Rapha?lle raised her weapon and blinked. By the time her eyes opened again, Scornwallis was already between her and Tolas. In one swift motion, he elbowed Tolas in the neck and then, with two fingers, precisely struck Rapha?lle's trachea.

  Tolas flew forward from the force of the blow, while Rapha?lle's breath was cut off by the pirate's attack. No matter how hard she tried, it was as if the air refused to pass through her throat. Panic began to grip her as the pirate stared at her with a curious expression.

  Tolas, still on the ground, managed to slowly get up before shaking his head to try to stay conscious.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Rapha?lle finally managed to catch her breath and staggered backward, her dagger still in front of her. The buccaneer cast her a somewhat puzzled glance.

  "You… couldn't block me? Really?"

  Suddenly, he moved to the side, and Tolas's blade, which had discreetly approached him from behind, completely missed. Scornwallis closed his fist and, with the same precision as before, struck Tolas's chin. The young man felt his legs give way beneath him and fell to his knees, unable to rise.

  Rapha?lle tried to strike at the pirate with her dagger, but he intercepted her hand and twisted it, causing her to grimace in pain as she dropped her weapon.

  The pirate caught the blade in mid-air and twirled it between his fingers before suddenly plunging it into her forearm whom he had held in place.

  She let out a cry of pain and tried to struggle while Scornwallis created a long gash several centimeters deep.

  He put the knife between his teeth, completely ignoring Rapha?lle's attempts to make him let go, and with his free hand, he slightly widened the gash to observe the exposed flesh directly.

  The young woman began to scream and struggle even more, under the pirate's keen eyes, who was manipulating her arm.

  "Wait, but you're nothing special after all," exclaimed the disappointed pirate before widening his eyes and sniffing the air.

  He abruptly released Rapha?lle's arm, spat the knife back into his now free hand, and barely parried an attack from Tolas aimed at his throat. The boatswain unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, trying to catch the pirate off guard, but Scornwallis effortlessly parried all his blows, observing him with the same fixed smile on his patchwork face.

  Rapha?lle, who had fallen backward and was now holding her arm, sweating profusely, watched the bosun's combat with increasing amazement.

  As time passed, Tolas only seemed to accelerate, and his attacks seemed to become heavier. Gradually, the sailor began to gain the upper hand, pushing the captain backward very slowly toward the railing.

  Scornwallis said nothing more; he seemed to be focused on the fight, but there was something about his demeanor that didn't reassure the wolf. Even though he was on the defensive, he didn't seem to be particularly struggling.

  Rapha?lle picked up one of Zedek's swords and cut herself a piece of cloth, which she tied around her open forearm. The pain made her see stars, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to stay conscious. Then a sound of broken metal brought her back to reality, and she opened her eyes wide in shock.

  Tolas was now retreating, holding the tail end of his broken sword. Scornwallis, still holding Rapha?lle's dagger, watched Tolas while licking his lips, his free hand's fingers gesturing in all directions.

  "I thought your people were just a legend…" the pirate began, cracking his neck and tossing the dagger to the ground.

  The boatswain nonetheless lunged toward the corsair and attempted to stab him in the stomach, but the pirate, just as he did with Rapha?lle moments ago, intercepted his hand. Tolas immediately reacted by releasing the hilt of his sword to catch it with his free hand, and he managed to plunge its broken tip into Scornwallis's exposed flank.

  The pirate's expression remained unchanged, and, as if nothing had happened, he crushed Tolas's hand in his own, causing him to scream in agony. He then released Tolas, who staggered back, holding his mutilated hand and gasping for air.

  He barely had time to raise his head before Scornwallis landed a right uppercut to his stomach. Tolas lifted off the ground several centimeters, spitting blood onto his opponent's chest, and fell to his knees before him. Scornwallis wiped the blood with his index finger, which he then licked, his eyes gleaming once again.

  "Oh ho ho… This is excellent! Premium grade Oka!" he exclaimed with a mocking laugh.

  The captain roughly seized Tolas by the throat and, as he had done with the Ermythian before, began lifting him up while squeezing tighter and tighter.

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  The boatswain tried to struggle as best he could, striking with his still intact hand and feet, aiming for the wound he had inflicted on the corsair. The latter continued to chuckle:

  "You're wasting your time, kid. I haven't felt anything for a long time."

  Scornwallis grabbed Tolas's tattered shirt and ripped it off, revealing his wounded torso and a large tattoo made up of hundreds of small black marks on his right pectoral. The marks almost seemed to protrude from his skin. All the small cuts from the fight against Lowell and Zedek were slowly healing under Scornwallis's astonished gaze. He did notice, however, that the wounds near the tattoo were healing faster than those farther away.

  "I really hit the jackpot with you," the pirate rejoiced, running his free hand over the bosun's chest, who was increasingly suffocating.

  Then, in one swift motion, Scornwallis turned around and launched a massive kick toward Rapha?lle, who barely managed to protect herself by crossing her arms in front of her. The young woman was propelled backward several meters before landing forcefully on her back, completely exhausted.

  "You really thought the same move would work every time?" mocked Scornwallis. "You're too predictable, you pissant. As soon as you were out of my sight, I knew you'd try to backstab me.”

  The captain, still holding Tolas at arm's length, flexed his muscles and hurled the teenager against the deck with all his might. Tolas's body hit the ground so hard that the wood sagged slightly under the force of the impact. The bosun's eyelids began to flutter.

  "Hey hey hey, don't fall asleep on me!" exclaimed Scornwallis, bending down and grabbing Tolas's head to lift it toward him. "You'll miss the best part."

  Taking loud breaths, Rapha?lle tried to get up but only managed to kneel.

  She felt the blood pounding in her temples, her sweat-drenched hair sticking to her forehead, and the pain slowly numbing her multiple open wounds.

  Her gaze drifted, but she managed to refocus on Scornwallis, who was staring at her while still holding Tolas's head. Then her eyes met those of her badly beaten friend, and she bit her lip.

  They couldn't win.

  Scornwallis was far too strong for them.

  This realization hit her like a boulder dropping into her stomach. She had been too sure of herself. All this adventure on the island had convinced her that she had become strong enough to never have to fear anyone again.

  But it was false. From the beginning, they had been lucky. If they had encountered Scornwallis's crew the previous week, they would have had no chance of getting this far. She had mistaken favorable circumstances for her own qualities as a fighter and strategist.

  Rapha?lle gritted her teeth, a bitter taste in her mouth.

  Scornwallis released Tolas and slowly advanced toward her, his face stern.

  "If there's one thing I hate more than anything, harlot, it's being disappointed."

  He finally reached her and grabbed her by the hair. Rapha?lle futilely attempted to defend herself, but she even struggled to raise her arms. The pirate continued his tirade:

  "Do you know how long I’d been waiting for the Dandes to betray me? I loved seeing them trying to turn my crew, I lived for that. But when that little bastard Gaste died, I knew Lawrence wouldn’t have the stones to try and overthrow me. And that, ha…believe me, that disappointed me. The only reason I sent Monigam out tonight was to get rid of him. But then…even after a few hours, it was radio silence and then… I began to doubt."

  He began to pull on Rapha?lle's hair until her body was lifted off the ground. Pain was drilling through the young woman's brain.

  "And when I saw you earlier," he continued in a cheerful tone, "after you slaughtered my pirates on the deck, I, honest to the gods, began to hope Oh, and the smell of your boyfriend, damn was that a thrill! If you knew how long it's been since I've smelled an Oka so... delicious. Something special was brewing. I was sure of it. When you stabbed Lowell's eye, that was... magical! Finally, some excitement! "

  Scornwallis's face, which had almost lit up, suddenly darkened.

  "I knew that alone, your boyfriend wouldn't be able to do anything against me. So I dared hope, with all my heart, my soul… that you were like him. But no, you're just an ordinary little girl."

  He suddenly slapped Rapha?lle, making her spit blood.

  " A girl who made me lose almost everything that was left of my piss-poor excuse of a crew..."

  He slapped her again, a little harder this time. She felt like her cheek was on fire.

  " And two whole lieutenants who could have still been useful to me!"

  He slapped her a third time, even harder than before. The wolf was close to unconsciousness, but something in Scornwallis's words made her click. A bloody grin stretched across the young woman's tired features, and a weak chuckle escaped her swollen lips.

  "What's so funny?" Scornwallis asked in an irritated tone.

  "The crew... of the 'Butcher of Isla Novaes' got... pulverized... by a seventeen-year-old girl…" she chuckled, grimacing in pain.

  The pirate's jaw clenched as veins began pulsing on his neck and forehead. Rapha?lle, feeling like she had nothing left to lose anyway, managed to meet her enemy's gaze.

  "Imagine... if I were twenty...," she murmured, smiling through her bloodied teeth.

  Scornwallis's eyes began to gleam, and he clenched his fist with all his might. Then his body twitched suddenly, and instead of hitting Rapha?lle, he let her go and kicked behind him in a huge roundhouse kick. Tolas, standing behind him, caught it with his left hand.

  "Already standing?" the pirate marveled. "You're rather—"

  But the bosun didn't let Scornwallis finish his sentence. He firmly grabbed the pirate's outstretched leg and pulled him toward him before delivering a formidable punch with his right hand directly to his nose, fracturing it on impact.

  The pirate fell on his back, completely off balance, and Tolas, who still held him, threw him behind him several meters away. He then turned to help Rapha?lle back to her feet, and she grabbed his arm, incredulous.

  "Yo...your...hand...," she stammered weakly, "how did you..."

  She looked up and was surprised by Tolas's tense expression. The young man had his body turned toward the entrance to the Vyx Bay, his eyes fixed on the horizon. Meanwhile, Scornwallis was getting up without difficulty, stars in his eyes and his nose out of joint.

  "You really did it. You actually reconstructed your whole hand in mere minutes” a visibly delighted Scornwallis exclaimed. "Skinning you alive is going to be a hoot!"

  Tolas didn't even bother to look at him and continued to ignore him, focusing even more on the horizon. Then his face almost changed color as his eyes widened. His features frowned.

  "You... Tolas?" Rapha?lle inquired.

  "He's coming," he announced gravely.

  "What? Who is?"

  The young man cast a dark look at his friend, and she furrowed her brows before understanding. She began to smile sadly:

  "Took him...long enough… but I don't know if it will be enough..."