A slapstick dance?

This sudden and inexplicable request startled Wilbur slightly. Instinctively, he looked towards the town behind the port, where many residents were still living, and he could even see the figures of some of them hiding.

"Yes, it's a burlesque. It's okay if you don't know how to dance it, I'll teach you."

Yagyu Shiko clapped his hands, bent one leg, and opened his hands one above the other, with his right hand on top and his left hand extending downwards with his fingers spread.

Thump thump thump!

He hopped a few times on one leg, slowly turned his head around, and finally glared forward with a grin that took up half his face, saying, "That's it, the slapstick dance. Of course, there are many variations, but you only need to dance one. You don't even need to learn this one. It can be the dance from your hometown, the dance you've seen, or you can walk around the town naked for half a day. Just make them think you're an idiot. Half a day, just half a day, and I'll let you off the hook."

He'll agree in half a day, and then he'll experience what naive despair truly means. Just like that naive man twenty years ago!

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out.

Yagyu Shiko tilted his head up and then down again, his eyes becoming ferocious, but his smile turned into a downward drooping mouth, though there was still a hint of happiness in his ferocious eyes.

When he's happy, his expression turns angry.

At his chin, a bullet that flashed with a black light flattened and fell to the ground.

Despite the imposing force of the projectile, it did not cause him any harm.

Yagyu Ishikora stroked his chin, his face showing anger, but his tone was full of teasing: "Oh? You won't grant my request?"

Wilbur pushed his hand down and quickly retreated, standing up as he did so. He pointed his gun at Yagyu Ishikora and said solemnly, "Are you insulting me, pirate!"

"Do you think this is an insult? Hey, to save the islands you're protecting and prevent them from being harmed, all you have to give up is your meager dignity. Is your dignity more valuable than the islands and people you're protecting?"

As Yagyu Shikotora spoke, he thought for a moment, and his expression suddenly brightened, but his tone turned angry. "How about this? Since you think your dignity is important, let's change it. Let's have a one-on-one fight. It won't take half a day. One hour. If you can withstand my attacks for one hour and survive, I will spare all of you and this island."

"Have you insulted me enough?"

The sudden sound startled Yagyu Sekiko.

Wilbur stared at Yagyu Sekikora and slowly said, "I am a Marine, and you are a pirate. The only thing we can do is fight. Yes, you are strong, and I am no match for you. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up and becoming a puppet for you to manipulate and make demands of! I am not afraid of death. I die to protect others and for the cause of justice. That is a very honorable thing!"

A large number of naval personnel began to gather around him.

“Mr. Kuro said that achieving peace is never about compromise, but about fighting! Peace obtained through compromise is just charity from others, and it will be abandoned sooner or later, because they don’t know pain. If you don’t hurt them, they won’t be afraid of you! Peace is something that can only be achieved when both sides can pose a threat!”

Wilbur roared, "No matter what you ask for, I will not agree! There is only one way for you to achieve your goal, and that is to defeat us. Otherwise, even if I have my last breath, I will protect this place and prevent you from taking over this island!"

The marines beside him all wore resolute expressions, saying little, but simply aiming their guns at Yagyu Shiko and his pirates.

Yagyu Shikatora stared blankly at the scene, his mind conjuring up an image of a naked man wandering the streets. The image shifted, then returned to that man carrying nine people on his back inside a large cauldron, surrounded by the weeping and disbelief of the onlookers, and the burly, imposing man above and the short, lewd man beside him grinning...

His expression vanished; there was no anger, no joy, only a calm, indifferent stillness.

"Why?"

Yagyu Ishikora said in a deep voice, "If you want to achieve your goal, isn't compromise the fastest way? There's no need for fighting, and no one will be sacrificed. Perhaps your navy isn't afraid of death, but what about the civilians? Aren't you afraid that I'll become enraged and slaughter this island? As long as you agree to my demands, nothing will happen!"

"I will not place my hopes on the enemy's mercy!"

Wilbur roared, "Besides, what's the use? Even if it's not you, Yagyu Ishikora, there will be others. Do you expect them to compromise every time you threaten them with islands and their inhabitants? We are the Navy, and fighting pirates is our duty!"

Perhaps Yagyu Ishikora will keep his promise and let the island go, but what good will that do? Even without him, someone else will come. If he compromises with each threat of the island and civilians, the final result will still be defeat, and a defeat without any resistance, a defeat that makes no one feel the pain.

We cannot lose our weapons; losing our weapons means losing our ability to resist!

"I will not grant any of your requests. Our only option is to fight, and I will not surrender, even if it means total annihilation!"

Wilbur's voice made Yagyu Ishikora's body tremble, his gaze slightly glazed over, and he seemed to be thinking about something.

"Lieutenant General, we're coming too!"

Just then, a large number of young people suddenly emerged from the town, carrying crude weapons, and stood behind the navy.

"We've had enough!"

An older man roared, “Every time we’re invaded by different pirates, we’re forced to pay taxes we can’t afford under the guise of so-called protection, or we become pirates ourselves. I don’t want to be a pirate, I want to be a Marine! Even if I die in battle, I’ll show those pirates what I’m made of! Vice Admiral Wilbur said in 'The Faith of Justice' that we will never compromise with violence and will fight back. We will do the same!”

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!