He was afraid of damaging Roger's confidence.
"What? Scared?" Roger raised an eyebrow.
"I just think that swords have no eyes."
Hector slowly drew his weathered cutlass, its blade reflecting a cold, icy gleam.
"Very good."
Roger casually pulled out a common naval-issue cutlass, one of those they had plundered, from a nearby weapon rack.
He tossed the scabbard aside, held the sword with one hand, and made a "please" gesture to Hector.
The posture was too elegant for a pirate captain.
"Come on, let me see how fast the sword of a legendary grand pirate truly is."
Hector stopped talking nonsense.
He took a deep breath, and his entire demeanor instantly changed.
A sharp and ruthless aura, belonging to a top swordsman, emanated from him.
He moved!
His footwork crisscrossed, his body lowered, and the cutlass in his hand thrust straight at Roger's throat!
Fast! Precise! Ruthless!
This was a killing technique he had honed over decades of sailing the seas and countless life-or-death battles!
The pirates gasped in surprise.
However, facing this deadly thrust, Roger didn't even bat an eyelid.
He simply flicked his wrist.
"Clang!"
A crisp clang of metal.
Hector's certain-kill thrust was effortlessly parried.
The sword tip grazed Roger's neck, only stirring a few stray hairs.
Hector was startled.
Such a fast sword!
Without time to think, he twisted his wrist, and his sword move instantly shifted from a thrust to a slash, cutting horizontally at Roger's neck.
Roger didn't retreat but advanced, sliding his foot forward, his body strangely pressing close to Hector.
At the same time, the longsword in his hand traced a smooth arc.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
A rapid series of dense clashing sounds, like rain on banana leaves, rang out!
Hector felt as if he had fallen into a quagmire composed of sword light.
All of his attacks, whether tricky thrusts or powerful slashes, were all neutralized by a sword technique he couldn't understand at all, yet was incredibly exquisite!
The opponent's sword was fast and just right.
Each parry, each deflection, made him feel frustrated, as if he was exerting all his strength only to hit cotton.
Ten minutes passed.
Fine beads of sweat had already appeared on Hector's forehead.
He had used all of his lifelong learning, but he hadn't even touched the opponent's clothes!
And Roger, from beginning to end, hadn't moved his feet by half an inch.
He even had time to yawn.
"Is that all?" Roger shook his head, a little disappointed.
"Hector, did you not eat?"
"Are you even trying?"
"Your sword is even weaker than Gibbs's snores."
Hector's old face flushed crimson.
"Hmph!"
He roared and unleashed his ultimate, hidden technique!
A fierce thrust at Roger's lower body!
This move was his trump card, which he used against Jack Sparrow back in the day!
Any man would have to give way!
He was that confident!
However.
Roger merely smiled faintly.
The sword in his hand suddenly moved.
It wasn't a very fast movement, but it was filled with a strange rhythm.
"Clang!"
With just a soft sound.
Hector felt a numbness in his wrist, and a huge force transmitted through it.
The cutlass in his hand unexpectedly flew out of his grasp, uncontrollably!
It spun seven hundred and twenty degrees in the air, then, with a "clang," it accurately embedded itself in the deck half an inch in front of Hector's foot.
The hilt was still humming.
Hector stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded.
He looked down at his empty right hand, then at the trembling cutlass by his feet.
And a cold sword tip was already at his throat, he didn't know when it got there.
Roger stood before him, a benevolent smile on his face.
The entire deck was deathly silent.
If earlier, taking Buck's punch head-on only made them think the Captain was a physical monster.
Then now, this crushing, artistic display of swordsmanship had completely shattered their understanding.
"Clap. Clap. Clap."
Billy was the first to react, clapping his hands vigorously, making crisp sounds.
Immediately after, thunderous applause and cheers echoed across the entire deck!
"Captain is awesome (voice cracking)!"
"Captain is the best in the world!"
Hector looked at the excessively young man before him, his lips moved, but ultimately, it only became a long sigh.
He slowly knelt on one knee before Roger, lowering his head, which had been proud for decades.
"Captain, I yield."
"Ding! Hector Barbossa loyalty +30! Current loyalty 150/100! Status: Completely captivated, has begun considering having your children, Host please pay attention to personal safety."
Roger dodged Hector's fiery gaze, scanned the completely stunned pirates on the deck, and cleared his throat.
"Did you all see that?"
"This is the power of knowledge, this is the charm of technology."
"As long as you all work hard and strive to meet your KPIs, each of you will have the chance to become as strong as I am."
Roger began his classic 'drawing a pie' segment.
"Even, more badass than me!"
The pirates instantly went wild!
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