บท 33: Chapter 32 - I Didn't Say I Wouldn't Kill You
"Let's go. Since they massacred the villagers here, their hideout can't be far," Shirakawa said.
Although they weren't exactly saints, they couldn't bear to leave the villagers' bodies exposed. They dug a large grave and buried them, offering a silent prayer.
"This country is in chaos. Something like this would never happen in my kingdom," Catherine said, her voice filled with sadness, despite being from a different country.
"Never happen? Or maybe it happens, and you just don't know about it," Shirakawa countered. He doubted any country was completely free of bandits and criminals.
"No, it definitely wouldn't happen. You'll see the difference when we reach my kingdom."
"We'll see."
The sight of the massacre had dampened their spirits. They walked in silence for a while.
"Look, there's a path branching off. Could that lead to the bandits' hideout?" Catherine asked, pointing to a trail they hadn't noticed before.
"Possibly," Shirakawa said, checking his map. He had bought it before leaving the city, just in case they got lost.
The path wasn't marked on the map. "This must be their own secret route," he concluded.
He put the map away and turned to the others. "Are you ready? If you don't want to go, you can wait here."
"We're ready!" Shanks and Buggy said eagerly, especially Shanks, who was itching for action.
"I'm coming too. It's probably more dangerous to stay here alone," Catherine added.
"Alright, let's go."
As they ventured deeper into the mountains, Shirakawa felt a sense of unease.
"What's wrong?" Catherine asked, noticing him pause and touch his right eye.
"Nothing. Let's keep moving." Shirakawa forced a smile.
They continued on, but the feeling of dread grew stronger. They hadn't encountered a single animal, not even a corpse.
Shirakawa stopped again.
"Why did we stop?" Shanks asked.
"I have a bad feeling about this. It might be dangerous up ahead."
"Afraid?" Buggy scoffed. "What danger could there be for someone like you?"
"I'm not afraid for myself. I'm worried about you guys."
"Don't worry. With Uncle Buggy here, you'll be safe," Buggy declared, flexing his nonexistent muscles. He seemed to have missed the point that Shirakawa was worried about them, not just Catherine.
Before Shirakawa could clarify, a voice interrupted them.
"Hey, who are you?"
A group of men blocked their path. Shanks and Buggy drew their weapons.
"Did you kill the villagers at the foot of the mountain?" Shirakawa asked, getting straight to the point. Their attire and demeanor screamed 'bandit.'
"Yeah, we did. So what?" the leader replied with a smug grin.
"Why?" Shirakawa asked through gritted teeth. He couldn't fathom how anyone could commit such atrocities, slaughtering even women and children.
"Why? We kill because we want to. Hahaha!"
"Who are you? Are you here to avenge them?" another bandit asked.
"We're here to kill you," Shirakawa said coldly. There was no point in reasoning with these monsters.
"Buggy, Shanks, let's go!"
"Finally!" Shanks charged forward, taking down a bandit with a single strike.
"You brats! How dare you try to kill us! I'll tear you to pieces!" the leader roared.
Despite being outnumbered, Shirakawa's group quickly gained the upper hand. The bandits were no match for Shanks and Buggy, and even Catherine managed to take down two of them.
Soon, only the leader remained standing. Shirakawa slowly approached him.
"Don't come any closer!" the leader shouted, backing away in fear. He trembled uncontrollably.
"Did you ever think about how those defenseless villagers felt when you slaughtered them?" Shirakawa asked, his voice cold and menacing.
"Please, spare me! I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" The leader dropped to his knees, begging for mercy.
"You didn't do it? Was it a ghost then?"
"The general ordered us to! We didn't want to kill them!"
"The general? So he's the one behind this."
"Yes! It was him!"
"Who is this general?"
"I don't know. He came to our hideout a few days ago. The boss told us to call him 'General.'"
"Get up. Lead us to him. I want to see what kind of 'general' he is."
"Okay, okay! Anything, as long as you don't kill me!"
The bandit led the way, and after about half an hour, they reached the bandit hideout. It looked exactly like the stereotypical bandit camps Shirakawa had seen in movies and TV shows.
"The general should be inside," the bandit said.
Suddenly, a blade flashed, and the bandit's head rolled off his shoulders.
His eyes widened in shock. He probably died without understanding why.
"I never said I'd let you live. You chose to lead us here," Shirakawa said coldly. He wouldn't let such a vile person continue to exist.
The battle with the other bandits was over. None had survived.
"I heard him call us monsters," Shanks said, looking at the corpses.
"Yeah."
"Monsters? We're hardly monsters. They're just ignorant."
"It's because of their isolation. They have no idea how vast the world is. Few people from the other half of the New World ever come here."
"The people on this island are truly pitiful," Shanks sighed. The thought of being trapped on one island for life was unbearable to him.
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