Rogue Villain-Chapter 187: Decision-Making Time

"Turn the ship around!"

Feeling the pressure on his throat begin to rise as Ackster started raising the hand around his throat, the sailor gave in. They had fished up trouble. And since it was more than they could deal with, they could at least try and save their lives.

"Good."

Ackster sat the blond sailor down again and patted his shoulder before squeezing it with enough force to remind the sailor that his throat was still unsafe.

"What are you waiting for?!"

Surprisingly enough, the other pirates obeyed and started shifting the sails, manning the oars, and turning the ship’s wheel.

The blond pirate glanced at Ackster after bending over and coughing a little.

"How did you know?"

Ackster shrugged before answering.

"It was obvious. Your clothes are nicer. You aren’t working when everyone else is with too much intensity. It’s almost as if their superior is watching. You’re cleaner and don’t smell as much as the rest of the crew."

Ackster pointed at the cutlass at the blond pirate’s hip.

"Oh, and you’re the only one with a weapon on you, which is a little surprising, considering you’re pirates. Either you’re sailors, and you’re the captain. Or you’re pirates, and you’re a captain afraid of mutiny. That is also why no one stepped up to help you, right?"

"Tch."

After the captain gave his orders, there wasn’t much to do but wait and ensure that no one did anything they shouldn’t. It was boring, and Ackster would prefer to train or even Nold his bones. Thankfully, not a lot of time had passed, and they hadn’t crossed a lot of distance from where they looted his skiffy. So, they returned to where they had found it.

The pirates were nervous regarding Ackster, but they hadn’t made any foolish attempts during the trip. They had picked him up to see if he had any valuables, and when they got a closer look, they realized they could sell him since he was unfairly handsome despite his missing arm.

But their greed got the best of them. They should have dumped him overboard as soon as they realized he had no injuries aside from his arm. Even if they just fell overboard, no one escaped unscathed when their clothes were in that state. Ackster didn’t even have a split lip or a bruise anywhere on his body.

The pirates had already made a mistake once, so when they saw him overwhelm their captain with his presence alone and then lift him up with one hand, they decided it would be best to get rid of this scourge as quickly as possible. And the best way to do that would be to follow his orders.

Ackster scanned the waters for any signs of Mio. Slimes could float. But some slimes had the buoyancy of lead. And since Mio was a unique slime, Ackster didn’t know whether he would see Mio again. But he had hope. Mio was smart, and when the slime was on his head, he barely felt it since it didn’t weigh much.

Ackster also didn’t know if slimes, in general, or Mio could breathe. Maybe he had lost Mio, but Mio was still alive.

He jumped onto the skiffy and took a look around. Maybe Mio had found a way back onto the boat. It was unlikely since Mio didn’t seem to be very physical. The only time Ackster had noticed it putting in any effort was on the beach when he acquired Last Stand.

That explained why he didn’t find any traces of Mio on the boat. The slime hadn’t returned.

Ackster clenched his fist tight as anger surged through him. Mio was a companion who had accompanied him from the start. The slime had helped him out on numerous occasions, both literally and emotionally. Throwing it into the water was unforgivable.

’It’s just as well. I was thinking about what to do with these scum.’

Ackster turned to the pirates and the captain, all of whom were slowly and sneakily cooperating to put distance between the two vessels.

He leaped onto the pirate ship, doubts stopping him with his hand on the captain’s throat. He didn’t squeeze it tight, but Ackster’s clouded gaze didn’t give the captain any hope.

Unfortunately, Ackster was deaf to any pleas the captain made as he was preoccupied with his thoughts.

Killing another human was still a threshold he hadn’t crossed. He had even hoped he wouldn’t have to cross it. It was something almost unimaginable in what he could only call his past life on Earth. He didn’t want nor could he afford any burdens on his consciousness.

However, the Crimson Edge adventurers had shown him what could happen if his blade was too dull. His interference would cause ripples. There was no doubt about it. And the ripple from the Blood Moon fellows was not a good one.

It would potentially speed up and increase The Hero’s growth. And it had led to the massacre and slaughter of half a country, a big country at that.

If Ackster had killed the Crimson Edge adventurers when he had the chance, a lot of people would still be alive, and he would still be able to predict The Hero’s journey.

Ackster doubted any of the pirates had the potential to become a continental threat the same way the Crimson Edge adventurers did. But they could still have an unexpected impact, especially if they were free to spread rumors. Now that he had lost an arm and become noticeably powerful, he was quite easy to identify, even if he changed his hair color, which he would be unable to do from now on.

In addition to all that, the pirates were also responsible for what had happened to Mio. Ackster didn’t want to let them live, even if it was only out of a momentary bout of rage.

Eventually, Ackster came to a decision. He didn’t like it, but he had to make it.

He comforted himself with the fact that they were pirates and probably deserved the death penalty. Who knows how many ships they had plundered, people they had killed, women they had defiled, and kids they had robbed of parents?