#682 - Chapter 482 The Boundary between Life and Death
"No wonder Lord Im never really took these people seriously."
He sighed softly, crossed his arms, and coldly watched the battle unfolding before him.
In previous eras, the World Government never truly eradicated these pirates, instead allowing them to develop and create chaos.
On the surface, the government has always been suppressing pirates, but in reality, these肆意作恶guys are their best tools for maintaining rule.
"Even without the New Navy, these pirates would eventually kill each other because of their own stupidity."
Shamrock's eyes fell on the pirates who were pushing and shoving each other, vying for escape routes.
The remnants of the Big Mom Pirates and the Aegveitan Pirates were engaged in fierce disputes, and some had even drawn their swords and started hacking at each other, trying to seize the last chance of survival.
In the face of despair, all alliances are a joke.
"Hahaha!
Get out of the way!
This ship is ours!"
"Damn it, we're on the same side!
Are you crazy?!"
"Stop talking nonsense!
Surviving is the most important thing!"
With the first gunshot, chaos completely spiraled out of control.
The pirates who had once united to fight against the New Navy were now turning their swords against each other, slaughtering each other.
Blood was spilled on the deck, flowing with the seawater, and their shouts and wails were intertwined, making it particularly ironic.
Shamrock watched this scene coldly, his eyes as calm as water, without a trace of ripple.
"Such scum don't deserve to live."
He turned slightly, and a subordinate's voice came from behind him:
"Lord Shamrock, should we continue to cover their retreat?"
He was silent for a moment, his eyes slowly narrowed, and he looked at the sea area shrouded in artillery fire.
The New Navy fleet in the distance had completely controlled the battle, and the encirclement was gradually shrinking.
These pirates no longer had any value.
"Bring the strong ones."
Shamrock said lightly, his voice filled with undisguised disgust.
"As for the weak, let them fend for themselves. People like that can't cause any trouble even if they survive."
He waved his hand gently, signaling to retreat.
Most of the pirates here were no longer worth using.
Shamrock stood on the deck, his eyes coldly scanning the battle on the sea.
He no longer paid attention to the completely defeated pirates, but focused his attention on those who were still of use.
"All ships, listen to the order."
His voice was calm, as if everything was under control,
"Give priority to covering the designated targets to evacuate, as for those wastes... let them fend for themselves."
His subordinates heard this and quickly adjusted their formation without hesitation, narrowing the direction of rescue to a limited number of ships.
The remaining pirates were still trapped in endless chaos and despair, struggling frantically.
Their fate had been decided.
"Save us! You can't just leave!"
"Damn it! You clearly have enough ships! Why don't you save us?!"
"You can't treat allies like this!"
Some pirates looked at the World Government's warships slowly leaving in horror. They shouted, begged, and even angrily waved their weapons, trying to threaten, but Shamrock didn't even look at them.
"Allies?"
He smiled coldly, his eyes full of mockery.
"Just a bunch of pawns that can be discarded at any time."
Some pirates realized that the situation was not good and desperately swam towards the retreating warships, trying to climb onto the deck.
Their eyes were full of desire and despair. They believed that as long as they boarded the ship, they would survive.
However, what awaited them was a series of cold bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Intense gunshots rang out, and the pirates who tried to climb on the ship were shot one after another, their bodies falling weakly back into the sea, and blood spread in the seawater, turning into streaks of scarlet.
"Don't blame us."
Shamrock retracted his gun, his face expressionless,
"Blame yourselves for being too useless."
On the other side of the battlefield, the pirates whom Shamrock regarded as "valuable" were being quickly picked up.
Most of them were core members of the Big Mom Pirates and the Aegveitan Pirates, as well as some pirate leaders who held huge resources in their hands.
They were assigned to specific ships and quickly evacuated, while the World Government's warships provided cover for them, preventing the New Navy fleet from easily pursuing them.
"Shamrock, why are you only saving us?"
A pirate captain asked through gritted teeth. His subordinates were still struggling desperately on the battlefield, but he could only watch them being abandoned.
"Because you still have some value."
Shamrock glanced at him lightly, his tone as calm as if he were talking about an irrelevant matter,
"As for the others... worthless trash, not worth wasting resources on."
The pirate captain's fist clenched tightly, his nails almost piercing his palm.
He wanted to roar, to question, to resist, but he knew... he couldn't do anything.
He watched the abandoned pirates, their desperate struggles, their angry curses, and finally being swallowed by artillery fire, crushed by the New Navy's warships, and devoured by the deep sea.
Their lives ultimately became the ashes of war.
As the retreating fleet drifted away, Shamrock finally withdrew his gaze.
He stood on the deck, facing the sea breeze, his eyes without any waves.
"The so-called 'Pirate Kings' are just a rabble."
He murmured in a low voice, a sneer on the corner of his mouth.
He had long seen through the essence of this world—the weak are ultimately just nourishment for the strong.
The New Navy fleet was like a giant net, firmly blocking the pirates' retreat.
On the sea, warships stood tall, and the dark muzzles were still aimed at the remaining pirate ships. Every inch of the sea was controlled by the New Navy soldiers.
"Don't let them run away!"
"Pursue them! Leave all those guys here!"
The soldiers' fighting spirit was still high. They gripped the weapons in their hands tightly, their eyes fixed on the pirate ships fleeing in panic in the distance.
After fighting fiercely until now, they had personally sent countless pirates away, but as long as they saw someone escape, their killing intent could not be contained.
But at this moment, a steady and calm voice sounded, like a cool sea breeze, sweeping across everyone's ears.
"Don't pursue a cornered enemy."
Jin An stood at the bow of the ship, his cloak fluttering in the wind, his eyes as calm as the sea.
His eyes were still sharp, watching the remaining pirate warships in the distance, but he did not order to pursue.
Some soldiers showed a trace of incomprehension on their faces when they heard this. They were already excited to kill, and they could completely wipe out these pirates. Why not continue?
"Commander, are we really not chasing them? If we let these people leave, they will eventually be a disaster."
Jin An turned slowly and glanced at everyone. His expression was still calm, without any signs of being overwhelmed by victory.
"If we continue to pursue now, our formation will be disrupted, and the main fleet will be stretched. Once the enemy counterattacks or ambushes us, we ourselves will be in danger."
His voice was low but firm, and every word carried an unquestionable majesty,
"Fighting is not about blindly chasing and killing. Tactically, we have already won. We should stabilize the battle, instead of letting victory cloud our minds."
Everyone was silent. They looked back at the battlefield and found that the New Navy's fleet had indeed been stretched very long.
If they really continued to pursue, it would likely lead to a loose formation, and they had already consumed a lot of physical strength and ammunition before. A rash attack might allow the fleeing enemy to seize the opportunity.
