Hypnosis is truly terrifying

On the eastern coast of Syrup Village, the crew of the Black Cat Pirates had gathered along the shore. At their head stood a man wearing heart-shaped sunglasses and white gloves, his hat brim pulled low as he addressed them.

“Listen up, everyone. Stick to the plan we agreed on later, and don’t show these villagers any mercy! Let them learn just how formidable the Black Cat Pirates are!”

“Yes, Vice Captain!”

“No problem, Vice Captain Jango!”

The pirates present roared excitedly. They had been waiting for this moment for more than three years. Ever since their captain had set the plan in motion, they had been anticipating the day they could finally reap the rewards. Now, that day had arrived!

“All right! Men, it’s time to show them what you can do! Give me—”

Jango could not help but grin smugly as he raised his hand, preparing to order the crew to attack. But with his arm held high, he suddenly froze and stared in astonishment into the distance.

All the pirates were stunned for a moment as well, then followed Vice Captain Jango’s gaze.

In the distance, a handsome, bronze-skinned youth was striding toward them. Behind him came a large group of furious villagers from Syrup Village, each carrying hoes, shovels, clubs, and all manner of makeshift weapons.

“...”

Everyone fell silent.

Then, a burst of uproarious laughter broke out.

“Captain Jango, they’ve come here to get themselves killed!”

“What a kindhearted kid, bringing the whole village with him. Shouldn’t we thank him properly?”

“Captain, give the order already! My sword is thirsting for blood!”

The crew shouted excitedly. They had been dreading the trouble of robbing the villagers house by house. Now that everyone had come to them, they could save themselves a great deal of effort.

“Wait.”

Jango suddenly stopped them. His puzzled gaze fixed on Tang Shen.

The youth before him was clearly different from the villagers behind him. Those villagers wore expressions of anger or fear, their faces flushed or pale with terror. But this boy...

From beginning to end, he wore a faint smile, and the way he looked at Jango seemed to suggest that he regarded everything under heaven as beneath his notice.

“What an interesting fellow. Don’t you know who you’re standing in front of?”

Jango stared at Tang Shen in surprise. The boy had already walked right up to him, while the villagers behind him remained at a cautious distance, hesitating to come any closer.

“You?”

Tang Shen shook his head. “I don’t know who you are. I only know what you’ll become if you haven’t left by the time I count to three.”

“What will we become?” Jango asked, bewildered.

“Dead.”

Tang Shen spoke without the slightest change in expression. He sighed and began counting in earnest.

“One.”

“...”

Jango fell silent, and so did the crew.

Then, as though they had just heard the funniest joke in the world, the pirates burst into laughter.

“Are you kidding me?! Captain Jango, is this kid threatening you?”

“How terrifying! He actually dared to threaten the Black Cat Pirates!”

“Young people these days!”

“...”

Tang Shen ignored their jeers completely. Meanwhile, the villagers in the distance had already gone deathly pale. They had summoned up the courage to come and resist the pirates, but now that they were facing men whose hands were stained with blood, their resolve began to crumble. Their legs trembled uncontrollably.

“Two.”

Tang Shen continued counting with the same seriousness, and the surrounding laughter grew even louder.

Jango raised a hand, looking at Tang Shen smugly, and the pirates immediately fell silent. He habitually reached into his pocket and pulled out two gleaming hypnotic rings.

Then he smiled and said, “Kid, look here. Watch carefully!”

“Captain Jango is about to use his special technique!”

“Impressive! I get so excited every time I see Captain Jango hypnotize someone!”

“As expected of the captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Though why do my eyelids suddenly feel so heavy...”

“Mine too...”

The shouts of anticipation gradually faded. Then, amid the villagers’ stunned expressions—

Thud!

Jango toppled straight onto the ground. Bubbles puffed from his nose as he began snoring peacefully.

The pirates behind him collapsed one after another, and soon the air was filled with their snores as well.

Tang Shen: “...”

Villager One: “...”

Villager Two: “...”

“Three. Looks like you chose to become dead men. Still, Jango saved me a great deal of trouble. Hypnosis really is frightening.”

Tang Shen shrugged helplessly. Half of his opponents had been taken down by Jango himself, though a few of the stronger pirates were still standing.

“Captain?! Captain! How did you fall asleep?”

“Damn that kid! He must have done something! How else could he have put our captain to sleep?”

“Master Buchi, Master Sham, hurry and deal with him!”

The pirates finally came to their senses and panicked. Their captain had actually been knocked out the moment they met their enemy. That made no sense at all!

Two figures, one fat and one thin, swiftly pushed through the crew and stopped in front of Tang Shen. They were none other than Buchi and Sham, the Cat Brothers.

The portly Buchi wore sharp claws, black-and-red striped trousers, and a white cape. The slender Sham had green hair and thick mascara around his eyes. He stared at Tang Shen with a sinister grin.

“How frightening,” Sham said timidly. “I have no habit of making an enemy of someone like you.”

“Hmph! Leave him to me. I can take on ten punks like this with one hand!” Buchi grunted thickly, then suddenly lunged and slashed at Tang Shen with one claw.

The sharp claws tore through the air with a shrill scraping sound.

The pirates grew even more excited, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Take down that brat, Master Buchi!”

“Show him what we’re capable of! Tear the little punk in half!”

“Hahaha! Master Buchi is incredible!”

“...”

Tang Shen shook his head. The Cat Brothers were no longer worthy of his attention. He merely shifted his body slightly, and Buchi’s attack swept through empty air.

“Huh?”

Buchi stared in astonishment at Tang Shen, who had moved a step away. His claws struck the ground, carving a vicious mark into it.

Had his eyes deceived him just now? He was fast!

But Buchi was, after all, the Black Cat Pirates’ chief combatant. How could he have been dodged by a mere child? And in front of everyone, no less! What a disgrace!

Humiliated and enraged, the portly cat-man let out a furious growl. The muscles in his arms bulged, and cold light surged across both sets of claws.

This time, he was serious.

Two razor-sharp slashes flew toward Tang Shen.

If they struck cleanly, they could tear straight through a human body.

At the same moment Buchi attacked, the timid-looking Sham moved as well. He swiftly circled behind Tang Shen and launched a thrust so fast it was nearly impossible to detect. His five claws pressed together, their sharp tips stabbing directly toward Tang Shen’s heart.

His ferocious gaze flared with murderous intent, as though he could already see Tang Shen’s heart being pierced.

“Look out!”