The North Star Hundred Cracking Fist has certainly made its mark; it's just not finished yet. This guy's Haki protected his vital areas, but other parts were left unguarded. Most of the vital points were struck, and the bleeding is just a superficial wound; he must have sustained serious internal injuries. With such severe injuries, he could no longer be my opponent!

“Raging Kick!”

Ennio aimed a Raging Kick at Sarg’s head, a horizontal slash coming straight at him. Sarg leaned back while lifting his leg, stabbing like a sword straight into Ennio’s protruding belly.

Bang!

This kick embedded itself directly into his stomach, and the Haki failed to provide timely protection.

“North Star Soft Breaking Slash!”

Sarg was not polite either; his legs turned into afterimages, kicking at Ennio’s body everywhere.

Ennio trembled from the kicks, staggering back a few steps, bright red blood seeping through his sparkling clothes as the rain poured down. He swayed again, wanting to raise his fist, but he couldn't lift his hand at all.

“Is it broken...?” Ennio glanced at his right arm nonchalantly, blood starting to drip from the corner of his mouth as he spoke.

Like the Hundred Cracking Fist, this move has the power to strike vital points and possesses immense force; once hit, the body’s tissues would collapse.

This guy’s right hand still looked relatively intact on the surface, but inside it must be mush...

Sarg moved his fingers, bending slightly at the waist, and coldly said, “My moves are not so easy to withstand.”

Ennio coughed up a mouthful of blood, looking towards Lily, who was still on the ground, and then at the bandits behaving like obedient rabbits, as well as the citizens being chased by the soldiers...

“Do you think defeating me will make this country better? Not a chance!”

He shouted loudly, “The tax on heavenly gold is already a foregone conclusion. Even without me, you still have to pay! It will be the same with a new king! If you don't pay, we won't be a member of the World Government, and we won't be protected. On the contrary, we will be punished and will live worse than we do now!”

“At that time, wanting to be bandits will be a luxury! You will face all the misfortunes this world can bring! If you run now, you will lose everything! I won’t let you set sail, Colonel Mouse, catch them! Otherwise, the heavenly gold will slip away!”

Ennio viciously glared at Sarg, “Especially you, pirate! If you want them to set sail, you have to step over my dead body!”

“?”

Sarg was taken aback; he was prepared to become a pirate if he couldn't catch the bounty hunter, but not now...

But soon, he thought of something and his expression became strange.

No way?

At this moment, Colonel Mouse took out his firearm and, along with the remaining navy, rushed towards the citizens.

The battle had indeed frightened people, but he had not forgotten his original mission.

He was here to escort the heavenly gold temporarily!

If he failed, he could really lose his life!

“Suppress the riot!” Colonel Mouse shouted.

The navy and soldiers mixed together, frantically driving the citizens away. A citizen fell to the ground and inadvertently tripped Colonel Mouse as he rushed forward.

Already panicking, Colonel Mouse became even angrier, aiming his firearm at him.

“No, no!” the citizen shouted in panic, but amidst the chaos, no one could hear him.

Like master, like subordinate.

Colonel Mouse of the Sixteenth Division was a profit-driven scoundrel, so naturally, his subordinates were not good people either. The navy only cared about carrying out orders, and even when they saw the colonel kill someone, they wouldn't say much.

“Die!” Colonel Mouse was about to pull the trigger when suddenly, a sound came from behind, followed by a cold gleam piercing through his chest.

“You...”

He turned back in shock to see a determined face beneath that golden wavy hair.

Lily drew her slender sword, letting Colonel Mouse fall, as the rain washed over the blade, cleaning off the blood and also washing away the grime from his face...

“Let’s set sail!”

Her shout stunned both the citizens and the bandits.

Swish!

Lily moved like a swimming dragon, the rain curtain stirring up a dazzling light with her sword, pushing back a group of soldiers and blocking the pursuing troops.

Ennio’s words made her completely resolute.

Yes, the heavenly gold still had to be paid; even if she became king, this could not be exempted. Throughout history, there has never been a precedent for waived heavenly gold.

The citizens could no longer bear the tax on heavenly gold; it would be better...

“Set sail! Run to the port, out at sea you won’t have to pay taxes, everyone will have a new life, so... let’s set sail together!” Lily shouted with all her strength.

The confused bandits and the chaotic citizens, upon hearing this, did not immediately run to the port but looked at Ennio instead.

The king, who should have shown cruelty and brutality, now had his right arm hanging weakly, covered in blood, completely lacking his former demeanor.

He was injured...

Even the strong soldiers and navy were defeated by that princess-like golden-haired girl, and no one could stop them anymore.

Setting sail...

Setting sail meant not having to pay such high taxes, setting sail meant survival, setting sail... would it really be different?

In the eyes of the people of the Oikott Kingdom, even becoming a navy at sea would be criticized because they had experienced the wars between the navy and pirates on this land, let alone setting sail without permission...

But if they did not set sail, they would pay more taxes in the Oikott Kingdom and would eventually end up in the mountains with the bandits.

Being a bandit was one thing, setting sail... might not even mean being a pirate!

Anyway, it couldn't be worse than it is now!

Among the bandits, someone took the lead and ran wildly towards the port, like lighting a fuse. With the first person taking action, the rest no longer moved like headless flies but instead marched unified towards the port.

Some citizens were still unaware of what was happening, but seeing many people running towards the port, they followed suit, and more and more people joined the crowd heading for the port.

Seeing this scene, a smile appeared on Ennio's face, but then his expression became serious again, his round body like a heavy cannonball, charging rapidly towards Sarg.

Sarg took a horse stance, slightly turned his body, and as Ennio approached, he quickly sidestepped, his hand striking like a snake towards Ennio's temple.

“North Star Crash Finger!”

Smack!

Ennio twisted his ruined right arm to block Sarg's pressure point strike, Sarg's fingers directly penetrating into his arm.

“Ha!”

Ennio glared, reaching out with his left hand, grabbing Sarg's wrist and quickly tossing him into the air.

Bang!

As Sarg's fingers left his arm, Ennio's right arm exploded, flesh and blood splattering everywhere.

Ennio's brow didn’t even furrow; he stepped down and used Moonwalk to jump rapidly into the sky, simultaneously performing chaotic flying kicks, “Raging Kick: Chaos!”

Swish, swish, swish!

A large number of slashes fell from the sky, smashing down on the soldiers and navy, cutting down most of the remaining forces still chasing the citizens.

The remaining navy and soldiers, still in shock, looked up at the sky, only from their perspective, they thought it was that white-haired kid who did it.

Ennio's desperate attack provided Sarg with an opening, and he was completely unreserved, his fists turning into countless afterimages, rapidly striking Ennio.

“North Star Hundred Cracking Fist!”

This time, there was no Haki protection!

Countless fists pounded onto Ennio's body, instantly creating several dents on his form, but at this moment he gritted his teeth, bracing against the incoming punches, and charged straight into Sarg's chest, taking him down rapidly.

Bang!!

The two bodies fell to the ground, with Ennio smashing a large dent into the ground, while Sarg spun a few times in the air before landing steadily.

This time, Ennio did not get up.

His body looked as if it had been run over by a dump truck, twisted beyond recognition, with only the rising and falling of his chest indicating he was still alive.

Sarg looked at the dented Ennio and said, “The price of making me take the blame is quite high.”

“Cough, cough!”

Ennio coughed up a few mouthfuls of thick blood, taking a few deep breaths and baring his teeth, “I don’t understand what you're saying. I just want to catch you and sell you.”

“Do you take me for a fool?”

Sarg pointed at the people at the port who were seizing the ships, saying, “This was premeditated, wasn’t it?”

There were many ships at the port, but only a few belonged to merchants. He had seen these ships docked when he arrived; some of them were already gathering dust.

Haki, ships, and this 'king's' inexplicable statements, along with the deliberate killing of navy and soldiers...

Sarg was not a fool; he could see clearly.

Whether it was blood or something else, that grotesque, fat face didn’t look so repulsive at the moment. Ennio slowly closed his mouth, his murky eyes rolling to look at Sarg.

“Are you angry? About me accusing you of being a pirate...” he suddenly said.

Sarg sighed, “The Evil Dragon Pirates are gone; it’s a fact. I have bad luck and can’t find other wandering pirates. This profession is clearly no longer viable. Even without you, I was already planning to become a pirate next.”

“Oh? Haven’t you thought about joining the navy? A man like you would definitely make a name for himself in the navy.”

“Forget it; I can’t stand being restrained. I've heard that the navy has no freedom at all; even to catch a pirate, you have to wait for orders from superiors. Moreover...”

Sarg hesitated, “In short, I’m not suitable.”

Saying this, he turned and walked away.

“Hey, aren’t you going to kill me?” Ennio called out.

Sarg didn’t look back,淡淡道, “You’re already dead.”

Ennio smiled, tilted his head back to look at the sky, letting the gradually enlarging raindrops fall on his face, his murky pupils gradually covered in a layer, and his breath began to weaken...

Boom!!

Thunder roared, whipping up stormy winds and rain, and shells exploded on the water's surface in front of the port.

Shells?

Sarg looked towards the port and saw the outline of a massive ship appearing on the distant water surface, getting closer and closer.

“Navy warship! It's a navy warship!!”

Someone at the port shouted, causing those preparing to seize the ships to fall into chaos, halting their actions.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Ennio coughed violently, propping himself up with his left arm and slowly getting up.

“No one is allowed to set sail!” Ennio shouted loudly.

...

“Ennio, they all say that it was the Golden Lion who came here, stirring up the war between the navy and pirates, leading to the decline of the country, but I know that’s not the case. The heavenly gold tax has always been heavy, and the citizens can no longer bear it. I want to change this country, will you help me?”

The man with hair shining like the sun extended his hand towards Ennio...

...

He looked at the people at the port, his voice growing stronger, veins bulging on his neck as he shouted, “No one is allowed to set sail! No one is allowed to seize my ships and set sail! What will I do if you don't pay taxes?”

That voice made more people look over, discovering their king's increasingly miserable condition... After a brief pause, they quickly recovered from their panic, raising the sails, changing course, and accelerating to leave the port.

A king without any deterrent power and heavily damaged soldiers only strengthened their resolve to set sail.

“No, you can’t...” Ennio’s pupils constricted, straining to straighten his body and move his feet.

...

“Ennio, please, protect Lily...”

This time, the one lying on the bed was a woman, weakly pleading...

What followed was an increasingly heavy tax burden and those clueless nobles...

No matter how one tries to change it, the heavenly gold cannot be reduced.

No matter how tyrannical, those nobles only suck blood from the kingdom.

Even if Lily becomes queen, she will only end up like her parents, either dead or stripped of her title.

And being stripped of her title...

Though it was no longer thirty years ago, Ennio still knew the terror of those guys. They didn’t care about member states, let alone non-member states.

This country is already beyond salvation!

But the people can still be saved!

Those who want to save this country, those who want to protect Lily, can only let her, let them...

...

His steps were slow, but at this moment, they displayed an unusual determination as he staggered towards the port, mumbling:

“No one is allowed to set sail! I said no...”

The ships setting sail grew increasingly faster, and Ennio's body suddenly swayed, his pupils becoming dim and blurry, but that face full of resentment gradually formed a curve, and he shouted hoarsely:

“Set sail!!!”

Bang.

Ennio fell to the ground, his eyes turning from murky to dim, life’s breath completely halted, but the smile on his face was also frozen.

Sarg, walking towards the port, heard the sound, shrugged, and murmured, “He should have exploded and died... The physical quality of a strong man is indeed extraordinary.”

Let him take the blame, the bounty hunter was indeed no longer viable; there was nothing else he could do except become a pirate.

But...

“I haven’t boarded the ship yet, hey, I haven’t boarded yet!!”

Sarg looked at the empty port, a bit dumbfounded.

So many ships, and now none left?

Oh, there’s still one...

That large warship was gradually approaching.

“Sarg, board the ship! The navy is coming!”

A voice reached his ears; he turned his head to see Lily hanging onto the sail with one hand, quickly sailing towards him on a small boat, her hair wildly flying in the wind and rain.

“What are you doing?” Sarg asked.

“Setting sail!”