not only the Bellado but also Vermont, Zipfel, and Kinzelo would pursue them.
He briefly considered whether he should inform Cosmos of this fact, but it seemed better to speak after receiving their help and escaping.
‘I swear on my name and my clan’s honor.’
Cosmos had no choice, anyway. The oath was just empty words. The moment Jin and his group found the well, their fate had already been decided.
"Fine, I accept the proposal. Follow me!"
As Cosmos stood up and shouted, his subordinates looked at him as if they couldn't understand a word.
"Captain! It seems like he has threatened you, don't force yourself to keep face. What if those guys hit us for no reason? It doesn't seem like we can handle them easily."
"Jin Gray, this guy seemed like giants just like Paul Mick and Veradin Zipfel. Well, we have plenty of room."
"They will really repay our debts?"
The confident demeanor they had just moments ago was nowhere to be seen. Since the leader had submitted, the subordinates could only follow suit.
"By the way, Cosmos. What exactly is the plan? Are you sure about it?"
As Jin asked while following the pirates, Cosmos gave a meaningful smile. It seemed to say, even if you are Runcandel, it would be enough to surprise you.
After a while, as they reached the end of the passage, a cliff was revealed.
Below the cliff, there was a harbor, and in the middle of it, a massive warship was docked.
In other words, there was a randomly placed ship deep underground. Moreover, there were more pirates bustling about and preparing something than the ones who had gathered with them.
"It's called Order 7. We're going to escape on this."
"It sounds grandiose. How exactly are we going to escape?"
"Just get on and see. It won't take long."
There wasn't a drop of water in the underground. Moreover, how could they escape on a ship when they were in a sealed space?
Unable to comprehend, the pirates began to board the ship as per Cosmos's instructions. Jin and his companions also quickly boarded the ship.
"Blow it up!"
The moment Cosmos shouted, the cliff that made up the harbor began to collapse. It was the magic bomb the pirates had set up in advance.
Boom!
Simultaneously, an "enormous" stream of water poured down from the destroyed cliff.
Surprisingly, as the cliff collapsed, the sea came into view right away.
"Fly, Order 7!"
Order 7, swept away by the stream of water, was soaring towards the sea.
Amazing