One Piece Shadow Army - Chapter 22
As Curls voice fell, the deck began to change. One by one, shadow soldiers emerged from the shadows, the most conspicuous being the over four-meter-tall [Yuron].
Conversely, the smallest was a [Tabby Cat] the size of a watermelon.
Curl’s kept this first summoned shadow creature as a memento and did not replace it with a new shadow soldier.
Lastly, there were the twelve [Shadow Knights] summoned on the ghost ship!
“It’s time for battle!” Curls stretched a bit and then commanded, “Knock them all out!”
The shadow soldiers immediately began to execute the order.
[Yuron]’s watermelon-sized fist landed directly on the head of a marine soldier with red eyes.
Thud!
The marine soldier, with a large bump on his head, lost consciousness immediately.
Shadow Soldier [Yuron] looked at his fist, puzzled, seeming to think he had used too much force. He then began to reduce his strength.
The twelve [Shadow Knights] also began to engage the out-of-control marines.
For a moment, the deck of the ghost ship was filled with the sounds of intense sword clashes.
Although the number of out-of-control marines was large, they were no match for the shadow soldiers in terms of combat power. The sound of marines hitting the deck rang out continuously.
Curl’s was not idle either. He joined the fray, quickly knocking out any marine controlled by the cursed blade with a chop.
Soon, the out-of-control marines were temporarily subdued, leaving only a few who were still struggling against the control on the deck.
One of them was Tashigi, but she was barely holding on, her face full of pain, gradually losing control.
“Swords! Swords! I’ll take back all the swords stolen by villains…”
Curl’s knocked her out swiftly, preventing her from causing more trouble.
After dealing with the out-of-control marines, Curls turned his attention to the battle ahead.
With no distractions, Lieutenant Kahn began to engage [Lannlos] fully.
Sword slashes flew into the sea, creating waves.
Curl’s ordered the shadow soldiers to transport the unconscious marines back to the patrol ship, ensuring stray sword slashes wouldn’t harm them.
The shadow soldiers carried out their orders without complaint.
In the center of the battle, under the cursed blade’s eerie power, [Lannlos]’s strength was significantly higher than Lieutenant Kahn’s, each strike aimed to kill.
Previously, Lieutenant Kahn had been avoiding the self-destructive marines, getting slashed multiple times by [Lannlos]’s cursed blade. His white naval uniform was stained red, and he was in a precarious situation.
Curl’s ordered the twelve [Shadow Knights] to assist.
Though powerful, the [Shadow Knights] were no match for [Lannlos].
Curl’s had them use their undying recovery ability to buy time for Lieutenant Kahn.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The continuous clash of swords echoed.
These knights, once under the command of Grand Knight [Lannlos], peculiarly fought against him.
Lieutenant Kahn’s pressure eased significantly.
However, despite the [Shadow Knights] being able to regenerate, Curls was exhausting his mental strength.
Once he fainted, the shadow soldiers would disappear, leading to inevitable defeat.
Lieutenant Kahn, though amazed by Curls abilities, knew he couldn’t maintain them for long.
He had to find an opportunity to kill [Lannlos] in one blow.
Lieutenant Kahn charged at [Lannlos], wielding his sword, each strike with all his might.
Yet, against the enhanced [Lannlos], he couldn’t break through.
Nearby, Curls eyes blurred, nearly fainting. His mental state was nearing its limit.
Noticing Curls condition, Lieutenant Kahn knew he couldn’t delay any longer.
He had to risk it all.
Lieutenant Kahn accelerated, wielding his sword with both hands, launching his most powerful strike at [Lannlos].
His sword, named Yujin, ignited with blue flames.
A thunderous slash flew out.
“Jing Zhe!”
The slash, over ten meters long, moved at lightning speed.
Curl’s immediately assisted Lieutenant Kahn.
“Shadow Bind!” A layer of black shadow power appeared on [Lannlos], binding him like vines.
Boom!
The blue slash landed on [Lannlos], creating a huge crack in his silver armor.
Curl’s remained vigilant, unsure if the attack succeeded.
On the dim deck, [Lannlos] looked at his wound, blue flames burning on his armor.
Staggering, severely wounded, [Lannlos]’s eyes flashed red, regaining strength to lift his weapon.
But this time, his target wasn’t Lieutenant Kahn, but Curls!
The charging figure made Curls feel death approaching once again.
Like the day William slashed at him.
Helpless and powerless!
No time to dodge or counter, this was a gap in strength!
Lieutenant Kahn rushed to Curls, but [Lannlos]’s sword was too close, impossible to intercept.
Curl’s vision darkened, feeling warm blood splatter on his face.
Warm and wet!
But it wasn’t his blood.
A not-so-tall figure stood before him.
His peripheral vision saw the navy coat, now blood-soaked, with the prominent word “Justice!”
Curl’s was shocked, disbelief filling his heart.
Not that the lieutenant blocked the deadly strike for him, but the extent of his injuries!
As for [Lannlos], after delivering the strike, his power faded, the red glow in his eyes vanished, and he dropped the cursed blade.
“Defeated!”
This was [Lannlos]’s first word apart from “kill,” followed by him collapsing on the deck, lifeless.
Lieutenant Kahn, too, slowly fell, having blocked the fatal blow for Curls.
Curl’s saw the terrifying wound from shoulder to waist, crimson blood gushing out, staining the white shirt.
The wound was deep enough to reveal the ribs.
“Lieutenant!”
“You…”
Curl’s voice was hoarse with emotion.
In this pirate world, he’d never been so shaken.
Such a wound!
Why did the lieutenant protect him?
He was just a new recruit, with no deep connection to the lieutenant. Was it worth it?
Lieutenant Kahn, though weak, smiled.
As a strict instructor, he rarely smiled to maintain seriousness.
But now, he felt Curls had become a competent marine, worthy of his smile.
“Don’t blame yourself.”
“I’m your lieutenant. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you die!”
In the first lesson, Lieutenant Kahn taught that protection was a marine’s primary duty.
Curl’s eyes welled up.
Outside his family, he found a new sense of belonging.
Curl’s wanted to speak, but Lieutenant Kahn’s tired voice interrupted him.
“Alright, I need to rest.”
“Don’t worry too much. I won’t die yet. You need to stitch me up, remember the first aid class? Patch me up.”
“And stay alert. You’re the only one conscious. If you can’t hold on, wake me up…”
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