The captain's final advance wasn't the only movement.
The moment he stepped forward—
The entire battlefield shifted.
The escort ships regained partial coordination.
Not perfect.
But enough.
Cannons resumed firing from the sides.
Not random.
Now aimed at disrupting Kevin's ship stability and Carina's support work.
Carina immediately reacted.
"…They're targeting the ship again!"
She pulled hard on the rigging line, forcing the sail angle to shift.
The ship tilted slightly, avoiding a direct cannon path.
BOOM—
A shot exploded in the water just meters away.
Kevin didn't look back.
He was still locked with the captain.
But his awareness expanded.
"…Three pressure points detected."
On the enemy ship decks—
Foot soldiers finally moved.
Not just the captain.
Not just elite fighters.
Regular pirates rushed in with blades and guns.
Boarding attempt.
One of them jumped across the broken gap between ships.
Landed on Kevin's side deck.
Carina's eyes widened.
"…Boarding attack!"
The pirate raised his blade.
But before he could swing—
A shadow moved.
Kevin's second hand lifted slightly.
"…Death Reaper Fruit."
The air around him shifted.
Not visually flashy.
But pressure changed.
Cold intent spread.
A faint dark aura condensed along his blade.
The pirate froze mid-motion.
Not physically restrained—
But instinctively halted.
Like something in his mind warned him:
move and you are already dead
Kevin stepped forward once.
The pirate collapsed without a visible wound.
No scream.
Just silence.
Carina stared.
"…What just happened…"
Kevin didn't answer.
He moved again.
More pirates boarded.
Three this time.
Then five.
Carina grabbed a spare pole and pushed one back from the edge.
"…Stay off our ship!"
She wasn't passive anymore.
She was actively fighting now.
Kevin's aura expanded slightly again.
Not random.
Controlled.
"…Fear domain expansion—partial."
The Death Reaper Fruit didn't create destruction like fire or lightning.
It created death pressure.
Perception of mortality.
Weight on the nervous system.
Boarding pirates slowed.
Some hesitated.
Others turned back immediately.
On the enemy ship, the captain noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
"…That ability…"
He stepped back from his duel stance for half a second.
Just observing.
"…So that's why he survives encounters."
But Kevin didn't stop there.
He moved.
Into the gap between chaos.
He stepped off his ship briefly—
Landing onto the enemy vessel mid-battlefield instability.
Now the fight expanded fully.
Not isolated duel.
Full war zone.
Carina shouted from behind.
"…KEVIN!"
But she had no time to follow.
Another boarding attempt hit their ship.
She turned instantly.
"…Tch—stay back!"
Kevin landed among enemy fighters.
His aura spread slightly again.
But this time—
More controlled.
Sharper.
"…Reaper Pressure Field."
The nearby pirates felt it instantly.
Movement slowed.
Breathing tightened.
Combat instinct weakened.
Not magic paralysis.
Psychological death weight.
Kevin struck once.
Clean.
One pirate dropped.
Then another stepped forward—
And hesitated too long.
Taken down instantly.
The captain finally moved back into full engagement range.
"…You're using fear as a weapon…"
Kevin replied.
"…It is efficient."
The captain tightened his grip.
"…Then I'll break it."
He charged forward again.
But this time—
He forced himself through the pressure.
Steel clashed again.
Harder than before.
Meanwhile—
Carina was still defending their ship.
Now actively fighting alongside crewless survival.
A pirate grabbed the rail—
She kicked him back into the sea.
"…Get off!"
Another climbed—
She used rope to pull him off balance.
She was adapting.
Fast.
On the battlefield—
The Death Reaper aura fluctuated.
Kevin adjusted control.
He didn't overuse it.
Not yet full output.
Because he noticed something.
The captain was resisting it.
Not fully immune—
But mentally stronger than average pirates.
"…High resistance target."
The captain struck again.
This time forcing Kevin slightly back.
Not overpowering—
But stabilizing against the fear field.
"…So it affects your technique too."
Kevin replied.
"…Only weak minds."
The captain smiled slightly.
"…Then I'll stay conscious."
Behind them—
The escort ships began breaking formation fully.
Some retreating.
Some still firing randomly.
Structure collapsing completely now.
Battlefield no longer coordinated.
Only chaos remained.
Carina saw it briefly.
"…They're falling apart!"
But she couldn't stop fighting long enough to celebrate.
Kevin tightened his grip.
Death Reaper aura condensed around his blade fully now.
Not expanded.
Focused.
"…Final phase preparation."
The captain noticed.
His expression changed slightly.
"…You're ending it."
Kevin didn't answer.
He moved forward.
And the battlefield reached its final collapse stage.